Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Florida State JR G Anthony Polite

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Florida State earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Seminoles lost to Georgia Tech in the ACC tourney title game but still kept their streak alive of making the NCAA tourney ever year since 2017. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Anthony Polite about being a great 3-PT shooter and making the NCAA tourney.

You were born/raised in Switzerland: what are the biggest sports in that country, and how did you 1st get into basketball? The biggest sports are soccer/hockey, but basketball is growing more and more. My father/grandfather both played basketball and I watched a lot of basketball growing up.

Your father Michael scored more than 1000 PTS for the Seminole basketball team: how much of an impact was he on your own decision to attend Florida State, and who is the best athlete in the family? He never put any pressure on me to come here: it was my decision and after my visit I decided that it was the best fit for me. We have a lot of contenders in our family but I would definitely say that I am the best athlete!

You play for Coach Leonard Hamilton: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He cares about us both on and off the court. He wants us to be great on the court and in the classroom and wants us to be okay in life once the ball stops bouncing. He is like a father-figure to all of us.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you beat Vermont/Murray State before losing to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16: what did you learn from that tourney run that you think will help you this time around? You have to focus on 1 game at a time and each possession counts. If you lose then you go home so every detail is important.

What is it like to be a college basketball player during a pandemic? It is definitely different: there are a lot more sacrifices that we have had to make, such as where we go and what we do. You have to keep up with it if you want to stay in line with your goals.

You were an AAU teammate of Raiquan Gray: how close are you 2, and what makes him such a good player? He is a great guy: we always joked about going to college together. We are extremely close and he is 1 of my best friends. He is good at everything and does not have a weakness.

You are shooting 43.9 3P% and your team is #9 in the nation with 39 3P%: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Being consistent and getting into the gym as much as possible. You have to be disciplined and just keep to your routine.

Your team won 9 of 10 games after New Year’s Eve but lost 3 of your past 5 games since late-February: what is the mood of the team heading into March Madness? We are extremely excited and ready to give our all and play our best basketball of the year.

You played 1 game as a true freshman before having to redshirt due to knee injuries, and you missed 4 games last January due to a left shoulder injury: how is your health at the moment? I feel good right now and nothing is bothering me: I cannot wait to get onto the court!

What do you think about being a #4-seed, and what do you know about UNC-Greensboro? We are blessed to be in this position. We know that UNCG has some really good players so we will just go out and play our game.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Ohio cheerleader Alexa Grillis

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Ohio beat Buffalo by 15 PTS in the MAC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Bobcats started 3-4 in conference play but have won 9 of their past 10 games to claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2012. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Alexa Grillis about her future in the legal profession and not being able to join the basketball team in Indianapolis this week.

You were born/raised in Ohio: what made you choose Ohio University? I have had multiple family members attend Ohio University, and as I visited over the years I fell in love with Athens and OU’s beautiful campus. The journalism school is great too.

You did competitive cheerleading for 9 years before college and have been on your college cheer team for 3 years: what is your favorite part of being a cheerleader? My favorite part of being a cheerleader is the athletic discipline and teamwork involved. Cheerleading requires tremendous trust: it entails literally putting your life in your stunt partner’s hands. Personal discipline is also essential for success so it keeps me motivated. While some think of cheerleading as just an accessory to another sport, it is much more than that to us cheerleaders.

What does the cheer team do at basketball games during a normal year? In a normal year the cheer team is very involved and busy during basketball games. There are multiple opportunities for us throughout games to do tumbling, partner stunts, and team mounts. While the game is being played we cheer on the team loudly from behind the hoop. During almost every timeout we go out onto the court and put up team mounts. These include most team members putting together a pyramid. The girls are required to tumble out onto the court and then tumble back to the sideline at the conclusion of the timeout. For every foul shot our team makes, the girls do a standing tuck (standing back flip) which often amounts to a large number in the end. We run out with the team at the beginning of the games and the boys wave OHIO flags. We are constantly moving and/or yelling the whole game.

What do you think the role of a college cheer team is today, and how has it changed over time? I think the role of the college cheer team has moved away from being just something pretty to look at and toward an athletic team with real entertainment value. Although cheerleading is still looked at by some as pretty girls in skirts, it has morphed into something that takes talent and athletic rigor. College cheer teams provide other athletes encouragement in their games, while also giving fans entertainment during breaks and adding to the gameday experience.

You are a senior studying journalism strategic communication with a minor in political science: why did you pick those subjects? I chose to study journalism and political science because I have always been interested in writing and the current political happenings.

