Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews 2-time NCAA scoring champ Keydren Clark

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Jon Teitel

There are only 10 players in D-1 history who have scored 3000 PTS, and the 1st 1 to reach that mark in the 21st century was St. Peter’s PG Keydren Clark. As a freshman he scored 24.9 PPG and was named MAAC ROY, as a junior he led the nation with 25.8 PPG/3.3 SPG, and as a senior he was named MAAC POY and broke the NCAA record for most career 3PM. He later played pro basketball overseas for more than a decade. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Keydren about being a great scorer and a great defender. Today is Keydren’s 37th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

You finished your college career as 1 of the greatest scorers in NCAA history: why did you choose to go to St. Peter’s instead of a big-time program? I chose St. Peter’s because it was the only school on my list that said I would be able to play valuable minutes as a freshman. All of the other schools said that I would have to wait at least 1 year, or maybe even 2 years. I knew that I could help a team right away so I chose to go somewhere that would allow me to do so.

In 2004/2005 you became the 8th D-1 player to ever lead the nation in scoring in consecutive years: what is the secret to being a great scorer? My teammates always found me in good scoring positions and on top of that I just found my own ways to score (FTs, steals that led to points in transition, offensive rebounds, etc.). I pretty much did what I had to do in order for us to win games.

In 2005 you also led the country with 3.3 SPG: how were you able to balance your offense with your defense? Defense has always been a part of my game. Being that I am small I had to find ways to make my presence felt on the court: what better way than to stand out on defense?! I was able to balance everything because my good defense led to my good offense. Getting a steal and scoring in transition was a way to get myself going offensively: in a sense it put me in the rhythm of the game.

In the summer of 2005 your teammate George Jefferson died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (the same heart ailment that killed Hank Gathers): what impact did George’s death have on you? Losing George was a big deal because he was the reason I led the country in scoring in back-to-back seasons. From the time we walked onto campus at St. Peter’s, George had me in the gym every day working on my game. He believed in me more than I believed in myself at times so when he died I was shell-shocked and did not even want to play basketball anymore. However, at the same time it made me mentally stronger, more dedicated to the game, and made me just ENJOY LIFE because at any moment it can be taken away from you. I have so many great memories of George that I do not know where to start. 1 that stands out the most was when school was starting back up and we had to go to Enrollment Services to get our schedules. When we got there the lines were unbelievably long so George being who he was (funny, charismatic, and very outgoing) walks in, sees the lines, and yells “Fire, Fire!” All of the other students ran out and he casually walked up to the front of the line and asked for his schedule like nothing happened. George also loved Michael Jordan: in his eyes Jordan was EVERYTHING and if you dared to say something bad about MJ George would pull out his hologram Michael Jordan card and read you facts about him. Another memory is when we had planned a trip to South Beach for Memorial Day weekend. Usually when someone packs to go on a trip you put your stuff in a duffle bag or suitcase: right? Not George: he packed his stuff in a laundry bag. Whenever I think about that day I just laugh and laugh. George also had some quotes that I will always remember, 1 of which was, “Where there is a will, there is a way…and where there is a G there is a J”. Another one was, “Never let a hungry man eat”: LOVE U AND MISS U GJEFF!!!!!!

In 2006 you were named conference POY: what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot to me because all of the hard work that George and I had put in at the gym together (summer after summer, practice after practice) was finally getting recognized. However, since the person that helped me to get there was not there to see me win the award it was bittersweet.

You were named All-MAAC during each of your 4 years and led the conference in scoring each year: how were you able to come in as a freshman and contribute from the start, and how were you able to continue to dominate throughout the rest of your college career? Being that I am a small guy in terms of the basketball court, I wanted to prove all of the people wrong who had passed me over or thought that I was too small to play the game at a high level. I showed up to college early and just worked my butt off every day, twice a day, for 4 straight years. I live by the quote, “HARD WORK BEATS TALENT WHEN TALENT DOES NOT WORK HARD”. Coming out of high school I was not the most talented guy, but I knew that if I worked hard and was given the opportunity then I could do something special…and I did.

