Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews South Carolina SR G Brea Beal

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday South Carolina beat Tennessee 74-58 in the SEC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks are the defending NCAA champs and have a good chance to make it 2 in a row as they are 32-0 so far this season. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with South Carolina SR G Brea Beal about playing for a Hall of Famer.

You were born/raised in Illinois: what made you choose South Carolina? It started with the coaching staff: it just felt more genuine than any other program I looked at.

You play for Coach Dawn Staley: what makes her such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? During practice when she critiques us she explains why she is doing so. It is great to play under someone like her who has made the journey from great player to great coach.

In 2019 you were named a McDonald’s All-American along with Aliyah Boston/Zia Cooke: could you have ever imagined back then that you 3 would end up accomplishing so much together? I truly did not understand how far we could take it. It is crazy to think that we are now trying to win our 2nd NCAA title!

You have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll 3 times: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? Just putting academics 1st. If we have to miss a practice to take care of a class then our coaches understand that is what we need to do.

As a freshman in 2020 you were 32-1: what was your reaction like when you learned that the NCAA tourney was being canceled due to COVID? It made us all very upset because we were on such a great run that year. We all felt like something had been taken from us.

Last year in the NCAA title game you had a 15-PT win over UConn: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? It was very surreal because it is something you dream about as a child while watching those great teams in the past like UConn/Tennessee winning it all. Seeing all of the students on campus cheering us on was a great feeling.

Last Sunday in the SEC tourney title game you had 8 PTS/8 REB/6 AST in a win over Tennessee: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? I think it was 1 of my best all-around games. I was able to make sure our post players got the ball: I take a lot of pride in putting them in a good position to score. I was able to finish my layups, make outside shots, and crash the boards.

Your father Kevin played basketball at UTEP: who is the best athlete in the family? I am sure that if you ask him he would say him! I would give it to my brother, who has guard skills even though he is 6’7”.

Your boyfriend Jaycee Horn plays CB for the Carolina Panthers: will we see him in the stands supporting your tourney run this month? Definitely: he loves those moments but gets butterflies while I am playing.

Do you think that you can go undefeated, and if you do then do you think your team would be considered among the best in the history of the sport? I do think we can go undefeated. If we can do that then I would consider us to be historically among the best.

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Happy Anniversary! HoopsHD interviews CSUN legend Brian Heinle

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The best thing about conference tourney memories is that they last forever. As a freshman at CSUN in 1998 Brian Heinle finished 7th on his team with 6.9 PPG. As a senior he led the Big Sky with 20.2 PPG/9.2 RPG and was named conference POY. The cherry on top was the tourney title game as he scored 21 PTS en route to being named tourney MVP. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Brian about being a great passer and playing pro basketball. Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Brian being named tourney MVP on March 10, 2001, so we take this time to remember his remarkable accomplishment.

In 2000 as a player at CSUN you scored a career-high 34 PTS vs. Weber State: 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 having a big 2nd half in that game. I would not say that I was “in the zone” but I got a few easy baskets which got me into a nice rhythm in the 2nd half. One vivid memory I have of that game was when my teammate had a breakaway layup and tried to dunk it: he hit the back of the iron and I followed up with a tip dunk. Tip dunks were few and far between for me so I tend to remember the ones I got!

In 2001 you had a career-high 17 REB vs. Montana State: what is your secret for rebounding? My secret for rebounding is to NOT box-out: that might sound crazy but I liked to make quick contact with my man and then go after the ball. Watching the flight of the ball and good positioning are keys as well.

You remain 10th in career AST in school history despite being a 6’10” center: how were you able to get so many AST despite playing center? I guess growing up watching Larry Bird/Magic Johnson did not hurt my passing skills. I had the ball in my hands a lot and knew the system we ran so well that I knew exactly where/when to get my teammates the ball.

You were named 2001 Big Sky tourney MVP after scoring 21 PTS to help beat Eastern Washington in the tourney title game: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win the conference tourney title? I do not think that I have ever been more focused for a basketball game in my life. That was my last chance to take my school to the NCAA tourney so I knew that I had to take advantage of the opportunity. I think my teammates knew that I was locked in and made an extra effort to find me in the 1st half, and we just broke the game open.

What are your memories of the 2001 NCAA tourney (you scored 13 PTS in a loss to Kansas, who was led by Nick Collison with 23 PTS/11 REB)? I remember having a terrible game: I got into early foul trouble and they just dominated us so it was not 1 of my finest hours. I still think that we would have been better off playing any other team in the country.

