JNG Bracketology: June Edition!!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by David Griggs

Posted below is what I feel all of us need right now!!  Joby Fortson has taken our offseason JNG Rankings, which is among the most successful metrics when it comes to forecasting what the actual selection committee will do (you can read all about that by CLICKING HERE)  and put them into a bracket that is posted below.  Joby has added some comments below that to better explain what it is we are actually looking at.

 

COMMENTS FROM JOBY:

-After the NBA declaration has come and gone, we have a better feel of what rosters will look like for the 2023-24 season.  The JNG rankings take statistical projections for 2023-24 but of course the best Committee projections will take into account actual results, not just statistical projections so stay tuned during the season for daily updates of the JNG.  I expect a couple of more tweaks before the season starts.

-The most notable return likely belongs to #2 overall seed Purdue as Zach Edey w.ill return to West Lafayette.  Immediately Purdue finds themselves in championship contention.

-On the other end of the spectrum is Kentucky who had 4 early entries into the NBA draft as well several transfer out of the program with nobody of note coming into the program.  Adding insult to injury is the wandering eye of Antonio Reeves and the foot injury to top recruit Aaron Bradshaw.  While plenty of raw talent still exists in Lexington, it is no longer a protected seed and falls to the 6 line.

-Another SEC team also took an unexpected departure with Bediako leaving for the NBA.  While Quinerly and Sears are still in Tuscaloosa, the Tide falls from a 2 seed to a 4.

-Defending national champions UConn have had a mixed offseason with early departures from Sanogo and Andrew Jackson but Tristen Newton is back leading to a #2 seed for the Huskies.

-Staying in the Big East Villanova goes from out of the field and now sit in the top half of the bracket.  No other team benefited from the transfer portal as much as the Wildcats who added TJ Bamba from Washington St, Hakim Hart from Maryland, and Tyler Burton from Richmond.  Each had double digit scoring averages last year.  When added to Justin Moore and Eric Dixon, you will be hard pressed to find another team with 5 double digit scorers returning.

-Like Villanova, Wisconsin looks trio rebound this year with 5 returning starters thanks to Tyler Wahl’s decision to stay in Madison.

-A special note to Florida Atlantic who contrary to initial thought were not picked apart in the transfer portal and return the core of their final four run, keeping a protected 4 seed in the process.

 

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Going for the Gold: HoopsHD interviews FIBA U19 World Cup Team USA member Omaha Biliew

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

For those of you who cannot wait until Midnight Madness tips off this fall, you can see the stars of tomorrow in a couple of weeks at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Featuring the best basketball players in the world ages 19 or younger, the USA will try to defend its gold medal from 2021 when it was led by several players who are already in the NBA including Patrick Baldwin Jr./Chet Holmgren/Jaden Ivey. 1 of the players who made the final cut for this year’s 12-man USA roster is Omaha Biliew, who was named a McDonald’s All-American earlier this year and played in the Nike Hoop Summit during each of the past 2 years. Team USA will head to Hungary next week to try to win another gold medal, but before they do HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Omaha about choosing Iowa State for college and hosting a basketball camp earlier this month.

You grew up in Iowa/Nebraska as the son of a South Sudanese refugee: how bad is the refugee crisis back in Africa? Right now it is hard to get information due to the lack of a news source. I would say it is average, as some tribes are okay with each other. It is also great out there in some parts where people live in harmony.

As a sophomore you won an Iowa State Championship with teammates Pryce Sandfort/Payton Sandfort/Tucker DeVries: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how excited are you to face the Sandfort brothers when the Hawkeyes head to Ames this fall? Super-excited! We are really fond of each other and know each other very well. Last year was an interlude for what is coming next on a bigger stage. Basketball is basketball but it will still be super-dope.

You received offers from several great schools including Kansas/Oregon but signed with Iowa State last July: what was the biggest factor in your decision, and how close did you come to joining the G League? The biggest factor was my relationship with the coaches and my comfort with the environment. I know my game and my high school coaches put me in a position to get better while using my full skill set everywhere on the court. I came really close to joining the G League: it was 50-50 and I spent 2 months trying to figure out my next step.

You are the highest-rated recruit in Iowa State basketball history and part of a great recruiting class including Milan Momcilovic/Jelani Hamilton/Kayden Fish: how well do you know any of the other guys? I know them a lot: I have known Kayden since 7th grade so we have a lot of chemistry. Jack (Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke) was here in U-19 camp earlier this week, but there are a lot of other guys on the roster who I do not know yet like Tre King.

