Do not drop the Mike: HoopsHD interviews McDonald’s All-American Michael Foster

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Jon Teitel

If you want to win an NCAA title you need a good coach, a great resume…and a McDonald’s All-American. Only 1 championship team since 1979 has not featured such a player (Maryland in 2002). The McDonald’s All-American Game did not take place last spring and will not be taking place this spring due to COVID, sadly. However, the rosters were announced on February 23rd after selecting the 24 best players in the nation from a list of several hundred nominees. If you do not think these guys can make an immediate impact in the fall, just ask Coach Mark Few how he likes having 2020 honoree Jalen Suggs at Gonzaga! Michigan seems to be the big winner so far as Coach Juwan Howard will be having a trio of 2021 honorees join him in Ann Arbor this fall. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Michael Foster about being named a McDonald’s All-American and how he celebrated his 18th birthday earlier this month.

You made a last-second jumper for Washington to clinch a win over La Crosse Central in the 2019 state semifinals: did you think the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I felt I would make it because I work on rhythm shots like that. It was 1 of my bigger shots.

Following that season you transferred to Hillcrest Prep: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Hillcrest? The competition: I love facing good competition but a lot of seniors had graduated so I would have only had a couple of games against big men had I stayed there. Hillcrest had DeAndre Ayton in the past and they were putting together a good team to play against other high-major guys. Just like 1 of my favorite quotes: “Iron sharpens iron”.

You have said that Coach Chianti Clay Sr. “changed my life”: how did he do so, and how close are the 2 of you? I never really played competitive basketball before meeting him but he just liked me because I practiced hard. He showed me how to be a professional and train every day: he is not in it for the money and showed me how to prepare both on and off the court. He pushes me really hard.

What has been the hardest part of being a high school basketball player during a pandemic? The lack of fans! Last year we would have 12,000 at our sold-out games…but this year we only have about 200. It has also been hard because we cannot travel as much to play other teams in different cities.

This year you are averaging almost 7 BPG: what is the key to blocking shots? Letting the ball leave your opponent’s hand first before you begin to jump, and making sure to leave a little space in between so you do not foul him.

On Tuesday you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? To be recognized as a “Burger Boy” is amazing: there are so many star players who made the list in the past.

The only other player from Wisconsin (where you were born/raised) to be named a McDonald’s All-American was 2020 Gatorade state POY Patrick Baldwin, Jr. from Sussex: did you ever play with/against Patrick, and how well do you know him? I played both with and against him: we even got stuck at an airport together 1 time! He is a good friend and I think he will have a nice long career.

You are 6’9”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in the future? I am closer to 6’10”/240 pounds: I have been lifting a lot of weights! I can play the 3 in a pinch but prefer to be a mismatch at the 4 at any level due to my ability to pick-and-pop.

You turned 18 earlier this month: what did you do for the big day? We played laser tag and rode around in some go-carts that went 50 MPH!

You have received offers from several great schools including Florida State but are also considering options including Grambling, the G League, or playing pro overseas: when do you plan to make a final decision? I am thinking of announcing in April. I like Georgia/Florida State as well as some overseas options: I am tossing and turning every night!

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Feb 24th

Posted on February 24, 2021 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

-It was a pretty crazy night with two top ten teams losing to opponents who are nowhere near the bubble, and Baylor trailing for most of the game against Iowa State before finally getting control of it in the final minute of play.

-Illinois wasn’t as lucky.  Just the other night we were talking about how well they were playing and discussing how we thought they could end up on the #1 line.  Then they go out and pretty much get handled by a Michigan State team that almost no one thinks is in the field right now.  It wasn’t a backbreaking loss by any means, and there is a good chance they still end up on the #2 line, but it was a bit of a surprise.  Sparty may have opened a path for themselves to make the field, but they’ve still got a ton of work to do between now and the end.