You will be attending Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law next fall: why did you choose law, and what is the post-law school plan? I chose law because I see its impact and importance increasing every day. I keep up with politics and happenings of the court, and it is something that I truly enjoy. Post-law school, I hope to be possibly working in government.

How do you like basketball, and is that your favorite sport? I was not the biggest basketball fan before coming to college but the sport has really grown on me. Being at every home game and being so close to the team was an awesome experience and made me appreciate the sport more.

Last Saturday the Bobcats had a 15-PT win over Buffalo in the MAC tourney title game: how excited was the student body after the win to give you your 1st NCAA tourney appearance since 2012? The win was very exciting for the student body and it is special to be an OU student right now. Everyone is really excited and looking forward to cheering on the Bobcats on Saturday!

Due to COVID your team has been unable to participate this season and you will not be traveling with the team to Indianapolis this week: how frustrating is it to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? It is extremely frustrating being unable to cheer at the games during this time, especially as a senior. Missing out on this season and watching from home has been disheartening and difficult, especially when you are used to being at every game. The fact that our team is in the NCAA Tournament this year makes it even more frustrating, but we are so proud of the team and continue to cheer them on from home.

You are playing defending champion Virginia on Saturday: any predictions? Hoping to see a Bobcat upset!

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Middle Tennessee JR G Anastasia Hayes

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday the Middle Tennessee women’s team beat Rice by 3 PTS in the C-USA tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Raiders lost 3 of 4 games by double-digits heading into early-March but turned things around over the past 10 days to claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2016. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Anastasia Hayes about being named conference POY and making the NCAA tourney.

You went 102-5 at Riverdale High School: did it reach a point where you just expected to win every single time that you stepped onto the court? For sure! We had a mindset that we would never get beat, and I think that we went undefeated during my senior year.

You were named Tennessee Miss Basketball in Class AAA in Murfreesboro: what made you choose the Lady Vols? I am from Tennessee and the Lady Vols have a great program that has won 8 titles.

You were named SEC 6th Player of the Year as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I knew the team needed a spark off the bench so I tried to do whatever I could to help, especially on defense.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Middle Tennessee? I needed to be closer to home and to my family. Middle Tennessee has a great program and it was a blessing for me.

You were named C-USA Newcomer of the Year/1st-team All C-USA as a sophomore: how were you able to make such a smooth transition after switching schools? It was hard at 1st but I worked out every single day to get better. I studied the game by watching a lot of film.

You also finished 5th in the nation that year with 221 FTA: how crucial to your success is your ability to get to the FT line? It is very crucial. I get fouled a lot when I drive to the basket and I know that making those FTs are huge. I also want to get better at making the FTs as well!

You are a 5’7” guard: do you see your size as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? I see it as an advantage although I do not really see size. I am fast and play hard with my heart.

This year you were named C-USA POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I am blessed/grateful and it means a lot. I worked hard so to do that in front of my family has been amazing.

In the C-USA conference title game last Saturday you scored 17 PTS in a 3-PT win over Rice en route to being named conference tourney MVP: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? It meant a lot: we had a long season but worked hard despite not knowing what would happen with COVID. I have been so happy for the past 3 days and keep having flashbacks to the win. I am still in shock about how we were able to do it together as a team.

What do you think about being a #14 seed? I do not really know: whatever seed we get and whoever we play, I know that we will play hard.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Middle Tennessee women’s coach Rick Insell

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday the Middle Tennessee women’s team beat Rice by 3 PTS in the C-USA tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Raiders lost 3 of 4 games by double-digits heading into early-March but turned things around over the past 10 days to claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2016. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Coach Rick Insell about being a Hall of Famer and making the NCAA tourney.

You have won more than 1000 games during the past 4 decades: what is the key to being a successful coach? You need to have good players who buy into your system, which I have been fortunate to have. We have brought in some young ladies who understood what we wanted to do.

775 of those wins came at Shelbyville Central High School: what is the biggest difference between coaching in high school vs. coaching in college? I always thought that there was a big difference but my wife humbled me because she said she could not see any difference. Basketball is basketball: you need fundamentals, discipline, etc. Even if you have a good skill set you have to be sound in all facets of your game. Some players (both male and female) do not want to do that after doing their thing on the asphalt: you need people who understand what you want to do as a team.

