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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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Princeton women’s coach Carla Berube

Posted on September 30, 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 Princeton women’s coach Carla Berube. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Berube about not getting to play last season and her expectations for this season.

In 1995 as a player at UConn your team went 35-0 and became 1 of a handful of teams to win an NCAA title while going undefeated: how were you able to do it, and where does that team rank among the greatest in the history of the sport? It is hard to rank something throughout the entire history of the sport, much less the 11 national champs at UConn. The basketball of the 1990s is certainly different than today but we had 1 of the greatest teams of that era due to our talent/coaching and the chip on our shoulder. I think that we could have played with anybody. It was just about focusing on the next game/team in front of you: if you look too far ahead then you are setting yourself up for a loss. Coach Geno Auriemma kept us focused on staying the course and we had a lot to prove. It was not as hard as it sounds…but we knew that we had to bring our “A” game every single night.

What makes Geno such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He really cares deeply about his team both as players and people. He takes great care in constructing his teams: he brings in really good people who fit the culture that he has built with assistant coach Chris Dailey. He does not just take any 5-star athletes he can get: they must be smart/unselfish/driven. He does a great job of stripping away any selfishness: it is about winning as a team and respecting the game/each other/your opponent. He gets the most out of you by pushing the right buttons to make you the best player you can be during your 4 years. From ages 18-22 there is a lot of maturing going on and he is a really great leader. He has come up with the right recipe for success and you want to play hard for him and get positive feedback from him/your teammates.

You were head coach for team USA at the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup: what did it mean to you to win a pair of gold medals, and which of your players impressed you the most (Paige Bueckers/Azzi Fudd/other)? It was an incredible honor to have coached those 2 teams and been a part of USA Basketball. It is hard to pick out just 1 or 2 players but it was fun to see Paige/Azzi in those young age groups. To see where they are now speaks volumes to their love of the game and the passion/work ethic they have: I am excited to see them play together this year. Aliyah Boston was also a wonderful young woman who has become a star: so many of them are now at the top of the college game.

You went 384-96 in 17 seasons as head coach at Tufts, made the Sweet 16 for 8 years in a row, and were named 2015 D-3 national COY: what is the biggest difference between D-3 and D-1? There are not as many differences as people might think: there are more similarities. 1 of the biggest differences is getting to work with your players during the off-season, which does not happen in D-3. There are also some differences in recruiting/travel and the level of athlete, but as far as the drive/passion/ability to work together it totally transfers among levels so I have not had to change who I am as a coach. The root of it all is pretty similar.

After being hired at Princeton in 2019 you went 26-1 (with only a 2-PT OT loss at Iowa) and were named conference COY: how close did you come to going undefeated, and what was your reaction when you learned that the NCAA tourney was canceled due to the pandemic? We were VERY close to being undefeated…but that loss early in the season allowed us to learn a lot, so who knows if we would have won 22 in a row after that? It was heartbreaking when we learned that the tourney was canceled: we had such a great run and won our conference championship and were playing some really great basketball. Our seniors did not get to end their careers the way they should have, but we were still grateful for having a great season and will always think back fondly on that season as 1 of 2 teams in the nation that only had 1 loss (along with South Carolina).

You are a member of the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I was lucky enough to have been on some great teams: I won 2 state titles in high school and then had a great college career at a storied institution. I had great teammates/coaches and anytime you get an individual honor you know that it has to do with being on great teams and having great people around you.

The Ivy League canceled all of its athletics last year: what have you been up to for the past 18 months?! I did get to watch a lot of basketball last year, which I normally do not. I got to take a little break and enjoy it with my 3 young kids so that was a nice silver lining. I am still part of the Princeton community and have been working on a lot of initiatives, but as a coach you are always recruiting and trying to get the best/brightest student-athletes. We had a lot of team meetings via Zoom and watched some film together even though we could not always be together on the court. We wanted to keep our basketball minds working even when gyms/parks were not open. Some players had internships and some took online classes so we just tried to make the most of it.

