Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new Xavier coach Sean Miller

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

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We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with new Xavier coach Sean Miller, who talked about being back in the Big East and his expectations for this season.

You showed off your ball-handling skills in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh at age 11 and on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at age 14: how did you enjoy your time in front of the camera? That was a long time ago! I grew up in a gym as the son of a high school coach and there were only 10-foot baskets to shoot on. I learned how to dribble and had a great teacher.

You played basketball at Pitt where you averaged a career 41.6 3P%/88.5 FT%: what is the secret to being a great shooter? Repetition: to be great at anything you need a great teacher and have to spend a ton of time on it. There is no way of getting around it: you have to invest a lot of hours over the years. My dad was an excellent teacher of fundamentals.

In 1991 you won a gold medal with team USA at the World University Games: could you have ever imagined that more than 3 decades later you and your teammates Hubert Davis/Bobby Hurley would all be head coaches at big-time programs? I think back to that team every once in a while because it was so talented. As a young person who wanted to be a coach I was lucky to have an amazing staff including Pete Gillen/Roy Williams/PJ Carlesimo. We were together for 3 weeks of games in Europe and a month of tryouts/practices at Seton Hall. Winning a gold medal is something you never forget.

You previously coached at Xavier from 2004-2009 when you won 3 straight A-10 regular season titles: what is your favorite memory from the 1st time you coached in Cincinnati, and how does it feel to be back in the Big East for the 1st time since you were a 2nd-team All-Big East player as a senior in college? I loved all of my prior years at Xavier because the school believed in me and gave me my initial opportunity to be a head coach. Being a part of 2 Elite 8s with the winner getting to go to the Final 4 was special. We lost to Duke in Atlanta with JJ Redick when I was an assistant in 2004 but we had a great chance to win. As a head coach my team took on all of the great characteristics of a great team but we ran into an unreal UCLA team in 2008 with guys like Russell Westbrook/Kevin Love. It laid the foundation for a lot of things that we were doing. The Big East is 1 of the best leagues in the country and the only 1 that is basketball-centric. Whether you are a player/coach you think about the Big East tourney at MSG: it is magical and I am super-excited to be back here and competing in the Big East.

You won more than 300 games as head coach at Arizona and made the Sweet 16 5 times from 2011-2017: are we going to see the Wildcats on your schedule anytime soon? We will see: if we play them in the future I hope that it would be as part of the NCAA tourney. All 3 of my sons went to UofA and after 12 years in Tucson I got to know a lot of great people at a deep level.

You were hired last March for your 2nd tour of duty at Xavier: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? It was an opportunity that I could not refuse. They believed in me the 1st time when maybe not a lot of other people did: I had no head coaching experience and I did not take it lightly. I went from not coaching to having this place believe in me again that I could return to do great things. I believe in the mission here: we have the #1 graduation rate in the history of college basketball and thanks to student-athletes who compete in the classroom and on the court.

You have 19 NCAA tourney wins on your resume and your current squad had a 1-PT win over Texas A&M in the NIT title game last March: what kind of advantage (if any) does all of that prior postseason success give your team this year? All of us relish experience whether as a coach/player. There is equal value in winning/losing: a moment of failure can teach you a lot. The 1 thing we do not have is a lot of players who have been in past NCAA tourneys: I think Jack Nunge might be the only guy in that category. Beating teams like Vandy/Florida/Texas A&M in the postseason and ending your season on a win is not easy to do, so the goal now becomes getting into March Madness. At 1 point from 2001-2018 this program made 16 NCAA tourneys in 18 years, which is pretty rare, so we are eager/hungry to get back there. We have a lot of good returning parts so hopefully our staff can help put them over the top.