You remain 1 of 10 players in D-1 history to score 3000+ PTS: how proud are you of being on such a prestigious list? I am in the history books with some of the all-time greats so I think that I am 1 of the best scorers in NCAA history. 1 of my favorite rappers (Jay-Z) said, “Men Lie, Women Lie, Numbers Don’t”, so going by the numbers that I put up in college I would think/hope that I am considered to be 1 of the best scorers in college basketball history.

In addition to your sensational scoring you are #2 in school history in assists and #1 in school history in FT shooting: did you consider yourself to be more of a scorer or all-around player? If you never saw me play and just looked at the stat sheet you would probably think that I was just a gunner, but the people who have seen me play would say that I am a good all-around player. If not…I still consider myself to be a good all-around player!!!

After graduation you played overseas and in 2007 you led the Greek league in scoring: what did you learn from this experience? I learned a lot. The game is played differently over here: every game and every point matters. Their rules are different from ours so I had to adjust some aspects of my game. 1 thing I really enjoyed about playing overseas is the love and support you get from your fans. The fans are absolutely nuts over here and it helps to elevate your game. Whether you were playing against the top team or the worst team they just want to support you to the fullest. Aside from basketball, it is tough to be in another country by yourself away from everything you know. It is a big sacrifice that a lot of guys are not comfortable making. Being overseas is really only for the strong because when you are not playing ball you spend most of your time by yourself in your apartment. You are on the Internet, playing video games, watching movies, etc., so your life almost becomes like a recording.

When people look back on your career, what do you want them to remember the most? I want people to remember how this small kid from Rice High School went to St. Peter’s and made all of the doubters become believers. I also want them to remember me for putting St. Peter’s on the map.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Oregon JR PF Nyara Sabally

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Jon Teitel

We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with Oregon JR PF Nyara Sabally. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Nyara about making the Sweet 16 last March and her expectations for this season.

You were born in Oregon but raised in Berlin: how did you 1st get into basketball, and how big is the sport in Germany? I got into basketball when I was 9 years old. I went to a tryout and actually hated it at 1st but eventually I got into it. Men’s basketball is huge in Berlin but women’s basketball is not: it is bigger in smaller towns.

In the summer of 2018 you were named MVP of the FIBA U18 Division B European Championship as a member of the German national team: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was amazing! Sadly I injured myself in the championship game but it was still great to put Germany on the basketball map: it was a huge deal for our country.

You missed 2 years in a row due to tearing the ACL in both of your knees: what was the hardest part of sitting out, and how is your health at the moment? The hardest part was just not being able to practice/play with my teammates. Right now I feel good and my knee is completely healed: our training staff did a great job of helping me recover from both of my injuries.

Last December you made your 1st start of the season and scored a team-high 20 PTS and made all 9 of your FG attempts in a 30-PT win over Colorado: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Kind of. I did not notice that I had made all of my shots until after the game. Usually I miss a layup or 2 but things were going my way that day.

In the 2021 Sweet 16 you scored 14 PTS/6-8 FG before leaving the game early with an injury in a loss to Louisville: what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? You have to play all 40 minutes. We got off to a slow start against Louisville (trailing 29-14 at halftime) and got back into it too late. We were extremely young last year and have 7 new players this year: once March comes around it is a free-for-all but our experience will really help a lot.

You led the team in PPG/RPG last year: how do you balance your scoring with your rebounding? A lot of those rebounds were probably off of my misses! My coaches tell me to focus on rebounding because that is just an effort thing: the scoring will come. Rebounding also gives you more chances to score.

You are 6’5”: how much of an advantage is your height on the court? It is a big advantage…although after looking at the current roster I am 1 of the smaller ones on our gigantic team (including 6’8″ Phillipina Kyei and 6’7″ Sedona Prince)! Being able to post up/score close to the rim really helps.

In addition to playing both teams from last year’s NCAA title game in conference play (Arizona/Stanford), you will host 1 Final 4 team (UConn) in January, and might face the other Final 4 team (South Carolina) in the Battle 4 Atlantis in November: how will you deal with such a brutal schedule? I think it will be really exciting. We play Arizona/Stanford every year and they are good teams who help prepare us for March. I love playing games like that and being challenged: UConn at home will be amazing so I am glad that our coach schedules games like that.