-Oklahoma had an even more inexplicable loss.  They fell 62-57 to a Kansas State team that hasn’t looked any good at all at any point this season.  Like Illinois, Oklahoma was really playing well.  Again, it’s much more of a surprise than a setback.  The Sooners will still likely end up as a protected seed and will have multiple chances to make up for it.

-Virginia Tech was another ranked team that went down in a bit of a surprising result.  Georgia Tech just walked all over the Hokies last night 69-53.  Georgia Tech has looked really good at times, and they still may have a path to the NCAA Tournament, but they will really need to finish strong and play well in the conference tournament in order to get there.

-Texas picked up a big win over Kansas in what was probably the game of the night.  IT was close all throughout and it actually went into overtime.  Kansas had gone through a slump back in January, but they had totally pulled out of it and were playing really well heading into this one.  Texas was coming off a close loss to a very good West Virginia in a game that was equally as exciting.  They ended up on the right side of it last night.  Both teams will likely end up as protected seeds.

-Ole Miss bounced back from their loss to Mississippi State to pick up another big win last night, and take another big step toward making the NCAA Tournament.  They went on the road and knocked off Missouri (who has hit a bit of a tailspin themselves) 60-53.

-LSU, who had been playing really well and appeared to be making a case that they were a solid tournament team, did not play really well yesterday.  They fell to a Georgia team that nearly everyone was expecting them to beat 91-78

-Richmond and VCU, two bubble teams in the Atlantic Ten, picked up wins yesterday as well.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-CLEMSON AT WAKE FOREST (ACC).  Clemson is in really good shape right now, since they only have one true road win on the season a win today could help improve their resume even though it doesn’t seem like it would be that big of a win on paper.  Doubling their total number of road wins is at least something.

-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT DAVIDSON (Atlantic Ten).  Every remaining game will feel like a big game for the Bonnies because they may have a smaller margin for error when it comes to proving themselves because they played in fewer games.

-NC STATE AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Virginia has lost two straight and needs this one more as a bounce back win than they do anything else.  So long as they don’t go into a complete tailspin they should end up as a protected seed.

-MARQUETTE AT NORTH CAROLINA (ACC).  North Carolina is coming off a blowout win against Louisville and is in a stretch where they’re playing better now than they have all season.  This is another winnable home game for them.

-SETON HALL AT BUTLER (Big East).  Seton Hall continues to hover around our bubble, and around a lot of other people’s bubbles as well.  They need to hold serve in games like this in order to stay on the right side of it.

-INDIANA AT RUTGERS (Big Ten).  It’s getting close to panic time for Indiana.  They’ve got four tough games remaining in the regular season and they probably need to win at least two of them to feel completely safe.  Rutgers is in better shape, but they could still use a few wins themselves, so both teams have quite a bit to play for tonight.

-FLORIDA STATE AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  Florida State seems to be playing as well as anyone in the ACC, and this game should be a layup win for them, but it is a road game and it is against a rival, so they better not completely overlook them.

-ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  This should be the game of the night.  Both teams are in a stretch where they are playing great basketball.  Alabama has already established themselves as a top ten team, and while Arkansas didn’t really get rolling until the last week or two, they can show that they are capable of beating highly ranked teams tonight,w which would give their resume a huge boost.

-DEPAUL AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  If Creighton can finish strong they’ll have a strong case for a protected seed.  They are pretty much a lock for the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens, but they could certainly slide down the seedlist if they go into a tailspin.

-TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT (SEC).  Tennessee is slumping.  They’re in no danger of missing the field, but they’ve lost two of their last three and just haven’t looked like a solid protected seed ont he court for a while now.  Perhaps a road win against a rival will get their motor started again.

