Hoops HD

Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The A-10 Tournament is taking place this week in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of St. Louis basketball brother Josh Dotzler about winning a conference tourney title in 2007 and whether his brother Josiah can win 1 of his own this week.

You were born/raised in Omaha and played for Dana Altman at Creighton: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? Coach Altman believed in me from a young age and offered me a scholarship as a sophomore. My style of play fit with his team. He is the ultimate competitor and always got the best out of us because he would push us to our limits.

In 2006 you were named to the conference All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? My high school coach ran a college-type program and really prepared both me and my brother Josiah for the next level. Since I committed to Creighton so early, I was able to understand what they were trying to do, and I had a lot of success as a freshman.

Take me through the 2007 postseason:
In the MVC tourney you won 3 games in 3 days to clinch the championship: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was huge. The goal every year was to win the MVC tourney so that we could make it to the NCAA tourney. We had a very solid team, and it was 1 of my highlights in college.

In the NCAA tourney you played 8 minutes in a 6-PT OT loss to Nevada: how close did you come to pulling off the upset? We were right there! It is 1 of those games that I still think about today. Nevada had a few guys who later played in the NBA (Nick Fazekas/Ramon Sessions/JaVale McGee), as did my teammate Anthony Tolliver. In many ways I feel like we could have won it, but just being in the NCAA tourney was still special.

As a senior you led the conference with 2 SPG and were named to the All-Defensive team: what is the secret to being a great defender? It is a combination of things. I had good instincts and could think several plays ahead to figure out what the defense would do. I tried to play a proactive style of defense that would dictate the offense: I just had a knack for the ball.

You finished top-10 in the conference in APG during 3 of your 4 years: what is the key to being a good PG? I was always focused on winning and would do whatever it took to win. I tried to set everyone up for success and put them in the right position, so I was a pass-first PG. I was surrounded by some very good shooters like Booker Woodfox/Nate Funk/Dane Watts.

You are CEO of ABIDE, which is a faith-based, inner-city non-profit that is revitalizing the inner-city 1 neighborhood at a time: what have you been able to accomplish so far? My parents started our non-profit almost 4 decades ago. I never could have imagined coming back to be a part of it, but I always wanted to make a difference and help youth who would not have opportunities. We have revitalized neighborhoods/renovated homes, and to see the transformation makes it all worth it.

You are on the Board of Directors for the College World Series: how do you describe the atmosphere at the CWS to someone who has never been there in person? It is the championship series for baseball, like the Final 4 is for basketball. Thousands of fans travel here from around the country, and since there are no professional teams in Omaha the whole city rallies around it. There are great activities surrounding it and I think it is 1 of the premier championship environments in college athletics.

You had a book come out last fall called “Playing on Purpose: 6 Game-Changing Skills to Become an Unstoppable Winner”: how do sports have the capacity to change lives/change the world? So much of what I have learned about leadership/adversity happened through sports. As I have worked with athletes from high school to the pros, I wanted to share my experiences to see people win on the court, but I also want people to win in life via skills that are transferable from sports.

1 of your 13 siblings (Josiah) began his college career at your alma mater: what was it like growing up in such a huge family, and why did he decide to transfer to St. Louis? There was always a lot of noise, and we grew up around basketball because we all played it. Josiah played in his high school state title game 4 years in a row. Creighton was always a dream for him, but as you go through the journey you learn more about yourself and your environment. He did not get as many opportunities as he wanted, but Coach Josh Schertz really believed in him, so they reconnected and it just made sense. He learned a lot while at Creighton, but the opportunity to play for a coach who really saw his game as part of the culture is something that he can build on going forward.

How far do you think the Billikens will go this week, and how far do you think the Blue Jays will go this month? I wish I knew because I could make a lot of money! St. Louis has continued to get better this year so I can envision them getting to the title game. Creighton has a lot of potential: they had a good conference season but all 4 teams at the top (including Marquette/St. John’s/UConn) can compete for a title. With the right matchups later this month I think they could make it to the Elite 8!