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 Duquesne basketball father Eric Anish about the Dukes’ magical run last March and how he thinks they will do this week.
You spent several years working with the US Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Program and were a member of the US Medical Staff at the 2011 Pan American Games: what was the best part of working for Team USA? The people that I had the opportunity to work with from around the country. It was a multi-disciplinary group, and I learned a lot from those health care professionals while working collaboratively with some of the best athletes in the world.
You also serve as a medical consultant for the Pittsburgh Penguins: how exciting was it to work with them during their run of 3 Stanley Cups in a 9-year span? It was a tremendous honor to work for an amazing organization. They have some incredible athletes as well.
Your son Ethan grew up in Pittsburgh: how good a player was he in high school? He was a very good high school player and always had a lot of heart. He has a real passion for the game, and it was fun to watch him play.
What made him choose Duquesne for college? It was a perfect fit both athletically/academically. He had a strong connection to the program and has grown up around it. Coach Keith Dambrot welcomed him into the locker room, so he got to know the coaches/staff very well long before they recruited him to play basketball. It felt like home for him to join Duquesne as a student-athlete.
Take me through the magical 2024 postseason: Duquesne entered the A-10 tourney as the #6 seed but won 4 games in 5 days to clinch the title: how on earth were they able to hoist the trophy after starting out 0-5 in conference play? They had a special group of players. Despite the adversity during that bad start they never lost hope/confidence in their abilities and never splintered. They had great leadership from the coaching staff, who continued to emphasize that they could turn the season around. They never gave up, righted the ship, and came together at the right time.
In the NCAA tourney they had a 4-PT win over BYU for the school’s 1st tourney win in 55 years: where does that rank among the Anish family highlights? It certainly is up there and was a special event. I was not sure I would see the team win an NCAA tourney game during my tenure…but they did! You work as the team’s physician: how healthy is the team this week, and is it extra-special to get to travel around the country with your son while the Dukes try to win a title? We are ready to play. Like our run last year in Brooklyn/Omaha, it is great to share these experiences with my son.
Ethan is a sophomore: what is his major, and does he have a post-graduation plan yet? He is a business major, but it is too early to tell what he will do in the future.
You ran cross country and track at Penn: who is the best athlete in the family? I could beat him in a 1-mile race, but he could probably beat me 1-on-1…although I am still a better FT shooter than him!
Any predictions for their game tomorrow vs. St. Bonaventure? I certainly hope we can win tomorrow. We already beat them once this year so there is no reason to think we cannot do so again.
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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 VCU cheerleader Raegan Willis about being a captain and how she thinks the Rams will do this week.
You grew up in Maryland/Virginia: what made you choose VCU? I liked the welcoming environment of Richmond, and it was not too far away from home.
You are a double-majoring in homeland security/criminal justice with concentration in forensic crime scene investigation and minoring in gender/women/sexuality studies: how did you choose those subjects? I grew up wanting to help people and watched a lot of crime shows with my dad growing up.
You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? I hope to work for the Arlington Police Department if I get in. If not, then hopefully some government job.
You are captain of the team: what is the key to being a good leader? Listening to your teammates and hearing people out. You must be willing to be there for your teammates no matter the circumstance and put the team 1st: almost as if you are the “team mom”!
How did you 1st get into cheering, and what is the best part? My mom is a cheer coach so I started in middle school and cheered for her throughout high school. I enjoy stunting but hanging out with my teammates is the best part: we have bonded very well together.
The Rams have not had a single losing season during the 21st century: is it more fun to cheer for a team when they are so successful? It is the best part, especially with the crowd involvement. Continuing that winning streak is very exciting.
How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We use our seniors the most and then see who wants to go. It is pretty exciting: we have a good group and will show our skills to everyone while supporting our basketball team.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for this week? Not that I know of, but we are going to Daytona to cheer at nationals so hopefully we will finish ranked very high.
Your team has made the NCAA tourney during each of the past 3 odd-numbered years (2019/2021/2023): do you think they will continue the trend in 2025? Hopefully because I am ready to travel!
