Man of the World: HoopsHD interviews Nike Hoop Summit World Team member Felix Okpara

Posted on April 18, 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 on March 29th, the Nike Hoop Summit made its triumphant return to the court on April 8th 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 5 players scoring in double-digits including Villanova commit Cam Whitmore (19 PTS in 15 minutes) and Duke commit Dariq Whitehead (17 PTS in 20 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 Felix about choosing the Buckeyes and almost winning a national championship.

You were born in Nigeria and had only played basketball for a few months before moving to the US for high school: how did you end up in Chattanooga, TN, and how have your skills progressed so quickly in just a few short years? I was given a scholarship for training to go to a Christian school in the US and ended up at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. I worked on my skills during the summer with coaches who taught me the right way to play basketball.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Link Academy? My former coach got a new job as a coach in Florida so I played for the new coach for 1 year before deciding to transfer. I had a good relationship with the coach at Link Academy (Rodney Perry) after playing for him on my AAU team (MoKan Elite).

You received scholarship offers from several schools including Florida/Oklahoma/Tennessee but signed with Ohio State last summer: what made you choose the Buckeyes? I just loved the culture/coaching staff/family vibe. I also like Coach Chris Holtmann’s player development skills, as he has helped turn guys like EJ Liddell into a possible 1st round pick.

You are part of a great recruiting class including Bruce Thornton/Roddy Gayle/Bowen Hardman/Brice Sensabaugh: how well do you know any of those other guys? I have played AAU ball with Bruce a lot, and played against Roddy and his Wasatch Academy team during the high school season. I met Bowen at a camp 1 time but have not really played against him or Brice so I guess I am closest to Bruce.

At the Geico Nationals a few weeks ago you made the championship game before losing to Montverde Academy: how close did you come to winning it all? We were really close but just needed a spark at the end and did not really have it. We needed some of our key guys to chip in but it just did not work out. However, we are still really proud that we made it to the finals because we had a lot of doubters along the way.

1 of your AAU/high school teammates is Tarris Reed Jr.: how close are you 2, and how will it feel to face him in the Big 10 next year when he is at Michigan? We are actually roommates and know everything about each other from our strengths to our weaknesses. We know what makes us great during games and we grew as close as brothers this last year: it will be fun to face him next year.

You were part of the World Team at the Nike Hoops Summit earlier this month: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I am truly blessed and appreciate them for selecting me to the team. I learned a lot and loved playing with the guys/coaching staff. I enjoyed every moment I spent in Portland and loved the chance to help put Nigeria on the basketball map.

Your high school teammate Omaha Biliew was also on the World Team: what makes him such a great player? His motor and passion for the game. He is always there to push you on and always has my back, as I do for him. It was really fun to play together because we have such a good connection: he is different from any other prospect in his class.

Which member of the US team impressed you the most: Kel’el Ware/Dariq Whitehead/Cam Whitmore/other? The 2 guys who really impressed me were Cam/Kel’el. I did not realize how good a shooter Kel’el is.

You are listed at 6’11”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? At the Hoop Summit I was measured at 6’11.5”. I play the center position now and plan to do the same in Columbus.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Man of the World: HoopsHD interviews Nike Hoop Summit World Team member Felix Okpara

In Memoriam: HoopsHD interviews Kim Skinner about his father Roy

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

It has been a rough few years for Vanderbilt basketball but it looks like Coach Jerry Stackhouse finally has things going in the right direction as the team won 19 games this year for the 1st time since 2017. 1 of the best coaches in school history was Roy Skinner, whose stats remain solid almost 50 years after he retired: a record of 278-135, 2 SEC regular season titles, and a trip to the 1965 Elite 8 before a 2-PT loss to eventual national runner-up Michigan. Roy passed away in 2010 but HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kim Skinner about his father Roy’s life/legacy. Today would have been Roy’s 92nd birthday so let us reflect on the man who brought in the SEC’s 1st African-American varsity basketball player in 1966.