1 of your biggest off-season additions was Souley Boum, who has 122 games under his belt from his time at San Francisco/UTEP: what kind of role do you expect him to play? We lost a lot of firepower in our backcourt with guards like Dwon Odom/Paul Scruggs/Nate Johnson. We have 2 incoming freshmen who will be important to our future but Souley gives us experience and much-needed firepower. He can shoot the ball and is also 1 of our best ballhandlers.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Indiana/West Virginia/Cincinnati as well as a trio of top-notch opponents in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament: will 1 of these games in particular present your biggest test? No, but in March none of the experts will be able to say that we did not challenge ourselves. This is also the 1st year ever that we are playing 20 Big East games (note: the Musketeers only played 19 conference games last year due to the cancellation of a game vs. Georgetown that was never rescheduled), so when you add in our non-conference schedule and the Big East tourney I think we will have 1 of the toughest schedules in the nation and give ourselves many opportunities for both quality wins/losses. 1 thing that I hope happens is that the non-conference schedule toughens us up for Big East play so that we can hit our stride heading into March.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The expectation is to be a postseason team and get back into the NCAA tourney. I do not say that lightly: I have been a head coach for 17 years so I know that it is a marathon rather than a sprint. We have an experienced team with prior March success so I hope we have enough depth/size/experience to get there.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Florida State G Jalen Warley

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Florida State G Jalen Warley, who talked about his team’s trip to Canada last month and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Pennsylvania and named after Jalen Rose: what made you choose Florida State, and have you ever met your namesake? I have not met Jalen but I chose FSU due to the family environment and the coaching staff.

You play for Coach Leonard Hamilton: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? His ability to communicate with his players and explain his wisdom: it helps us see our mistakes before we make them.

You played in 31 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was able to bring energy and an additional defensive presence every single game.

You have a 6’9” wingspan: how much of an advantage does your length give you on the court? It helps me make a lot of plays for myself and my teammates, especially on the defensive end to create transition opportunities.

Your team played 3 exhibition games in Canada last month: what was the best part of the trip? The best part was seeing our team come together and develop chemistry both on and off the court.

Your high school teammate Dereck Lively was the top-ranked player in the Class of 2022: how excited are you to face him in ACC play when you face his Duke team this season? I will be very excited to match up against him.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Florida/Purdue/St. John’s (and possibly Ole Miss/Memphis): which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I am just looking forward to having a tough non-conference schedule.

Your father Jason/uncle Carlin played basketball at St. Joe’s, your grandfather Ben was an ABA All-Star in 1968, and your cousin Courtney played basketball at Manhattan: who is the best athlete in the family? I would probably say my cousin, even though she might not get the most credit.

Some NBA mock drafts have you projected as a 1st round pick in 2023: I know you are focused on the season ahead but what would it mean to you to make it to the NBA? It would be a lifelong dream come true.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goal for our team is to win the ACC and make a run to the Final 4.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Richmond F Matt Grace

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Richmond F Matt Grace, who talked about making the NCAA tourney last March and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Canada: how did you 1st get into basketball, and what made you choose Richmond? I got into basketball through my dad, who was a great player back in the day and was also my coach. I played hockey as well…until I got too tall! Richmond recruited me pretty hard during my final year of high school. It is a great academic school and fits my style of play.

You play for Coach Chris Mooney: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? Just his knowledge of the game. He played at Princeton and our Princeton offense has evolved into what it is today. He has been here for 18 years, which is pretty incredible considering all of the turnover in the profession.

In the 2022 A-10 tourney title game your only 3 PTS of the game happened to be the title-clinching 3-PT play with 19 seconds left to beat Davidson: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I think it is definitely at the top of the list. It was incredible to win a conference championship and make the NCAA tourney.

In the 2022 NCAA tourney you blocked Kris Murray’s 3-PT attempt with 1 minute left that would have tied the game in a 4-PT win over Iowa: I know it is too late to change anything…but did you foul him? No comment!

You are majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Marketing: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It takes a lot of time management skills that I have picked up over the years. I graduated with that degree and this year I have an internship as an investment analyst during the day while taking data analytics classes at night.

You graduated 3 senior starters last spring (Grant Golden/Jacob Gilyard/Nathan Cayo): how will you try to replace all of that offense/leadership? It was tough to lose all of those great players but we have some exciting guys coming in this year, including several transfer players and young guys who finally have a chance to step up. I am excited by all of our newcomers.

1 of those newcomers is Jason Roche, who transferred from the Citadel after being named SoCon ROY last spring: do you expect him to come in and contribute right from the start? I think so: his shooting ability is insane, including some shots that he has made over me. He will definitely help us out.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Syracuse/Clemson and perhaps St. John’s: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? That Syracuse game in Brooklyn will be good because it is a historic program with a great coach in Jim Boeheim. We have had problems in the past going against zone defenses so we will have to prepare for their 2-3 zone.