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Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend 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 a recap of the championship game on Tuesday night.
There was some serious pre-game pageantry with the national anthem played by a trumpeter, and you know it is a big game when the Space Force marches out with the flags:
I missed out on dinner to do happy hour with a friend visiting from out of town. Let’s tip off the title game and see who will hoist the trophy:
DELAWARE-UNCW
The 2 coaches are ready to roll:
It is hard to believe that Delaware PG Izaiah Pasha is only a freshman. He scored 10 PTS in the 1sy half by getting to the rim for layup after layup and was a perfect 4-4 from the FT line:
In contrast, UNCW got most of its scoring from a pair of 6’5″ veteran guards. Grad student Bo Montgomery made a pretty bank shot off the glass and a pair of layups, while JR Greedy Williams made a leaner in the lane and a corner 3:
The good news for Delaware is that after falling behind 29-14 they made a nice little run to finish the half with just an 8-PT deficit. The very BAD news for the Blue Hens is that the Seahawks are 23-0 this year when leading at halftime:
In the 2nd half the Blue Hens took a 41-40 lead right before the under-16 timeout on a 3 by John Camden as the fans went crazy:
His teammate Cavan Reilly, who went scoreless in the 1st half, got off to a hot start in the 2nd stanza with a pull-up J, a layup, a 3, and a pair of tough scoops to give his team a 58-57 lead with 8 minutes remaining…and the dream was alive!:
Delaware F Niels Lane made a ton of layups in the 2nd half including 1 that cut the deficit to 65-62 with under 5 minutes left:
I walked down to the court to prepare for the postgame celebration and got to hang out by the UNCW bench with Sammy while we waited to see whose ticket would get punched:
I almost missed the Blue Hens pulling off an all-time Cinder-Dela story…but Seahawk G Donovan Newby made some clutch FTs down the stretch to clinch a 76-72 victory:
That is a wrap for tonight, check back tomorrow for some great UNCW celebration photos, and check back later this week when the A-10 comes to DC!
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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 commences our coverage from DC with an interview of Rhode Island cheerleader Sophia Castilletti about cheering for a winning team and her prediction for today’s game vs. Fordham.
You are from Long Island: what made you choose Rhode Island? A major part of my decision was the cheer team.
You are majoring in nursing: how did you choose that subject? URI has a really good nursing program. My mom is a nurse so I grew up around it: she would always tell me stories so her passion made me want to follow in her footsteps.
You are a junior: what is the post-graduation plan? I want to get a job but am unsure what specialty to choose yet. I might also go to grad school.
What has been the highlight of your season so far: starting 9-0, Senior Night, other? Starting 9-0 was great, but our upset over Providence at home in that 9th game was the highlight because it is a big rivalry within the state.
The Rams had losing seasons each of the past 4 years but are 18-12 this year: is it more fun to cheer for the team when they are playing well? Yes, but even when they are having a losing season it is not hard to remain in high spirits. The more energy we can bring on the sideline, the more energy the players will have on the court.
How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Our coach decides who will go based on availability/experience, so our upperclassmen travel more often. It is very exciting to get an opportunity to show off our skills in front of a large audience.
Does your band have anything extra-special planned for this week? Not really: we practiced yesterday to make sure all our skills are perfect and hopefully we will keep winning.
Any predictions for your game today vs. Fordham? I think our chances are good: we played them last Saturday and our team won by almost 20 PTS because the team did what it had to do.