Your father played basketball at Presbyterian: how good a player was he back in the day, and how did he get into coaching? I do not know how good he was but he played for Coach Norm Sloan, who had a big influence on him.

After working as an assistant to Coach Bob Polk at Vanderbilt for a couple of years he took over as head coach in 1960 and only had 1 losing season during his entire career: what made him so successful for such a long stretch of time? He recruited small-town boys from the country and got a lot of Kentucky boys who the Wildcats did not want. Vanderbilt had a lot to offer in terms of both academics and good character.

In the 1965 NCAA tourney Clyde Lee had 28 PTS/20 REB in a 2-PT loss to Michigan: do you think the refs were correct when they called John Miller for traveling as he drove to the basket in the final minute? To this day it is still a controversial call at Vanderbilt. It was just 1 of those calls where he tried to drive through 2 big players from the Wolverines. Nobody knew who Vanderbilt was at the time.

In 1966 he brought in the SEC’s 1st African-American varsity basketball player (Perry Wallace): how big a deal was it at the time, and what was the reaction like? There was not much reaction around town because he was accepted by everyone. I went on a road trip once and heard a lot of derogatory/nasty comments toward Perry. He was a great leaper so when they outlawed the dunk it really took a toll on him. His entire high school team was Black and they just dominated their conference. He was an excellent student and a member of the band.

In the 1974 NCAA tourney Adrian Dantley had 29 PTS/12-16 FG/10 REB in a 30-PT win by Notre Dame: could you tell at the time that Dantley was going to become a star? Dantley already was a star by then: he was almost as dominant as Pete Maravich.

He was a 4-time SEC COY: what did it mean to him to win such outstanding honors? Not much: he just took it in stride. There was a lot of pressure on him so he just took the award and put it in the closet, so to speak. It might have meant more to him than he showed but he just had to move on.

He won more than 80% of his home games: how much of an advantage did he get from “Memorial Magic”? I think it was something that just grew and helped the whole team. The arena only started out with seating for 5,000 but ended up with more than 15,000 seats. I think it gave them a boost in the arm: kind of like a “6th Man” who lifted the team.

He retired in 1976 and started working in the insurance business: why did he get out of coaching, and how did he like the new gig? Coaching was starting to change at that time with big dollars and a lot of media coverage, which seemed to put more pressure on teams to join the rat race. I think it was just putting too much stress on him with too many demands. He never got paid the big dollars that there are today and there were too many expectations. He loved insurance and got to help the Nashville Sounds baseball team, which he enjoyed a lot.

In 2009 he was inducted into the Vanderbilt Sports Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of his career? It was 1 of the best speeches I ever heard him give. He was kind to Vanderbilt and very grateful.

He passed away in 2010: when people look back on his career, how do you think he should be remembered the most? He brought Vanderbilt basketball to the forefront and made it a household name. It was the only game in town back then and was the talk of the town. That generation is getting older so the memories might pass but he really put the program on the map.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on In Memoriam: HoopsHD interviews Kim Skinner about his father Roy

Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Rhonda Lundin Bennett about Ramon Sessions

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Jon Teitel

As the NBA regular season comes to a close, 1 person who knows plenty about postseason basketball is Ramon Sessions. At Myrtle Beach High School he led his team to the 3A State Championship as a sophomore. As a player at Nevada he made the NCAA tourney 3 straight years from 2005-2007. After making the NBA (where he spent more than a decade), he won his 1st-ever playoff series with the Lakers in 2012 and swept the Raptors in the 1st round as a member of the Wizards in 2015. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Nevada senior associate AD/senior woman administrator Rhonda Lundin Bennett about Ramon’s life/legacy. Today is Ramon’s 36th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

Ramon grew up in South Carolina: what made him choose Nevada? I think that he was recruited late. Coach Mark Fox got to know him and offered him: he really connected with our staff and took a chance on us.

