Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Georgia State SR Eliel Nsoseme

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Jon Teitel

On March 7 Georgia State beat Louisiana 80-71 in the Sun Belt tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Panthers were 2-5 in conference play in early February but won each of their last 10 games to make the NCAA tourney, where they will face #1 seed Gonzaga on Thursday in Portland. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Georgia State SR Eliel Nsoseme about being a great rebounder and winning the conference tourney.

You were born in the Congo and raised in Canada: how did you end up in the US? I was born/raised in Congo but moved to Canada when I was 18 years old. I had the opportunity to play AAU basketball and my team played a lot of games in the United States during the summer. That was when I was offered a scholarship to play for the University of Cincinnati.

How did you 1st get into basketball, and how big is the sport in Canada? I was first introducing to basketball in the Congo. When I got to Canada it was big…but now it has just exploded. All the kids want to play basketball and that is awesome to see.

You began your college career at Cincinnati: why did you decide to transfer, and was it weird to choose Georgia State after beating them in the 2018 NCAA tourney?! It was time for me to explore a different path. I did meet a lot of people that I am still really close to. I remember that game. When it came to Georgia State, Coach Rob Lanier and his staff were honest in my recruitment process and I really appreciated that.

What makes Coach Lanier such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? The way he approaches the game with his patience/understanding/passion. He has a different way to look at it, which is close to mine. I have learned a lot from him and keep learning even today. He always makes sure we understand that it is a blessing to be in this position: to do what we love and never take it for granted because a lot of individuals do not have the same opportunity.

Last year your 10.1 RPG was top-20 in the nation: what is the key to being a great rebounder? The willingness to do it. A lot of people think that it is not important or just do not want to do it. I will do anything to help my team win and rebounding is one of the things that I take great pride in.

You missed the 1st 11 games this year due to a knee injury: how is your health at the moment? It was tough to be unable to help my team on the court but I did my best to support them from the bench. It is getting better day by day. I do what I need to do to ensure I can give my team 100%…even if I am not 100% right now. Shout-out to Vinnie (our strength and conditioning coach)/Bob (our sports medicine guy) for helping me get better and get ready for the next game.

You made the Dean’s List several times during your career: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? For me, school and basketball are always part of my plan: I go as hard as I can on the court and do the same in the classroom. I love learning and majoring in film, which asks for a lot of creativity, and I keep learning every day.

You have already graduated with a degree in Film & Media: what is the post-college plan? I am getting my Master’s right now. I know that when I am done playing basketball it will be an option for me to do something I love just as much…but I definitely want to go pro and help my family as best I can.

In the Sun Belt tourney title game you had 12 PTS/13 REB in a 9-PT win over Louisiana: what did it mean to you to win the title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It means a lot to me. We went through a lot with this group of guys and I wanted it so bad for everyone. We never gave up or gave excuses: just stayed in the gym and got better. It was great to see guys become champions for the first time. It was a collective effort that everyone on the team was happy about it.

How do you feel about getting a #16 seed, and what do you know about Gonzaga? We are excited to be back in the tournament and are ready to play. It is an opportunity to play and we are thankful for it. Gonzaga is a great team with great players and a winning program…but we also have great players and a winning program so it should be a fun game.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Arizona pomline captain Victoria Frank

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Arizona beat UCLA 84-76 in the Pac-12 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Wildcats lost 3 road games this year but were unbeaten in all of their home/neutral site games to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2018. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Arizona pomline captain Victoria Frank about winning the conference tourney and heading to San Diego.

You grew up in Murrieta, CA: what made you choose Arizona? Tucson felt like a home away from home because it is a smaller town. I felt it would give me a little piece of home when I went away to college.

You have been dancing for most of your life: how did you 1st get into it, and what is the best part? My mom put me in dance when I was young. I did trial and error with a couple of sports but I loved dance the most. The best part is performing and exhibiting joy to everyone around us.

You have been on the Arizona Pomline for 4 years and are a Senior Captain this year: what is the key to being a good leader? Leading by example and being someone that people feel comfortable talking to about anything.

What do you think the role of a college pomline is today, and how has it changed over time? To bring the extra energy/entertainment factor to sporting events/pep rallies/alumni events. It has remained relatively similar over the years, but we have become more of a spokesperson for the school and its teams.