-XAVIER AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Xavier is right on the bubble, so every game feels like a big game.  Their record is solid, but they  could still use a little more meet on their profile.  Another road win would certainly help.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Wednesday, February 24

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Chad

Sam Houston State at Abilene Christian, 8:30 PM Eastern, espn+

First place in the Southland Conference is at stake in tonight’s Under the Radar Game of the Day as Sam Houston State (17-6 overall, 11-1 in conference) is at Abilene Christian (18-3 overall, 10-1 in conference) in a battle that might decide the top seed in the Southland tournament.  The Bearkats of Sam Houston State have only lost once in conference pay, at Stephen F Austin, and with a 64-57 home win over AC already in hand, will be in firm control of the league with a win tonight.  Zach Nutall (19 points per game) and Demarkus Lampley (15 points per game) continue to lead the way for SHSU.

Abilene Christian will look for much better results tonight than inn the prior game between the two teams.  In addition to being at home tonight, ACU will have second-leading scorer Coryon Mason (10.3 points per game) available after he missed the teams’ prior meeting due to injury.  Kolton Kohl (11.9 points per game) and Joe Pleasant (10.1 points per game) are both double digits scorers for the Wildcats as well.  The winner of tonight’s game may be in the driver seat for the league title, but Stephen F Austin, a team ineligible for the Southland and NCAAA Tournaments) still stands in both teams paths, as the Bearkats and Wildcats will both have one more game left against the third team that is also sitting at only one Southland loss so far.

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Straight Arrow: HoopsHD interviews former South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast

What a difference a year makes. It is hard to believe that a coach can completely turn around his program in the span of only 1 year but it happens all the time. Just look at Cuonzo Martin: a losing record in 2020 but a chance at a protected seed in 2021. Even harder is going from “worst to 1st”. 3 decades ago South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow was coming off of a last-place finish in the Sun Belt…but 12 months later the Jaguars won the league with an 11-3 conference record, then won 3 games in 3 days to clinch a conference tourney title. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Arrow about winning 3 NJCAA titles and beating his in-state rival in the NCAA tourney. Today marks the 30th anniversary of South Alabama wrapping up their conference regular season with a Sun Belt title on February 23, 1991, just 1 year after finishing in a tie for last place.

You were a 2-time All-Conference player at Southwest Texas State in the late 1960s: how good a player were you back in the day? I was 1 of those players that got the ball to the right people as a PG. I was never a great shooter but was a hard-nosed player who played good defense, which is what I later asked of my own teams.

In 10 years as head coach at San Jacinto College you went 302-43, won 3 NJCAA titles in a 4-year span from 1983-1986, and were twice named national COY: what did it mean to you to win all of those titles, and what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? Whenever you have that kind of success you need great players and a great coaching staff. Back then there were at least 8 other teams who had 5-7 high-major players on their roster: we had future NBA players like Alton Lister, Walter Berry, etc. Our players were disciplined enough to fit in anywhere.

Your 1986 team went 37-0 and led the nation in scoring with 101 PPG: how was your team able to stay focused for every single game, and how on earth did your team score so many points? We won about 71 games in a row over the course of back-to-back seasons but never talked about going undefeated. Needless to say, that team was special. They just took care of their business, led by national POY Ledell Eackles, who was a fantastic shooter.

Take me through the 1989 NCAA tourney as head coach at South Alabama:
Jeff Hodge scored a tourney-school record 29 PTS and made a 3-PT shot with 3 seconds left in a 2-PT win over in-state rival Alabama (www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP2aDB6aV0U): did you think Hodge’s shot was going in, and where does that rank among the biggest wins of your career? People around here say it was the biggest win in school history: Alabama never wanted to play us during the regular season. Both teams won their conference titles that year and we were able to chip away at their big lead in the 2nd half. I have a picture of that shot here in my office!

Tourney MOP Glen Rice scored 36 PTS/16-25 FG in a 9-PT in by eventual champion Michigan: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot that Rice put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? I actually re-watched that game about 1 month ago and had not previously realized that Rice shot the ball so well throughout the entire game. Our defenders could not get around the picks set for Rice: he just took over at the end. College basketball became a guard’s game when they put in the 3-PT line: it is important no matter what level of college athletics you are at. Our backcourt, known as “Peanut Butter & Jelly” (Hodge/Junie Lewis), was ranked in the top-5 in the country that year, and adding Gabe Estaba gave us the toughness we needed inside.

