Happy Anniversary!: HoopsHD interviews former North Dakota star Dave Vonesh

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The Dakotas have featured some quality basketball talent over the past several decades. We have seen North Dakota State upset Oklahoma in the 2014 NCAA tourney and Mike Daum graduate from South Dakota State in 2019 as the 7th leading scorer in D-1 history. Another name that belongs on that list is North Dakota’s Dave Vonesh, who graduated more than 30 years ago yet remains 1 of the best scorers/rebounders in school history. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Dave about making the Elite 8 and being a great scorer. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Dave being inducted into the UND Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002 so we take this time to honor his life/legacy.

What made you choose North Dakota? I was born/raised there. I grew up in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, right on the North Dakota border, and attended Fighting Sioux games when I was younger. I thought that it would be a great fit for me. I was actually committed to go to South Dakota State after being recruited by assistant coach Brian Dutcher, who planned to drive in to meet with me. I called my high school coach the next day and said that I wanted to change my mind. Brian showed up, I told him that I wanted to go to UND instead, and he was okay with it.

You played for Coach Rich Glas: what made him such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? Rich is the all-time wins leader at the school and was always big on character. We are not perfect people and I have my flaws but I appreciated that he always held us accountable. He still emails all of us every 2-3 weeks even though he has been away from the school for 20 years: that does not happen with many coaches. He made me the man I am today and he still wishes me a happy birthday every year.

As a sophomore you broke your foot and your team went 8-20 without you: where does that rank among the worst years of your life? I tell my own kids that you need to know how to deal with adversity. I really struggled that year and had to find that drive again after getting on the “pity potty”. I think it made me a better person/player: being humbled is always good and it stokes the fire back in you. Life is not easy: looking back on it now it made me better.

In 1991 as a senior you went 29-4 and advanced to the D-2 Elite 8: how were you and the team able to turn things around after that bad season just 2 years earlier? During my junior year we went 28-7 and returned almost everybody. We had some good players who were recruited by assistant coach Greg McDermott and had plenty of scoring options/depth. There was nothing magical: even from that 20-loss team we had 6 guys who stuck around for that 29-win team. We had a lot of great pieces that just melded together. We had a tenacious PG in Rico Burkett and the school’s all-time leading scorer in Scott Guldseth. We had 4 of the best scorers in school history who all grew up within 80 miles of the school!

That year you were named 1st-team All-America/conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I never cared about setting records or getting stats: I am proudest of our team’s success. I can still go out with any of those guys and have a beer and we do not miss a beat. We created great friendships and were part of a great team: I would not have gotten anywhere without my teammates because they made me better, and Rich always kept it in perspective for us.

You graduated as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 2053 PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer, and how did it feel to have your former teammate Guldseth break your record 2 years later? You need to decide whether you want to be good or great. My dad had to install a chain-link net on our basketball hoop while I was growing up because I shot 6 hours/day and wanted to be great. Even in 7th grade I was a B-team player and then I had a growth spurt and eventually made it onto the A-team. I was never the most talented player but I knew that I could out-work you. I was not a great practice player but I could turn it on for a game.

In 2002 you were inducted into the UND Athletics Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It goes back to having great teammates and it was a great honor. I had them over to my house so I could share it with them. I love the university and it was really fun to be inducted.

You currently teach science/coach basketball at Valley Middle School in North Dakota: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I taught for 25 years and have 5 years left until I retire. I initially struggled while trying to figure out what to do after retiring as a player but I love teaching/coaching kids. It has been a very rewarding career to be in education and I am very fortunate. It has been a great ride and we will see what happens in 5 years. I want to retire down to Florida and swim with my 4 kids.

Your sister Dianne played basketball/volleyball and your nephew Matt plays baseball: who is the best athlete in the family? My sister was a phenomenal athlete and won state championships while in junior college. My parents did not know they were having twins so we were actually born 8 hours apart on different days! She would say that I was the best but there is no doubt in my mind that it was her.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? If you asked my teammates they would say that I was a fierce competitor. When it was game time I was a different guy who wanted to win.