You remain 1 of the leading scorers in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were? I have never been accused of being prolific: I just improved every year and stayed healthy. It is really not a lot of points when you look at it. I knew that someone would break that record…and that I would be there to knee-cap them right before they did so: I am joking! 

In 2001 you were named an All-American (the 1st D-1 All-American in school history): what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? I never really thought about it since I have never really been interested in individual honors. However, I guess when I am finished with basketball it will be a pretty cool thing to have on my resume.

In 2001 you were chosen to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: how did you play, and which of the other players there impressed you the most? I played really well there, but I injured my knee in the last game and was out for 6 weeks after that. One guy that impressed me was my teammate who played at Texas: Darren Kelly. He played really well and I think he even had a 30-PT game.

You spent 15 years playing professionally in Belgium/Hungary/Italy/Holland/Austria: what did you learn from these experiences, and how did they compare to college basketball? I learned many things playing overseas, about both basketball and life. My advice to any player heading overseas is to work hard, be respectful of your coaches/teammates/fans, do not take basketball for granted, and prepare for the future.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I would like people to remember that I always played the game the right way, was a good teammate, and a great human being…but not necessarily in that order.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Colgate JR PF Jeff Woodward

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Wednesday Colgate beat Lafayette 79-61 in the Patriot tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Raiders were 6-7 on Christmas Day but have won 20 of their last 21 games to claim the school’s 3rd straight NCAA tourney bid. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Colgate JR PF Jeff Woodward about dominating his conference for 3 straight years.

You were born/raised in Pennsylvania: what made you choose Colgate? I grew up just outside of Philly. Colgate has a really cool close-knit community where you can get to know everyone really well. It is a perfect fit for me both athletically/academically.

You play for Coach Matt Langel: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is always focused on us not getting too caught up in the moment: we try to stay level-headed and just do what we need to do. He is great at X’s and O’s but also knows how to inspire people to follow him by practicing what he preaches.

You are a psychology major and philosophy minor: why did you choose those subjects, and do you use them at all during games? I am also a religion minor. I chose psychology because I took an AP class in high school and fell in love with it, and philosophy/religion are super-interesting to me. I want to go into the field of clinical therapy. I do not think about them too much during games but I have noticed that I use them both before and after games. I try to have the best mindset in advance and then use some tools afterward so that I do not get too high/low.

In 2021 you made the Patriot All-Rookie Team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? A lot of it is a credit to Coach Langel for believing in me and letting me play right away as a freshman and giving me a longer leash than other players in our conference might get. It gave me confidence and allowed me to just play without worrying about having to come out of the game if I made a single mistake.

In the 2021 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS in a loss to Arkansas and in the 2022 NCAA tourney you scored 5 PTS in a 7-PT loss to Wisconsin: what did you learn from those 2 games that you think can help you this time around? Due to COVID the Arkansas game happened to be my 1st non-conference game of that season. The Wisconsin game in Madison involved a pretty hostile environment against a Power 5 team so I learned to control my reactions. They were both good teaching moments that should help everyone on our team.

In 2021 you went 14-2, last year you entered the NCAA tourney having won 19 of 20 and this year you have won 20 of 21 games since Christmas with only a 1-PT road loss at American: has it reached a point where you expect to win every single conference game that you play?! The expectation within our program is to go out and win every single game, which has been built over time through our sustained success. We do not go in with false confidence thinking that our opponents will roll over and die. We know that teams are gunning for us, especially when we are on the road, so we approach every game with confidence but never look past our opponent because we will get everyone’s best shot.

Last Wednesday in the Patriot tourney title game you scored 6 PTS in a win over Lafayette: what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was an awesome feeling, as were all of our championships. 2021 was my 1st title but it was a redemption game for our veterans who lost the title game at home by 3 PTS to BU in 2020. Last year was different because we finally had a full season with fans in the stands so it was more special to get to celebrate it with everyone. This year we lost a couple of guys who had made 5 conference title game appearances and were bringing in some new guys: even though we did not have the same leadership we did in the past we were able to grow together.

You have 6 seniors on the roster: how crucial has all of that experience been to your team’s success? It has been super-important because Tucker Richardson/Oliver Lynch-Daniels have played so many games before and been in those moments. We won a lot of conference games that went down to the wire, which is a credit to their leadership.

