Happy Anniversary! HoopsHD interviews Artie Wilson about Melton Werts

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The Hawaii sports scene involves a lot more than surfing. The Rainbow Warriors won 22 games this year before a 2-PT OT loss to Fullerton in the Big West tourney. Almost 50 years ago Hawaii made the 1974 NIT and even won a game before losing to eventual champion Purdue. 1 of the stars of that team was Melton Werts, who averaged 13 PPG/13 RPG. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Melton’s teammate Artie Wilson about that postseason run. Today marks the 49th anniversary of Hawaii’s win over Fairfield in the NIT on March 16, 1974, so we take this time to remember their amazing accomplishment.

Melton grew up in Pennsylvania: what made him choose Hawaii? We had a great coach at the time in Bruce O’Neil who was also a great recruiter. He had an incredible knack for plucking people off the East Coast and bringing them to Hawaii.

He was the 1st freshman to play for the Rainbow Warriors when the NCAA eliminated its ban on freshman in 1972: did fans/coaches feel that freshmen were ready for the varsity at the time? I was a freshman here a couple of years before Mel. He had gone to prep school and was ready to play as a freshman. He was big/strong and ready to be a big-time player even as a freshman.

In January of 1973 he had 22 PTS/21 REB vs. South Alabama: where does that rank among the most dominating performances that you have ever seen? I think he had many great games. The beauty is that he had a veteran backcourt in Tom Henderson/myself who had spent 2 years playing together. We guided him and helped him quite a bit.

In February of 1973 he tied a school record with 8 BLK vs. UCSD and his 163 career BLK is #2 in school history: what made him such a great shot-blocker? For his size/weight he was a pretty quick jumper. He enjoyed being an intimidator and wanted to claim the rim/paint as his own. He had extremely long arms and flailed them around quite a bit.

In the 1974 NIT the team had a 1-PT win over Fairfield before losing to Purdue: what are your memories of that postseason run? We had beaten Purdue in the Rainbow Classic earlier that season but our starting SF was declared ineligible from his days before arriving in Hawaii, which was really a negative for us.

In 1976 he played a few games for interim coach Rick Pitino: what was Pitino like back in the day, and could you have ever imagined at the time that he would win a pair of NCAA titles? I would not have imagined that. I met him while working out after being released by the Portland Trailblazers: he came in and wanted to throw me out of the gym that I had been playing in for 4 years. He was brash/aggressive and pretty sure of himself but he loved the game and thought that he was pretty special. He was well-connected on the East Coast.

His 1098 career REB remains the most in school history: what was his secret for being a great rebounder? He wanted to rebound and had the passion/desire for it. He took a lot of pride in wanting to claim every rebound as his.

He averaged a double-double for his career with 12.5 PPG/10.5 RPG: how did he balance his scoring with his rebounding? His 1st couple of years he did not have to score as much because we had a pretty good team that got up and down the floor. In his final 2 seasons he had younger guards who were trying to establish themselves. If he had played after the dunking rule was changed then he would have averaged another 6-7 PTS during his career. He was unstoppable and would try to break our hands in practice if we tried to block his shot! Mel wanted to throw it down on people hard.

He played pro basketball in the US as well as overseas: how proud are you of all his success? I am very happy that he had a long career. I wish that I could have played with him for 2 more years in college but I was happy that he took it to another level. I think he played around 15 years of pro basketball.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As probably 1 of the all-time great big men in Hawaii history. He was a difference-maker on both offense/defense. He had a strong motor and became the player that he wanted to be.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Memphis pom member Anna Merritt

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Memphis beat Houston 75-65 in the AAC tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Tigers lost a pair of games to the Cougars during the past few weeks by a combined 10 PTS but the 3rd time was the charm as they claimed the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney bid. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Memphis pom member Anna Merritt about teaching the next generation of dancers.

You are from Nashville, TN: what made you choose Memphis? The dance team and the program that Coach Carol Lloyd has created. I wanted to continue dancing while continuing my education: it just felt like home.

You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I tried soccer for a couple of years…but it did not go over that well. There is a dance studio 5 minutes from my house and my mom suggested I try that instead. When you are with those people 24/7 it becomes like a family so the friendships are the best thing that have come out of it.

You are studying Exercise Sport & Movement Science: why did you choose those subjects? In high school I had an elective focus on health sciences and it just registered very well in my brain. All of my orthopedists/physical therapists have made a positive impact on my life so I want to make that kind of impact on the lives of other athletes.

