The NBA Finals have not even begun but it is already time for most of the league to start preparing for next season. The lottery was held on May 10th, the final deadline for NCAA players to withdraw is May 27th, and the draft will begin on June 23rd. We will spend the months ahead interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Dartmouth F Brandon Mitchell-Day about being a remarkable rebounder and what it would mean to him to get drafted.
You were born/raised in St. Louis: what made you choose Dartmouth? Prior to playing competitive basketball I had never even heard of Dartmouth, but academics were big in my family. When some of the Ivy teams started recruiting me, I started thinking about it as a place that could set me up for after basketball and where I could help make a name for myself and my school. Dartmouth was the best place to do that.
You played in 25 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? A big reason I was recruited was my motor. I knew that I had to do something to stick out as a freshman and my aggressiveness helped me get more playing time. I tried to do all the little things: rebounding/defense/being a pest. A lot of coaches believed that I could bring that to the table, and everything I do is high-intensity.
After starting only 2 games as a freshman you started all but 2 games as a sophomore: what is the biggest difference between being a starter vs. coming off the bench? There is definitely a higher expectation when you are a starter because the coaching staff trusts you to set the tone for the entire team. I was inexperienced as a freshman so the coaches did not trust me at 1st, but after getting extra film work and setting the tone at practice, I was able to hit a 180 in terms of playing time.
As a junior you had 23 PTS/20 REB in a win over Brown and became the 1st Ivy player to post a 20-20 game against a D-1 opponent since the turn of the century: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? It is probably the best all-around game of my college career. As hard to do as it may sound, I was in a flow state so nothing felt forced. I was playing free and the 20 REB is just a testament to how hard I played. I wanted to show people what I could do day in and day out and I take great pride in that because all my hard work showed that day. That game felt easy: I remember getting back to the locker room afterward and when my teammates told me that I had 20 REB I thought they were joking!
Last year you led the conference with 244 REB and were #7 in the nation with 7.19 defensive RPG: what is the secret to being a great rebounder? For me the secret goes back to my motor. You never know when a shot goes up if it will be missed, so you have to get good position or run to a spot. It goes back to doing the little things as a freshman: even if I could not score, getting an offensive REB put me in a better position to score. It is not 1 of the flashiest things but it is 1 of the most important things. I do not have the craziest highlights but all the intangible things I do help a team win: that is my calling card.
Your 3-PT shooting increased during each of the past 4 years: how were you able to keep improving every single year? It was about confidence. I could shoot the 3 in high school but I was more of a slasher with shooters around me who had a higher percentage. Since I knew that I could do it, and as my role on the team expanded, I knew that making threes would make the game easier for me. I work on it all the time and my teammates trust me from behind the arc. I got the correct reps each summer and it is about the hard work I put in.
You were named All-Ivy Honorable Mention last year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means everything. The Ivy League is 1 of the most up-and-coming conferences with great players both in the NBA (like Bez Mbeng) and in college (like TJ Power). People overlook our conference because it is academically-oriented, but I take great pride in that award: it is always nice to see your hard work pay off.
You are listed at 6’8”: what position did you play in college, and what position would you feel most comfortable at in the pros? When I was in high school I started as a PG…and then 1 summer I grew 7”! I already had the guard skills, but as 1 of the tallest guys on my team I had to learn how to play in the post. It will be an advantage at the next level because I have a mix of both guard skills and big man skills, which makes me a versatile threat. I can do so many things because I have been exposed to so many situations.
Any thoughts on the recent news that the NCAA tourney will expand to 76 teams next year? Some people argue that it makes the NCAA tourney easier to get into, but I would argue that it makes it harder to win. By expanding the field they make it that much more valuable if you can win it. I see the positives and negatives, but it will still be fun to watch.
What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would mean everything. This is something I have dreamed of since 1st picking up a basketball. If I do not get drafted then the work does not stop. I will continue to find opportunities to showcase my talents whether it is in the G League or overseas. I will trust in my work and hope it all works out.