Your team leads the nation with 40.9 3P%: what is it like to not be a 3-PT shooter on the best 3-PT shooting team in D-1? It is definitely interesting: even 6’10” Keegan Records has stepped out and shot a few threes this year! I know my role and the things that I am good at. I do not want to bring down our team’s average by missing a lot of threes, and our great shooting allows space for me and our other big men to thrive in the paint. We do not get double-teamed a lot down low because you cannot leave our 3-PT shooters open: I had a similar situation in high school so I am used to it. I consider myself unselfish so I love to rack up some AST by kicking it out to our great shooters.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I think that we deserve a 13/14 seed. We played some pretty good non-conference teams and picked up a road win at Syracuse in November. Our resume during the past 2 NCAA tourneys should also be factored in, as we played very tough against 2 very good teams. I think that we will end up with a 14/15 seed but we will have confidence no matter who/where we play because we know what we have done in the past.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Chattanooga women’s assistant coach Katelyn Grisillo

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Chattanooga beat Wofford 63-53 in the SoCon tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Mocs were 10-9 in mid-January but have won 10 of their last 13 games to claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2017. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Chattanooga women’s assistant coach Katelyn Grisillo about how to win games in March.

You were born/raised in South Carolina: what made you choose Presbyterian for college? It was 1 of the schools on my list. I wanted to play D-1 basketball and had heard great things about it. I went on a visit and met some great people. It was a small campus so it reminded me of home.

Why did you decide to transfer, and how did you end up at USC-Aiken? Initially it was the opportunity to get more playing time. I was 5’4” so it was a better fit for me, and I got to stay in South Carolina near my friends/family.

You had a 3.8 GPA in college: how did you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I credit my family for that. My mom is a teacher and my dad was in the military so education has always been a priority for me. The resources you get at the collegiate level when you surround yourself with good people allow you to be a student-athlete. I just got a card in the mail last week from someone at Aiken who reached out to me, which was very nice.

You graduated in 2016 with a major in communications and a minor in business administration: how did you get into coaching? I set out to become a coach or a sports broadcaster…which could go hand-in-hand down the road. As a young player you develop strong relationships with your assistant coaches via workouts/day-to-day talks. I tore my knee up at Aiken and had to watch from the sideline so I developed an appreciation for the game and what our coaches were doing. I wanted to pay it forward by coaching someone else and sharing my own passion for the game.

You spent 5 years as an assistant at D-2 Wingate: what is the biggest difference between D-2 and D-1? The athletes are bigger/faster/stronger. The resources in D-1 are great while in D-2 you have to do everything yourself: I have not touched a single food order in Chattanooga! Whether it is about support staff/social media/travel/gear we always have more hands willing to help.

You work for Coach Shawn Poppie: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? This is my 1st year with him but from the jump I saw him exude “humble confidence”. He has earned his way to this position by working his way up from D-2. He puts in the work and makes his presence known to people in the room while allowing everyone to get what they deserve. He is such a selfless leader that we want to buy everything he is selling!

What is the secret to winning games in March? Good players/play-calls/trainers/strength coaches/etc. It also helps to have a fanbase who make a neutral-site game feel like a home crowd. We do not have a large rotation so to have had our level of success this year is not normal. We have a growth-mindset so if we lose a game we learn from it rather than shut down. The people behind the scenes deserve a lot of credit: it takes so many moving pieces to have it all come together.

Last Sunday in the SoCon tourney title game tourney MOP Raven Thompson scored 19 PTS in an 8-PT win over Wofford: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was an incredible feeling to see this team’s hard work come to fruition: it almost made it feel even sweeter because Wofford swept us during the regular season. It has been almost a week but seeing the big picture of the growth that has happened has been amazing. Raven was named conference ROY so it is great to see what she has done for us. Coach has preached from the beginning that everyone has a role and brings value. This was a culture-building year for Yazz Wazeerud-Din: she always has her phone out and is watching a game because she loves the sport. You cannot deny that it had an impact on our mentality because we value winning.

You played several great teams in non-conference play including Alabama/Belmont/Tennessee: which of them impressed you the most? The Alabama game helped carry on our belief system. There were 5 minutes left but we were still in it against an SEC team. I remember stepping into Belmont’s territory but we took them right down to the wire despite us having a new team with about 1/17th of the play-calls that we now have! It was an important moment for us and made us realize that we had a lot of great pieces: it was super-eye-opening.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? We will have the biggest smiles on our face: I might black-out and not even see what seed we get! We will have an “attitude of gratitude” to hear our name called and then will get back to work preparing for our opponent. Age is just a #…and so is seeding.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Chattanooga SR G Yazz Wazeerud-Din

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Chattanooga beat Wofford 63-53 in the SoCon tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Mocs were 10-9 in mid-January but have won 10 of their last 13 games to claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2017. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Chattanooga SR G Yazz Wazeerud-Din about winning the title game.

In 2020 you were named honorable mention NJCAA All-American at South Georgia Technical College: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I did not think I was going to receive that so it shocked me and felt good.