You also teach at a local dance studio called Sequel Dance Complex: how old are your students and what kind of dancing do you teach? I teach kids from ages 3-18 and all different styles: contemporary, hip-hop, and everything else.

What is the post-graduation plan? As of now my plan is to finish up my degree at Memphis and then go to PT or PA school. I will apply to the Tennessee College of Health Sciences so I plan to be around Memphis for quite a while.

Your team lost to Houston twice in the regular season but then beat them last Sunday in the AAC tourney title game: where does that last game rank among the most exciting that you have ever seen? I was at the 1st 2 games but was not at the AAC tourney. Even while watching the game last weekend on TV I could still feel all of the emotion on the faces of the players and our squad on the sideline.

What is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? I think that everyone is excited to see how far we can go. More people are getting engaged in athletics after seeing how much of an impact the team has made this year.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The travel decision ultimately belongs to the coach. It depends on how many appearances we have made throughout the season as well as our grades. We are super-excited to dance/cheer at the game because we have not really traveled to an event like this before.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? No, we will just do our same-old same-old and cause a ruckus on the sideline while cheering for our boys!

Any predictions for the Tigers on Friday night in Columbus? I feel like we will win so I am excited.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Maryland cheerleader Karen Gottlieb

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Friday Maryland lost to Indiana 70-60 in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals but was still able to clinch an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Terps won 17 games under Mark Turgeon in 2021 and 15 games under Danny Manning in 2022 but have won 21 games under Kevin Willard in 2023 and claimed the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2021. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Maryland cheerleader Karen Gottlieb about being a captain.

You are from Gaithersburg, MD: what made you choose Maryland? I have lived in Maryland for my entire life so even from a young age UMD was at the top of my list. I had a deep interest in attending a prestigious/reputable institution. Additionally, I am a homebody and definitely prefer to stay close to my family/pets. UMD satisfied all of those requirements for me and I had the most amazing college experience attending the University of Maryland!

You have been on the UMD cheer team for 4 straight years and are a co-captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? I have always strived to be a leader on every team that I have been on. The key to being a good leader for me is the ability for open/free-flowing communication. I believe that as an older member and inherent leader on the team I need to be a welcoming/inviting person who anyone on the team can feel comfortable enough to speak with about any positive/negative things they are experiencing without fear of judgment. It is extremely important to have a successful relationship between the team, its leaders, and the coaching staff.

You did gymnastics for several years before switching to competitive cheerleading at age 10: why did you make the switch, and what is the best part? I absolutely loved gymnastics when I was really young. However, as I got older, the number of practices/week increased significantly and it was definitely taking a toll on my physical/mental well-being. My parents and I knew that there was a cheerleading gym across the street from my gymnastics gym so one day we decided to look into it. After attending a cheerleading practice and absolutely adoring it, my parents decided to pull me out of gymnastics and enroll me at the cheerleading gym: Dream Allstars in Gaithersburg, MD. I stayed at my competitive cheer gym for seven years and the best part was definitely the team atmosphere. Like UMD cheer, my teams at Dream had a very supportive/competitive environment that pushed everyone to be the best athlete they could be. Every cheer team I have ever been on has been like a family.

You are in a sorority at UMD: what is Greek life like on campus? Being a part of Greek life at UMD is something that I have absolutely loved during my college career. The thing about Greek life at Maryland is that it is pretty small so you can have just as amazing a time at school without being a part of a fraternity/sorority. I love being a part of a community, which is why I decided to join my sorority and also become a member of the cheerleading team. Greek life at UMD is extremely inclusive and has given me so many lifelong friendships and memories that I will cherish!

You are double-majoring in economics and public policy: why did you choose those subjects? When I started my freshman year at UMD I was undecided about what I wanted to study. When I was in high school I took AP macroeconomics/microeconomics classes and excelled at both. My mother also majored in economics when she was in college so I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I ended up enjoying it so much that I finished all of my Econ courses prior to my senior year! Because I had scored well during my AP economics class in high school I was able to enter UMD with a few Econ credits. These credits allowed me to have a schedule that was fairly open, which is why I decided to add a second major. I had an interest in working in the public sector so I added public policy to learn about governmental relations. Now that I am a senior, I am so happy that I added public policy because I have developed a deep interest in working in local/state-level politics.