Your sister/former teammate Satou is now in the WNBA: who is the best athlete in the family? Probably my little brother Lamin, who is a freshman at UTSA. When we played 1-on-1 this summer I realized that he is not so little any more: he is like 6’7”.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I think that we can make a huge run in the NCAA tourney: the goal every year is to make the Final 4. The Pac-12 is such a strong conference so if we can win that then it would be a huge success.

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In Memoriam: HoopsHD interviews Dom “Chip” Rosselli Jr. about his famous father

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Dom Rosselli spent almost 40 years at Youngstown State and did a little of everything. He coached in 977 basketball games yet somehow found time to be head baseball coach for 31 years and an assistant football coach for 20+ years. His basketball teams appeared in 4 NAIA national tournaments and he was named Ohio College Coach of the Year in both 1957/1964. He retired in 1982 with the 10th-most wins in NCAA history and was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Dom’s son about his father’s coaching success/philosophy. Today is the 13th anniversary of Dom’s passing on 10/7/08 so we take this time to reflect on his life/legacy.

(photo credit: vindyarchives.com)

Your father played 3 sports at Geneva College: which sport was he best at, and which 1 did he enjoy the most? My dad enjoyed every sport but football probably topped his list, hence the “Dom Rosselli Day” at Geneva College which celebrated his legacy on the football team. The Geneva experience meant a lot to my dad. As a young guy from Smoky Hollow he left home for Pennsylvania and traveled miles from home: he valued the opportunity to be there. Geneva College had a spiritual component of learning/sport/spirit, which describes what he valued.

After college he served in the Air Force for 4 years during WWII: what impact did the war have on him either on or off the court? All 4 of his siblings served at one time or another. Knowing him as I did he undoubtedly worried about his family. He thought that luck played into his experience. A general once asked dad when he was a Captain to work with him in “morale support”, such as setting up sport sites for the troops in California. Our mother was able to join him, which made for a very different experience than his counterparts. He was a new husband after getting married in 1940. Being able to stay involved in sports in that environment surely kept his love of sports alive.

He was born/raised in Youngstown: how did he enjoy spending 40 years at his hometown school? He was pleased/proud to be in Youngstown: watching and being a part of the school’s growth from Youngstown College to Youngstown University and finally to Youngstown State University meant a lot to him. He was very close to his brothers and I am sure that being close to home during his career meant a lot to him.

He coached football/baseball/basketball: how was he able to juggle so many different sports at the same time? That is what he did for the love of sports. He also started the collegiate baseball and intramural sports programs. I think that he really did know how to juggle: you cannot be that dedicated unless you truly love all of the sports. I remember being on vacation with the family 1 time when we were passing through Washington, DC, and we stopped at a local playground to watch Jeff Covington play. Considering the technology at the time I am unsure how he even knew when/where to be to watch Jeff play!

YSU did not have a gym during most of his career: how did he feel about having practice/games at Youngstown South High Fieldhouse? That is just what you did! He actually liked these fieldhouses: South High, Struthers High, and Fitch High…but there was something significant about eventually having a home at Beeghly Center. He was humbled when the court was later named after him.

He was voted the top college coach in the state of Ohio in both 1957/1964: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? As a coach he always felt and expressed his strong belief that it was a team award/honor and not his individually. He often expressed how YSU gave him the opportunity to do this work that he loved: that was a reward in itself.

In 1976 he became the 13th D-1 coach to ever win 500 games: how big a deal was it at the time? It was a very big deal: success always seems to need a measurement. Dad was always very humble though. He enjoyed working with the players and I know that helping them succeed meant more to him than any number of victories.

He was once quoted as saying, “My idea has always been to play to win, but I’ve never felt you had to win or die”: was he the same person at home depending on whether his team won/lost? Yes: he was quiet and unassuming. Part of winning was hard work: you might not win the game but you could still win at life. After every home game he would stop on the way home to bring us pizza. We would all sit around and talk about the game, both the good and the bad.

He always gave the credit for his success to his players/administration and his coaching philosophy was to be honest with his players and not do anything shady to win: how do you think that his value system would have worked in today’s era of college basketball? I can only reflect on this based on the values he taught us. At any cost he would always stress ethical behavior. If I could ask him that question I know that he would say, “You should always do what is right.” Good coaches can act ethically and still survive the test of time.

