Long Beach Legend: HoopsHD interviews Hall of Famer LaTaunya Pollard

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Jon Teitel

There are scorers and then there are SCORERS: LaTaunya Pollard was most certainly 1 of the latter. At East Chicago Roosevelt she was named Indiana Miss Basketball after becoming 1 of the highest-scoring girls basketball players in Indiana history. At Long Beach State she led her team in scoring for 4 straight years and finished her college career with 3001 career PTS. As a pro basketball player in Italy she set a league record by scoring 39.5 PPG in 1985. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with LaTaunya about scoring 99 PTS in 1 game and becoming a Hall of Famer. Today marks the 40th anniversary of her playing in the 1983 FIBA World Championship for Women gold medal game on August 6, 1983, so we take this time to remember her remarkable career.

You were born/raised in Indiana where you went 91-2 at Roosevelt High School: what made you choose Long Beach State? My decision was between Long Beach and UNLV. There were some really good players out West who I wanted to compete against (like Cheryl Miller).

You were a member of the 1980 US Olympic team but did not get to participate after the US decided to boycott the Olympics: what was your reaction when you learned the bad news? What can you do? When politics get involved in sports then anything can happen. I was young at the time so I did not wonder if it was my last chance.

In the 1983 NCAA tourney you made it to the Elite 8 before losing to eventual champion USC: what was it like to face Cheryl Miller in her prime? We actually lost to Cheryl every year! She was a very tough player but also had great players around her like Cynthia Cooper. Cheryl was the focus point of a solid team.

You finished your college career with 3001 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? The Good Lord! God blessed me with a talent that was pretty much unmatched for a long time. I played basketball from a young age, and competing against boys from my neighborhood helped me become the player I was. I worked on my craft: I was a great defender/rebounder but shooting is what set me apart. It was a gift from God.

You were a 3-time All-American and in 1983 you won the Wade Trophy as national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I can say it was well-deserved: I did a lot of things on the court and people recognized my talent. Awards were not big for me: I would have traded all of them to take my team to the Final 4. Championships are what I really wanted but unfortunately it did not happen.

In the 1983 FIBA World Championship for Women gold medal game you scored 9 PTS in a 2-PT loss to the USSR: what was it like to face 7-footer Uljana Semjonova (who scored 23 PTS)? She was huge! It was a great experience to face Russia. Every time that I stepped onto the court I scored in double-digits so if I only scored 9 PTS then I must not have played that well. The Russian team played year-round while Team USA only had a short period of time to practice together.

After graduating you played in Italy and set a women’s pro basketball scoring record by scoring 99 PTS for Lanerossi Schio in a win over Latte Berna Gragnano on March 29, 1987: how on earth did you do that?! It actually should have been more than that because I missed a lot of baskets! We were the last-place team in the league and were not very good but our opponent that night was the 2nd-worst team. I honestly did not realize I had scored that many points at the time: I was never a selfish player but at the end of the game they told me I had 99 PTS. Had I known that I would have tried to score another point!

In 2001 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is 1 of my highest accomplishments. It takes a lot to be recognized and is probably 2nd only to making the Olympic team. I am looking at the trophy right now.

Since retiring from basketball you founded a company called “Fundamentals of Basketball” that teaches fundamental skills to kids of all ages: what makes your company different from others, and how is it going so far? God restored my life after I went through some challenges outside of basketball. There was some darkness in my life and in 2006 I made a promise to spend the rest of my life serving God. I do that by helping kids in my community. I speak the gospel to these kids: it is not just basketball but also the ministry. When you come to my camp you will hear about Jesus Christ and I think a lot of them have a new reason to believe in salvation: that is what sets my camp apart.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I heard LeBron James talk about his legacy once and he said, “I hope I did enough” so I would say the same thing.