They also announced that this year conference play will take place over the course of 10 weeks (rather than the traditional 8 weeks) to allow student-athletes time to succeed both in the classroom and on the court: what impact will this have on you as a coach (if any)? The reason why it was the other way is because Princeton holds exams after winter break so I am just used to it. I think it will be beneficial by giving our bodies the rest we need with fewer back-to-back games. There is also an opportunity to play some non-conference games during that span.

You have a roster that includes players from 10 different states: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? We are looking for the best out there from all over the country/world. We are just scouring the land for the best/brightest/most talented players who will fit into what Princeton is. I am lucky to recruit players to 1 of the top universities in the world so it is fun to pick up the phone and talk about Princeton. We want people who can help elevate our program/community.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We will take it 1 game at a time. We are young and had quite a few players take a gap year. It will take a little time to figure out our identity and what we are capable of so I am looking forward to starting our scrimmages in October. I want to get better every single day so that we are playing our best basketball come the conference season. It is the same philosophy as my 35-0 season back in college: have fun/come to work/enjoy it. There is gratitude to be back on the court…but there is also a hunger to it after not having a season last year. I love the energy that I have seen so far and am looking forward to practice.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton

Posted on September 29, 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 Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Boynton about making the NCAA tourney last March and his expectations for this season.

You grew up as a PG in Brooklyn: what made you choose South Carolina for college? Just the relationship I had with Eddie Fogler and his coaching staff. I felt that I could have success there both on and off the court.

How good a player were you back in the day, and how did you 1st get into coaching? How low can the rating go?! I was a decent player but am just thankful that Coach Fogler saw something in me. I was a hard worker and had some decent leadership qualities/ball handling skills. I got into coaching on the advice of Fogler as well as Coach Dave Odom, who both encouraged me to get into the profession. I give a lot of credit to those 2 men, but also to my high school coaches.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney as an assistant at Oklahoma State you had a 1-PT loss to Michigan: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot the Wolverines (who made 16 3PM) put up went in because their entire team was “in the zone”? That Michigan squad was a team of destiny after surviving a plane crash on the way to the Big 10 tourney…which they ended up winning. It was a great game even though there was not a lot of defense played by either team.

You and Brad Underwood were fellow assistant coaches to Darrin Horn at your alma mater, then you became Brad’s assistant at Stephen F. Austin/Oklahoma State before replacing him as head coach: how close did you come to following him to Illinois? Brad never worked for Darrin: instead he replaced Darrin on the staff under Coach Frank Martin. I considered following him to Illinois but I turned my attention to getting the job here.

Last February/March you beat 6 ranked teams in a 19-day stretch: how was your team able to stay focused for 3 weeks in a row? I give a lot of credit to my staff and the players for having some resiliency. Going through the Big 12 is a true gauntlet every night so we just tried to be the best team that we could be.

Your former player Cade Cunningham (the 1st AP 1st-Team All-American in school history) was drafted 1st overall by Detroit last summer: what makes him such a great player, and how do you think he is going to do in the NBA? A lot of things! The measurables speak for themselves, as does his basketball IQ. 2 big things are that he really cares about winning and is a tremendous teammate even though he is a superstar himself.

In the 2021 NCAA tourney your team beat Liberty before losing to Oregon State: what did your team learn from that run that will help them this year? We had not been in the NCAA tourney very consistently during the past decade so it was good to get back there and learn what it takes to advance. Playing multiple weekends is the ultimate goal.

Last year you set a school record with 5 Academic All-Big 12 selections (Avery Anderson III/Kalib Boone/Keylan Boone/Isaac Likekele/Dee Mitchell): how much importance do you place on academics? It is the most important thing that we do here: we want our players to understand the value of an education even if they just want to become a professional athlete. It is imperative that our staff understands that mission.

Your brutal non-conference schedule includes games against NC State/Wichita State/Xavier/Houston/USC/Florida: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? The toughest game I am thinking about right now is our regular season opener against UT-Arlington. We have a bunch of new guys this year so we are not caught up in worrying about any other teams right now: we have 6 weeks to get prepared.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My only goal is that this team becomes the best it can possibly be, whatever that is. I want our guys to enjoy the opportunity to be on this stage and compete, but also focus on the process of improving.

