All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Michigan State locker room

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta with a Michigan State locker room interview.

JR C Carson Cooper

Coach Tom Izzo has made 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments, which is the most in men’s college basketball history: what makes him such a great coach once he gets to March? Coach is Coach…but in the NCAA tourney the level of intensity goes up ten-fold, so we rely on his experience.

The SEC had 4 teams make the Elite 8, and 1 reason they did not have 5 is because you beat Mississippi: how do you think the Big 10 compares to the SEC? We started the season off well due to our league’s size and the level of physicality. It is not just our team: Purdue almost upset Houston on Friday.

What was the biggest factor in your win over the Rebels on Friday? Our execution has gotten better: we are finishing plays and making shots.

What do you know about Auburn? Everyone knows the importance of the upcoming game so we will trust the closeness of our team. Everyone must come in and do what they do best.

You turn 21 in a couple of weeks: how good is that 1st-ever-beer going to taste if you win the title? I am trying not to think too far ahead…but if we win it all then it will be an amazing birthday celebration!

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Auburn breakout room

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta with an Auburn breakout room interview.

The way it works is that Coach Pearl and his 5 starters start out on the podium while the rest of the team does interviews in the locker room:

Then Coach Pearl keeps going while each of his starters goes to their own breakout room:

I chose to go to the breakout room for Miles Kelly for a quick interview:

SR G Miles Kelly

You were born in Stone Mountain, GA (20 miles northeast of Atlanta) and transferred to Auburn from Georgia Tech (whose arena is 2 miles north of State Farm Arena): how has your homecoming been? It has gone even better than I expected…and hopefully we can win again on Sunday and make it to the Final 4.

You shot 39.4 3P% this year and tied Bryce Brown’s NCAA tourney school record with 7 3PM in your 1st round win over Alabama State, but you made only 1-7 3PM vs. Michigan: was it just a cold shooting night or did their defense do something different than you expected? This is a make-or-miss sport, but I am not worried about bouncing back in my next game because my confidence has never wavered.

You did have 3 STL/1 BLK in that game: what is the secret to playing great defense? I try to use my length to make my opponents uncomfortable.

Your teammate Johni Broome had 22 PTS/16 REB: where does he rank among the greatest college players that you have ever seen? He is the national POY for a reason: it speaks for itself. He is a playful/goofy guy. We are roommates on the road and like to have fun, but I am a neat freak while he will just throw his stuff on the floor!

What was the biggest factor in your win over the Wolverines on Friday? We had great energy and did not allow their guards to get many clean looks at the basket. We need to transfer that energy to our game on Sunday.

You are 1 of 4 SEC teams in the Elite 8 (Alabama/Auburn/Florida/Tennessee): what is it like to be part of the best conference in the history of the sport? It has been a dominant league all year and no games are a cakewalk. We might end up with all 4 teams in the Final 4 so that speaks volumes about how hard our league is.

What do you know about Michigan State? They have good guards: we watched a little film on them and will try to take them out of their looks.

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Auburn locker room

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta with an Auburn locker room interview.

FR F Jahki Howard

You began your high school career in Norcross (20 miles NE of Atlanta): how has your homecoming been? It is not really a homecoming, but I did start my journey here.

You played for OT Elite: what did you learn there? How to become a pro athlete, both mentally/physically.

In 2024 you were named King’s Hawaiian National Slam Dunk Champion: do you think you could win a dunk contest against Michigan State F Coen Carr? We are 1-1 against each other, as we each won 1, but I think I would win the rematch because I am younger!

You were an AAU teammate of Tahaad Pettiford: what makes him such a great player? We have known each other since the 6th grade. I grew up in Boston, which is not too far from New Jersey, so we played against each other throughout high school. He is like my brother.

You have helped raise money for the Color of Autism Foundation: why did you choose that organization? My little brother is autistic, so I like to give back to that community.

What was the biggest factor in your win over the Wolverines on Friday? We were really locked in and had everyone on the same page.

What do you know about Michigan State? I have played against some of their guys before (Carr/Jeremy Fears Jr.) and it will be a dogfight between 2 great defensive teams.

Check back for a lot more access all week long!

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan State basketball father Hedlun Walton

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta by chatting with Michigan State basketball father Hedlun Walton about his twin sons Brennan/Colin playing for Coach Tom Izzo and making the NCAA tourney.