How frustrating has it been to be on the pomline for a great basketball team during a pandemic? It definitely has its challenges but luckily it has not affected us too much. However, it would be nice to get back to normal so everyone can support our team.

You are majoring in Special Education Rehabilitation: why did you pick that subject, and what do you hope to do after graduating? I grew up with twin brothers who have special needs so it has always been part of my life. I love to work with that community and would like to become a behavioral technician/analyst.

Last Saturday the Wildcats had an 8-PT win over UCLA in the Pac-12 tourney title game: how excited was everybody to win the conference tourney for the 1st time since 2018? It was very exciting and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our seniors. The fans enjoyed it as well.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? We allow our seniors to go on tournament travel. It will be very exciting to see both the pom/basketball teams showcased on national TV and we will represent everyone very well.

Your game(s) this weekend are at San Diego State, which is about 1 hour south of your hometown: will you have any family/friends in the stands to support you? Yes. My friends/family from my home dance studio will be there to support me so that will be exciting.

Arizona is ranked #2 in the nation: how far do you think they will go? I think we will go very far and have a really good chance of winning the national championship!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Loyola Chicago dancer Grace McClain

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

On March 6 Loyola Chicago beat Drake 64-58 in the MVC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Ramblers were swept by the Bulldogs during the regular season but showed that the 3rd time is the charm as they made the NCAA tourney for the 3rd time since 2018. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Loyola Chicago dancer Grace McClain about dealing with COVID protocols and winning the conference tourney.

You grew up in Phoenix and later moved to San Diego: what made you choose Loyola Chicago? I had an aunt who went to Loyola and she told me all about the culture. My mom is from Chicago and I love the city. This is a great school and it invests so much in its students.

How did you 1st get into dancing, and what is the best part? I have been dancing since I was 10 years old and was on the dance team in both high school/college. My favorite part is the team aspect: bonding with everyone and feeling proud of myself and my teammates about what we accomplish every day.

What do you think the role of a college dancer is today, and how has it changed over time? It has definitely changed. In the past it was more stereotypical of just cheering on your team at games (which is something we focus on), but the dance world has changed so much and become more advanced. We are invested in winning a national title every year and are working toward that while growing Loyola spirit. We try to get more recognition for the hard work we put in.

You are majoring in Psychology: why did you pick that subject, and what do you hope to do after graduating? I have always been interested in it, especially social psychology: how people react to/think about certain situations. I have a job set up at a supply chain company so I will be working in customer service, where psychology will definitely help. I will also take some dance classes and keep training.

What does the dance team do at basketball games during the season? We are cheering on the guys the entire time and staying sharp/clean while engaging the crowd because they are just as important as us. We do routines during timeouts/halftime and work with the band/cheer team.

How frustrating has it been to be a dancer for a great basketball team during a pandemic? It was definitely frustrating. We would like to engage as much as we can but COVID protocols do not always allow us to do that. We are trying to stay positive and things are looking up and hopefully we can engage this weekend.

Last Sunday the Ramblers had a 6-PT win over Drake in the MVC tourney title game: how excited was everybody to win the conference tourney for the 2nd straight year? It was the most exciting win that I have ever experienced: I definitely cried! People were not really expecting it but I knew that we would pull it off. The energy was electric and we all believed in the team.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tournament? Our itinerary is not finalized but we will do a send-off for the team, which will be super-fun.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It is based on a point system as well as seniority: did you do extra workouts, extra volunteering, etc. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will take in every second of it. I am excited: whether we win or lose it will be a great weekend.

How do you feel about going to Pittsburgh to face Ohio State, and any predictions? I think that we can beat the Buckeyes. Everyone is really excited/hopeful. We feel really prepared on the band/cheer/dance team and the basketball team treats every game like the Super Bowl.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Longwood cheerleader Makayla Whittaker

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

On March 6 Longwood beat Winthrop 79-58 in the Big South tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Lancers finished December 7-5 before winning 19 of their last 20 games to make the NCAA tourney, where they will face #3 seed Tennessee in Indianapolis on Thursday. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Longwood cheerleader Makayla Whittaker about being a captain and winning the conference tourney.