You were recently named a finalist for the Team USA U-19 team: what does it mean to you to represent your country, and what would it mean to you to win a gold medal? A lot. This is what every kid should strive for: to play for your country. The name on the back of my jersey represents my family so it is about more than just me.

In the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 7 PTS for the West in a 3-PT loss to the East: how excited are you to be reunited with Jeremy Fears in training camp and Cody Williams on the final squad? I am really excited because they are both great players. We come to practice every day and I am still learning from them. I also watch how they work/maneuver around the court: this is basketball heaven and I love it a lot.

You have played in the Nike Hoop Summit for each of the past 2 years: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Mackenzie Mgbako/Cam Whitmore/Dariq Whitehead/other)? I have known Mackenzie for a while so I know what he brings to the game. 1 person who surprised me was Aden Holloway. He does not get much attention from the guard spot since he is only 6’ tall but he makes up for all of that on the court.

You are 6’8”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? It is hard to distinguish a particular position. I had to play the 5 as a sophomore because we had so many great players on the perimeter. I will do whatever it takes to win and am a very versatile player so I have played every position at times during the past few years. I feel most comfortable on the perimeter at the 3 or 4 and pushing the ball in transition.

Your cousin Ruot Bijiek plays for Bucknell and his brother Jal played at North Dakota: who is the best athlete in the family? Me: they know that! There are a lot of good athletes with the last name Biliew. Ruot has always been very skilled and we have been going at it since I was 11 years old: he was the 1st person to test me every day.

You have spent time as a youth basketball coach in the past and held a basketball camp earlier this month: how did it go? It was great! A lot of people from Waukee and the surrounding area came out for it: we even had some campers from Omaha. It meant a lot to give back to kids who look up to me and give them a feel for who I am. I was in their shoes as well back in the day: we all started at ground zero and I told them to just keep loving the game and never get discouraged.

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2023 Draft Preview: HoopsHD interviews Rutgers G Caleb McConnell

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals are underway but there are 28 other teams who have already started preparing for next season. The lottery was held on May 16th, the final deadline for early entry withdrawal is June 12th, and the draft will take place on June 22nd. We will spend the next 2 weeks interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Rutgers G Caleb McConnell about being a great defender and what it would mean to him to get drafted.

You had offers from several great schools including Temple/West Virginia/Wichita State: what made you choose Rutgers? It may sound like a cliché but it was honestly the best fit for me and offered the most opportunity. I wanted to play on the biggest stage to see if I could last and hang with guys in a Power-5 conference. There is a lot of talent in the Big 10 and I wanted to showcase my talents.

You majored in Africana Studies: why did you choose that subject? School is not for everyone but I have liked Africana Studies dating back to high school. Black history/culture/tradition was something that definitely interested me.

You led the team with 35.7 3P% as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was just excited for any opportunity to play and the rest of it just came within the flow of things. I shot the ball with no hesitation and did whatever I could to help my team win.

In the 2021 NCAA tourney you had 13 PTS/10 REB off the bench in a win over Clemson and then 6 PTS in a loss to Houston: what is the key to winning games in March? You just have to be the better team for 40 minutes. There are upsets every year but it is not a shocker to me. You can be facing an undefeated team but if all of your guys execute the game plan then you can win the game. We were the better team for the 1st 35 minutes in the Houston game…but they played better than us in the final 5 minutes. The tourney is a cool experience: it was so fun to be in the spotlight and is something that not everyone gets to do.

In the 2022 1st 4 you had 23 PTS/10-12 FG/11 REB in 48 minutes in a 2-PT 2-OT loss to Notre Dame: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It is definitely up there. I have played in some heartbreaking games but that was also 1 of the craziest games that I have ever played in. It was an overtime thriller that went down to the wire.

Last season you won 19 games and beat several tourney teams including Indiana/Maryland/Michigan State/Northwestern/Penn State (twice)/Purdue: how on earth did you not make the NCAA tourney? Exactly! That is a question for the selection committee. We thought that we had the resume to get in: we took some tough losses but I thought they were canceled out by all of our great wins. I felt that we did enough and had enough firepower to make a run: some of the teams that got in over us were 1-and-done. That is just the way it goes: if we had won 20/21 games then I think we would have been there for sure.

You were a 2-time conference DPOY and your 221 STL is the most in school history: what is the secret to playing great defense? You need to have the heart to stop a guy and then put in the effort. Everyone wants to score on offense but I found my niche on defense and fell in love with shutting down the best players on the other team. It helped us win, which made me fall in love with it even more! There is no big secret: I do study my opponents but it is about my will to win.

