Hoops HD

All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Saturday press conferences

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Jon Teitel

I asked SR G Adonis Arms about the defensive plan when facing a hot shooter like Notre Dame’s Cormac Ryan (who made 7-9 3PM vs. Alabama yesterday). He said that it takes a team effort: Ryan is a great shooter so they need to force him to do other things that he is not as great at.

I asked Coach Mark Adams how SR F Kevin Obanor has been able to elevate his game in the postseason (he had his 4th double-double vs. Montana State yesterday after having 1 in each of his 3 prior NCAA tourney games last year at Oral Roberts). He said that Obanor is a great competitor who wants to keep his team alive. He has been 1 of their best offensive rebounders and his defense has really improved. He will do whatever it takes to get on the court and find a way to win.

Notre Dame

I asked SR F Nate Laszewski about being a great 3-PT shooter (his 46.1 3P% is top-15 in the country) and whether his father Jay is following him this week or just concentrating on his own alma mater (Wisconsin). He said that his dad made it out to his 2 games so far, which was awesome…but that he is also following the Badgers. 3-PT shooting will be key because his teammates try to drive and kick so when they get into the lane he spots up for open threes and they find him.

I asked Coach Mike Brey about being tied for the most NCAA tourney wins in school history with Digger Phelps and whether Digger will still get him something nice for his birthday next Tuesday if he breaks the record. He said that if he gets kidnapped tonight then the primary suspect will be Digger. He brought Digger a bottle of champagne for his 80th birthday last 4th of July. They still tease each other: he joked that similar to managing a high-maintenance player, he has had to manage a high-maintenance ex-coach for the past 22 years!

Arizona

I asked SO F Azuolas Tubelis about his team’s ability to contain several NCAA tourney teams with great PGs who they faced in the regular season (Hunter Maldonado of Wyoming/Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee/Tyger Campbell of UCLA) and how that will translate to facing Mike Miles Jr. of TCU. He said that they will do the same thing that worked before because the coaches do a good job of preparing them so the players just have to go out there and deliver.

I asked Coach Tommy Lloyd how well he knows Jamie Dixon since they have both been in the NCAA tourney at least a dozen times in the past 2 decades but never faced each other in March. He said that Jamie is friends with all of the senior coaches in his coaching tree and is a great guy who always goes out of his way to talk to him and has always been cordial.

TCU

I asked SO PG Mike Miles Jr. about facing a #1 seed for the 6TH time in the past 10 weeks (0-2 vs. Baylor and 1-2 vs. Kansas). He said that they will have to be at their best. They already beat Kansas as well as Texas Tech (who he thinks is a great team even though they are not a #1 seed). They know what it takes to beat the top teams: defense, rebounding, and limiting opportunities in transition.

I asked Coach Jamie Dixon the same question. He said he knew it was something like that but thanked me for adding it up for him! The lack of preparation/practice time during the past couple of months was a unique situation. His team has been challenged but knows what it takes to beat #1-seed-caliber teams, although the 1st Baylor game seems so far away because his guys are a much different team now. Their league prepares them well for these types of games and he thinks it is an advantage.

Posted in CBB | Tagged arizona, Notre Dame, TCU, texas tech | Comments Off

All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Seton Hall vs. TCU

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from San Diego with a recap of Seton Hall vs. TCU.

The last game of the day also featured the ugliest start of the day, as the 2 teams combined to miss 11 of their 1st 13 3-PT attempts. TCU only made 1 three in the 1st 20 minutes but got several 2-pointers from JR PG Mike Miles Jr. to head to halftime with a 30-21 lead.

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard hustled to the locker room to try to figure out a good strategy for the 2nd stanza.

It did not get much prettier in the 2nd half, as TCU opened up a huge lead thanks to a great all-around performance by JR G Damion Baugh, who finished with 14 PTS/5 REB/6 AST.

The Horned Frogs won by a score of 69-42 and will face Arizona on Sunday with the winner going to the Sweet 16 next week.
In the postgame press conference I asked Mike Miles Jr. about winning a gold medal with Coach Dixon last summer and then winning the school’s 1st NCAA tourney game in 35 years tonight. He said that he trusts his coach to always put the team in a great position to win and that they are always on the same page. They previously talked about getting an NCAA tourney win but now have to remain focused on their next game this Sunday.

