In Memoriam: HoopsHD interviews Bill Mecca about Burt Kahn

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Jon Teitel

The reason that Quinnipiac named its basketball court after Burt Kahn is because in many ways he was the living embodiment of Bobcat basketball. He served as head coach from 1960–1990 and athletic director from 1961–1995. He won 450+ games, back-to-back ECAC New England championships in 1977/1978, and led his teams to 4 D-2 tourney appearances. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Burt’s former assistant Bill Mecca about his boss’s life/legacy. Today is the 17th anniversary of Burt’s passing on July 6, 2004 so we are proud to take this opportunity to remember all of his accomplishments.

Kahn became coach at Quinnipiac in 1960: how did he 1st get into coaching? I recall that he started as a high school coach in Long Island, then later ran the program at the Boys and Girls Club. He eventually got the job here and the rest is history.

He oversaw the transition of the program from NAIA to D-2 in the 1970s: what is the biggest difference between the 2 levels? Burt was always interested in taking the next challenge so I am sure that he was a proponent of the leap.

What are your memories of the 1980 D-2 tourney (he had a 9-PT loss to New Hampshire College and then a 5-PT win over Bryant in the 3rd place game)? It was 1 of the best teams we had back when I was working for Burt: just some talented kids who played well together.

What are your memories of the 1988 D-2 tourney (he lost to New Haven before beating Assumption in the 3rd place game)? That was another 1 of his best teams. We played 5-man motion and probably should have won the whole thing. that year.

In 1996 the school gymnasium was renamed the Burt Kahn Basketball Court: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? It was 1 of the few times in his life that he was speechless. He was a man of many words but he was quite humbled by that whole experience.

You are 1 of his more than 25 former players/assistants who became head coaches themselves: what made him such a great teacher? He taught with such a passion for the game. Great teachers teach but extraordinary teachers explain. There was a science to the game and he took great pride in teaching us all how to be successful. He ingrained in his former players that Xs and Os could give you some control over the game and he cared for his student-athletes.

He remains the winningest coach in school history: what made him such a good coach, and do you think that anyone will ever break his record? He was here forever so I do not think anyone will get that many wins. It is hard to beat his commitment/passion and he had a lot of dedicated kids. He had a huge impact on our entire institution.

In addition to coaching he also served as athletic director: how was he able to balance the 2 gigs? He spent a lot of time on basketball because we did not have a lot of other sports back then. He helped start almost every sport that we ended up having and hired everyone so there was a sense of loyalty because he had given everyone the opportunity to coach. Basketball was more important to him than being AD.

He passed away in 2004: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As a caring individual: I have never met anyone who care more about a department and a sport than Burt did. He was single and the basketball program was his life. He did really well and always tried to make us better people.

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Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews former Tennessee Tech player Wayne Pack

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Jon Teitel

There have only been a handful of players from Tennessee Tech who have played pro basketball, and the best 1 was Wayne Pack. He was 1 of the best PGs in school history, averaging 16.7 PPG with 400+ AST. He was drafted by the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors in 1973, played for the Indiana Pacers in 1975, and was inducted into the Tennessee Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Wayne about having an undefeated high school season and making the ABA. Today is Wayne’s 71st birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

 (photo credit: herald-citizen.com)

In 1969 you teamed with George McGinnis to lead Washington High School to an undefeated record and a state title: how close did Tolleston come to ruining your fairy tale season in the finals, and how good did those burgers taste when you celebrated the win at White Castle?! Tolleston came very close (3 PTS) but not as close as Marion, which was only a 1-PT game earlier that day. The White Castles were great!

Your team averaged over 90 PPG under 6-time state championship coach Bill Green despite playing 8-minute quarters and without a 3-PT line: what made Green such a great coach, and how on earth were you able to score so many points? We were not a run-and-gun team but we did have 2 of the best big men in the history of Indiana high school basketball in McGinnis and Steve Downing, who combined to average over 50 PPG. Louis Day was probably the best athlete on our team: he was a track star as well as a RB on our state championship football team. We had several other players to complement George/Steve. Coach Green was great: when I saw him at the Indiana Hall of Fame induction dinner I got tears in my eyes because he saved my life. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the west side of Indianapolis and after high school kids either got a job in the factory or went to Vietnam. I got cut during each of my 1st 3 years so I only played as a senior. I made the team as a walk-on…then went 31-0 as a starter! Coach Green became the winningest coach in Indiana history.