You played college basketball: how good a player were you back in the day? My wife Stephanie and I both played at Alma College (D-3): she played for 1 year and I played for 3. I went to a small Catholic high school (about 100 students) but we had some pretty good teams. I was top-3 on the scoring list when I finished…but keep getting pushed down the list by these younger players! Alma College was just about 20 minutes from home for me. I played center in high school and was an undersized power forward at Alma, but was very aggressive and jumped well so that made up for a lot. I think playing college athletics was a good experience for both Stephanie and I…but nothing like what the boys are experiencing now being part of a Power-5 team under a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo. We are thrilled for them to have this experience.

Your family is from Lansing: was it an easy decision for your twin sons Brennan/Colin to choose Michigan State? It is a long story how that came about: you may have already heard it. Just the fact that Coach Izzo reached out was a huge compliment to them. It was a long process, and we knew that it would involve some sacrifices, but yes: once the offer to be preferred walk-ons was made, it was a very easy decision.

Coach Izzo has made 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments, which is the most in men’s college basketball history: what makes him such a great coach? If you listen to how he talks about his program’s success, I think one of the themes that he comes back to is that he believes he has always had great people around him, from athletic directors to assistants coaches and program managers, players, this community, and Spartan fans across the country. He is the tip of the spear, but it takes everyone pulling in the same direction. When you can maintain that at the same place for your whole career, that is when you can achieve that consistent success. Since he has been so loyal to Michigan State, we have not had to experience a new coach coming in and having to rebuild, and he has not had to rebuild somewhere else. It seems to me that consistency in success/leadership go hand in hand.

Your sons are walk-on teammates: how have they enjoyed their experience so far? We think it has been great for them. To be a part of a big-time program like this, especially with the year they are having and the way the team is achieving their success, we really could not ask for much more. They have always played baseball/basketball so sports were a big part of their life. We wondered how they would handle not having all that structured time…but now their time is even more structured than before. It has been challenging both physically/mentally for them, but I think they would say it has been well worth it. The team and the entire program have been great to them. They were always among the best athletes on their teams growing up so it is a new and humbling role to be scout-team redshirt freshmen walk-ons. However, at the same time, they obviously benefit from the status that comes from being on the Michigan State basketball team.

Who is the best athlete in the family? Well, the boys seem to be good at every sport they try. They were good at tennis (just playing for fun), they were outstanding baseball players, and obviously know basketball well. They picked up golf very quickly in the past couple of years and are way better than me already. They are good at cards/board games: anything competitive. There are some things athletically that I could hold over them, but it is kind of apples to oranges. I was a big dunker in my career, but I was playing at 185-190 pounds. They started their senior season in high school at 240 pounds so they were not getting off the ground much, but they just completely bullied opponents so our games were very different. I think it was a real advantage for each of them to not only have a brother growing up, but someone about the same size/skill level so they could challenge each other.

Both of your sons’ bios on the school website list their father as “the person I most admire”: how close is your family? As a dad, that has to be the thing you most hope for: to be honest, it choked me up when I first saw that. You hope you set a good example and teach them right, but you do not always know if you are getting through. I coached or helped a lot of their teams growing up, and they were big on going to the field or the gym for extra work, so we spent a lot of time together. This is our first year as “empty nesters”: our daughter is a sophomore at Oklahoma, so it takes some effort to stay connected now. We try to let the kids have their own experiences and figure things out for themselves, but it is also nice to have some idea what is going on. We have told a lot of people that we find out about our kids’ lives via Instagram more than anything else. Our daughter is very good about doing a video call once a week, but mostly we see the boys at games and when they need to borrow the truck for something (since they do not have a car on campus). It is probably not uncommon for this stage of their development, and they have each other to lean on, so they do not seem to need us as much.

The Spartans won 8 straight games before a 3-PT loss to Wisconsin in the Big 10 tourney semifinals: how devastating was that loss, and how have they been able to turn things around since then? It was disappointing not to win the BIG10 Tournament, but being the regular season champion takes most of that sting away. Wisconsin had a very good team and played well that day. We know how tough those games can be, so you must pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and be thankful that you have the NCAA Tournament to get ready for.

The SEC set a record this month with 14 NCAA tourney bids, but several Big 10 schools are also still alive (including Maryland/Michigan/Purdue): where do you think the Big 10 ranks among the best conferences in the country? You must tip your cap to the SEC, as they have had an amazing year for sure, but I think we can make the case that the BIG10 is right up there on a yearly basis. In contrast, you saw both the ACC/Big East dip a bit this year.