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Happy Anniversary!: HoopsHD interviews 2-time ABA champion Darnell Hillman

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Jon Teitel

You do not get the nickname “Dr. Dunk” without having some serious hops. Darnell Hillman played basketball at San Jose State, which you would expect from a guy who stood 6’9″, but he was so athletic that he also cleared 6’11 1/2″ in the high jump. He began his pro basketball career in the ABA with Indiana, where he won back-to-back titles in 1972/1973. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Darnell about winning a pair of ABA titles as well as the 1st-ever NBA Slam Dunk contest in 1977. Today is the 50th anniversary of Darnell winning his 1st ABA title on May 20, 1972, so we take this time to honor his life/legacy.

You set a school record at San Jose State with a 6’11 1/2” high jump as a freshman on the track team in 1968, where 2 of your teammates were Juan Carlos/Tommie Smith: who was the best sprinter, and what did you think about their “Black Power” salute at the Olympics? The “fastest sprinter” title varied from week to week. I knew they wanted to express some type of message and I did not think it was that harmful, but it certainly ended their potential careers.

In your only year on the varsity you had 15.3 PPG/14.2 RPG and were named 1st-team All-WCAC: why did you spend the next 2 years in the Army instead of returning to the court? I did not decide to join the Army: I was drafted out of school because my deferment did not protect me.

You played for team USA at the 1970 FIBA World Championship in Yugoslavia: how on earth did you not win the gold medal with teammates like UCLA back-to-back NCAA champion Kenny Washington and a 17-year old kid named Bill Walton? We did not win because Americans were not viewed in a high state internationally so there were some questionable calls.

You won a pair of AAU titles with the Armed Forces All-Stars where 1 of your teammates was future Penn coach Fran Dunphy and 1 of your assistant coaches was a guy named Mike Krzyzewski: did you realize even back then that Krzyzewski would become the winningest coach in NCAA history? I do not think that anyone realized it. He originally came in as a player but told us some great stories about his coach at Army (Bobby Knight).

In the summer of 1971 you were picked 8th overall (3 spots ahead of Curtis Rowe) in the NBA draft by Golden State, but you opted to go to the ABA and play for Indiana: how did you feel when your hometown Warriors refused to even return your calls about a contract offer? The ABA had their draft 1st and I met with the Pacers. After coming back to California I heard that the NBA was having their own draft so the Pacers agreed to let me wait and see how that went. The Warriors told me they would contact me but they never did: case closed. It was the best decision that I ever made!

Take me through the magical 1972 playoffs as a rookie:
You had a 2-PT win over Denver in Game 7 of the Western Division Semifinals: and a 4-PT win on the road over Utah in Game 7 of the Western Division Finals: what is the key to winning a Game 7? You just have to execute and be prepared. 1 of our rules was that the team comes 1st, the teammates come 2nd, and you are last. We all had to be willing to make sacrifices when necessary and we cared about 1 another.

In the Finals you had a 3-PT win on the road over New York in the decisive Game 6: what did it mean to you to win the title, and what was the reaction like when you got back home? It was a big celebration: it was phenomenal to come out of the service and then win a title. After landing at the airport there were 5000+ people there to greet us on the runway and another 5000+ people back at the arena.

In the 1973 Finals (the “I-65 Series”) you had an 88-81 win on the road over Kentucky in Game 7 (setting an ABA record for fewest combined PTS in a playoff game): was it just a cold shooting night for both teams or were both defenses just playing at the top of their game? I think it was both teams playing great defense. After you play a team enough times you know exactly what to expect. We just turned it up a bit and had some great players, including our secret weapon (future Hall of Famer Gus Johnson).