Why did you decide to go to Tennessee Tech? It was my only option. I wanted to go to school in-state so I contacted Indiana/Purdue/Ball State, but they thought I was either too small or just not ready for D-1 basketball. I got a call from Tennessee Tech during the summer to come down for a tryout, and at the end of the session they offered me a full scholarship.

In 1970 you had a career-high 16 AST vs. Morehead State, which stood as a school record for 2 decades: what is the key to being a good PG, and how were you able to balance your scoring with your passing? The key is to put the team 1st. When you play with legends like George/Steve, who both went on to win pro basketball titles, you just want do whatever it takes to win. If I have to score to win then I will, and if I have to pass to win then I will do that instead. I stepped up my scoring at Tennessee Tech and averaged almost 20 PPG 1 year.

In 1973 you scored a career-high 35 PTS vs. Austin Peay: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I remember that game: Austin Peay had All-American Fly Williams from New York City. I just wanted to show everyone that I could play: I felt that I was as good or better than any other player on the court. I forget how many points Fly ended up with…but I guarantee you it was more than I had! Kids today play in rec leagues and on travel teams, but back then we just went out and played wherever/whenever we could. My best college game was as a sophomore against Western Kentucky, who had Jim McDaniels and was ranked among the best teams in the country. I scored 27 PTS and had about 12-15 AST but we lost the game.

After graduating in 1973 you went back home to work for the Boys’ Club, then tried out for the Pacers and ended up making the team: why did you decide to try out, and how were you able to make the team after taking 1 year off? I love basketball and knew that I could play. I begged my way onto every team that I have ever been on. I was picked in the 1973 NBA supplemental draft by the 76ers but was cut after a couple of weeks. I just decided to try out for the Pacers because they were my hometown team and I ended up beating out PG Bruce King from Texas-Pan American.

In 1974 you played 21 games for Indiana en route to making it to the ABA Finals before losing to Kentucky: what is your favorite memory from your time in the ABA, and how did you enjoy having McGinnis as your teammate again? George and I grew up together so to play with him on the pro level was the icing on the cake. Making the team was amazing: it is what every kid who has ever picked up a basketball dreams about. It is 1 of the things I am proudest of in my life outside of my family, as not a whole lot of people can say that they played professional basketball.

After retiring from the ABA you played in Europe: what did you learn from that experience, and how did it compare to the ABA? It was a great experience, but nowhere near the caliber of play in the ABA. 1 of the things that I cherished most about that was playing in Barcelona with a guy named Collis Temple, who I only later learned was the 1st Black basketball player at LSU.

You later worked as a Senior VP of Human Resources for Brightpoint North America: how did you like the job? We provided logistics and distribution services to the wireless industry. It was a great challenge but I really enjoyed what I was doing.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I would like to be remembered as a guy who put his team 1st, overachieved, and did a lot of things that other people did not think he could do. In the end, I just want to be remembered as a guy who did the best he could do with the talents that God gave him.

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Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews former Sacramento State coach Jerome Jenkins

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Jerome Jenkins has spent a long journey throughout the college basketball landscape. He played at 3 different colleges during 4 years, then was an assistant coach at 4 different schools during the next decade before being named head coach of the Hornets in 2000. He spent 8 years on the sideline before heading south to Santa Monica College in 2008. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Jenkins about being an all-conference PG and the key to playing great defense. Today is Coach Jenkins’ 54th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

At Fairfax High School you were a 2-time All-City player and won a city title in 1985: how good a player were you back then, and what was it like to win the title? I like to think that I was very good and made a good name for myself. We came up just short of the city title during my sophomore and junior years so it was gratifying to finally achieve that goal during my senior year.

You were an all-conference PG at both the JC and college level: how far did you think you could go as a player? I had hoped to make money playing pro basketball, but reality clicked in because I was just not tall enough so I just used basketball to get an education.