You grew up in Virginia: what made you choose Longwood? It was my backup school because I wanted to go out of state, but once I got here it felt like home. The community is so close and the class sizes are smaller.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? I did gymnastics/dance when I was younger but in high school I tried out for the cheer team. I wanted to get more involved after coming to college and I ended up making the team as a freshman. I have loved every second of it and the best part is that I have grown so much in terms of my skills.

You have been on the cheer team for 3 years and are now a captain: what is the key to being a good leader? You need to be a role model and act how you would want others to act toward you. There are 4 people in a stunt group and everyone has a job to do so you need to work together and understand each other to make sure that nothing goes wrong. Communication is key so that we are all on the same page and you need to want the best for everyone. I set a high standard for myself and want to elevate the entire team and make sure we are hitting our goals. We have big dreams and want to accomplish them. It does take a lot of time but is totally worth it.

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over time? Our school is very small so we have been able to show our faces at a lot of events like a send-off or a ribbon-cutting. It is a big duty to represent the school at games so we plan our routines/practice/lift. We are there to support the team as well as get the fans loud so we did more crowd-involvement this season. We got a new coach this year and her key word is “elevate”: we are trying to grow bigger and become more competitive with the bigger schools. Our stunting this year has been more complex.

How frustrating has it been to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? Last year we could not attend games so it was just a building year to grow stronger as a team. It was a downer to not support our team in person and was very frustrating, but we still did everything we could to show our spirit around campus.

You are majoring in Kinesiology/Exercise Science: why did you pick those subjects, and what do you hope to do after graduating? I was originally a special education major because I love being around children, but deep down I wanted to be in the medical field. There are so many opportunities I will have with this major but I would like to do sports medicine for children. My mom is in the medical field so I guess I got my passion from her: I am very excited about the future. I would love to move out of Virginia: maybe somewhere like Georgia that has a hospital that does sports medicine. I have some big dreams and am very determined to reach them.

Last Sunday the Lancers had a 21-PT win over Winthrop in the Big South tourney title game: how excited was everybody to win the conference tourney for the very 1st time? It was so exciting! I am so grateful that we got to be there to see it in person. It shows you how important our small community is: a lot of fans were there and we helped get them rowdy. There was also a nice welcome-back as the buses rolled back into campus.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Since our men AND women both made it we had to divide our own team in half. We would love to all be at both but we want to support both teams: half of us leave today for the men’s tourney in Indianapolis and the other half (including me) leave tomorrow for Raleigh. We will have 2 full stunt groups at each tourney with a couple of floaters. We have been practicing our routines/chants/signs to get the crowd involved.

Your women’s team also won its own conference tourney: is this the greatest week in the history of your school?! We definitely made some history with both teams winning their respective Big South tourneys. It is something you dream of happening and set as a goal, but never thought you would be the one to accomplish this amazing achievement and actually be part of the NCAA tournament. I cannot wait to see how they both do this week!

Any predictions? I think that both teams will win! I would love to see them keep going and see how far they can get: anything is possible so Go Lancers!!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dancer Lissa Hoelscher

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat Southeastern Louisiana 73-65 in the Southland tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Islanders started conference play 3-6 before winning 7 of their last 8 games to make the NCAA tourney, where they will face fellow #16 seed Texas Southern in Dayton tonight. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dancer Lissa Hoelscher about winning the conference tourney and her prediction for tonight.

What made you choose Texas A&M-Corpus Christi? I love the beach and chose the school because I love the professional style of the dance team.

How did you 1st get into dancing, and what is the best part? I watched my older sister take ballet lessons when I was about 2 years old, then took my 1st class soon after that. The best part is the growing process: no matter what level you are at there is always an opportunity to get better as a dancer/person. Performing is an amazing adrenaline rush.

You are captain of the dance team: what is the key to being a good leader? Your confidence and being sure of yourself. If you are unsure then the team will feel the same way, which is the last thing you want as a performer.

What do you think the role of a college dancer is today, and how has it changed over time? I think the world of college dancing: everything is bigger and is becoming more athletic. We look at what dancers for pro teams are doing and trying to mimic their style.

What are you majoring in Biology with a concentration in Education: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? If you want to teach anatomy/physiology then that is what you need to major in. I would also like to teach dance classes and become a drill-team director.