I asked Coach Jamie Dixon if he thought that it would take 35 years for his alma mater to win another NCAA tourney game (he scored 11 PTS in the prior win over Marshall in 1987) and whether he can admit that he is the lucky charm. He said that he has good players and the Horned Frogs won the NIT in 2017 so hopefully this is the start of more to come. The reason it has taken awhile to get it together is due to having 11 new players but they are very close and he thinks that is the reason they won the game.

Posted in CBB | Tagged seton hall, TCU | Comments Off

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Notre Dame pom squad member Caroline Leonard

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

It has been a wild week for the Irish: sweating out Selection Sunday waiting to hear their name called, then a 2-PT 2-OT win over Rutgers in Dayton on Wednesday, followed by a 14-PT win over Alabama in San Diego earlier today. Their reward: a date with Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon to see who will go to the Sweet 16 next week! Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Notre Dame pom squad member Caroline Leonard about being a “uniquely student-led team” and that wild win on Wednesday night.

You grew up in Tennessee: what made you choose Notre Dame? My dad actually went to Notre Dame and my mom went to Saint Mary’s so I have been a Notre Dame fan my entire life! I actually went to Saint Mary’s for two years before transferring over to ND. I loved Saint Mary’s but admired the tradition and academic excellence Notre Dame would offer me.

You have 8 siblings: what impact has having such a large family had on you? Having such a large family has always been my biggest blessing. There was always something going on when I was growing up so I never got bored! The friendships I have formed with my siblings have given me the opportunity to learn so much about myself and about being friends with and caring for other people outside of my family as well. My 5 brothers/3 sisters are all so unique that it is so much fun when we all get to be together.

You got your bachelor’s degree in Psychology last year and are now pursuing a Masters of Science in Management degree: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I chose Psychology for undergrad because it was just the first subject that I was actually truly interested in learning about. I love the science behind what happens in people’s minds and how that prompts them to act in certain ways: it is just intriguing! For my Masters, I chose Notre Dame’s MSM program because it offered me the opportunity to take an ample amount of business classes, giving me the tools I need to succeed in my future. The MSM program is geared towards students who did not major in business in undergrad: everyone is on the same playing field and trying to learn as much as possible about business and management before we go out into the real world. I currently have no set post-graduation plan, but am applying for jobs and keeping my options open. I know that my first job is probably not going to be what I do for the rest of my life but I am excited to start this next chapter in my life.

How did you 1st get into pom, and what is the best part? I began dancing at age 12 at a dance studio in my hometown of Hendersonville, TN, and danced competitively there until I graduated high school. I also danced on my high school’s dance team, which is what made me fall in love with the “team” aspect of dance/pom. The two types of dance are similar but the dance team focuses more on cheering for your school! When I came to Notre Dame I knew that I wanted to keep dancing. Pom Squad allowed me to do that and it has been the biggest blessing being a part of such a close-knit group of dedicated and hardworking individuals the past 4 years.

Your website says you are a “uniquely student-led team”: what does that mean? Pom Squad is actually a Club Sport so we are not funded by the University at all. We raise all our own money to fund our uniforms, poms, and other team necessities. We are student led in that we do not have a coach: it is run by two co-captains that essentially do it all! They plan, schedule, market, choreograph, and run practices/the team. The captains are basically the coaches but we lead our peers, which provides challenges of course, but also is very rewarding. I have been blessed to be captain of the Pom Squad for two years now.

What do you think the role of a college pom squad is today, and how has it changed over time? The role of a college pom squad is to always promote spirit for the school you are cheering for. We are different from cheer in that we perform short dances for athletic events rather than tumble and do stunts. Over time, college pom squads/dance teams have evolved into a more competitive nature. These girls put in just as much time and effort as other athletic teams but are often not as recognized in what they do.

How frustrating has it been to be part of a spirit squad for a great basketball team during a pandemic? Extremely! It was so hard providing opportunities for the Pom Squad to perform at. During a time where everyone really needed some spirit and pep we were unable to give it to them: it was hard on everybody. All we wanted to do was be able to cheer on our teams and get everyone involved again. We were very lucky and happy to be able to get back to cheering and dancing at games this season.

Last Sunday the Irish made the NCAA tourney as an at-large selection: how excited was everybody to see them make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2017? It was incredible! Our basketball team has really worked hard and everyone was so excited that they would finally get another opportunity to showcase their talent in their sport.

On Wednesday night in the 1st 4 Notre Dame had a 2-PT 2-OT win over Rutgers: where does that rank among the most exciting games that you have ever seen, and was the campus going nuts after the last-second win? That game was so exciting especially since it was ND’s first time in the NCAA tournament in a long time. It was definitely one of the most exciting games that I have seen, and yes the campus was crazy-happy!