Take me through the 1975 playoffs:
In Game 7 of the Western Division Finals you scored 7 PTS in an 8-PT win on the road over Denver (who went 65-19 in the regular season): how were you able to pull off what is considered 1 of the most memorable upsets in ABA playoff history? You would have to watch the film to fully understand just how strong/deep we were as a unit. We were hard to match up with: physical players, finesse players, guys who could shoot the lights out, etc. When you incorporate that and care for each other it makes you tough to stop.

In Game 2 of the Finals Billy Keller’s 3-PT shot went in but the refs said it came after the buzzer and waved it off to seal a 2-PT win for Kentucky: did you think the shot beat the buzzer? I could not tell you: it was a judgment call. You just try to avoid getting in those situations because it can go either way.

In Game 5 of the Finals playoff MVP Artis Gilmore had 28 PTS/31 REB in a 5-PT win by Kentucky to win the title: where does Gilmore rank among the best players that you have ever seen? I would put him in the top-10. When he 1st came into the league he was tall but did not become strong until later in his career. By the end of his career he was tough to compete against. Our league was full of flair and exciting play. Now they talk about a guy who gets dunked on being “posterized”: it happened to everyone back then due to big men like Darrell Dawkins/Zelmo Beaty.

Following the 1976 ABA-NBA merger you won the 1st-ever NBA Slam Dunk contest in 1977: what is the best dunk you ever performed, and is it true that you could touch the top of the backboard? I had an array of dunks but my most popular 1 was the “Rock the Cradle”. I worked at dunking and took a great deal of pride in it: not to show off, just to bring my high-jumping skills to the basketball court. Warm-up dunks would show me how much lift I had and it helped me block shots on defense.

You later became Associate Director of Camps, Clinics & Alumni Relations for the Pacers: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I am enjoying the job. In the future I just want to be a part of this franchise when we win our 3rd title and give back to this community.

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Mueller, Mueller? HoopsHD interviews former South Dakota star Josh Mueller

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The Dakotas have featured some quality basketball talent in the 21st century. North Dakota’s Jerome Beasley was an NBA draft pick in 2003, North Dakota State upset Oklahoma in the 2014 NCAA tourney, and Mike Daum graduated from South Dakota State in 2019 as the 7th leading scorer in D-1 history. Another name that belongs on that list is South Dakota’s Josh Mueller, who graduated in 2005 yet remains the school’s all-time leader in AST/STL/3PM. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Josh about his sensational senior season of high school and being a good leader.

In your final 2 years at West Central High School you went 49-1: how did it feel to go undefeated as a junior, and is your strongest memory of the 49 wins or the 1 loss? The most vivid memory from those season was the 1 loss. Lennox (the team we lost to) was a talented and athletic team. They slowed the game down and we did not do enough to enforce the tempo we wanted to play at. It was a learning experience, one we had not dealt with for almost 2 years, and motivated us to never allow that to happen again.

You set all kinds of state scoring records as a senior with 55 PTS (including 16-16 FT) in a 31-PT win over Newell in the Class A championship game after scoring 60 PTS in a semifinal win over Sioux Valley: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up that week seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Definitely not every shot: there were some misses, probably some pretty bad ones at times (I did have much of a regulator for shot selection!). However, I had a good game and my teammates did a great job of playing off of my momentum and getting me the ball.

What made you choose South Dakota for college? In the end I really liked and trusted Coach Dave Boots. I also was excited about becoming teammates with the players who were already there. South Dakota was the first school to offer me when I was pretty young. I ended up receiving a lot of offers but I felt a little loyal as they were the first school to offer me a chance to play college basketball.

You were a 3-time team captain: what is the key to being a good leader? Accountability. You cannot hold others accountable if you can not hold yourself accountable. If I am asking teammates to play hard and dive for every loose ball, then there better not be a time in a practice or game where any of my teammates questioned my own effort/desire to win.