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HoopsHD keeps celebrating the greatest time of the year with Part 3 of our 3-part preview of every single conference tourney in the nation. Jon Teitel continues our coverage with his predictions for the 16 conference tourneys getting underway this week. Tweet us if you have any comments, and if you missed his picks last week about the 15 other conference tourneys you can find them at:
AAC tourney predicted champ: North Texas (#2 seed) Dates: March 12-16 Location: Fort Worth, TX 2024 tourney champ: UAB (#4 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 tourneys Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were not #1 seed Houston had owned this tourney for several years, and the tourney takes place in the state of Texas, so let’s go with the Mean Green. I know that Memphis will be heavily-favored, but Coach Ross Hodge only lost to the Tigers by 4 PTS on the road back in January, and since that loss he has won 13 of his past 16 games. The “meanest” side of North Texas is on the defensive end of the court: their 59.5 PPG allowed is #3 in the nation and their 30.5 3P% allowed is top-30 in the nation. If the game comes down to the wire then they should be fine because their 77.6 FT% is also top-30 in the nation thanks in large part to leading scorer Atin Wright’s 93.5 FT%.
A-10 tourney predicted champ: St. Joe’s (#6 seed) Dates: March 12-16 Location: Washington, DC 2024 tourney champ: Duquesne (#6 seed) Fun fact: 8 different champs in past 8 tourneys Seeding: 3 of past 5 champs were #6 seed VCU and GMU have been atop the standings for most of the past month, but for some weird reason this tourney loves the 6-seed so I am sending out my love to the Hawks. This tourney has had 8 different champs in the past 8 tourneys that were played, and since St. Joe’s started that trend back in 2016 it is time for them to keep the trend going by winning it again in 2025. Coach Billy Lange had losing seasons during each of his 1st 4 years in Philly but has finally gotten the hang of it with back-to-back 20+ win seasons. Thanks to their Twin Towers of 6’9” Rasheer Fleming/6’10” Justice Ajogbor their interior defense is intimidating opponents into 46.1 2P% (top-20 in the nation). Their 2 losses to VCU/GMU this year were by a total of 10 PTS so even if 1 of the top-2 seeds tries to end St. Joe’s season this week the 1 thing we know for sure is that “The Hawk Will Never Die”!
ACC tourney predicted champ: Louisville (#2 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: Charlotte, NC 2024 tourney champ: NC State (#10 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 tourneys Seeding: each of past 4 champs were not top-3 seed Coach Pat Kelsey might be new to the ACC but his performance in past conference tourneys already puts him among the best in the nation: he won 3 Big South tourneys in a 5-year span at Winthrop, then won a pair of CAA tourneys during the past 2 years at Charleston. After starting this season 6-5 and losing LOTS of guys to season-ending injuries, he somehow has pushed all the right buttons while winning 19 of his final 20 games. While they did lose to Duke by double-digits in their conference opener last December, the Cardinals were able to foul out Cooper Flagg and limit the Blue Devils to 8-30 3PM, so I think they have a legit shot of upsetting the #1 team in the nation if the rematch takes place in the title game. That being said: if G Reyne Smith’s injury keeps him out of the postseason, then please forget everything I just wrote!
Big 12 tourney predicted champ: Iowa State (#5 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: Kansas City, MO 2024 tourney champ: Iowa State (#2 seed) Fun fact: only 3 champs since 2013 are Iowa State/Kansas/Texas Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were not #1 seed Last year Coach TJ Otzelberger lost 8 games total, including a single-digit road loss at Houston in February, had a top-10 defense, and was able to win 3 straight games in Kansas City. This year he has lost 8 games total, including a single-digit road loss at Houston in February, has a top-10 defense…and we shall see what happens this weekend. As great as the Cougars are this tourney simply does not like #1 seeds, and the Cyclones beat both #2 seed Texas Tech/#3 seed Arizona earlier this year. That being said: if G Keshon Gilbert’s injury keeps him out of the postseason, then please forget everything I just wrote!