Any predictions for Sunday vs. Texas Tech? I think that as long as we come out strong from the very start we have a good chance of getting another Irish win!

Posted in Interviews | Tagged Caroline Leonard, Notre Dame | Comments Off

All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Arizona vs. Wright State

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from San Diego with a recap of Arizona vs. Wright State.

I was starting to run out of gas after 2 games in a row but was saved by a delicious evening meal of fish tacos/chips/potato salad/cookie!
Let’s tip it off with my Wildcats:

Arizona SO PG Kerr Kriisa is in uniform but SR Justin Kier took his place in the starting lineup while Kerr recovers from an ankle injury:

The Wildcats came out red-hot, building a 16-5 lead by the 1st TV timeout thanks to 7-9 FG. Wright State was able to hang around by winning the turnover battle: they did not commit a single TO in the 1st 11 minutes (by comparison, Arizona had 10 TO before the under-8 timeout). The Wildcat offense kept on dominating, as they knocked down 16 of their 1st 22 shots, but Wright State JR PG Trey Calvin singlehandedly kept his team in the game with 14 PTS in the 1st half to help close the deficit.

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd must have been happy with a double-digit lead as he headed to the locker room up 42-31, but who knows what the 2nd half would have in store.

Wildcat JR C Christian Koloko kept finding open teammates for baskets over and over, setting a career-high with team-high 6 AST to go along with 17 PTS/13 REB/5 BLK (in just 30 minutes in his very 1st NCAA tourney game!):

Arizona made a ton of threes all night long (11-20) to win it going away 87-70.
In the postgame press conference I asked Christian Koloko about his record-setting stat line that had never been done before in the history of the NCAA tourney. He said that it feels good but that he was just playing basketball and it happened to end up that way so he was happy.

I asked Coach Tommy Lloyd about Koloko having 6 AST tonight after only having 5 AST during the entire month of March. He said that Wright State was really collapsing on his big man in the paint and that Christian had 2-4 post entries which he eventually passed out for open threes. The coach commended him for making great decisions.

Posted in CBB | Tagged arizona, Wright State | Comments Off

All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

In the postgame press conference I asked Ryan about the fact that his team is now 15-1 this year when they make at least 10 threes. He said that the 3-PT shot is a huge weapon for them because they have so many guys who can shoot it at a high level. When they are guarding well on defense and making their threes they are very hard to beat.

I asked Coach Mike Brey about his PG Prentiss Hubb playing 79 minutes in the past 48 hours in 2 different time zones and only turning the ball over ONCE. He said that when Prentiss rotated into the role of just delivering the ball instead of hunting his shot, Brey put him into the starting lineup and he finally understood the weapons he has around him. It has been fabulous to watch him play and that is an amazing stat because they harp on taking care of the ball. They have a sign in the locker room that simply says, “Don’t skip class and don’t turn the ball over and we will get along just fine!”

Posted in CBB | Tagged Alabama, Notre Dame | Comments Off

All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Montana State vs. Texas Tech

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We got bands, cheerleaders, and mascots, oh my!

Let the madness begin. The Red Raiders got rolling early with a 10-2 lead, forcing Bobcats coach Danny Sprinkle to call a timeout less than 3 minutes into the game. They kept pouring it on after the timeout, opening up a 30-9 lead by making 10 of their 1st 12 FG. JR G Terrence Shannon Jr. was the 1st half star with 15 PTS/3-4 3PM/4 AST as his team led 52-25 at halftime.

Coach Mark Adams must have been thrilled with such a large lead as he studied the stat sheet while shuffling off the court.

SR F Bryson Williams was solid in the 1st half with 8 PTS but used his 6’8”, 240-pound frame to explode in the 2nd half and finish with 20 PTS/8-10 FG in only 18 minutes.

His team made 36-54 FG and set a school record for most PTS in an NCAA tourney game in the 97-62 win.

In the postgame press conference I asked Bryson about breaking the school’s NCAA tourney scoring record (set in 1996 vs. a North Carolina team featuring Antwan Jamison/Vince Carter/Dean Smith!), especially considering that they are known for their defense this year. He said that their offense feeds off of their defense and that the deflections on 1 end of the court help a lot on the other end of the court.

I asked Coach Mark Adams about the importance of having nobody on his team play more than 29 minutes. He said that he talked with his staff on the bench about giving his guys some rest so that they would be fresh for Sunday, and since all of his subs played so well it allowed his starters to come off the court early, which was a big positive.