You got your degree in criminal justice: why did you choose criminal justice, and what did you do with your degree? I really did not know what I wanted to do, but growing up in LA and hanging out in the streets I just tried to stay out of trouble. I knew a lot of young men who were in and out of jail so I was just interested in going into criminal justice. I started out as a psychology major, but once we got to statistics I switched to criminal justice.

You took a 2-year break after college to work as a youth group home manager in Pittsburg, CA: why did you decide to do that, and what were you able to accomplish? It opened up a lot of doors for me. I thought that I could get a college degree and conquer the world but there was a hiring freeze in the government at the time. I did not want to work at McDonald’s so I got a job working with mentally disabled kids in a group home. I was able to pay my bills and then later I got into coaching.

You later became associate head coach at Diablo Valley College, where you advanced to the Final Four in 1997: why did you choose to go back into coaching, and how close did you come to winning it all that year? It was always my goal to get into coaching. Even in high school my teammates told me that I was like a coach on the floor because I was always on them. My friend David Carter at Reno helped me get the job at Diablo and then he paved the way for me to later head to Eastern Washington. We went 32-6 that year at Diablo, which helped me get a D-1 assistant job.

You coached at Sacramento State from 2000-2008: what is your favorite memory from your time there? My favorite memory was watching the Lakers beat the Kings in the 2002 Western Conference Finals: it was a great rivalry.

Your team led the conference in steals almost every season: how much importance do you place on defense, and how was your team able to get so many steals? I try to make the game fun for the young men so I tell them to get in the passing lanes because defense creates offense. When we fast break and get out in the open floor the guys like to play that way. I am a hard-ass on defense but I do not teach a lot of offensive sets, so if you work hard on defense then you are allowed to be creative on offense.

You later coached at Santa Monica College: how did you like the gig, and what is the biggest difference between a D-1 program and other programs? I was happy to have a job and be back home with my wife and kids in LA.

What do you hope to do in the future, and would you ever leave coaching to do something else? To be honest, I would like to get back to the D-1 level someday as a head coach or even an assistant coach. I hope to not do anything else because I want to retire 1 day as a basketball coach.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I hope that I am thought of as a hard-working guy who wanted to have his players succeed. A lot of coaches can win on the court but do not care about how their players do in the classroom: I am proud that I graduated most of my players at Sacramento. I do want to win but I also want to give my guys a chance at succeeding in life.

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Chatting with the Champ: HoopsHD interviews 1999 NBA champ Antonio Daniels

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Jon Teitel

As the NBA playoffs are reaching their conclusion we take a moment to remember a prior playoff season that lasted late into June. The 1998-99 regular season got a late start due to the 3rd-ever lockout in league history, followed by a 50-game regular season that ran through early-May and a playoff run by the Spurs that culminated with a win over the Knicks in the Finals. That San Antonio team led by Gregg Popovich had an amazing roster full of Hall of Fame big men (Tim Duncan/David Robinson), a guy who has won 8 rings so far as a player/coach (Steve Kerr), and arguably the greatest Australian player ever (Andrew Gaze). Another member of the squad was Antonio Daniels: 1994 MAC ROY, 1997 MAC POY, and an NBA veteran who played in 3 different decades. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Antonio about being a lottery pick and winning a championship. Today is the 22nd anniversary of Antonio winning an NBA title on June 25, 1999.

What are your memories of the 1997 NIT (you had 38 PTS/8 AST/6 STL in a loss to West Virginia that was the final game at Bowling Green for Coach Jim Larranaga)? My only memory is that we lost: it was my final college game.

That season you averaged 24 PPG/6.8 APG and were named MAC POY/All-American: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? To be named All-American while coming from a mid-major school was a big deal: mid-majors did not get a whole lot of credit back then.

In 1997 you were drafted 4th overall by Vancouver (1 spot behind Chauncey Billups): did you see that as a validation of your college career or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA? Both: I feel like I deserved it, as I had worked very hard from my freshman year through my senior year to get there.