He set a school freshman record with 166 AST and was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? He has an amazing court vision/basketball IQ in addition to being talented. He has true PG skills that not a lot of other players have.

A lot of his stats went down during his sophomore year and then went back up during his junior year: what happened? He missed a couple of early games due to a hip injury, which might have contributed to it. We had a fantastic team during his sophomore year so we had a lot of other people doing great things.

In the 2006 WAC tourney title game he had 9 AST in a 7-PT OT win over Utah State: what did it mean to him to win a title? It was a very special night here in Reno. We had a fantastic crowd and it was a special night for everyone in our program.

In the 2007 NCAA tourney he scored 16 PTS in a 6-PT OT win over Creighton: how were they able to pull out the win after Nick Fazekas fouled out with 3 minutes left? That was an amazing game! I think it was the only 1st round game between 2 ranked opponents. After Nick fouled out Ramon and his other teammates knew that they had to step up. We had a lot of depth back then like Marcelus Kemp/Kyle Shiloh if any of the stars fouled out.

He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 NBA draft by Milwaukee (8 spots behind Marc Gasol): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was probably both: his goal was always to get the opportunity to play at the next level. Not many guys get drafted but he had worked so hard his entire life. He is a very humble man who really appreciates everything that basketball has afforded him.

In April of 2008 as a rookie he scored 20 PTS and had a franchise record 24 AST against Chicago (the 3rd-highest single-game total by a rookie in NBA history): what made him such a great PG? It was his court vision. He does not say a lot but you can tell that he is taking everything again. He had great insight into the game and is an incredibly hard worker who excelled to get better every day.

In April of 2009 he had a triple-double with 16 PTS/10 REB/16 AST against the Lakers: how was he able to balance all of the different aspects of his offensive game? He is a playmaker and just loves basketball. He worked so hard on every aspect of his game because that is who he is.

He led the NBA in games played during 3 different seasons: what was the key to his ability to stay healthy and stick around for more than a decade? I am unsure but seeing the way he approached everything in college leads me to believe he just continued to do that at the next level.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As someone who was willing to do anything he could to help us be successful. He donated $1 million to our program a few years ago and we named our practice facility after him. He developed such a connection to the Reno community that he returns here every summer to run a basketball clinic.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Rhonda Lundin Bennett about Ramon Sessions

Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Jeff Neubauer about Mike Rose

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Mike Rose is an excellent example of a player who kept improving during each of his 4 years in college. As a freshman at Eastern Kentucky he only scored 6.2 PPG in 20.4 minutes/game, but as a sophomore he started all 33 games and was named OVC Tournament MVP. As a junior he was top-5 in the conference with 15.3 PPG/81.5 FT%/1.8 SPG, and as a senior he scored 20 PPG while being named 1st-team NABC Division I All-District 19. After graduating he played professionally in Europe, Australia, and Canada. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mike’s college coach Jeff Neubauer about recruiting/coaching 1 of the best players in school history. Today is Mike’s 35th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

Why did Mike decide to go to Eastern Kentucky? I was an assistant coach at West Virginia when I 1st evaluated Mike at an early-morning open gym: I thought that he was very impressive. I became head coach at EKU the following April and when someone mentioned that Mike was still available I said we absolutely wanted him to come here. He spent the 1st year adjusting defensively but was phenomenal after that.

He was a 3-time All-OVC performer: did you feel like he was 1 of the best players in the conference during his time playing for you? He certainly was. He led us in scoring as a sophomore and became incredibly efficient.

He scored a team-high 19 PTS in a 1-PT win over Austin Peay in the 2007 OVC tourney final after Josh Taylor made a lay-up with 3 seconds to play: what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards? That was my 2nd year here: we had a group that really defended well and had great leadership.

He was named MVP of the OVC tourney: how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most? He played in that conference tourney exactly like he played in the regular season. When he had an open shot he made it and also became a great rebounder.