Big East tourney predicted champ: St. John’s (#1 seed) Dates: March 12-15 Location: New York, NY 2024 tourney champ: UConn (#1 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 tourneys Seeding: 6 of past 7 champs were top-2 seed As always, if Georgetown wins this 1 then I might just have to hang up the old keyboard because it means I know absolutely nothing about this sport. I also know it is unwise to bet against Coach Dan Hurley in the postseason…but since Coach Rick Pitino was the only guy to sweep the 2-time-defending national champs this year he gets my vote. St. John’s has not won this tourney since 2000, but this tourney loves its top seeds and the crowd at Madison Square Garden will LOVE the Red Storm. I am almost more impressed by their losses: they were all away from home and by a total of 7 PTS, which means they are literally 4 possessions away from being undefeated. The secret to their success has been defense: 45.2 2P% allowed #9 in the nation. Then again, if they keep shooting 29.9% behind the arc and 68.6% from the FT line, perhaps it will bite them in the butt at just the wrong time.
Big 10 tourney predicted champ: Maryland (#2 seed) Dates: March 12-16 Location: Indianapolis, IN 2024 tourney champ: Illinois (#2 seed) Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 6 tourneys Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were top-2 seed 1 reason that Michigan State easily secured the #1 seed was their 3-PT win in College Park a couple of weeks ago thanks to Tre Hollman’s half-court buzzer-beater. Coach Kevin Willard’s team could have let that gut-punch ruin their entire season, but instead they went back to work and picked up a road win at Ann Arbor last Wednesday that helped them end up with the #2 seed. The Terps’ focus on the 3-PT line has helped them on both ends of the court: 37 3P% and 30.8 3P% allowed are both top-40 in the nation. The Brother Buildings of Derik Queen/Julian Reese (can we really call them “Twin” Towers if 1 is a freshman and 1 is a senior?!) have combined for 29 PPG/19 REB/3 BPG, and both are shooting better than 52 FG%/74 FT%. All 7 of their losses this year were by 6 PTS or less so they have proven that even if you can build a lead on them in the 1st half they will not go away.
Big West tourney predicted champ: UC-Irvine (#2 seed) Dates: March 12-15 Location: Henderson, NV 2024 tourney champ: Long Beach State (#4 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 tourneys Seeding: each of past 3 champs were not #1 seed I know that UCSD has only lost 4 games all season, but this tourney does not like #1 seeds, and since 1 of their losses was to UC-Irvine in January I will pick the Anteaters. Coach Russell Turner has racked up 13 straight winning seasons and enters this tourney on a 5-game winning streak. They have a 7’1’ center in Bent Leuchten, which is why their 42.9 2P% allowed is #3 in the nation, and they have an astounding SIX different guys shooting at least 80% from the FT line, which is why they are also top-5 in the nation in that category. It is important to have a veteran PG in March and they have a good 1 in Justin Hohn: for those of you who enjoy “high tea”, you have to like a guy who attended “Tea High”!
C-USA tourney predicted champ: Liberty (#1 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: Huntsville, AL 2024 tourney champ: Western Kentucky (#3 seed) Fun fact: 7 different champs in past 7 tourneys Seeding: 3 of past 4 champs were not #1 seed I know this tourney doe not like #1 seeds, but I kept finding reasons to not like anyone else so give me Liberty or give me…a good reason not to pick them. While the Flames are not exactly on fire(!), Coach Ritchie McKay did win 11 of his final 13 games. They also built up a lot of neutral-site confidence during non-conference play with back-to-back wins over Kansas State/McNeese in the Virgin Islands. Liberty owns the 3-PT line like few other teams in the nation: 38.5 3P% is #13 in D-1, while 27.3 3P% allowed is #1 with a bullet. My biggest concern is their 65.5 FT%, which is bottom-20 in the nation: 5 of their 6 losses were by 5 PTS or less, so if any of their games go down to the wire it might be difficult to watch. However, this tourney has had 7 different champs in a row so we shall see if 8 is indeed enough.