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Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews Hall of Famer Carol Blazejowski

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Jon Teitel

As the WNBA Playoffs are drawing to a close we take this time to remember Carol Blazejowski: 1 of the greatest scorers in the history of women’s basketball. At Montclair State College she was a 3-time All-American, won the inaugural Wade Trophy as the best female player in the nation, and led the nation in scoring in both 1977/1978. She later worked in the NBA front office and as president of the New York Liberty before returning to her alma mater as Associate Vice President for University Advancement. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with “The Blaze” about being a great scorer and making the Hall of Fame. Today is her birthday so let us be the 1st to wish her a happy 1!

Your nickname is “The Blaze”: who gave it to you, and how do you like it? The media gave me that name while I was at Montclair State: I love it. When I returned here everyone called me “Carol” but I never responded because I was so used to hearing “Blaze”!

You led the nation in scoring in back-to-back years at Montclair State with 34 PPG in 1977 and 38.6 PPG in 1978: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Practice, focus, and commitment: it takes hours and hours of dedication. Scoring was my strength but all I wanted was a win, otherwise it was all for naught.

On March 6, 1977 you set a Madison Square Garden record with 52 PTS in a game against Queens College: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? It was an 11AM tip-off, which was pretty early. We trailed in the 1st half and I was playing awful. I picked up my 4th foul early in the 2nd half and my coach called a timeout. He said that he was not taking me out and that I should just keep taking jump shots, so I did.

You were a 3-time All-American and won the inaugural Wade Trophy as the national POY in 1978: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? Nobody even knew where our school was half the time so I was proud to give us some name recognition. It was a tremendous honor, especially because there will never be another “1st” person to win the Wade Trophy.

In the 1978 AIAW Final 4 you scored 40 PTS in an 8-PT loss to eventual champion UCLA: how close did you come to getting the win, and how much of a home-court advantage did the Bruins have at Pauley Pavilion? It was Ann Meyers’ birthday so they had even more emotion than normal: she is still a great friend of mine. I was inspired by playing in such a historic building where John Wooden had coached but I do not recall the crowd affecting the outcome of the game. UCLA had a great team and beat us fair and square: we later won the 3rd-place game in OT to get a little salvation.

After being cut from the 1976 Olympic team, you were chosen for the 1980 Olympic team but did not get to play due to the US boycott: as someone who accomplished so much during your career, how does it feel to have missed out on playing in the Olympics? Getting cut in 1976 motivated me to work hard for the next 4 years to make it in 1980: it was a great honor to be named captain of that team. There was no pro league for women back then so the Olympics were the pinnacle of our sport. It was out of my control that we could not compete but I feel confident that we would have won. I was emotionally and mentally distraught, which took its toll on me, but I am proud to have been an Olympian.

You spent several years working in the NBA’s front office: what did you do, and how did you like it? I had 2 different jobs. I was a director of licensing, which was fantastic because I got to work with fun products. I later worked for USA Basketball under Val Ackerman and worked on the game plan for the WNBA, which was a wonderful learning experience. I am a basketball junkie so working for the NBA was a big deal for me.

In 1994 you were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is right up there. As a kid there were not even college scholarships for women, nor a pro league, so it never crossed my mind that I would ever end up in the Hall of Fame. It is special when you look at the roster of inductees such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Larry Bird. I look forward to going back each year for the annual induction ceremony.

In 1999 as GM of the New York Liberty you became what is believed to be the 1st pro sports executive to publicly acknowledge that you are gay: why did you decide to come out, and what was the reaction like? We were having children and I thought it was a big deal to be honest with myself and my children and the public. It was a bold step but it was the right decision and I have never looked back. It took a little bit of courage/security in myself but it was not about me.