You remain the school’s all-time leader with 801 AST/307 3PM/258 STL: how were you able to balance your passing with your shooting with your defense? In college you are playing both with/against better players. It was just about doing whatever was needed to give our team the best opportunity to leave the court with a victory.

After graduation you played in the G League as well as in Europe: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? Professional basketball was so so good in both areas. Professional ball in America was more like try to create something in transition, otherwise just get the ball to a player in a spot with great spacing and give options for that player to play off of. Europe was more a free-flowing college type of basketball.

In 2016 you were inducted into the Coyote Sports Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That was a great honor because the University and community were so good to me. I love Vermillion and USD.

You later moved to Colorado and founded the Tri-State Ambush youth basketball academy: how much of an impact did your father Kent (who coached you in high school) have on your career path, and how do you like working with him at the academy? I actually co-own Ambush basketball and Ambush Apparel (custom screen printing, embroidery, and promotional items) with my partner Garrett Callahan (former Seneca and SDSU great). As far as my father, his impact on me goes well beyond any athletic venue. At the end of the day, my mother made our family function as my father and myself spent most of my time in high school butting heads. I was young and dumb and he motivated me/played me like a fiddle to utilize my skills and competitiveness. He knew how much I loved the game and how much time I put in when no one was looking and he did an amazing job of molding those things within me.

You also do special education work as part of the Affective Needs program at the Denver Public Schools: how did you get into that field, and what do you hope to do in the future? I have always had a passion for special education so I knew that would be something I would be interested in once my playing days came to an end. In the future I just hope to provide and set a good example for my children and be a good husband to my wife.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? A great and loyal teammate and a great competitor.

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2022 NBA Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 23rd and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Houston already has Jalen Green at the 2-spot then they are probably not selecting a shooting guard with the 3rd overall pick. Please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL/YEAR OR COUNTRY/LEAGUE)
1. Orlando: Jabari Smith, PF (Auburn/FR)
2. Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren, PF/C (Gonzaga/FR)
3. Houston: Paolo Banchero, PF/C (Duke/FR)
4. Sacramento: Jaden Ivey, PG/SG (Purdue/SO)
5. Detroit: Shaedon Sharpe, SG (Kentucky/FR)
6. Indiana: Keegan Murray, PF (Iowa/SO)
7. Portland: Bennedict Mathurin, SG/SF (Arizona/SO)
8. New Orleans: AJ Griffin, SF (Duke/FR)
9. San Antonio: Johnny Davis, SG (Wisconsin/SO)
10. Washington: Ochai Agbaji, SG (Kansas/SR)
11. New York: Jalen Duren, PF/C (Memphis/FR)
12. Oklahoma City: Jeremy Sochan, PF (Baylor/FR)
13. Charlotte: Tari Eason, SF/PF (LSU/SO)
14. Cleveland: Dyson Daniels, PG/SG (G-League)
15. Charlotte: TyTy Washington, PG (Kentucky/FR)
16. Atlanta: Mark Williams, C (Duke/SO)
17. Houston: Malaki Branham, SG/SF (Ohio State/FR)
18. Chicago: Kendall Brown, SF/PF (Baylor/FR)
19. Minnesota: Blake Wesley, PG/SG (Notre Dame/FR)
20. San Antonio: Jaden Hardy, SG (G-League)
21. Denver: MarJon Beauchamp, SG (G-League)
22. Memphis: Patrick Baldwin Jr., PF (Milwaukee/FR)
23. Brooklyn: Walker Kessler, C (Auburn/SO)
24. Milwaukee: Ousmane Dieng, SF (France)
25. San Antonio: EJ Liddell, PF (Ohio State/JR)
26. Dallas: Kennedy Chandler, PG (Tennessee/FR)
27. Miami: Max Christie, SG (Michigan State/FR)
28. Golden State: Nikola Jovic, SF/PF (Serbia)
29. Memphis: Trevor Keels, SG (Duke/FR)
30. Oklahoma City: Jean Montero, PG/SG (Overtime Elite)