Hoops HD Hardball Championship Week – Thursday Edition
Despite Mother Nature bringing a deluge to parts of the country, action is starting to heat up in advance of Selection Monday:
AMERICA EAST (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Binghamton and Maine advanced to the semifinal round; UMBC defeated UMass-Lowell to advance in the losers’ bracket and will play the loser of Binghamton/Maine to advance to the conference championship on Saturday.
AMERICAN (QUARTERFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Both Rice and Memphis advanced to the quarterfinals; UAB and Wichita State will play the losers of the morning games in the losers’ bracket portion of the quarterfinals later this afternoon/evening.
ACC (QUARTERFINAL ROUND) – ACC Network
The top half of the ACC Bracket took the field yesterday; Georgia Tech began their quest for the #1 overall seed with a 16-10 win over Virginia and the Miami Hurricanes defeated Boston College to advance to the semis tomorrow.
ATLANTIC SUN (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
North Alabama upset top seeded North Florida to advance to the semifinals; they will take on Lipscomb after the Bisons defeated Florida Gulf Coast. Both North Florida and FGCU potentially need to win 2 games to advance to the conference championship out of the losers’ bracket.
ATLANTIC 10 (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
The Puppet may get a quintuple header in the A-10 today; following George Mason’s win over Davidson to advance in the loser’s bracket, Rhode Island’s defeated top-seeded Saint Joe’s to advance to the semifinal round. VCU was leading Richmond 4-1 in the 6th inning before play was suspended. George Mason will play the loser of VCU/Richmond and the winner of that game will play Saint Joe’s to advance in the loser’s bracket. Rhode Island will play the winner of VCU/Richmond around 2:30 PM this afternoon.
BIG EAST (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
The Big East got underway with both St. John’s and Xavier winning their opening round games to advance to the semifinals;
that game will be played at 9 AM this morning as they try to get ahead of the rain that is forecast to last throughout the afternoon and evening. The loser of that game will play Creighton on Saturday; the Bluejays eliminated UConn in the nightcap last night.UPDATE: Game has been postponed to tomorrow. They will now reschedule for tomorrow along with the subsequent elimination game; game times TBD.
BIG SOUTH (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
USC-Upstate defeated Winthrop to advance to the semifinals; High Point led Charleston 3-2 in the top of the 2nd before play was suspended. While the winner will play Upstate in the semifinals, Longwood won yesterday to advance in the losers’ bracket and will play the lower seed of either Winthrop or Charleston Southern in the next round of the losers’ bracket.
B1G (QUARTERFINAL ROUND) – B1G Network
Purdue and Michigan won their games last night to clinch the final 2 spots in the single-elimination 8-team bracket in Omaha. Washington (#11) and Michigan State (#12) were the only lower-seeded teams that already advanced to the quarterfinals; all 4 games are scheduled for today.
BIG 12 (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Oklahoma State was the only lower seeded team to advance to the semifinals; they will face Kansas in the first semifinal game today. West Virginia will play Arizona State in the nightcap.
BIG WEST (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
UC-Santa Barbara and Cal Poly advanced to the semifinal round with wins yesterday; Cal State-Fullerton and UC-San Diego will play each other in the losers’ bracket and will play the loser of UCSB/Cal Poly to try to advance to the Big West championship round.
CAA (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – FloSports
Campbell and Hofstra won yesterday’s games to advance to the semifinals; Monmouth eliminated Charleston and will play UNC-Wilmington in the loser’s bracket. The winner of that game will play Northeastern to advance to the semifinal round out of the losers’ bracket.
CONFERENCE USA (POOL PLAY) – ESPN+
Sam Houston failed to sweep their pool; their -5 run differential makes it very unlikely that they will advance any further. Jacksonville State will play Western Kentucky in Pool A and Missouri State will play Dallas Baptist in Pool C with both winners advancing to the single elimination semifinal round. Liberty is in the driver’s seat in Pool B and can advance with a win over Louisiana Tech today. Whichever 1-1 team wins the tiebreaker will be the fourth team to advance to the semifinals.
HORIZON LEAGUE (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Wright State edged Oakland and Milwaukee blew out NKU to advance to the semifinal round; Oakland beat NKU in the loser’s bracket and will play the WSU/Milwaukee loser later this afternoon (weather permitting).