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The Hoops HD Report Special: Discussion with Ken Pomeroy

Posted on July 20, 2023 by David Griggs

Ken Pomeroy, publisher of KenPom.com, is our guest on this special edition of the Hoops HD Report.  We focus on his site and ratings and talk about how he got started in publishing his site, what exactly his rankings are trying to measure, and look at some misconceptions that people have about how his rankings work.  We also discuss the NET, which is used by the NCAA, and how similar it is to the KenPom rankings, and we speculate on how the NCAA Selection Committee may be utilizing the different types of metrics.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews Jimmy Boeheim of Boeheim’s Army

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Jon Teitel

UConn won the NCAA tourney in April and Denver won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 19th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing in Dayton/Louisville/Lubbock/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita 1/Wichita 2/Xavier. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Jimmy Boeheim, who will be playing for Boeheim’s Army after being a 1st-team Academic All-American at Syracuse.

You were born/raised in New York: what made you choose Cornell for college? Cornell was my only offer coming out of prep school. I always took school seriously so it was always my dream to play in the Ivy League. I really loved the coaching staff at Cornell as well as the campus/proximity to home.

In the 1st round of the 2019 CIT you scored a career-high 31 PTS/14-20 FG in a 9-PT loss at Robert Morris: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yeah: I remember feeling really good during that game. I made some threes early and was able to score around the basket too: my teammates found me all game long.

As a junior you led the team in PPG/RPG/3PM: how were you able to balance all of the different aspects of your game? During my first two years at Cornell I was really able to grow my game (posting up, 3-PT shooting, having the ball in my hands more, etc.). I think that all of the work I put in and the great belief my coaches/teammates put in me to get me the ball in great spots worked together for that year.

You did not play during your senior year after the Ivy League canceled the season due to COVID-19: what was your reaction when you heard the news, and looking back on it now do you think that it was the right decision? I was really bummed out. I thought we had a great team that year and had spent 4 years building for that season so it was unfortunate.

You transferred to Syracuse where you got to play with your brother Buddy/for your father Jim: even though you did not make the 2022 NCAA tourney, was it still the best year of your life due to the family aspect? It was an incredible year and very surreal. I loved getting to spend the extra time with my brother/father and getting to play for the team I looked up to while growing up.

You graduated magna cum laude from Cornell and then were named 1st-team Academic All-American during your graduate year at Syracuse: how did you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It was a challenge at times, but after my freshman year I started to figure out how to be efficient with my time and make sure I was spending the appropriate amount of time on each.

Since graduating you have played pro basketball in Greece and the Czech Republic: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? The game is much more physical overseas.

Your twin sister Jamie played college basketball and your brother became an unrestricted free agent a few weeks ago after playing for the Pistons last season: who is the best athlete in the family? It has been awesome to see all that Buddy has been able to accomplish while playing in NBA games: it has been very surreal to watch.

You are playing for Boeheim’s Army in the TBT for the 2nd straight summer: how is the team looking so far, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? I think we have a good-looking roster and I am excited for the event. I will be heading overseas shortly after the TBT so if we win then I will likely save most of the money and donate the rest of it.

How is your father enjoying retirement, and will we get to see him in attendance at any of your TBT games? He is loving it: just relaxing and enjoying the extra time he has. He has been doing a lot of golfing/fishing and just spending lots of time with our family.

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews Thomas Welsh of Living the Dream

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Jon Teitel

UConn won the NCAA tourney in April and Denver won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 19th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing in Dayton/Louisville/Lubbock/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita 1/Wichita 2/Xavier. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Thomas Welsh, who will be playing for Living the Dream after becoming 1 of the best rebounders in UCLA history.

In 2014 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Devin Booker/Kelly Oubre Jr./Karl-Anthony Towns/other)? At the time I think it was Jahlil Okafor. His spin move was great and he did many things at a high level.

You played for Team USA at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It is hard to put into words but it was special to wear the U-S-A across my chest. I had a chip on my shoulder after missing the squad the previous year and winning the gold medal was a surreal moment.