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In Memoriam: HoopsHD interviews Ron Kornegay about Bill Boylan

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Bill Boylan is arguably the most important figure in Monmouth basketball history, if not the entire Monmouth athletic department. As basketball coach from 1956-1977 he won 6 NAIA district titles and the 1969 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. He also spent a quarter-century as Athletic Director and 2 years as President of the Metropolitan Collegiate Basketball Association. His achievements are still remembered via the Bill Boylan Award (presented annually to the senior student-athlete who demonstrates the traits of leadership/sportsmanship/scholarship/athletic ability) and in 1981 he was part of the 1st class inducted into the Monmouth College Athletic Hall of Fame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with another Monmouth legend in Ron Kornegay (who remains the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2526 PTS) about playing for Bill, working for him as an assistant, and eventually replacing him as head coach. Today marks the 30th anniversary of Monmouth renaming its gym in honor of Bill on May 16, 1992, so we take this time to reflect on his life/legacy.

Boylan was your coach at Monmouth: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing you ever learned from him? He was just a great guy to play for: he never raised his voice and we would run through a wall for him. After 4 years of playing for him I spent 8 more years as his assistant.

In the 1966 NAIA tourney Earl Beechum scored 46 PTS in a 2-PT win by Midwestern State: how close did you come to winning that game? It was a barnburner and Earl had a great game. We played them tooth-and-nail my freshman year in a packed gym with 12,000 people.

In the 1968 NAIA tourney he had a 1-PT loss to Westminster at the buzzer: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of his career? Every time you looked up during that tourney there was another team losing at the buzzer. It was an old arena where the same people had the same seats every single year. I think it is the toughest tourney in the world because you have to win 5 games in a single week.

What are your memories of the 1969 NAIA tourney (he had a 5-PT loss to MVP Jake Ford and eventual runner-up Maryland State)? I had heard of Jake but never seen him play before. I fouled out with about 5 minutes to go.

He won 6 NAIA District 31 titles in a 10-year span from 1966-1975: how was he able to be so successful for such a long period of time? The campus was beautiful and we got a new gym in 1965 so it was easy to recruit players. The location was also great because we were only 1 mile from the beach!

In addition to head basketball coach he also served as athletic director: how was he able to balance the 2 gigs at the same time? He really started the athletic program when we were just a junior college and hired some good people to make it successful. He never played the game but just read a lot of books and went to a lot of clinics. He was 5’6”/300 pounds but became a student of the game and would adjust his system to fit the talent he had.

In 1977 you ended up replacing him as head coach: why did he decide to step down, and how much pressure was there on you to follow in his large footsteps? You always feel pressure when replacing someone that successful but he remained as athletic director. I could always go to him for advice so it was a very easy transition for me.

Boylan was awarded the Metropolitan Officials Schoenfeld Award for Sportsmanship on 6 occasions, and the Bill Boylan Award is presented annually to the Monmouth senior student-athlete who demonstrates the traits of leadership, sportsmanship, scholarship and athletic ability: how much emphasis did he place on sportsmanship? That was his primary emphasis both on and off the court. He never got upset with officials: I never recall him getting a single technical and if any of his players got out of control he would pull them out of the game and talk to them.

In 1992 the school renamed its gym for him: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? I am sure that it meant a lot to him. It was also an honor for his players to see him receive that honor.

When people look back on his career, how do you want him to be remembered the most? He will be remembered as a great coach but I think that he was a better person. He told us up front that he wanted us to graduate and would make sure we got the support necessary to make that happen.