Your father Kelly played college basketball and your brother Mike plays college lacrosse: who is the best athlete in the family? My brother is a really good lacrosse player and is on the Canadian national team: maybe it is a tie between him and I?

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The goal is to repeat: it will be tough with all of the new guys but I am confident that we are capable of doing that. Once the young guys learn our style then they will be ready to play: we want to make it back to the NCAA tourney.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews St. Mary’s C Mitchell Saxen

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with St. Mary’s C Mitchell Saxen, who talked about beating Gonzaga and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Seattle: what made you choose St. Mary’s? I was actually born in Berkeley but grew up in Seattle. I chose St. Mary’s because of its culture of hard work and the chance for me to develop as a big man.

You play for Coach Randy Bennett: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He really understands the process of how players improve. He is really patient but expects nothing but the best out of us.

In 2021 you played in all 24 games and were named to the All-WCC Freshman Team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? 1 thing they preach here is knowing your job and then doing it at a high level. The coaches let us know what we need to do to get onto the court so I worked on my rebounding/defending.

You missed the 1st 5 games of last season due to a back injury: how is your health doing at the moment? It is great right now so I am looking forward to this season.

Last February you had 1 of your best all-around games in a win over top-ranked Gonzaga with 7 PTS/4 REB/3 BLK: how do you explain the rivalry with the Bulldogs to someone who has never seen it in person? It gets overshadowed a bit because Gonzaga is a great program but we expect to compete at a high level. It is amazing how many fans show up: that game is always circled on the calendar.

In the 2022 NCAA tourney you had a win over Indiana and then a loss to UCLA: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this year? It is a really long season and you need to peak at the end of it. You cannot be content with winning in February: teams who start off great usually finish great but you cannot take your foot off the gas.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Vandy/Houston/San Diego State and maybe Washington: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Houston jumps out to me based on preseason projections…but I personally hope we play Washington since I grew up there!

You lost several senior stars from last year in Dan Fotu/Tommy Kuhse/Matthias Tass: how will you try to replace all of that offense/experience? During our Australia trip last summer I realized how much talent we have. It is fun to watch guys grow into their roles even though there is a lot of production to replace.

1 of your fellow returners is Augustas Marciulionis, who was regarded as 1 of the top international prospects in D-1 last year but only scored 3.1 PPG: I know he is a great FT shooter but can you tell if he is ready to make a huge leap in his all-around game this year? You can see it happen day by day. This summer he played with the Lithuanian national team and when he joined us you could tell that he was ready to take on a leadership role.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? As a team we always want to win the regular season title/conference tourney and try to go undefeated at home. Personally I want to be consistent/available for my team every night so I am working on my motor.

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The Hoops HD Report: Joe Lunardi From His Car!!

Posted on September 8, 2022 by David Griggs

We are making college hoops history tonight!!  ESPN College Basketball Analyst and Bracketologist Joe Lunardi joins us today from his car!  So far as I know, he has never appeared on a video podcast while driving and talking to a puppet!!  How exciting!!  We discuss how he became interested in college basketball, how the NCAA Tournament has evolved over the years, and how current issues such as conference expansion and realignment are impacting the game.  All that and more on this special edition of the Hoops HD Report.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show….but don’t listen to this one because you can’t see him driving!!

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Virginia Tech associate head coach Mike Jones

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season this fall, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Virginia Tech associate head coach Mike Jones, who talked about winning the ACC tourney last March and his expectations for this season.

You played basketball at Old Dominion and were #2 in the CAA in 1995 with 1.8 SPG: what is the secret to playing good defense? Having a good game plan and doing your preparation/film work to know your opponent’s tendencies. A lot of my success was based on anticipation such as stealing a pass.

In the 1995 NCAA tourney you scored 19 PTS in 51 minutes in an 8-PT 3-OT win over Villanova: how exhausted were you by the end of the game? I was exhausted. When we got back to the hotel they gave us Domino’s pizza…and when I woke up the next morning there was only 1 slice left! It was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

After playing professionally in the CBA/overseas you spent almost 2 decades as head coach at DeMatha Catholic High School, where you won a national title in 2006: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is up there: that 2006 team is actually getting inducted into the DeMatha Hall of Fame next month. It was 1 of the best teams that I have ever coached: I am hesitant to say they were the best…but we were 34-1 and won a national title. I played on an undefeated team myself at DeMatha in 1991 so I can use that as trash talk! There are so many teams that claim they are the best but it is nice to have a valid argument: DeMatha has several of them.