He passed away in 2008: when people look back on his career, how do you want him to be remembered the most? I think that people will remember him differently depending on how he touched their lives. Each year there is a group of basketball/baseball players who get together for a long weekend. I visit with them as often as I can: everyone has a story about dad but all would agree that he had a great sense of humor. I think that he would be proudest of the fact that this group of players still stays in touch and gets together to remember him fondly. As busy as he always was he still made time for his family because we were important to him. In addition to coaching he was a carpenter in the summers and always worked hard. His coaching skills are well known. What I have learned in the past few years while sorting through his boxes of memorabilia is how great of an athlete he was. Most children never get to appreciate something like that about their parents.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews South Carolina JR G Zia Cooke

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Jon Teitel

We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with South Carolina JR G Zia Cooke. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Zia about making the Final 4 last April and her expectations for this season.

You played several sports in high school including basketball/softball/soccer/track/cross country: which sport were you best at, and which sport did you enjoy the most? I was best at basketball but was pretty good at track as well. I did not really like cross country because it involved a lot of running but if I had not played basketball then track would have been my next option.

You played for team USA at the 2017 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship and 2018 FIBA U-17 World Cup: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a pair of gold medals? It was a childhood dream: I never thought that I would be able to win a gold medal or have “USA” on my chest. Having that opportunity showed a lot to me.

In the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 9 PTS for the East in a win over the West: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Fran Belibi/Aliyah Boston/other)? Just to be in the same room as a bunch of All-Americans was great: I was really happy to play with my future teammates in Aliyah Boston/Brea Beal and build some chemistry with them.

You were born/raised in Toledo and received offers from more than 60 colleges: what made you choose South Carolina? Dawn Staley! I built a relationship with her and the atmosphere here is great. The main thing I was looking for was a coach who I could come to about anything and she definitely fit that role.

What makes Coach Staley such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Just to stay patient because I cannot have everything at once so I just have to play my role. She has taught me a lot and I learn from her daily: 1 thing is to just look at my options. She does not sugar-coat anything and keeps it real: she tells us exactly what we need to do so it is easy for us to straighten out whatever we need to.

As a freshman you set a school record by starting 33 games for a team that was ranked #1 in the nation and were selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? The seniors on that team helped me out a lot so I learned from them. The coaching staff was always there to teach me everything that I needed to know. It was a hard transition but it was a great transition and helped prepare me for the SEC tourney.

Last year you were named 1st-Team All-SEC/Honorable Mention All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It meant a lot but I was never satisfied with anything that I ever had. I always say that I want more so this year I plan to stay the course and keep doing the things that I have been doing and hopefully the accolades keep getting better.

At the 2021 Final 4 you scored a team-high 25 PTS and tied a tourney-school-record with 5 3PM in a 1-PT loss to Stanford: what did you learn from your postseason run that will help you this year, and how excited are you for a chance at revenge when you host the defending champs in December? The run was really fun but I learned that we have to take care of our bodies: there are a lot of games throughout the season before you even get to the Final 4. It was a smooth ride but now that we have been there before we know what it is like. We have a ways to go before the rematch with Stanford but I want to play every team the same and have our intensity remain the same for each game so that we do not get hit by any surprises.

A lot of college players have started signing NIL deals during the past few months: are you planning to sign a deal, and if so then what kind of deal are you looking for? I have a lot of deals in the works and have probably signed about 5 deals so far. NIL is not my main focus right now: I let my agent take care of all that so I can just focus on basketball.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My goal is to win a national championship and keep growing as a team until we reach our peak together. I want to keep everyone happy so they get what they want. I am a junior now and a vet so I want to help my teammates out and grow as a player.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new Indiana coach Mike Woodson

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Jon Teitel

We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with new Indiana coach Mike Woodson. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Woodson about getting hired at his alma mater and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Indiana: what made you choose Indiana for college? IU was the only place I wanted to play at and Bob Knight was the only coach I wanted to play for.

What made Knight such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He taught us to expect the most of ourselves.

In the 1979 NIT title game you had a 1-PT win over in-state rival Purdue: what did it mean to you to win a title? Anytime you beat Purdue regardless of the circumstances it is a great thing!

That summer you won a gold medal and were the captain/leading scorer for team USA at the Pan Am Games: could you have ever imagined that 42 years later both you and your then-assistant coach (Mike Krzyzewski) would both be college basketball coaches?! I have never really thought of it that way.