Ivy tourney predicted champ: Yale (#1 seed) Dates: March 15-16 Location: Providence, RI 2024 tourney champ: Yale (#2 seed) Fun fact: only 3 teams to ever win tourney are Penn/Princeton/Yale Seeding: each of 6 all-time champs were top-2 seed After Monday’s firing of Penn coach Steve Donahue I admit that I lost a lot of interest in this tourney. However, I will still give it a shot. The only 3 teams to ever win this tourney are Penn/Princeton/Yale, and every single winner of this tourney has been a top-2 seed, so it seems obvious to choose Yale. Over the past 12 weeks the Bulldogs have lost exactly 2 games by a combined 6 PTS so it will be hard for anyone else to match their momentum. Coach James Jones ensured that his team was battle-tested back in November with a pair of single-digits losses at Purdue/Minnesota, and as long as they keep making threes at a 38.2% clip (top-20 in the nation) they will be hard to beat. My favorite fun fact: the last team that Auburn lost to in postseason play was…Yale (a 78-76 loss in the 1st round of last year’s NCAA tourney)!
MAAC tourney predicted champ: Manhattan (#5 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: Atlantic City, NJ 2024 tourney champ: St. Peter’s (#5 seed) Fun fact: only 3 champs since 2013 are Iona/Manhattan/St. Peter’s Seeding: 11 of past 13 champs were not #1 seed Quinnipiac has had a great season but this tourney dislikes #1 seeds with a passion. Iona has owned this tourney for most of the past decade…but I am just not feeling it this year since they enter postseason play with a 15-16 record. 1 of the teams they lost to was Manhattan, so I will give them the nod instead. The Jaspers have certainly not come close to dominating, but they did win 7 of their final 9 games and their only double-digit loss all season was on opening night at Maryland. Coach John Gallagher won just 7 games last year during his 1st year in Riverdale, but has certainly pulled all the right strings this year thanks in large part to FR Will Sydnor, who is averaging 14 PPG/7 RPG/2 SPG/1 BPG/2 3PM.
MAC tourney predicted champ: Miami OH (#2 seed) Dates: March 13-15 Location: Cleveland, OH 2024 tourney champ: Akron (#2 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 tourneys Seeding: each of past 4 champs were not #1 seed I am dying to pick Akron, especially since this tourney is in their home state…but history says that #1 seeds do not win this tourney so I am going with the other top-2 seed from Ohio: some refer to them as “Mother Miami”. The RedHawks did get spanked by the Zips in January, and did lose 3 of their final 7 games, but their starting 5 is healthy and has been so all year long. Coach Travis Steele had losing seasons during each of his 1st 2 years in Oxford, but has been a revelation in year #3 with 23 regular season wins. He only has 1 SR on his roster so I thought he might be 1 more year away from contending…but if they can keep scoring 81 PPG while shooting 39.4 3P% they just be able to put enough points on the board in Cleveland to (as a mythical Cleveland sports figure once said) “win the whole f—ing thing”.
MEAC tourney predicted champ: Norfolk State (#1 seed) Dates: March 12-15 Location: Norfolk, VA 2024 tourney champ: Howard (#4 seed) Fun fact: only 3 champs since 2014 still in this conference are Howard/NC Central/Norfolk State Seeding: 4 of past 6 champs were not #1 seed I know this tourney does not love #1 seeds, but I do not think a 19-loss Howard squad can pull off the 3-peat. South Carolina State is certainly the hottest team in the league with 9 wins in a row, but I am skeptical that they can repeat their success against Norfolk State earlier this month when they made 30 FTs. Coach Robert Jones is wrapping up his 7th straight winning season and was coasting into March on an 8-game winning streak before stubbing his toe in back-to-back road games. He has 5 senior starters, his team’s 49.2 FG% is #11 in the nation, and he has already won this tourney twice in the past 5 years, so if you need to pick 2 winners in March the answer is clear: Mr. Jones and Me!