You coached several high school players who ended up in the NBA including Victor Oladipo/Jerami Grant/Markelle Fultz: can you look at a teenager and tell if he is good enough to make it to the highest level? Jerami had an NBA-type body even at age 12 and loved to be in the gym so as long as we did not screw it up we knew that he would make it. Markelle was only 5’9” as a freshman and Victor played on the freshman team and did not even start every game so they both had to work hard. 1 thing that gives me an advantage is that I am used to seeing the growth of a player from age 13-17. Now as a college coach I can look at a young guy and realize his potential, which gives me an advantage.

In the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Brazil you were coach of team USA: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and how do you think that your former player Jabari Smith is going to do with the Rockets this year? Representing our country is 1 of the biggest honors that I have ever received. I have been a part of USA Basketball since 2010 so being the coach after Don Showalter (8-time gold medalist), just like coaching at DeMatha after Morgan Wootten (Hall of Famer), is something that I took great pride in. Winning a gold medal was unbelievable and hearing the Star-Spangled Banner play with your hand over your heart was a memorable experience. Jabari will be just fine: he is nowhere near his potential but you can tell how hard he is going to work. It will not happen overnight but in 5 years I think that he will be 1 of the best players in the NBA.

Last year you became an assistant to Coach Mike Young at Virginia Tech: why did you take the job, and what was the hardest part of year #1? I took the job because of Mike. Don/Morgan are 2 of the best basketball minds I have ever been around and I got to see them grow their programs from A-Z. I wanted to work for someone like that who I could learn from and Mike checked every single boss…twice! I get a crash course in how a college program should be run and it is awesome. Winning an ACC title showed that it was the right decision. The biggest “challenge” was not being where the buck stopped. I did not struggle with it: it was just something that I was not used to. I just tried to soak up as much as I possibly could, which almost became a distraction, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Take me through the 2022 postseason:
You started the season 10-10, then won 9 of your final 11 regular season games, followed by 4 wins in 4 days to win the ACC tourney: how on earth were you able to beat a pair of Final 4 teams back-to-back (UNC in the semifinal/Duke in the final)?! Mike Young! We went through some hiccups/speed bumps during the regular season but none of us ever wavered from what works because Mike kept telling us that we were THIS close. Most other teams would have splintered or pointed fingers but not 1 person in our locker room did that, which validated my thoughts about Mike. We stuck together and knew that we were capable of winning and he gave us the confidence to believe that we could.

In the NCAA tourney you had an 8-PT loss to Texas: what did your team learn from that game that you think will help them this year? The biggest lesson is that there was a target on our back so we had Texas’ undivided attention. When you get punched in the mouth you need to be ready to punch back. We are all hungry to do it again so there will be no relaxation: we will keep grinding. We have a really good team and need to be ready for everyone’s best shot.

Last year your team was #3 in the nation with 39.2 3P%: how crucial is the 3-PT shot to your team’s offensive philosophy? Our motto is, “If they cannot shoot, do not recruit.” We put a premium on floor-spacing and give our guys a lot of room to operate. We want guys who can make open shots and also take advantage of open space. If you want to play for Mike then you have to be able to shoot the ball and make great decisions.

1 of your senior leaders this year will be Justyn Mutts, the 2022 ACC Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year who already has his 2nd masters’ degree: what is it like to coach a player who seems to be as amazing on the court as he is in the classroom? He is a true Hokie and represents the university/the community/our team. I almost do not want a recruit to take a campus visit here unless they get a chance to talk to him. If you sit down with him you do not want him to stop talking. Nothing about him is fake: he will tell you what the truth is and if ever decides to become a coach he will be tremendous because his players will trust him and want to play for him. That is the kind of coach I want to be.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I come from a background of goals such as winning gold medals/championships so it is hard for me to give any other answer. I know the ACC is the ACC and it is not easy to win, but if we do not go into it with the goal of playing the best that we can every single night then I am not sure we should be doing it. We will put a team out there that wants to win and will stay out of trouble and make a whole lot of baskets. It is a long season but we are built for it.

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