In 1998 you scored 14 PTS/7-11 FG in the Rookie Game during All-Star Weekend, which featured fellow rookies Billups/Tracy McGrady/Keith Van Horn: what is your favorite memory from that weekend? It was a fun weekend, period. Nothing stands out about the game itself but it was amazing in 1 year to go from playing at Bowling Green to playing at All-Star Weekend.

You won an NBA title as a member of the Spurs in your very 1st trip to the playoffs in 1999: what made that team so great? What made us so great were the leaders we had: David Robinson/Tim Duncan/Avery Johnson/etc. It was a professional team and a professional organization, both on and off the court.

In 2004 you led the NBA in AST/TO ratio: what is the secret to being a great PG? Just handling the ball and making the right decisions, which is easier said than done. You have to live on the edge a bit but ball security is very important when you are a backup PG.

Despite playing for 5 different teams from 1999-2009 you made the playoffs in 10 of those 11 seasons: did each new crop of teammates feel like you were their “lucky charm”? I am not sure about that but it was huge to make the playoffs. Helping my team get there was something that I focused on every year. There are lots of players who never get there so I was very blessed.

You later played in the D-League for the Texas Legends: what is the biggest between the NBA and the D-League? The biggest difference is the teaching aspect. In the D-League, you start from ground zero and work your way up. In the NBA, the coaches assume that you know a lot of stuff already.

You earned around $50 million during your career: how have you used your money to give back to the community? I always try to give back. I held a basketball camp every summer for almost 20 years and have enjoyed working with kids in each community that I lived in, be it San Antonio, DC, etc. Basketball is my passion and I try to share that passion with others.

You wore #33 to honor your brother Chris (a starting center at Dayton who passed away in 1996 after a heart attack): how did you cope with his death, and what impact has he had on your life? I coped with his death by just staying in the gym, which became my sanctuary. He passed away after my junior year: after spending my 1st summer without him in the gym every day it led to a big year during my senior year. He is my role model to this day as I wear a band on my arm that says, “I am my brother’s keeper”.

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2021 NBA Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on July 29th and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Houston already has John Wall at the 1-spot then they are probably not selecting a point guard with the #2 overall pick. Please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL/YEAR OR COUNTRY)
1. Detroit: Cade Cunningham, PG/SG (Oklahoma State/FR)
2. Houston: Jalen Green, SG (G-League/FR)
3. Cleveland: Evan Mobley, PF/C (USC/FR)
4. Toronto: Jalen Suggs, PG (Gonzaga/FR)
5. Orlando: Jonathan Kuminga, SF/PF (G-League/FR)
6. Oklahoma City: Scottie Barnes, SF/PF (Florida State/FR)
7. Golden State: Davion Mitchell, PG (Baylor/JR)
8. Orlando: Moses Moody, SG (Arkansas/FR)
9. Sacramento: Keon Johnson, SG/SF (Tennessee/FR)
10. New Orleans: James Bouknight, SG (UConn/SO)
11. Charlotte: Franz Wagner, SF/PF (Michigan/SO)
12. San Antonio: Jalen Johnson, SF (Duke/FR)
13. Indiana: Kai Jones, C (Texas/SO)
14. Golden State: Josh Giddey, PG (Australia/INTL)
15. Washington: Corey Kispert, SG/SF (Gonzaga/SR)
16. Oklahoma City: Tre Mann, PG (Florida/SO)
17. Memphis: Ziaire Williams, SG/SF (Stanford/FR)
18. Houston: Jaden Springer, SG (Tennessee/FR)
19. New York: Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG (Illinois/JR)
20. Atlanta: Cameron Thomas, SG (LSU/FR)
21. New York: Chris Duarte, SG (Oregon/SR)
22. LA Lakers: Usman Garuba, PF/C (Spain/INTL)
23. Houston: Miles McBride, PG (West Virginia/SO)
24. Houston: Alperen Sengun, C (Turkey/INTL)
25. LA Clippers: Isaiah Jackson, PF (Kentucky/FR)
26. Denver: Greg Brown, SF/PF (Texas/FR)
27. Brooklyn: Sharife Cooper, PG (Auburn/FR)
28. Philadelphia: Josh Christopher, SG (Arizona State/FR)
29. Phoenix: Jared Butler, PG/SG (Baylor/JR)
30. Utah: Trey Murphy III, SG (Virginia/JR)