METRO ATLANTIC (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Rider and Fairfield advanced to the semifinals in the winner’s bracket; Marist has survived two games in the losers’ bracket and now has to play Niagara with the winner of that game playing the Rider/Fairfield loser in the second semifinal.
MAC (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
Both Northern Illinois and Toledo pulled off upsets to advance to the semifinal round; this relegated the top seeds Mother Miami and Kent State down to the losers’ bracket. Both teams play at 10 AM today in what is essentially an NCAA Tournament elimination game. The winner will play Western Michigan right after that game.
MISSOURI VALLEY (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
Illinois-Chicago advanced via mercy rule to the semifinal round and will play Murray State at noon today. The loser will play the winner of the Indiana State/Southern Illinois game in the losers’ bracket.
MOUNTAIN WEST (2ND ROUND) – Mountain West Network
Air Force and New Mexico won their tournament openers yesterday; they both advance to the 4-team double elimination bracket and will take on San Diego State and Washington State today.
NEC (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
Long Island and Fairleigh Dickinson won their opening round games; both teams will play for the first spot in the NEC Championship Round. Le Moyne will play Wagner in the first game in the losers’ bracket.
OHIO VALLEY (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
Both the top 2 seeds SIU-Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois advanced to the semifinals; the winner will advance to the championship round on Saturday. Southern Indiana and Little Rock both won in the losers’ bracket and will play each other in today’s first game. The winner will play the SIUE/EIU loser in today’s nightcap.
SEC (QUARTERFINAL ROUND) – SEC Network
Georgia and Florida won the first two SEC quarterfinal games and will play each other tomorrow in the semifinals. Today, Texas and Texas A&M each play their openers against Arkansas and Auburn, respectively.
SOUTHERN (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
In the top bracket, The Citadel continued their possible Cinderella run and beat top-seeded Mercer to advance to today’s semifinal round. Mercer survived against Wofford and must beat Citadel twice to advance to tomorrow’s championship game. Samford beat second-seeded Western Carolina and only needs to beat the Catamounts one more time to advance to the single elimination championship game to be played tomorrow.
SOUTHLAND (CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND) – ESPN+
Lamar defeated McNeese 9-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series; the Cardinals can wrap up an auto bid with a win today.
SUMMIT (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – Summit Sports Network
South Dakota State defeated Northern Colorado to advance to the championship round to be played tomorrow. Top seed Oral Roberts staved off elimination with a 9-0 win against Omaha; they will play Northern Colorado for the right to play South Dakota State in the championship on Saturday.
SUN BELT (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – ESPN+
Texas State defeated Louisiana to advance to the semifinals; they will get a day to rest as there are 3 other games to be played today. Southern Miss and Troy will play for a semifinal spot in the top bracket; the loser will play South Alabama for another semifinal spot. In the bottom bracket, Coastal Carolina (a likely at-large NCAA Tournament team) will play Louisiana for a spot in the semifinal round.
SWAC (MULTIPLE ROUNDS) – SWAC TV
Weather is also dragging out the schedule in SWAC play; the Pine Bluff-Alabama State quarterfinal game will be played at 10 AM (Eastern Time). The loser will play Bethune-Cookman in the top half of the losers’ bracket. Florida A&M beat Southern to advance to the semifinals; they will play the winner of the Southern/Texas Southern game in the bottom half of the bracket at around 7 PM tonight.
WEST COAST (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
Saint Mary’s and Pacific advanced to the semifinal round; top seeded Gonzaga will play San Francisco in the losers’ bracket. This likely means Gonzaga will now need the auto bid to be assured of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
WAC (SEMIFINAL ROUND) – ESPN+
The game of the day was California Baptist beating Utah Tech in a 10-7 game that lasted 14 innings; the Lancers will play Tarleton for the first spot into the WAC Championship. Utah Tech did survive in one elimination game against Abilene Christian; they will have to beat Sacramento State and the loser of the Cal Baptist/Utah Tech game if they wish to advance to the WAC Championship game.