You work as a high school counselor and is also an assistant coach for your school’s boys’ freshmen basketball team: how do you like being a counselor, and how do you like being a coach? I have really enjoyed being a high school counselor. Like anything, it has its challenges/rewards. During COVID I realized how much I missed seeing the students in person. For all the tough things they go through in the world today, I think working with young people shows you the potential for our world, and I have been fortunate to be able to guide them. I coached the boys on our community travel basketball team from grades 3-8 along with a good friend of mine, and helped out some with baseball too. I picked up the freshmen team at Okemos a few years ago when that opened up, and this past year I moved down to an assistant position so I would have some flexibility to work around the MSU games. We had an absolute legend and good friend of mine who was coaching our 8th grade team who unexpectedly passed away a couple weeks into the season, so I finished that season for him and then helped with the 9th grade the rest of the way when I could. Coaching at the 9th and now 8th grade levels, we still try to get everyone a chance to play in each game. For the 9th graders we get each guy at least a couple of minutes in the first half, and then in the second half we go with whoever is playing well, which can change from game to game. I do not look at it as a “participation-trophy” approach, but rather a way to keep everyone engaged. In each game they know they will get onto the court, so I think it makes them practice better. We can do more fun stuff at practice and put guys in different positions. They are all still developing/growing so you are not sure just what you have yet. Once they hit JV, that rotation is so much tighter and the opportunities fewer.

Any predictions for this weekend in Atlanta, and how big a deal would it have been if you had faced Michigan on Sunday for a spot in the Final 4? It is a moot question at this point, but it would have been nice for our conference/state to have an MSU-Michigan Elite 8 game. I guess that will have to wait for another day.

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: HoopsHD interviews Michigan basketball father Robert Hochberg

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta by chatting with Michigan basketball father Robert Hochberg about his son Harrison playing for Coach Dusty May and making the NCAA tourney.

You played basketball at Vassar: how good a player were you back in the day? I was a pretty good player, and had some interest from mid-majors at the time to be a role player, but I made the decision to go where I could be an important part of the program. Vassar was a developing program and presented the balance of sports and academics I felt was right for me. I had a great experience there and felt that I left the program in better shape than I found it.

You have been the CEO of Numeric Computer Systems for more than 30 years: what does your company do, and how long do you plan to stick around for? We are a software developer that supplies the food & beverage industry globally in the area of their supply chain logistics, specifically DSD (Direct Store Delivery). It has been a fun job and has provided the opportunity to travel the world, meet interesting people, and help their businesses get more efficient. I think I have a few more years left in me!

Your wife Jackie is a Michigan alum and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the school’s College of Literature/Science/Arts, and your father-in-law Ira went to school in Ann Arbor: how easy a decision was it for your son Harrison to go to Ann Arbor? He always dreamed that he would go to Michigan: he grew up watching Wolverine football games on Saturday and dressed in Maize and Blue from a very young age.

He played a post-graduate year at Cushing Academy: how did that extra year help him either on or off the court? Harrison had achieved a lot at Suffield Academy both athletically/academically, but unfortunately he lost his junior year due to COVID. Doing a post-graduate year at Cushing enabled him to engage better competition and gain another year of hard work, development, and coaching to have a chance to achieve his dream of playing for Michigan. Harrison was never afraid of the work: that is his superpower! He is always the 1st 1 in/last 1 out.

The Wolverines have a new coach this year in Dusty May: what makes him such a great coach? He knows the game and has been a complete student of the game his whole life growing up in Indiana, working under Bobby Knight, working his way through the coaching ranks. I have been to a few practices, and he is a savant: he is right there in the middle of everything and sees the game so clearly and teaches it to his players in real-time.

Harrison is a sophomore: does he have a post-graduation plan yet? It is beginning to develop: though right now he is just focused on doing the best he can for the team and academically at school. He wants to get into the sports management field and is still looking to get a summer internship. I think it is fair to say he wants to stay around sports post-graduation.

He is a key member of the scout team: how has he enjoyed the experience? He loves it. He takes the challenge very seriously because he knows that he needs to help prepare the guys for their next opponent. It takes a lot of commitment/preparation to bring the gameday speed/energy to get them ready, but he embraces his role.

Last year he received the school’s Athletic Academic Achievement award: how is he able to balance his work on the court with his work in the classroom? I always felt that time-management is something that athletes learn before other students: you cannot be partying until 2AM if you will be lifting weights at 6AM! He learned that structured approach during prep school and followed it through to college: he is well-prepared and always able to keep everything balanced.