You played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last month: which of the other players impressed you the most (Tyger Campbell/Kendric Davis/Sir’Jabari Rice/other)? Jabari stood out to me: he is really smooth and I like his game. I need to ask him about his shot-fake: it is off the chain and I have seen so many guys fall for it because he is such a good shooter. I have been wanting him to teach me that so I will have to hit him up. Kendric was also pretty impressive and is really crafty/hard-to-guard. My own team had good players like KJ Williams/Erik Stevenson, as well as Jarkel Joiner from NC State.

What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would mean everything to me. It would be a dream to get drafted and make the NBA: it is the best job in the world. It would mean the world to my family as well. If I do not get drafted then it does not mean that my dream has failed. I have always been the underdog and had to fight for whatever I wanted. If I go undrafted then I have no problem working myself into a contract. It is right there so we will see in a couple of weeks but I am willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the league.

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2023 Draft Preview: HoopsHD interviews USC G Drew Peterson

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals have not started yet but it is time for 28 other teams to start preparing for next season. The lottery was held on May 16th, the final deadline for early entry withdrawal is June 12th, and the draft will take place on June 22nd. We will spend the next few weeks interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel commences our coverage by chatting with USC G Drew Peterson about being a great 3-PT shooter and what it would mean to him to get drafted.

You began your college career at Rice where you started 24 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It was a big change of pace from high school but I had some early success. It was a hard year but Coach Scott Pera started me a lot and I loved my experience there.

Why did you decide to transfer in 2020, and what made you choose USC? There were a couple of moving pieces as we entered COVID. It was kind of a timing thing but I also wanted to try playing for a bigger school. I committed to Minnesota for a couple of days but then decommitted because I had rushed it. After discussing it with my family I thought that USC was the perfect all-around fit for me.

You are a 6’9” guard: how were you able to develop backcourt skills despite being tall enough to play in the frontcourt? Growing up I always tried to develop my ball-handling/shooting, which has helped me play on the perimeter and push the ball in transition. I also had great trainers who helped me during my whole life.

In the 2021 NCAA tourney you had 3 straight wins before losing to Gonzaga in the Elite 8: what is the key to winning games in March? A lot of it comes down to experience. We rode a big momentum wave that year and had a great all-around team. Great guard play is also a main focus…but having a big guy like Evan Mobley who was a next-level type of talent really helped!

In February of 2022 you had 27 PTS/12 REB/5 BLK in a 3-PT win over UCLA: how do you explain the rivalry with the Bruins to someone who has never seen it in person? It is awesome! I had heard about notable rivalries like Duke-UNC while growing up but seeing the commitment from both of our schools in terms of how much we care about sports is cool. We never lost to UCLA at home during my time at USC,  which I am proud of, and to play well in a big game like that was an awesome experience.

In the 2022 NCAA tourney you scored 17 PTS (including 8 PTS in the final 44 seconds) but Charlie Moore made 2 FTs with 3 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Miami: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was unfortunate because we had a late comeback that could have been like Northern Iowa’s loss to Texas A&M in the 2016 NCAA tourney. I wish Charlie did not get that questionable call at the end…but they were a good team so I give them credit.

You shot 38.4 3P% during your 3 years at USC: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just consistency/repetition. Coach Andy Enfield helped me a lot with my shooting. You have to know what you do well and pick the right spots to be as efficient as possible.

You were named 1st-team All-Conference during each of your final 2 seasons: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I am really grateful for that and how everything worked out. The staff had incredible trust in me and we made the NCAA tourney every single year.

You suffered a back injury toward the end of the regular season last spring: how is your health doing at the moment? Great! I am fully back to normal. I did not have to sit out any games but I am really happy to be back in great health. I took it for granted before the injury occurred but have finally learned how to stretch for the 1st time in my life!

What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the post-graduation plan if you do not get drafted? It would be awesome! I am looking to make my way and prove that I can stick in the NBA. The draft itself is just 1 night but I am hungry and ready to prove that I can make an impact.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1976 Olympic silver medalist Sue Rojcewicz

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 87 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 47 years. While we have to wait 1 more year until the 2024 Olympics in Paris, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will fill the void by interviewing as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible. We continue our coverage by chatting with Sue Rojcewicz about winning a silver medal and being inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Today is Sue’s birthday so let us be the 1st to wish her a happy 1!

You were born in Worcester: what made you choose Southern Connecticut State for college? When I was a high school senior the head coach from Southern came to 1 of our games. They had a really good team and after I got to know their players at a basketball camp I wanted to go there.