You were born/raised in California and received scholarship offers from several Pac-12 schools: what made you choose UCLA? Similar to my TBT teammate Isaac Hamilton, I wanted to be close to home. Family is important to me so it was beyond special to have them attend my home games. I wanted a school that was the perfect combination of academics/athletics…and I got that at UCLA.

You only started 3 games as a freshman but still led the Bruins with 1.1 BPG: what is the secret to blocking shots? There are intangible factors such as reading/reacting when the ball goes up. It helps to be a big guy with a big wingspan, but since I did not get much playing time I put a little more emphasis on those defensive plays. I wanted to find different ways to make an extra impact.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 6 REB/4 BLK in a 1-PT win over SMU when Yanick Moreira was called for goaltending on Bryce Alford’s 3-PT shot with 13 seconds left: where does that rank among the wildest finishes that you have ever been a part of? Definitely the wildest. There was a little controversy and it became a headline that drew a lot of eyeballs. The extension of your season can come down to 1 play and I am glad that it worked out in our favor.

As a senior you averaged a double-double and were named 2nd-team All-Pac-12: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was special. My dad only played basketball through high school as a 6’2” center but he took a lot of pride after averaging a double-double during his own senior year so I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Being named to any end-of-season list is always a great honor.

Your 1035 career REB ranks #3 in Bruins’ history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Bill Walton: how does it feel to be mentioned in the same company as a pair of legendary big men? It is pretty cool! I would have loved to be #1 but just to be mentioned in the same breath as them is special. I like joking about it and will be able to point out to my kids 1 day that their dad was pretty good at basketball.

In the spring of 2018 you were drafted in the 2nd round by Denver: did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I knew that day would be a starting point rather than a finish line. It was cool to hear my name called but my approach going in was that there was still a lot of hard work to be done.

You played 11 games for the Nuggets: what is your favorite memory from your short time in the NBA? I just loved the chemistry of that team, which you could see this past season when they won the title. Their stars like Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray were not just great players but would go out of their way to treat rookies nicely even though we did not get a lot of playing time. I remember playing Mario Kart a lot on our flights and I was Mario Kart MVP: it was a fun crew to be a part of.

You are playing for the Living the Dream team in the TBT: how is the team looking so far, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? The team looks great: the guys are buying in and we have different pockets of chemistry with guys who have played together in the past. We have a very good chance at making a run. The plan for when we win is to give ½ the money to charity. The team was formed in honor of my dad, who passed away a few years ago due to cancer, so we will donate some money for that cause.

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews Isaac Hamilton of Living the Dream

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Jon Teitel

UConn won the NCAA tourney in April and Denver won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 19th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing in Dayton/Louisville/Lubbock/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita 1/Wichita 2/Xavier. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Isaac Hamilton, who will be playing for Living the Dream after making a pair of Sweet 16s at UCLA.

In 2013 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Aaron Gordon/Julius Randle/Andrew Wiggins/other)? I think Aaron Gordon. I played with him in AAU and he was always impressive/explosive. When you see how he plays now it makes sense: he is a hard worker.

You were born/raised in Los Angeles but began your college career at UTEP: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose UCLA? Coach Tim Floyd was a good friend of my family and actually coached my uncle at UTEP (who played with Tim Hardaway). He also recruited my older brother Jordan. My grandmother got sick and I asked the NCAA if I could get out of my NLI so I could be closer to home.

You played for Coach Steve Alford: what makes him such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He just let us play. On offense we would read/react: we are not robots! He is a great guy and I had a great relationship with him because we had similar interests.

In the 2015 Pac-12 tourney quarterfinals you scored a career-high 36 PTS/13-17 FG in a win over USC (just 4 days after your grandmother had passed away): was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Definitely. I was a gym rat and after my 1st couple of shots went in the rest was history.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 4 AST in a 1-PT win over SMU when Yanick Moreira was called for goaltending on Bryce Alford’s 3-PT shot with 13 seconds left: where does that rank among the wildest finishes that you have ever been a part of? We were down so to end the game like that was crazy! It shocked me at 1st because I did not know what was going on. I was just excited to advance because we had such an up-and-down season that year.