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World Beater: HoopsHD interviews Nike Hoop Summit Team USA member Kyle Filipowski

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The conclusion of the college basketball regular season signals the 1st real opportunity to see the best high school players in the country getting some national exposure. In addition to the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, the Nike Hoop Summit made its triumphant return to the court in April after a 2-year absence due to COVID featuring the United States vs. the World. The US team won by a score of 102–80 thanks to a balanced effort including Villanova commit Cam Whitmore (19 PTS in 15 minutes) and Duke commit Kyle Filipowski (8 REB in 13 minutes). The World team featured some future American college stars as well including USC commit Vincent Iwuchukwu (9 PTS in 16 minutes) and Ohio State commit Felix Okpara (7 PTS in 14 minutes). Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kyle about winning a gold medal last summer and choosing the Blue Devils.

You were born/raised in New York and began your high school career at Fordham Prep: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Wilbraham & Monson Academy? I decided to transfer because I really needed to challenge myself more both academically/athletically. My family and I decided to look at schools up in the NEPSAC area but I was not a big name at the time. We stopped at Wilbraham on the way back and I have now been here for 3 years.

Last summer you played for Team USA at the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It is the biggest honor there is for a basketball player in this country. It is important to maintain that gold standard. I also got to showcase my skills and loved having that opportunity.

You received scholarship offers from several great schools including Connecticut/Ohio State/Syracuse: what made you choose Duke? At the end of the day it was the best all-around fit for me. When I went on my visit it just felt normal to me and all of the people were genuine. You cannot get much better in terms of player development and playing on such a big stage. Academics is a big priority in my family and I will be proud to have a Duke degree someday.

What makes incoming head coach Jon Scheyer such a great recruiter, and how much pressure is there on him to follow in Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski’s huge footsteps? He is such a likable person and connects with his players on a different level. Part of it is because he is 1 of the youngest coaches in the country and knows what it is like for our generation. He has a great vision for the players/program. There is a little bit of pressure on him (how could there not be!) but that is not how he or our team will look at it. If he lets it affect him mentally then we will not achieve as much as we are planning to. He will be very successful right off the bat.

Last February you were named to the Naismith National High School Boys Basketball All-America 1st team: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor, and how excited were you to see not 1 but 2 of your future Duke teammates join you on that list (Dereck Lively II/Dariq Whitehead)? Having the 3 of us on the 1st team shows the high expectations that are placed on us. We are not like many other incoming freshmen in that we have a lot of experience both in the US and overseas playing against great competition. It is a great privilege to see my name on that list, which reflects well on our future.

You 3 alone make up arguably the best recruiting class in the nation: how well do you know any of the other guys who will be joining you in Durham this fall (Mark Mitchell/Christian Reeves/Jaden Schutt)? We all know each other very well and have been in contact consistently to build that chemistry.

As a member of Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit last month you had a team-high 8 REB in a 102-80 win over the World team: what did you think of the future Duke players on the World team (MacKenzie Mgbako/Tyrese Proctor)? They have a lot of talent for sure and will never be satisfied with where they are at. You have to stay focused and keep getting better every day, but they have the potential to become really great players.

The following week at the Jordan Brand Classic you had 8 PTS/8 REB for Team Flight in a 9-PT loss to Team Air: which of the other players impressed you the most (Chris Livingston/Nick Smith/other)? I would say Ty Rodgers: his energy/attitude during the entire game was great. He had a lot of 2nd-chance opportunities and showed his great leadership.

You are listed at 6’11”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I cannot pick a single position because I am a position-less-type player who will play wherever the coach wants me to. I can play the 3/4/5 and consider myself to be a versatile player.

Your mother Rebecca was a 1982 Parade Magazine All-American, your father David played at Slippery Rock, your aunt Beverly played at Dartmouth, your uncle Randall played at Boston College, and 1 of your current prep school teammates is your twin brother Matt (who will be playing at Harvard): how big is basketball in your family, and who is the best player? Growing up it was never really forced upon us: it just came naturally. We are a competitive family, even if it is rec league soccer or wiffle ball in the backyard. You could say that basketball is a religion in our family: it is always crazy during March Madness when we root against one another. I think that my mom has earned the right to that accolade…but I am planning on taking the throne very soon!

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