110 of those wins came in a row: how on earth did you do that?! We never once scheduled a patsy who we thought was an automatic win. There were some of those in the conference but we scheduled the best non-conference teams that we could so that we would be ready to play in the postseason. You never saw Coach Pat Summitt play a rinky-dink team: she got beat a few years…but she dominated in the NCAA tourney. We did not view any 1 game as more important than another. I do not know if we ever mentioned the streak while it was happening, even though the media mentioned it. We won 72 in a row, then lost 1, then won 110 in a row.

In 2017 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It was another humbling day, especially when I got the call from Debbie Antonelli. I talk to her a lot so I did not think anything of it, and then she let me know. It really took my breath away: you never start out coaching to get into the Hall of Fame or for money. Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer are 2 of the best and I think that they would agree. We had a passion for coaching and being around young people and competition. I took the job at Shelbyville and was making $8000/year, which does not take a family far, but I just went out every day and coached. It is 1 of the most amazing awards that I have ever received.

You are the only coach in NCAA history to produce 3 consecutive NCAA scoring champions: what sort of offensive philosophy do you have? I had great players in Amber Holt/Alysha Clark and we got them the ball. Alysha had 4 other teammates who each scored 1000+ PTS so it was not like she was taking every single shot. I think Chrissy Givens was 2nd or 3rd in the nation the year before Amber. When I got the job at Middle Tennessee 16 years ago I was given a piece of advice by some college coaches that I could not bring my high school philosophy to the collegiate level. My wife stepped in and said I needed to do what I did best, so I took my same strategies that I used in high school.

You lost 3 of 4 games by double-digits heading into early-March: how have you been able to turn things around over the past 10 days? A lot of people do not understand this but we had to cancel a lot of non-conference games earlier this year, then went into quarantine for 26 days, came out of it…and missed 22 FTs in a 6-PT loss to Belmont! We later had 7 straight games on the road and then missed 1 week due to COVID and 1 week due to weather. We finally got healthy during the conference tourney and pulled together by winning some tough games. My assistants and I started working on our player’s minds and we felt that we were better than Rice, even though 1 of our best players (Alexis Whittington) went out and shot 1-13.

You only have 1 senior on the roster this year: were you surprised at your team’s success this year because you thought they were 1 year away from doing something special? No: I actually thought last year was going to be 1 of our better teams going into the NCAA tourney before it was cancelled. Early this year we felt that we would have a pretty good team and the young kids stepped it up.

This year Anastasia Hayes was named C-USA POY: what makes her such a great player? She is just gifted with a skill set that very few kids have. I have been coaching for 46 years and it amazes me when some young coaches talk about building a player’s skill set. I find it amusing because it is the good Lord who gave her the skill set she has. All you do is give them a platform to play on and try to allow them to play against the best competition in America. Her parents hauled her all over the country at an early age and she played against great competition. She was a WBCA All-American who signed with Tennessee during 1 of their best recruiting classes ever. She came back to Murfreesboro and knew my son Matt: she came to see what we had here and ended up signing with us. I think that she and her parents are very happy: the grass is not always greener on the other side. She could easily be the leading scorer in the nation but sacrificed that to deliver the ball to her teammates, which has led to our success this month.

In the C-USA conference title game last Saturday you had a 3-PT win over Rice: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? You never know when that last title will come, and the last 2-3 years we have been knocking on the door. We blew a 15-PT lead to Rice a couple of years ago and then they canceled the tourney last year. It was very special to win 1 with my son on my staff: we are fortunate to have him and hope we can keep him. I have a bunch of rings but now all of my players do as well.

What do you think about being a #14 seed? I do not get into that and never have. We have been a 5 before and a 12 before. We are 17-7 and lost a few games so you never know about the Committee but I have never complained about what seed we got. I think that we are a dangerous team and if we play like we are capable of playing and take care of the ball then we got a shot to win a game or 2. This team does not care about size/records/tradition: we won more game on the road this year than at home.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Marist JR G Sarah Barcello

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday the Marist women’s team beat St. Peter’s by 39 PTS in the MAAC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Red Foxes only lost 3 games all year by a combined 14 PTS en route to claiming the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since they made 9 in a row from 2006-2014. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Sarah Barcello about being a good scorer and making the NCAA tourney.

You were born/raised in Arizona: what made you choose Marist? They have an amazing team: I met my future teammates and they were unbelievable. The combination of athletics and academics is also great.

You play for Coach Brian Giorgis: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He knows how to win. I have learned a lot from him because he has been around the game for so long: he is an unbelievable coach.

You played in 33 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was playing behind someone who got injured. I had some amazing senior leaders who took me under their wing and taught me the system.