You made a pair of Sweet 16s: what is the key to making a deep run in March? Just playing well together and having guys making shots. You have to emphasize the little things because every game is different. It comes down to doing your best to advance.

You were named 2nd-team All-Pac-12 as a junior: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? We did not have a great season but individually I put in a lot of hard work with Rico Hines (who was just hired as an assistant by the 76ers). I tried to fine-tune my game and he helped me so much with my confidence. To see that end result was a blessing but also a testament to the hard work that I had put in.

You have played pro basketball in the G League and several foreign countries: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? The rules are different and the style of play overseas can be a lot slower. There is more strategy/game-planning due to the pace of the game. It is more of a thinking game there, whereas a lot of players here rely a lot on their athleticism.

Your brother Daniel played basketball at UConn, your brother Greg played pro basketball overseas, and your brother Jordan played in the NBA: who is the best athlete in the family? I would have to go with myself, for sure, but we all push each other. All of our games are completely different from each other because we offer different things on the court.

You are playing for the Living the Dream team in the TBT: how is the team looking so far, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? The team is looking pretty good. We are getting to know each other and figuring out what works best for us as a team. We are getting a foundational plan to approach each game. I am a frugal guy so I will probably just save my money.

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TBT Preview: HoopsHD interviews Sam Sessoms of the Happy Valley Hoopers

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

UConn won the NCAA tourney in April and Denver won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 19th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing in Dayton/Louisville/Lubbock/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita 1/Wichita 2/Xavier. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Sam Sessoms, who will be playing for the Happy Valley Hoopers after scoring more than 2300 PTS in college.

In 2019 as a freshman at Binghamton you scored 17.8 PPG and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I went to the perfect place: the PG spot was opening up and I had a coaching staff that believed in me and gave me the keys from a young age. It comes down to working hard but the upperclassmen around me were great.

In December of 2019 you set a school record with 40 PTS in a 5-PT win over BU: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were in the zone? I remember that we went into OT where I scored another 8-10 PTS. The game went back and forth so I was in attack mode the entire game: luckily I got some shots to fall.

In the 2022 Big 10 tourney as a player at Penn State you made the quarterfinals before losing to Purdue: could you have ever imagined at the time that 7’4” Zach Edey would become the national POY just 1 year later? Not really, to be honest. I did not see him play a lot before then because he was splitting time back then with Trevion Williams.

You were also named Academic All-Big 10 that year: how did you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It was pretty easy: I went to a good high school that was pretty small but we sent a lot of kids to the Ivy League.

You spent your final year of college at Coppin State: what is the biggest difference between a Big 10 school and an HBCU? From a basketball standpoint there was a complete difference in resources/facilities. The Big 10 has a lot of money due to football so Coppin State (a mostly African-American school) could not compete with that. It took me back to my days at Binghamton: every time that we went into the gym we were the underdog.

Last year you were top-3 in the MEAC in PPG/APG/SPG: how do you balance all of the different aspects of your game? I had the ball in my hands the majority of the game. I just tried to hit some shots, make the right plays, and work hard defensively. As a 5th-year player I know how to watch film and play ball.

You finished your college career with 2362 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Any coach I ever had knows that I am just a hooper. Whenever I finish my workouts I like to go live and play every day.

What is the post-graduation plan? I am deciding between the G-League or going overseas. I have offers from both and am just staying patient.

The Eagles have a new coach this year: how do you think that Larry Stewart will do in Baltimore? I know Larry and think that he will do really well. He had a great career at Coppin State and will provide a new face/fresh start. I think that he will be able to recruit in cities like NYC/Philly and will do really well.

You are playing for the Happy Valley Hoopers in the TBT : how is the team looking so far, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? I am excited to get back with the guys who I have played with before. We are all good players so I will do whatever the team needs me to do. We will put our pride to the side and just pitch in where needed. If I win it all then I will look out for my family in case they need anything, and just put the majority in the bank to give myself a little cushion for the future.

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