What is the biggest difference between JC and D-1? I do not think there is a big difference. There are more people involved in terms of fans/media and the speed of the game is also different.

As a player at Stetson in 2021 you led your team in scoring with 15.6 PPG and led your conference in steals with 2.4 SPG: how do you balance your offense with your defense? I let my defense get me going by trying to get some deflections and get into the passing lanes.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Chattanooga? I wanted something different and when Chattanooga 1st contacted me they kept it real. The campus is nice and it is not too far from home.

You are majoring in Business Administration: what is the post-graduation plan? I am still trying to figure that out! I plan to go overseas for a bit and then go into real estate.

You play for Coach Shawn Poppie: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is a good person who is fun to be around. I have learned a lot but what stuck out to me this year was his emphasis on believing  in yourself because positive outcomes will come out of that.

Last Sunday in the SoCon tourney title game you scored 16 PTS in an 8-PT win over Wofford: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It felt great! I have won 2 titles before but it was a different feeling on Sunday due to everything that we have went through this year. There were a lot of good vibes in the locker room.

You are 1 of 4 seniors on the roster: how crucial has all of that experience been to your team’s success? Sometimes I forget that I am a senior: I try not to think about it a lot but it is crucial.

You played several great teams in non-conference play including Alabama/Belmont/Tennessee: which of them impressed you the most? I would say Alabama because they had a big win at Mercer right before they played us, and the Bears were supposed to be 1 of the toughest teams in our conference. We could have beaten the Tide but we learned from it.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I think a 14 seed would be good but we are just ready to go out/have fun/compete.

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Bracketology 2023: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.5)

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Jon Teitel

-For the latest CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK – DAY 11 where we break down all of yesterday’s conference tournament action and preview all of todays, and with links to brackets, schedules, the Survival Board, and more – CLICK HERE

We are only 2 days away from Selection Sunday as we continue to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams that made the 2022 tourney and each of his 67 of were within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 49 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming days predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 12th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how he stacks up with other websites (ranked 12th out of 148 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Alabama (SEC)
1: Kansas (Big 12)
1: Houston (AAC)
1: Purdue (Big 10)

2: UCLA (Pac-12)
2: Texas (Big 12)
2: Arizona (Pac-12)
2: Baylor (Big 12)

3: Gonzaga (WCC): AUTO-BID
3: Marquette (Big East)
3: Tennessee (SEC)
3: Kansas State (Big 12)

4: Connecticut (Big East)
4: Xavier (Big East)
4: Virginia (ACC)
4: Indiana (Big 10)

5: Miami (ACC)
5: San Diego State (MWC)
5: Iowa State (Big 12)
5: TCU (Big 12)

6: St. Mary’s (WCC)
6: Kentucky (SEC)
6: Texas A&M (SEC)
6: Creighton (Big East)

7: Duke (ACC)
7: Michigan State (Big 10)
7: Northwestern (Big 10)
7: Missouri (SEC)

8: Maryland (Big 10)
8: Iowa (Big 10)
8: Illinois (Big 10)
8: Florida Atlantic (C-USA)

9: Arkansas (SEC)
9: West Virginia (Big 12)
9: Auburn (SEC)
9: Memphis (AAC)

10: Boise State (MWC)
10: USC (Pac-12)
10: Providence (Big East)
10: NC State (ACC)

11: Utah State (MWC)
11: Pittsburgh (ACC)
11: Mississippi State (SEC)
11: Rutgers (Big 10)
11: Penn State (Big 10)
11: Clemson (ACC)

12: Charleston (CAA): AUTO-BID
12: Oral Roberts (Summit): AUTO-BID
12: Drake (MVC): AUTO-BID
12: VCU (A-10)

13: Toledo (MAC)
13: Utah Valley (WAC)
13: Princeton (Ivy)
13: Iona (MAAC)

14: Louisiana (Sun Belt): AUTO-BID
14: Furman (SoCon): AUTO-BID
14: UC-Irvine (Big West)
14: Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun): AUTO-BID

15: Colgate (Patriot): AUTO-BID
15: Montana State (Big Sky): AUTO-BID
15: Vermont (America East)
15: UNC-Asheville (Big South): AUTO-BID

16: Northern Kentucky (Horizon): AUTO-BID
16: Fairleigh Dickinson (NEC): AUTO-BID
16: Southeast Missouri State (OVC): AUTO-BID
16: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland): AUTO-BID
16: Grambling (SWAC)
16: Howard (MEAC)

1ST 4 OUT
Arizona State (Pac-12)
Nevada (MWC)
Oklahoma State (Big 12)
Wisconsin (Big 10)

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