How frustrating has it been to be a dancer for a great basketball team during a pandemic? I am always grateful for the opportunities that we have, but the most frustrating part was the amount of COVID testing: it requires us to allocate a lot of extra time. Dancing with a mask on has also been a huge challenge. We like to be on top of everything during practice but sometimes we do not know how certain events will run due to different guidelines.

Last Saturday in the Southland tourney title game the Islanders had an 8-PT win over Southeastern Louisiana: how excited was everybody to see them make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2007? I was so excited: I even cried a little bit! It was really cool to see Coach Lutz utilize his players and see them build such great chemistry: it was an incredible feeling.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It depends on who has midterms and where we are as dancers. To perform on such a large stage is amazing: I have been dreaming of doing something like this my entire life and it is indescribable. I would like to become an NBA/NFL dancer someday.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA Tournament? We are just going to do our normal gameday thing. We give it our all at every game and will cheer the team on like there is no tomorrow. We will yell loud and dance big and have a very crowd-interactive routine.

How do you feel about going to Dayton to face Texas Southern, and any predictions? I feel amazing because it is a dream come true and I am extremely grateful that the basketball team has allowed us to go this far. My prediction is that we will leave it all out on the floor. I think we will win and have a lot of faith in our team.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Iowa SR Filip Rebraca

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Iowa beat Purdue 75-66 in the Big 10 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes lost 4 of their final 7 games in January but have been near-unstoppable since then by winning 12 of their last 14 games to make the NCAA tourney yet again, where they will face #12 seed Richmond on Thursday in Buffalo. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Iowa SR Filip Rebraca about the reigning NBA MVP and winning the conference tourney.

You were born in Italy/raised in Serbia: how big is basketball overseas? I sepnt time living in the US/Greece as well. Basketball is pretty huge, especially in Serbia. They have a rich history and the country leans toward the sport during hard times such as during war/hardship.

You are from the same hometown as NBA MVP Nikola Jokic: what is he like, and are we going to see you 2 as Olympic teammates anytime soon? Every time I see him I definitely say hi. He is down to earth and a humble guy who keeps to his own hobbies such as horse racing. It would be a dream come true to be his teammate but 1st I have to make the Olympic team! My dad actually won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics.

You began your college career at North Dakota, where you set a school record with 20 double-doubles: how do you balance your scoring with your rebounding? I focus on both. Rebounding is a key part of the game but not a lot of people understand how important it is. I had teammates who ran a lot of plays for me and they trusted me to score.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Iowa? I had to leave because my masters’ program was online and coming from a foreign country I needed to take an in-person program instead. I also wanted to win games and make the NCAA tourney…and here we are as Big 10 champs! It is great to play in a system where I can develop my game.

You play for Coach Fran McCaffery: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you learned from him this year? His experience/knowledge and the confidence he instills in his players. He talks to me every day about being more aggressive and not being hard on myself. He taught me how to stay positive.

Last Sunday in the Big 10 tourney title game you scored 3 PTS in a 9-PT win over Purdue: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? We lost to them twice during the regular season so it felt really good to get some revenge at the most important time of the season. The locker room was surreal: it is all a blur so I do not think I fully processed it until today.

Your teammate Keegan Murray finished 4th in the nation in scoring with 23.6 PPG, and your teammate Jordan Bohannon has played more games than anyone in the history of the sport (178): how crucial have both of them been to your team’s success? They have been very crucial. Keegan is our leader and we lean on him in crucial moments. He is also 1 of our best rebounders/defenders. Jordan has so much experience that he is our “voice of reason”: he has been through a lot of big-time moments and succeeded so we follow him. Do not forget about Connor McCaffery: he is our unsung hero.

You already have a degree in economics and are now pursuing a masters’ degree in finance: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? Growing up my dad got into business after retiring from basketball, which made me want to learn more about managing money wisely. I was pretty good at it and just stuck with it. I want to play basketball as long as I can because there are only so many years that players are able to do so.

Your father Zeljko is 7’ tall and played pro basketball in the NBA and overseas: who is the best athlete in the family? Definitely him! His success at the club level/national level is great so the younger generation has a lot of work to do to catch up to him.

How do you feel about being a #5 seed, and what do you know about Richmond? Richmond is 1 of the most experienced teams in the country so I know they will give us a battle. I feel that we could have received a higher seed but we won our title about 30 minutes before the Selection Show. We just need to be prepared.

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