What are your memories of the 2007 NCAA tourney (he scored 13 PTS in a loss to #1-seed UNC, who was led by Tyler Hansbrough with 21 PTS/10 REB)? We got off to a really bad start: UNC was the fastest team I saw in the nation that year. We had a nice stretch with our 1-3-1 defense and cut the deficit to 4 PTS early in the 2nd half but it was not enough.

In 2008 he scored a career-high 33 PTS in a win over Covenant: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? I do not recall that specific game but he consistently made shots. I do remember 1 game where 1 of his teammates said that he might end up with 50!

In January of 2009 he made game-winning 3-PT shots in back-to-back games vs. Southeast Missouri/Chicago State: what is the key to being a “clutch” shooter? That was part of a 3-game road trip where we won all 3 games. Mike grew up in Missouri and went to high school in Chicago so to have so much success on his “home turf” was just the perfect script.

He finished the 2009 season as the top 3-PT shooter in the country (48.1 3P%): how big a weapon was the 3-PT shot in your offensive attack, and what is the key to 3-PT shooting? He made over 3 threes/game including several big shots for us throughout his career. I spent a decade at EKU and we were 1 of the most lethal 3-PT shooting teams every year.

After graduating he played 1 game in Turkey, then a few months in Australia, and later signed to play in New Zealand: what is the biggest difference between pro basketball and college basketball? I have found that guys who can really score do well professionally.

When people look back on his career, how do you think he should be remembered the most? As a champion. Mike was our leading scorer in 2007 and won a lot of games for us. He worked out for a couple of NBA teams before heading overseas but what he did here was win.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Jeff Neubauer about Mike Rose

The Hoops HD Report Season Finale: Final Four and Championship Review

Posted on April 5, 2022 by David Griggs

Tonight Chad and the panel look back at a thrilling National Championship game where Kansas came from behind to beat North Carolina, as well as both Final Four games that each team won with Kansas blowing by Villanova, and North Carolina winning an all time classic against their bitter rivals in Duke.  After that each panel looks back at both the Tournament and the season and discusses some of the highlights from what was an incredible year.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

Posted in Hoops HD Report, Podcasts, Videocasts | Comments Off on The Hoops HD Report Season Finale: Final Four and Championship Review

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Duke band member Grace Dessert

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last night Duke lost to North Carolina 81-77 in the Final 4, which was the final game of Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s incomparable career. And what a game it was for these 2 Tobacco Road foes in their 1st-ever meeting in the NCAA Tournament: 18 lead changes, 12 ties, and neither team led by more than 7 PTS all evening. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Duke band member Grace Dessert about having a front-row seat for 1 of the most memorable games in the history of this remarkable rivalry.

You are from San Diego, CA: what made you choose Duke? When I was applying to colleges I was hoping to find a place with awesome academics as well as school spirit. I was excited to leave home and go somewhere where I could be around driven students who care about learning and where people loved being a part of their school. I always knew that I would join the marching band in college so I also looked for schools where I could do that. Duke really was the perfect choice.

You are majoring in Neural Engineering through the Pratt IDEAS program (a make-your-own-major program): how did you pick that subject? I was planning to major in neuroscience and music as a freshman on the pre-med track. However, during freshman year I realized I thought very differently from all the other neuroscience majors, but I really connected with my friends in engineering and got excited about the same things they got excited about. So, I dropped the pre-med track and switched to the engineering school. I was still very interested in neuroscience though, and was behind in credits for the Biomedical Engineering major, so I decided to combine them by making my own major. I have always loved learning about the brain and am very math/science-oriented, so this major is a way for me to approach neuroscience from a very technical perspective.