You finished that year by making the MAAC All-Championship team: where does that 30-PT loss to Quinnipiac rank among the most devastating losses of your career? That is up there, for sure. It has added fuel to the fire for the championship that we just won.

You led your team with 12.9 PPG this year: what is the key to being a good scorer? Great teammates. Allie Best is a phenomenal PG and I would not be getting the ball without her. You just have to get open and make shots.

What is it like to be a college basketball player during a pandemic? It has definitely been challenging because it is not normal. Having good people around me is what helped me get through it.

Last Saturday in the MAAC tourney title game you had 9 PTS/4 STL in a 39-PT win over St. Peter’s: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was unbelievable! I have never had that experience before in college so it showed that our hard work had paid off. We were throwing water on our coach in the locker room and were so happy.

You lost 3 games all year by a combined 14 PTS: how close did you come to going undefeated?! We were definitely close. It was a goal that we tried to reach but all that matters is winning a title.

You missed a few games earlier this year with a foot injury: how is your health doing at the moment? I am hanging in there.

How do you feel about being a 15-seed? I had heard rumors that we would be a 14-seed but we are just happy to be in the tourney and hope to make some noise.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Baylor SR G DiJonai Carrington

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Jon Teitel

Yesterday the Baylor women’s team beat West Virginia by 26 PTS in the Big 12 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Bears only lost 2 games all year by a combined 9 PTS en route to claiming the school’s 18th NCAA tourney bid in a row. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with DiJonai Carrington about playing for a pair of Hall of Famers and making the NCAA tourney yet again.

In 2016 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Lauren Cox/Sabrina Ionescu/other)? I definitely have to go with Sabrina. We are friends and she really thrived during the NCAA tourney and will do so in the WNBA once he gets healthy.

You played 35 games as a freshman and scored 2 PTS vs. South Carolina in the Final 4: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start, and how close did you come to beating the eventual champ? I knew that I had to be ready every game to play my role and do whatever the team needed from me that day. It was such a tough loss for us: we had the lead for the 1st 20 minutes and had opportunities to win that game but ultimately came up short.

You graduated from Stanford last year with a pair of degrees in African and African American Studies and Psychology: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the career plan once you are done with basketball? I was always interested in psychology growing up while watching shows like “Lie To Me” about a behavioral psychologist. Once I got to college I took an African-American Women’s Lives class and was just intrigued by all of the information I had not been taught during high school. I wanted to know my history, both who I am and where I came from.

You only played in 5 games last year due to a knee injury but were awarded a medical hardship and later decided to transfer to Baylor: how is your health doing at the moment? I am great and have not felt this healthy in years. I am excited but still doing preventative rehab.

You have played for a pair of Hall of Fame coaches in Tara VanDerveer/Kim Mulkey: are they very similar or very different kinds of coaches, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from either of them? There is nothing similar about the 2 in their coaching styles/personalities. I have learned so many different things from each of them and am blessed to have played under both of them. Tara’s motto was that scoring could make up for a multiple of sins…and Kim’s is that playing defense will keep you on the court!

What is it like to be a college basketball player during a pandemic? It is definitely tough. I live by myself and am alone a lot when I am not at practice. College is a time where you want to be around your friends/teammates who you are used to spending every moment with, so to try to keep safe/healthy while not having your community around you is not easy. We are blessed that we did not have our season cut short but we feel bad for last year’s seniors who did not have that opportunity.

Last Sunday in the Big 12 tourney title game you scored 14 PTS in a 26-PT win over West Virginia: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It is very exciting: that is the expectation here but we never take it for granted. We knew that we would have to come out every game and play hard for 40 minutes, and that is what we did. Now our focus is on the NCAA tourney so we did not have too much time to celebrate.

You only lost 2 games all year by a combined 9 PTS: how close did you come to going undefeated? We had opportunities to win both of those games but we learned a lot from them: you cannot win games when you put your opponent on the line 40 times. I could not play in the Iowa State loss due to COVID protocol but the Cyclones made tough shots/big plays so you have to hand it to them.

Your sister Diarra played college basketball, your brother Darren played college football, your mother Vickie ran track, and your father Daren spent 8 years in the NFL: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a tough question. In their primes I would say my mom: track bodies are so different and she was also a bodybuilder so she had the physique. Then again, it is not easy to be an NFL safety for 8 years! I am blessed to have those genetics.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? We are not worried about it because we feel that we can beat whoever we face if we play together for 40 minutes. I am expecting a 2-seed: there are about 8 teams who can make an argument for a 1-seed and we are 1 of them. We will come out and show everyone what we are made of.

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