In 1991 you were named conference COY after becoming the 1st Sun Belt coach to go from last place to 1st place in just 1 season: how were you able to turn things around so quickly? It was a combination of players and hard work. We were not as talented as that 1989 team but we had more depth.

What are your memories of the 1991 NCAA tourney (Josh Grant had 22 PTS/11 REB in 26 minutes in a 10-PT win by Utah)? We were up by 7 PTS at halftime but took some bad shots in the 2nd half. Coach Rick Majerus always did a good job.

In 1994 you started the season by scoring 156 PTS against Prairie View, then were fired after losing 3 straight games by a combined 128 PTS: what the heck happened!? I was not fired: I resigned. I think the administration wanted us to take more 3-PT shots so they just decided to move in a different direction.

In 1998 you became the 1st basketball coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after the school had gone 25 years without a basketball program: why did you decide to take the job, and what was the biggest challenge in building up a team from scratch? After you get out of coaching you find out really quick if you still want to coach. My good friend Tim Floyd got me in touch with the AD at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and I was fortunate to get the job there. I will always look at that program as my baby: I am proud of seeing it grow and prosper.

In the 2007 NCAA tourney (the 1st in school history) your team got out to a 25-7 lead over #2-seed Wisconsin in the 1st half: how close did you come to pulling off the upset before Kammron Taylor scored all 24 of his PTS in the 2nd half for the Badgers? They just kept chipping away at us and had a very strong team. I thought our athleticism would wear them down but their physicality actually wore us down. Josh Washington was our best 3-PT shooter but he got smacked in the face during the 1st few minutes and did not make a 3-PT shot the entire game. Their maturity/strong schedule/strong conference paid off for them but I was really proud of our guys.

In 2007 you returned for a 2nd go-round at South Alabama: why did you decide to return, and what was the biggest difference between that time vs. your 1st time around? In my 1st year back we went 26-7, which set a record for the most wins in school history. We caught an experienced Butler team in the 1st round: I do not know how they were a #7-seed after getting to the Sweet 16 the previous season! The main reason I came back is because I kept in touch with some people who were still there that had been very good to me and my family. I am very fortunate to have been able to stay around my hometown of Houston so it was not a hard decision to return. I think it is safe to say that I am the only coach who was ever asked to leave and later asked to return.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Tuesday, Feb 23rd

Posted on February 23, 2021 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

CLICK HERE for the latest HOOPS HD REPORT Video Podcast

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Akron and Ohio U – CLICK HERE

-Texas Tech vs Oklahoma State was probably the most entertaining game of the night.  It had it’s share of craziness, the lead seesawed back and forth, and Oklahoma State ended up picking up a hugely important win in overtime.  I don’t want to overstate the impact of the loss for Texas Tech because, quite frankly, they’re still a really good team that’s in excellent shape, but they are starting to look a little bit less like a protected seed.  Speaking of NOT looking like a protected seed…

-USC didn’t just blow Oregon’s doors off yesterday.  They basically blew up their entire house.  It was 17-1 to start things off, and it seemed like they led by 20+ for most of the game.  Oregon did make a run late to get it as close as 10, and the 72-58 final score looked respectable, but it was basically just a drubbing by USC.  This Trojan team is potentially very dangerous this March.

-Duke knocked off Syracuse rather impressively, and is a team that has not looked good for most of the season, but has started to look really good in their last few games.  They have enough opportunities left to play their way into the field if they can keep winning at the clip they have been.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-UMASS AT RICHMOND (Atlantic Ten).  UMass has no path whatsoever to an at-large bid, but strangely enough they are currently the first place team in the Atlantic Ten.  Richmond is on the outside looking in and will need a very strong finish to get on the right side of it.