MWC tourney predicted champ: New Mexico (#1 seed) Dates: March 12-15 Location: Las Vegas, NV 2024 tourney champ: New Mexico (#6 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 years Seeding: 5 of past 6 champs were top-2 seed San Diego State has made this title game each of the past 7 years so if you are searching for a more dangerous #4-seed in the country then good luck. However, this tourney likes top-2 seeds, and Coach Richard Pitino proved last March that he could beat the Aztecs with a title on the line, so I think the Lobos will make it 2 in a row this year. They did drop back-to-back road games to finish February, but there is certainly no shame in losing at Boise State/San Diego State by 8 PTS. You would think that New Mexico’s ugly 68.8 FT% might cost them a game when it counts…but they have been very fortunate because their opponents’ 66 FT% is 2nd-worst in the nation. This squad proved it can compete with teams outside the MWC by beating UCLA/VCU in non-conference play, and there might not be a better inside/outside combo in the country than PG Donovan Dent (20 PPG/7 APG) and C Nelly Junior Joseph (14 PPG/11 RPG/56 FG%).
SEC predicted champ: Florida (#2 seed) Dates: March 12-16 Location: Nashville, TN 2024 tourney champ: Auburn (#4 seed) Fun fact: 3 different champs in past 3 tourneys Seeding: 4 of past 6 champs were not #1 seed Auburn has been the best team in the land for most of this season, but after seeing them drop each of their final 2 games and considering the fact that this tourney does not like #1 seeds, I think it is wide open. The best conference in the history of the sport has several strong contenders who are good enough to not just win this postseason tourney, but also the even bigger 1 that kicks off next week. Since the Gators have beaten Alabama/Auburn/Tennessee this year they seem like a smart choice. Coach Todd Golden’s biggest concern a few months ago was whether he was going to be arrested for some off-court incidents, but after the school’s 4-month-long Title IX investigation found no evidence to back up the serious allegations his team has been rolling with an offensive/defensive efficiency that are both top-10 in the nation. They have 3 senior starters in their backcourt (Walter Clayton Jr./Alijah Martin/Will Richard) who have combined for 45 PPG/13 RPG/8 APG/5 SPG/7 3PM, and after seeing PF Micah Handlogten go down with a horrific leg injury in last year’s SEC tourney I think the whole fanbase was reenergized by his return to the court last month.
SWAC predicted champ: Texas Southern (#4 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: Atlanta, GA 2024 tourney champ: Grambling (#1 seed) Fun fact: Texas Southern has won 5 of past 7 tourneys and finished 2nd each of the other 2 times Seeding: 3 of past 4 champs were not #1 seed That’s it: I am done picking anyone other than the Tigers to win this tourney…ever. I know that Coach Johnny Jones went 3-11 to start the season, then lost a game to an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team in February that is 1 of the worst in the nation. However, his team had a 7-game winning streak before the loss to the Golden Lions, and he had to finish that game without 3 of his regular starters (2 did not play at all and the 3rd fouled out). Texas Southern has made the title game each of the past 7 times it has been played (winning 5 of those 7), and even though they were swept by Southern this year they should take comfort in the fact that tourney does not like #1 seeds. They have plenty of veteran leadership thanks to not having a single freshman OR sophomore on the roster, and they only allow their opponents to shoot 40.5 FG%: death, taxes, and the Tigers in this tourney.
WAC predicted champ: GCU (#2 seed) Dates: March 11-15 Location: St. George, UT, and Las Vegas, NV 2024 tourney champ: GCU (#1 seed) Fun fact: only champ since 2012 still in this conference is GCU Seeding: 8 of past 10 champs were top-2 seed The Lopes have won this tourney in 3 of the past 4 years, and even though Utah Valley earned the #1 seed by losing exactly ONE game since Christmas, that loss was in Phoenix last month so I believe in GCU. Coach Bryce Drew has succeeded this year due to defense: his team is top-35 in the nation with 46.6 2P% allowed/30.8 3P% allowed. I would have thought that an ankle injury to his star player Tyon Grant-Foster would be a cause for concern, but the team has played 8 games without him and not lost a single 1 of them in regulation (they are 7-1 with just a 1-PT OT loss in the season finale at Abilene Christian). Defense travels in March, and since their 9.6 SPG/5.1 BPG are both top-20 in the nation I think it is time to Lopes up!