Last year you were named a National Goldwater Scholar: how do you balance your work in the band with your work in the classroom? It is tough at Duke to balance classes and research with any extracurriculars, but because I love band so much it makes the job much easier. The Duke Band also is a smaller time commitment than a lot of comparable marching bands because we work hard to be as efficient as possible. Everyone at Duke is very focused on academics so to have a successful band we need to fit the Duke student lifestyle.

You are the flute section leader in the Duke University Marching and Pep Band: how did you 1st get into music, and what is the best part? I started playing the flute in second grade because I went to an elementary school that really prioritized music. I spent the rest of elementary/middle/high school playing classical/jazz flute in various competitive groups and orchestras. In high school I joined the marching band in my first year and later became section leader/drum major. I had so much fun building that band up and just loved the community and energy so much that I knew I wanted to continue being in a band. I always loved music, but most of all for the people you get to play with and communities you get to be a part of, so in college I ultimately dropped my other musical interests to commit fully to marching and pep band.

You are also VP of the band: what kind of responsibilities do you have in such a role? As vice president I do not have a ton of official duties, but I fill in with whatever leadership work needs to be done. I help the president/director organize pep band travel, I run three of our band’s intramural sports teams, and help organize the section wars competitions throughout the year (where different sections compete in a variety of challenges from fitness to costume contests to meme making competitions). I also help run interviews for the next round of leadership and with various administrative tasks to keep the band going.

You are planning to take a gap year and then go to graduate school to get a PhD in Biomedical Engineering: what is the post-PhD plan? I hope to become a professor and lead a research lab at a university.

You were in New York City for the ACC tourney and have been traveling with the basketball team for the entire NCAA tourney: what has it been like to join Coach K on this journey? There has been a lot of stress and a lot of joy. My goodness we have had so much fun! It is very sad knowing that any loss would be our last game of the season…and the last game for Coach K…and the end of my band experience. Last night was our last game, but more than anything I feel so incredibly grateful to have been along for this journey. I love band with all of my heart and I love our team and our school with all of my heart. What a special time we have had together.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the postseason? We have a complex point system for band travel that rewards leadership, seniority, and attendance. Based on this point system and the instrumentation we need for the travel bands, we award bids to band members to travel. I have been lucky enough to have a “perfect bid”, meaning that I have gotten to go to every round of the NCAA and ACC tournaments with the men’s team. It has been incredible and I know that I will never forget this past month.

Last Saturday the Blue Devils had a 9-PT win over Arkansas in the Elite 8: what was the reaction like when you got back to campus, and can you explain the UNC-Duke rivalry to people who have only watched it on TV? We flew back to campus the night of the Arkansas game and arrived a bit before the team. We managed to catch the team coming back and got to welcome them home. Everyone was so incredibly elated: I have never seen such energy and love for our team. The Duke-UNC rivalry is the biggest rivalry in basketball. From day one as a Blue Devil you know who to love and who to love to hate, and you know what colors you should and should not wear. We try to keep it kind-hearted, as most of us have friends at UNC, but on gameday (the biggest day of the entire year) you are a Blue Devil and only a Blue Devil. There is so much emotion and history wrapped up in these games. Playing UNC for the last time under Coach K, and for the first time we have ever met them in the NCAA tournament, in the Final Four, with 70,000 people in the stadium: there is nothing that felt more grand. Every point was exhilarating and we danced and yelled as hard as we ever had. It was an incredible game and a tragedy of an ending…but someone has to win and someone has to lose and I love our team no matter what. It is hard to remember that our team, composed of guys who we idolize so much, are mostly 18 and 19 year-olds. Coach K has the most beautiful perspective on the game. We walked off that court defeated and sad, but we walked off with our heads held high because of the legacy of basketball and leadership and joy that he, and we, have created.

Any predictions for Monday night? I am hoping so much that Kansas beats UNC because the Tar Heels need someone to teach them a lesson (I say this in the kindest way possible!). We also got to meet a bunch of the Kansas band members because we were staying at the same hotel: they were awesome so I am rooting for them.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Duke band member Grace Dessert