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Going for the Gold: HoopsHD interviews 2021 USA Basketball U19 World Cup team finalist Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Jon Teitel

For those of you who cannot wait until Midnight Madness tips off this fall, you can see the stars of tomorrow in a couple of weeks at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Featuring the best basketball players in the world ages 19 or younger, the USA will try to defend its gold medal from 2019 when it was led by several players who are expected to be lottery picks next month including Cade Cunningham/Jalen Green/Jalen Suggs. 1 of the finalists for this year’s USA roster is Patrick Baldwin Jr., who was selected as the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020, became a McDonald’s All-American last February, and was named to the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team last March. Team USA will head to Latvia next week to try to win another gold medal, but before they do HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Patrick about choosing Milwaukee for college and whether the Bucks will win an NBA title next month.

As a freshman at Hamilton High School in Wisconsin you scored 22 PTS in the state semifinals but Carson Smith missed a 28-footer at the buzzer in a 1-PT loss to top-ranked Oshkosh North: did you think that Carson’s shot was going in, and could you tell at the time that Tyrese Haliburton (who made the All-Tourney team at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup) was good enough to become a lottery pick? I had only been around for a year at that point but after that game we were pretty sure that Tyrese would have a great future. It was a heartbreaking loss but Carson had a good look, which is all that we could ask for.

In 2020 you were named Gatorade Player of the Year for Wisconsin after averaging 24.3 PPG/10.8 RPG: how do you balance your scoring with your rebounding? The big thing on defense is securing the possession so I do whatever I can on the boards to make that happen. I need to produce for our team to win so scoring is also important.

During the second game of your senior season you suffered a season-ending ankle injury: how bad was the injury, and how is your ankle doing now? The ankle injury was not as bad as I thought. I am 100% now and it will not affect me long-term: it was just a freak accident.

In February you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant the world to me to put my name up there with the past great players who I grew up watching. I shared the honor with my parents/coaches: it is still surreal. I wish that we could have actually played the game this year but it was still pretty special.

You are 6’10”: what position did you play in high school, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? I played a combo forward (3/4) in high school and occasionally slipped to the 2 guard: we were just out there playing basketball without worrying about positions. I was most comfortable as a 3 but will play anywhere on the court in college since my dad is the coach!

Last month you committed to play for your father at Milwaukee, becoming the highest-rated recruit to ever commit to a Horizon League program: how difficult was the decision, and how excited are you about joining a team with so much other size (7’1” Moses Bol/7’ Samba Kane/6’10” Joey St. Pierre)? I am super-excited to get going with my dad. It is the 1st time in a while that I have played with so much good size, which will take a lot of pressure off me on both offense/defense and allow me to be more creative on the court.

1 of the many great schools that you got an offer from was Duke: were you surprised when Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced a few weeks ago that he was going to retire next year? I was super-happy for him. I watched a lot of his teams growing up featuring players such as Shane Battier/Justise Winslow/Jayson Tatum: they were on TV anytime you turned it on. To see him go out with a bang will be special. Coach Jon Scheyer (his replacement) recruited me and has known my father for a while.

On Monday you were named a finalist for the 2021 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team that will play in Latvia next month: what does it mean to you to represent your country, and how do you like having another player from Wisconsin on the roster in Jonathan Davis? Playing with Jonathan has been great. Showing what our state can do is special because not a lot of people know about the talent that we have here. Wearing USA on my chest is great and with COVID going to the wayside I am happy for the chance to compete for a gold medal.

Your father Pat (basketball) and your mother Shawn (volleyball) were both athletes at Northwestern: who is the best athlete in the family? We have this debate at the dinner table all the time but I will have to give the nod to my father: he wins it pretty handily.

This is a great time for basketball in Wisconsin: how far do you think the Bucks will go next month?! They have a really good chance to win a championship this year. I went to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and enjoyed seeing how Giannis Antetokounmpo plays on offense and how Brook Lopez spaces them defensively. I am excited for them to keep it going because the more they win, the more games I get to watch!

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