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Last Sunday Tennessee Tech beat Lindenwood in OT in the OVC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA women’s tournament. The Golden Eagles only won 16 games in 2024 but bounced back this year to claim the school’s 2nd NCAA tourney bid in the past 3 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Tennessee Tech G Reghan Grimes about being named 1st-team all-conference and having a 17-game winning streak.
You did basketball/track/volleyball at Ravenwood High School: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? My parents might have a different answer, but statistically I was best at track, as I set a state record in the discus. Basketball was my go-to sport, but I also loved playing volleyball with my friends.
What made you choose Tennessee Tech? I knew that I wanted to go somewhere where I could win a championship while also playing a lot. Tennessee Tech had some success before I arrived, but they lost a few 5th-year seniors so they had a lot of spots to fill.
You play for Coach Kim Rosamond: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Her drive is so high and she pushes us to be the best: she will not settle for us being “good”. We try to get 1% better every day because her focus is on us not having a ceiling. She taught me to always strive for greatness.
As a freshman in the 2023 NCAA tourney, you had 6 REB in a win over Monmouth: how big a deal was it to help the Golden Eagles get their 1st NCAA tourney win in more than 30 years? Going into the 1st 4 we knew that we had an opportunity to show everyone what we were capable of. My job as a freshman was to rebound/defend/help the team however I could. Even though I had some foul trouble that night it was still a huge win.
Last week you were named All-OVC 1st-team: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It has been a goal of mine since I 1st decided to set goals. We had a lot of new faces this year so I knew that I would have to take on a bigger role if I wanted us to achieve the success we were capable of. I put in a lot of work and my teammates/coaches trusted me so I was grateful to check that off my list.
Last Saturday in the OVC tourney title game you scored 23 PTS in 41 minutes to help clinch a 6-PT OT win over Lindenwood: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? I was not satisfied with my performance in our semifinal game, nor with my performance against them in our final regular season game. I let a lot of teams off the hook during the past few weeks so I wanted to go out and be the best player I could be. I came in with the mindset of not letting my team down and just making the next play. I trusted myself and my teammates: at no point was I worried about the outcome of the game because I knew that nobody would stop me from what I set out to do. We had the same motivation all season: our goal all year was to go 2-0 each week so we already had that preparation entering the conference tourney. The locker room was fun because we all had the same goal and were able to achieve success.
You have played 17 games during the past 2 months…and won every single 1 of them en route to tying the school record with 26 wins in a season: has your team’s confidence level reached a point where you expect to win every time that you step onto the court? Coach always says, “The outcome is a distraction”. We are not focused on our winning streak because doing that will make you tense. We had a tight game at Little Rock last month (a 61-57 win), but once we decided to play to win rather than “not to lose”, it helped us stay focused on the goal of taking it 1 game/possession at a time. We just try to win the next 5 minutes.
You are studying psychology on a pre-med track and want to become an orthopedic surgeon or do something in the field of sports psychology: how has your background on the court helped prepare you for your future career off the court (if at all)? Right now I am gearing more towards sports psychology because I have had struggles as an athlete myself, but took lessons from my studies to shift my mental perspective. Every athlete needs someone to talk to so that they can overcome both internal/external pressures. The field has been growing over the past few years and I think that every team should have a health professional who players can talk to.
Your father Reggie played for the New England Patriots, your mother Mikaela did track and field at Nebraska/Alabama, your brother Reggie II plays football at Oklahoma, and your sister Maya did track and field at Austin Peay/Louisiana Tech: who is the best athlete in the family? I get that question a lot, but it is usually who is the best of the siblings. We all played several sports growing up: my brother focused on football as he became a high-level prospect, but my mom taught us the importance of playing multiple sports. We got great genes from our parents…but I think I am the most athletic! I could have played D-1 in any of the sports I did during high school, but I got here because both of my siblings pushed me to be the best.
What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? Bracketologists say different things: we were a #16 seeds a couple of years ago but I think we will be higher this time. I am VERY excited to see if we sneak in as a 14/15 seed, but either way we will be ready to show the world who we are!