In 2011 you were named Associate VP for University Advancement at your alma mater: what have you been able to accomplish so far, and what do you hope to do in the future? Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would find my way back to the place where I started. It has been an adjustment to go from corporate America to the educational sector, but it has helped my work-life balance. I do a lot of marketing/communications within my pretty big portfolio: we are the 2nd-largest school in New Jersey behind Rutgers. I would love to get back into athletics in some capacity down the road but am just enjoying watching my son play basketball. I would also love to retire and play some golf and be on a beach someday!

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews North Texas coach Grant McCasland

Posted on September 28, 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 North Texas coach Grant McCasland. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McCasland about getting the 1st tourney win in school history and his expectations for this season.

You played basketball at Baylor: how good of a 5’8” player were you back in the day, and how did you 1st get into coaching? I was not a great player but loved being a part of a team and did anything I could to help them win. I thought that I would get into business after college and worked at a church but loved being a coach more than anything.

In 2007 as head coach at Midland College you beat Chipola College to win the NJCAA title: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how did you balance being a coach with driving the team bus?! It meant that we could set an expectation that anything could happen. You dream about those things but the affirmation was even better. We lost our best player during the season and ended up starting a walk-on after that. It was fun to see the whole process take shape and learn how to win a championship. We are not as important as we think we are, so as long as you are willing to do whatever it takes (including driving a bus) then that is what you should do.

You were an assistant to Scott Drew at your alma mater from 2011-2016 where you won the 2013 NIT: what makes him such a great coach, and how excited were you for him when he won the NCAA title last April? Scott is the ultimate learner and has the biggest heart of service of anyone I have been around. It was a unique experience but it was great to work with a guy who never made it about him: he is the most egoless person and tried to help everyone around him reach their goals. When he was about to win it I knew that he would be even more excited for everyone else. He called me the day of the game to make sure that I had my tickets: he is always about other people.

In 2016 you were hired as head coach at Arkansas State, and after a 20-win season you were hired as head coach at North Texas and had another 20-win season in 2017: how were you able to come in and be so successful at 2 different schools in back-to-back years? The staff was the biggest reason. They were extremely unselfish and cared about our players 1st. We were committed to loving our team while also holding them accountable, which was our goal. We had some hard times but stuck together and had some success.

In the 2018 CBI Finals you lost Game 1 to San Francisco: how were you able to regroup to win back-to-back games to clinch the title? We knew that we would get some home games after starting on the road. It was a long regular season and we did not play well toward the end but won 4 straight games to get to that final series. We knew what it took to bounce back and our fans were tremendous: you do not always get a chance to win a championship in your own building!

In 2020 you won the school’s 1st regular season title in 31 years and were named conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? You know the deal: it is about how you operate as a program. If you watched 1 of our practices you would see that we just have a group of people who love each other. It was a blessing to work with those guys every day.

In the 2021 postseason you had a 4-PT OT win over Western Kentucky in the CUSA tourney title game and then a 9-PT OT upset of Purdue for the 1st NCAA tourney win in school history: how was your blood pressure doing by the end of that week, and where does it rank among the highlights of your career? Every team is unique so it is hard to figure out how that team fits in, but when I look back at the impact we all made on a daily basis it is special. You always dream of playing in the NCAA tourney but to actually win a tourney game as a coach is so unique/difficult. It was as good of an experience that I have ever been a part of after missing out the previous year due to COVID. Blood pressure is not even in the equation: you are just believing in each other.

You lost 3 senior starters from last year (Javion Hamlet/Zachary Simmons/James Reese): how will you try to replace all of that offense/experience? The biggest thing for us is that we cannot replace them: we just have to use our new personnel and will have to move the ball better and play with pace. We will have more of a perimeter attack and will play a little quicker.

Your wife Cece played soccer at Texas Tech: who is the best athlete in the family? My wife: it is not close! She started/played in more meaningful games than me and is tough as nails.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Our expectations are high: we are aiming for a conference title at the start of every single year. If you ask our team they would tell you the same thing: they want to get back to the NCAA tourney and are excited to get the season rolling.

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