In the summer of 1980 you were drafted 12th overall by the Knicks (1 spot behind Kiki Vandeweghe): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was a lifelong dream to play in the NBA: I am proud of what I accomplished as a player and as a coach.

In 2004 as an assistant to Larry Brown in Detroit you won an NBA title: where does that rank among the highlights of your career, and are we going to see Memphis on your schedule anytime soon? It remains one of the biggest highlights of my career: that team played the best defense that I have ever seen. As far as Memphis: there are a lot of moving parts to scheduling.

After spending almost 25 years as an assistant/head coach in the NBA you were hired as head coach at your alma mater last March: how is it going so far, and what is the biggest difference between coaching in the NBA and coaching in college? It has been a great process and everything I have hoped for.

Trayce Jackson-Davis was 3rd-team All-Big 10 as a freshman and 3rd-team All-American as a sophomore: what makes him such a great player, and do you think that he is good enough to be national POY as a junior? He just needs to be the best player for himself and we will see where that takes him.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We want to play our best and be both the best-prepared team on the floor as well as the hardest-playing team.

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Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Roger Craft and Nick Fullerton about Jack Gillespie

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Jon Teitel

There are several great athetes who hail from Montana: 2-time World Series champ Dave McNally was born in Billings, 2006 NCAA scoring champ Adam Morrison is from Glendive, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer grew up in Jordan. Another player on the list is Jack Gillespie: he graduated from Great Falls High School after leading his team to a Montana High School Basketball championship in 1964, then went Montana State and graduated with the most PTS/REB in school history. He was a 2-time Big Sky POY and was later inducted into the Montana State Hall of Fame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jack’s former coach Roger Craft and former teammate Nick Fullerton about Jack’s great career. Today is Jack’s 74th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

Jack graduated from Great Falls High School after leading his team to a state title in 1964: what did it mean to him to win a title? Roger Craft: He had a good ball game. He finally started to come into his own as a senior and was pretty dominant.

What made him choose Montana State? RC: Mainly because we were getting all the kids out there at the time! We were the top ball club in the state and we had good support in Great Falls.

He averaged a double-double during each of his 3 years on the varsity: how did he balance his scoring with his rebounding? RC: He was a great natural rebounder in terms of anticipating where the ball would go and he had great timing. He was great at both offensive/defensive rebounding. He started shooting a hook when he got here and could make it from anywhere on the court while also being able to follow it up at the same time. Nick Fullerton: He was a big presence on the court and was fun to play with. He had a hook shot that nobody else ever had.

He graduated as the school’s all-time leader with 1543 PTS/1011 REB: did you realize at the time how prolific a player he was? RC: I realized how good he was. His biggest problem at 1st was his lack of confidence: he had just come out of a growth spurt and was not sure of himself. When he found out that he could actually do some things then he was all right. He was competitive: he never lost to Montana and took pride in that. NF: No. We knew that he was talented and could do a lot of things.

He was a 2-time Big Sky POY/All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? RC: I think that he was proud of the honors but was not overbearing. He started in the East-West All-Star game as a senior and did a good job there.

He played 2 games in the ABA with the New York Nets during the 1969–70 season before playing 6 years in Europe: how proud are you of all his success? RC: He got traded to New York before heading to Europe. I knew that he had the ability to do it but was unsure if he had the confidence to go along with it. I hoped that the ball club he signed with would develop him, and if so then I knew he would be good in the long run. In the pros you have to prove yourself immediately or you are gone! NF: I think it is unbelievable that a person from Montana could go on to do that: the exposure in the northwest is pretty limited.

In 1999 Sports Illustrated included him on its list of Montana’s 50 all-time greatest athletes: what do people in Big Sky Country think about him? RC: He was 1 of our best athletes but we had others like Mike Lewis at Duke/Wayne Estes at Utah State. He might not be #1 but is definitely in the top-5 of college basketball players. NF: They think the world of him. You know everybody everywhere here and it is primarily due to sports. Everyone was excited about that.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? RC: He is in the school’s Hall of Fame and was highly regarded. NF: I think that he should be remembered for his hook shot! It was such a unique shot and was pretty special.

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