What is the post-graduation plan? I am in a program at Maryland that has allowed me to take around 10 credits of graduate courses in my undergrad in order to graduate with a master’s degree in just 1 year. The program that I am enrolled in is part of the Smith School of Business, and in May of 2024 I will graduate with a Master of Science in marketing analytics. I am also in the process of auditioning for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team and will find out in a few weeks whether I am selected to be a member!

Last Friday your team lost to Indiana in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is here? The loss last Friday was obviously not intended, but with the NCAA tourney now starting the mood on campus is excited/hopeful. The UMD fan base is die-hard and extremely optimistic for a good outcome in the upcoming tournament game. Maryland fans are supporters for life and we want nothing but the best for our teams!

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Travel is limited to 8 individuals from the cheer team: the coaches select athletes based on seniority, position need, and other factors. Typically, we all get a chance to travel at some point but there are some instances when that cannot happen (like tournament season). The UMD cheerleading team has the amazing opportunity to represent our school at the NCA Collegiate Cheerleading National competition on April 6th/7th in Daytona, Florida. Therefor, this time of year is extremely busy for the cheer team. We are divided up so that we can allocate some cheerleaders to compete at nationals and some others to travel to both the men’s/women’s basketball tournaments. I was not selected to cheer at the NCAA Tournament but am thrilled to see my teammates cheering on our team in person.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Birmingham? The squad that is in Birmingham has already sent so many pictures of everyone hanging out and having a great time together. They have had some free time and decided to go to Top Golf and have a nice team dinner. Having the opportunity to travel to away games and tournaments is a huge privilege that the cheerleaders get to participate in so they are super-excited to cheer at the game on Thursday.

Any predictions for the Terps on Thursday afternoon vs. West Virginia? I predict that the UMD men’s basketball team is going to beat West Virginia with flying colors! I wish them luck: Go Terps!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews USC Song Girl Hannah

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Thursday USC lost to ASU 77-72 in the Pac-12 tourney quarterfinals but was still able to clinch an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Trojans have now had 4 straight seasons with at least 22 wins and claimed the school’s 3rd straight NCAA tourney appearance. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with USC Song Girl Hannah about the USC-UCLA rivalry.

What made you choose USC? It just has it all: rigorous academics, spirit, any club you can think of, any sport would want to watch, etc. Los Angeles is a great place to live and when I took a tour of the campus it just felt like home. It also has a strong alumni connection: my dad went here as well.

How long have you been cheering for, and what is the best part? I have been dancing since age 3 and joined a competitive team during high school. The best part is being part of a team and getting to dance with your best friends. It is a sisterhood that we are all passionate about.

You are majoring in Psychology with a Pre-Med emphasis: why did you choose those subjects? Psychology has always been really interesting to me: how the mind works, how mental illness forms, etc. Knowing how the human body works and how we process information is just fascinating.

You were recently accepted into the Master’s program for Global Medicine at Keck Medicine: what is the long-term career plan? I would love to be a doctor someday. I love kids so maybe a pediatrics, but I also love sports so maybe orthopedics.

What was your favorite moment this season: going to the Bahamas, beating UCLA on January 26th, Senior Night, other? There were lots of great moments but beating UCLA at home is always great. Even attending our weekly practices is so fun.

What is the USC-UCLA rivalry like for people who have never seen it in person? It is crazy and very intense. We were on a flight to the Pac-12 tourney last week and the pilot was a USC fan so he gave us a shout-out…followed by some UCLA fans in their seats singing the Bruins fight song. They are a great competitor and we both have passionate fans.

Last Thursday in the Pac-12 tourney quarterfinals your team had a 5-PT loss to ASU: how nervous was everyone on Selection Sunday, and what was the reaction like when you heard the Trojans name called? I always believed in the Trojans and were confident that they would make it. I am so excited to be here with the team and our band!

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It is based on seniority but we also look at who has the most availability and who has been to the most games during the season. We love any opportunity to perform and are going to kill it!

Does your team have anything extra-special planned for Columbus? We have been walking around and it is a very beautiful city: it has been nice to get a change in the weather. I am sure that we will have something special planned in addition to our performance for some middle school students. We get to do special gigs and share our Trojan spirit with people around the world.