The team finished the regular season with 3 straight losses but have bounced back to win 3 games in the Big 10 tourney and their 1st 2 games in the NCAA tourney: what has changed over the past 2 weeks? A few things. They had a couple of injuries and had to adjust to a different rotation, and the Big 10 schedule just wears on every team because it is a very physical league. The games down the stretch came 1 after another and they were caught a little flat by 3 pretty good opponents: Illinois/Michigan State/Maryland. However, they had a chance to rest/regroup/practice and come back strong, which has been fun to watch.

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All-Access at the South Regional in Atlanta: Mississippi-Michigan State

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country 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 Atlanta with a recap of Mississippi-Michigan State.

I took a couple of laps around the court to see who was in the house for the big doubleheader. I saw the spirit squads for the Rebels and Spartans:

…as well as the bands for both teams:

Hawks assistant GM Kyle Korver was standing near the court talking to a security guard. He played in 4 straight NCAA tourneys at Creighton but never made it to the Sweet 16:

NCAA Selection Committee member Keith Gill was chatting with someone. He was kind enough to do an interview with me last month:

Former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio was sitting near the court. He 1st joined Nick Saban’s staff in East Lansing when Tom Izzo became head basketball coach back in 1995:

Former Michigan State star Jason Richardson went a ridiculous 10-1 during his 2 years with Izzo (including a win over Florida in the 2000 NCAA title game as a freshman), and was a few rows behind his coach to cheer on his son Jase who is currently a freshman on the team. I guess I can no longer complain about legroom at an arena!:

Former Michigan State star Steve Smith, who went 3-2 in 5 NCAA tourney games under Coach Jud Heathcote (with all 5 decided by 1-4 PTS!), was also nearby:

I looked up to the rafters to check out the retired jerseys of all the former Hawks legends…and Ted Turner:

Thanks to friends-of-Rocco Robbie Lastella/Ivetta Abramyan I got to sit right above the 100 level with some of the photographers. Let’s tip off a great night of hoops:

GAME #1: MISSISSIPPI-MICHIGAN STATE

Next week is the 6-year anniversary of the 1st time that Tom Izzo and Chris Beard met in the NCAA tourney. Beard was coach at Texas Tech when he beat the Spartans 61-51 in the Final 4 on 4/6/19:

Mississippi PG Sean Pedulla helped his team build a double-digit lead in the 1st half with a floater in the lane and a pair of 3-PT shots:

His teammate Matthew Murrell contributed a 3 of his own and got into the lane for a jumper and a layup:

Jase Richardson kept Michigan State in it with a trio of trifectas:

His teammate Coen Carr is known mostly as a dynamic dunker, but made a nice hook in the lane and knocked down a 3 to keep it a close game as the Spartans were only down 33-31 at halftime:

Pedulla stayed strong in the 2nd half with 2 more shots from behind the arc and a “dunk” that he almost missed…but the ball somehow rolled over the front of the rim. Michigan State G Jaden Akins missed several long range shots in the opening stanza but was able to get into the lane in the 2nd half for a couple of scoops and a runner that bounced around before going in:

The game went down to the wire and the Spartans won 73-70, followed by a nice postgame handshake from the 2 coaches:

I got a great shot of Jase running off the court in ecstasy!:

Instead of attending the postgame press conference I decided to try going to the Michigan State locker room for an interview…but it looks like I was not the only 1 who had that bright idea:

JR PG TRE HOLLOMAN

What is the key to winning close games in March? Defense, rebounding, and holding onto the ball.

Your teammate Jase Richardson scored 20 PTS/4-6 3PM: how was be able to play so well as a freshman? He has confidence and is a gamer who goes right at his opponent.

Mississippi G Sean Pedulla scored 20 PTS/4-6 3PM: what makes him such a great player? He can shoot it very well and has a quick 1st step, so we were just trying to throw different defenders at him.

Your team made 19-22 FTs (including 6-6 from you): what make your team so great at FTs? We practice them every day.

How big a deal would it be to face Michigan on Sunday with a spot in the Final 4 on the line? It would be a big, big deal. To beat our archrival in the Elite 8 would be very special…but Auburn is a great team.

GAME #2: MICHIGAN-AUBURN
I got some quick shots of the spirits squads for the Wolverines and Tigers:

…and their bands:

I missed most of the game while saying hi in person to some of the many parents who I interviewed this week and conducting another parent interview during halftime…but did see Carr wandering the concourse to say hi to all his family/friends/fans while still in his jersey:

The Wolverines played well for the 1st 30 minutes but then the Tigers took over down the stretch and cruised to a 78-65 victory.

That is a wrap for the Sweet 16, check back later for some Elite 8 interviews.

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