In addition to basketball you also played field hockey/softball: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? Basketball. I tried field hockey on a whim since I had never played it before. I was really good at softball because I had played baseball against the boys in the past.

You had 3 straight top-4 finishes in the AIAW National Championships from 1973-1975: how was your basketball team able to play so well despite being such a small school? That was before NCAA scholarships kicked in and the East Coast dominated women’s basketball back then (such as Immaculata in Pennsylvania). We just had a good group and a very innovative coach in Louise O’Neal. She got us together and asked us how good we wanted to be. Women at that time did not do a lot of running but we brought an up-tempo style that was very effective. We also had Mary Anne O’Connor so with 2 future Olympians on 1 team we were pretty good!

In 1975 you were named to the 1st-ever Kodak All-American team (along with fellow future Olympians Nancy Dunkle/Lusia Harris/Ann Meyers): what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I was a young whippersnapper so while it was great to be recognized I did not fully understand it at the time. I had played full-court basketball against boys all of my life so I was ahead of the college girls. I was scoring 50 PPG in high school yet did not learn a jump shot until I was in college. I went to a basketball camp in the Poconos after my sophomore year and worked on my ball-handling but they also taught me a jump shot. It was kind of being in “the right place at the right time”.

In the 1975 Pan Am Games you went 7-0: how big a deal was it to win the 1st gold medal for the US since 1963? The Pan Am Games were not a qualifying tournament for the Olympics: the World Championships were. There were only 6 teams at the 1976 Olympics and Canada got 1 of the 6 spots since they were the host nation. We did not get out of our pool at the World Championships so they sent us to Mexico City for the Pan Am Games. We gained a lot of confidence by winning the gold medal: it was a huge accomplishment for me/Mary Anne after losing by a few points in the semifinals over and over during college. We had another national tryout in the spring of 1976 and we were invited for the last 3 days: they actually swapped out 2 of the players on the final roster. We toured Taiwan/Japan to get some experience and played the Russian team a few times: they were just blowing us out.

You played for Team USA at the 1976 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win a silver medal? The final qualifying tournament in Ontario was held 10 days before the Olympics and we won that tourney. At the time we had no money/uniforms because nobody thought that we were going to qualify! Every team played 5 games: we lost our 1st game to Japan and later lost another game to Russia. There were 3 teams with 2 losses and our final game was against Czechoslovakia with the silver medal going to the winner. Bulgaria actually finished 3rd and the undefeated Russians won the gold.

In 1987 as head coach at San Francisco you went 19-8 and won the WCAC regular season title: what is the key to being a good coach? I had great assistants! I was an assistant at Stanford for 6 years before moving on to San Francisco. I am basically a teacher and loved the game but I was not a recruiter/salesperson so it was a struggle for me in D-1. I graduated 7 seniors that summer and rather than try to recruit a bunch of new played I decided to leave the game.

In 2000 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That was huge for me. During my experience with the Olympic team I was playing the best ball of my life but Coach Billie Moore said that I would have to come off the bench. I swallowed my pride and imagined that I was John Havlicek of the Celtics. I was 1 of the 1st players to be inducted so I took it as recognition of my part in our team’s success.

What have you been up to since retiring from coaching? I have continued my spiritual journey: basketball allowed me to learn about myself/life. I went from coaching to working with disabled adults for a couple of years and did some odd jobs before becoming a school counselor, which is where I really found my fit. I loved it, which is why I did it for 25 years, and now I am retired.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I played just for the love of it. It is wonderful to be recognized for being a pioneer and in a small way paving the way for the young girls of today. I hope those girls enjoy their experience and what they get out of it: scholarships/money are great opportunities if you have the right motivation.

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The Hoops HD Report – Scheduling Talk With Rocco Miller

Posted on May 25, 2023 by David Griggs

Chad and David are joined by Rocco Miller, who is the first ever regular Hoops HD panelist to appear on the show as a guest!!  In addition to being a Hoops HD panelist and contributor, Rocco is also a Scheduling Consultant for many D1 programs, and we talk with him about how programs go about building their out of conference schedules.  We discuss the differences of how Power 5, multi-bid leagues, and under the radar leagues go about putting together their schedules, we focus on all of the different multi-team events (MTEs) that are coming together, talk a little bit about the challenges under the radar teams face when they try to get other good teams to schedule them, and talk about how the sport would benefit if all the teams who avoid playing certain opponents would reconsider and play those teams.

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

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