Any predictions for the Trojans on Friday afternoon vs. Michigan State? I am very confident in our athletes/coaches and think that we will win. I am sure they will go far and I am very excited.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Tennessee cheerleader Sarah McGregor

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Friday Tennessee lost to Missouri 79-71 in the SEC tourney quarterfinals but was still able to clinch an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Volunteers have now received a top-5 seed in 5 of the past 6 years and claimed the school’s 3rd straight NCAA tourney bid. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Tennessee cheerleader Sarah McGregor about growing up in Knoxville.

photo credit: Ally Robinson

You are from Knoxville: what made you choose Tennessee? Growing up in this college town I went to football/basketball games with my family. The environment is like no other in Vols Nation.

You have been cheering for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I started in gymnastics and then got into cheering around age 8. The best part is the lifelong friends that I have made.

You are majoring in kinesiology: why did you choose that subject? It is like exercise science: specifically the study of human body movement. It can lead me into so many different kinds of careers.

What is the post-graduation plan? I plan on applying to physical therapy school this summer.

1 of your hobbies is sailing: do you have a favorite sailing destination? The British Virgin Islands! My family and I have been there 3 times and I cannot wait to go back because it is so beautiful.

You are a 2-time UCA Game Day National Champion: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was surreal! I had never been in a position to win something like that. To be wearing Tennessee on my chest while winning a national championship was such an honor. Knowing that we had such a close team who had the same goal made it even more special.

Last Friday in the SEC tourney quarterfinals you lost to Missouri: what is the mood like on campus now that the NCAA tourney is finally here, and is everyone sad because Zakai Zeigler tore his ACL vs. Arkansas a couple of weeks ago? Everybody is on spring break so there is not much happening on campus but there is a LOT of excitement on social media. We wish Zakai the best: everyone was so sad when he got injured.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It revolves around our school schedule. For some tourneys we choose only upperclassmen but this time we are taking 2 freshmen. This is my 1st tourney because COVID messed up my 1st couple of years. We go to a great university and will represent it well.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Orlando? Nothing special: just supporting the team the best way we know how: by keeping spirits high and getting our fans involved.

Any predictions for the Volunteers on Thursday night vs. Louisiana? I think we will come out with a win and then have another game on Saturday.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Texas Southern Tiger Sensations dancer Jada Prescott

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Texas Southern beat Grambling 61-58 in the SWAC tourney title game to clinch an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Tigers lost 20 games during the regular season but got hot at the right time and claimed the school’s 3rd straight NCAA tourney bid. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Texas Southern Tiger Sensations dancer Jada Prescott about bringing some HBCU spirit to the NCAA tourney.

You were born/raised in Houston: what made you choose Texas Southern? I wanted to be somewhere close to home because I am family-oriented. Once I visited the campus it felt like home and a place where I needed to be.

You have been dancing your whole life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? I have been dancing since I was little. My mom put me into ballet/step/cheer and I eventually realized that I am best at dance.

You are a Game Day Co-Captain: what is the key to being a good leader? Just separating friendship from leadership. I have a lot of responsibilities as co-captain but sometimes it is hard to separate the 2 and remember your position.

You are majoring in Healthcare Administration and will also be graduating with a certificate in Business Management: why did you choose those subjects? In high school I had to choose a major and always wanted to start my own clothing line. My mom always told me that I should get a job in the health field because I want to be secure for my future.

Your long-term plan is to become an OBGYN: how many years of medical school will that take? It takes 2-4 years. I was talking to my academic advisor about my credits/transcript so I think it will only take me 2 years.

You also want to start your own dance team: what will make your team different from other teams? Since I am starting from scratch and doing it on my own, it will test my ability to run a business. I want to be fair and teach kids that even if you take a loss to not be bitter about it but rather use it as a lesson. My girls (or dudes!) will build their own character by learning how to deal with failure.

Last Saturday in the SWAC tourney title game you had a 3-PT win over Grambling: how on earth were you able to win 3 games in 4 days after going 11-20 during the regular season?! Everyone can have a rough start and things might not be perfect at the beginning: the key is how you finish your season. At the end of the day we are 3-time champs, which shows that no matter your seed or your # of losses anyone can win the title.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We can only send 5-6 dancers so we usually just take our veterans who have experience or our seniors who only have 1 opportunity left. It will be great to give everyone a taste of what a real HBCU looks like!

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? We shall see: maybe for our halftime performance. We are overly-prepared and super-excited.

Any predictions for the Tigers tonight vs. Fairleigh Dickinson? We will take a W!: I have so much confidence and it is go time!

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