-SAINT LOUIS AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  Both teams are outside our bubble, but VCU is very close.  It goes without saying that they really need to finish strong to give themselves a chance.

-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Illinois is one of the hottest teams in the country right now.  I think they’re good enough to play their way up to the #1 line, and they’ll certainly get the opportunities they need.  Michigan State is starting to play better, but it will take a herculean effort at this point to get them on the right side of the bubble.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT TCU (Big 12).  WVU is another team that is really playing well and that has racked up a string of major wins.  Winning at TCU isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but given how they’ve been playing they should be able to hold serve and end up as a protected seed.

-NOTRE DAME AT LOUISVILLE (ACC).  Nearly every prognosticator has Louisville relatively safely inside the bubble, but I personally am not there with them yet.  Either way, Notre Dame is pretty far outside the field and the Cardinals need to hold serve tonight.

-LSU AT GEORGIA (SEC).  LSU is starting to play better and if they hold serve the rest of the way, which means winning games like this, they’ll be dancing this March.

-FLORIDA AT AUBURN (SEC).  This isn’t the easiest game in the world for the Gators, but it’s one they should be able to win.  They appear to be on pace to land in the top half of the bracket.

-IOWA STATE AT BAYLOR (Big 12).  Baylor is #2 in the country and has a case for being the #1 overall team on the seedlist.  They are good enough to win out, and chances are they will.

-OKLAHOMA AT KANSAS STATE (Big 12).  Oklahoma is another team that is red hot right now and could end up seeded as high as the #2 line if they keep winning at the clip they have been.

-KANSAS AT TEXAS (Big 12).  This is a big time showcase game between two teams that are contending for protected seeds.  Kansas had gone into a tailspin, but has pulled themselves out of it and is playing really well right now.  Texas has a strong overall profile, but has had a couple of close losses recently which have set them back a little bit and they’re looking for a big time win.

-SAINT JOHN’S AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Saint John’s had been playing well, but they are coming off a rather damaging loss to DePaul and are running out of time to make a solid case for themselves.  If they could pull off the upset tonight it would be a major difference maker as to whether or not they get in.

-OLE MISS AT MISSOURI (SEC).  Ole Miss had been on a roll and looked to be playing their way into the NCAA Tournament, but had a really inexplicable loss to Mississippi State their last time out.  Missouri is still in the hunt for a protected seed, but they need to finish strong.

-UCONN AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  UConn is squarely on the bubble and simply can’t afford to lose games to teams that are way outside the bubble right now, which is why they have to win tonight.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day – Tuesday, February 23

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Chad

Akron at Ohio University, 2:00 PM Eastern, espn3

The Ohio University Bobcats have been shut down and unable to play a game since February 2.  They finally get back in action this afternoon as they host the Akron Zips in our Under the Radar Game of the Day.  Ohio enters this afternoon’s game at 11-6 overall and 7-4 in MAC play.  The Bobcats feature a potent offensive attack, assuming they are not rusty from the layoff, led by triple-double threat Jason Preston (16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and  7.4 assists per game) and Dwight Wilson III (15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and the nation’s second best field goal percentage of 69.3%).  Although Preston has 16 points and 7 boards in the Bobcats late-December 90-70 loss at Akron, no other player, including Wilson, was able to score more than 11 points for Ohio.

Akron currently sits at 14-4 overall and 12-3 in MAC play, only half a game behind conference-leader Toledo and with a real chance at a MAC regular season championship.  The Zips are led by Loren Cristian Jackson’s 20.9 points and 6.7 assists per game.  Jackson scored 21 points and dished out 8 assists in the Zips December win over Ohio, though Bryan Trimble Jr led the team with 22 points.  Performances like that from the Zips’ top two scorers again this afternoon could give them the win and keep them squarely in the conference title hunt.  Either way, this should be a fun game as it features two of the top three rated offenses in the MAC according to KenPom.

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