The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Kenn Johnson about 1952 Olympic gold medalist Bob Kenney

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Dr. Kenn Johnson, KU alum and author of multiple books about KU basketball, about Bob Kenney winning an NCAA title and gold medal in 1952.

(photo credit: beckett.com)

Bob was nicknamed “Trigger” due to his quick release/deadly accuracy from long range: who gave him the nickname, and how did he like it? He was proud of the nickname given to him by his teammates. Throughout his career at KU and beyond he was a constant outside scoring threat who kept defenses honest. It is unfortunate for him and KU fans that the 3-PT shot was not available at the time, otherwise he would have had a much higher point total.

He was born/raised in Kansas: what made him choose Kansas for college? He said, “I was delighted when Dick Harp came to McCune to offer me a scholarship. I am a Kansan by birth, but a Jayhawk by the grace of God.” It was certainly a good choice, as he became an All-American, NCAA champion, and Olympic hero.

He played basketball/football at KU: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? I am sure that most KU fans would agree that basketball was his best sport and during his senior year he concentrated only on basketball. In 1952 he was the nation’s leading FT shooter at 83%.

In the 1952 NCAA title game he scored 12 PTS in a win over St. John’s: what did it mean to him to win a title? Of course, every basketball player has the dream of winning a national championship. He was the captain of the Jayhawks that season and he was proudest of his efforts in helping the team win a national title.

He was also named All-American that year: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? He said, “I attribute my success to my great coaches and teammates. Dick Harp was a great innovator and Phog Allen was a master motivator.” After scoring 8.2 PPG during his junior year he was proud to be KU’s 2nd-leading scorer with 13.1 PPG in KU’s national championship season.

He played for team USA at the 1952 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? First of all, he was proud to be the 2nd-leading scorer for team USA, averaging 10.6 PPG against the best players in the world. He always said that the gold medal and his NCAA Championship ring were his most prized possessions: “I was not as good as Jerry West/Oscar Robertson but I had fun on the bench at the Olympics.”

He later served in the Air Force: what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? He also represented his country by serving in the Air Force right after graduating from KU and was grateful to be able to play on the service basketball team. That experience gave him the opportunity to also play for the US in the 1955 Pan Am Games.

He also won a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 1955: how did he like playing yet again with his college/Olympic teammate Dean Kelley? They were great friends and excited to be on the court together again. Both represented the US Armed Forces on team USA and were starters. Kenney was the 2nd-leading scorer at the Pan Am Games with 12.4 PPG.

In 2013 he was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame: where did that rank among the highlights of his career? He said, “I am blessed, humbled, and grateful to be inducted. I do not have all of the fancy credentials that other honorees have, but with my teammates help I have achieved what I wanted to achieve: to be a winner.”

He passed away in 2014: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? Of course, he had an outstanding basketball career where he was a consistent winner: an NCAA national championship, an Olympic gold medal, and a Pan Am Games gold medal. However, it should be noted that he also had a superb engineering and real estate professional career, working as an executive at Honeywell, A.B. May, and then Coldwell Banker, where he eventually retired as President of the Kansas City-area offices.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Wisconsin assistant coach Dean Oliver

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with Wisconsin assistant coach Dean Oliver. He was a 3-time All-Big 10 player at Iowa, spent a couple of years with Golden State, and won a CBA title in 2004. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Oliver about being a good PG and his expectations for this year.

You went to high school in Iowa: what made you choose Iowa for college? I made my choice very really early during the recruiting process: I had not even turned 16 years old. I was friends with Ricky Davis and we talked about being a package deal in college. I grew to love Iowa during my time there after I committed as kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision.

You were a 3-time All-Big 10 player: how were you able to remain so consistent throughout your college career? Just hard work. I was a non-stop gym rat: I actually had a key to the arena and spent a lot of time there. I loved the game and we were able to have success as a team, which is the key to winning individual awards.

You led the conference in AST-TO ratio during your senior season: what is the key to being a good PG? It takes some experience: getting a lot of minutes during my 1st 3 years allowed the game to slow down for me as a senior. Decision making and ball-handling are also important when you are playing at a high level. It took me awhile: 1 year I was walking inside Walmart and a guy saw me and started shaking his head. I asked him what was wrong and he said he liked me…but that I turned the ball over too much!

After graduating you played 2 years with Golden State: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? I did not play a whole lot so most of my memories are from practice. I used to play full-court 1-on-1 before practice against Gilbert Arenas and I only beat him once…and then he took it out on me in practice immediately afterward!

In 2004 you won a CBA title with the Dakota Wizards: what did it mean to you to win a title? That was awesome. I was coming off of an injury but Coach Dave Joerger gave me a chance to play. We had a great team and I learned a lot about how to balance so much talent and get everyone on the same page by sacrificing to win a championship.

In 2017 you were hired as an assistant at Wisconsin under Coach Greg Gard: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is a great teacher and really reminds me of my old coach Tom Davis. He introduces concepts and thinks things out ahead of time. He simplifies stuff for our guys and helps them understand the importance of why we do all of the little things.

Last March you were the #1 seed heading into the Big 10 tourney before learning that the entire postseason was canceled due to the coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and do you think that it was the right decision? We all were in shock. We were in the locker room getting ready to head to the Big 10 tourney: when we got the news we were just wondering why they could not just postpone it. It was the right decision looking back on it now.

After Kobe King transferred/Brevin Pritzl graduated your current roster has 7 seniors/3 sophomores/7 freshmen: what will it be like to have so much experience/youth with very little in the middle? We really like it because our seniors are excellent leaders and we feel good with where we are at. They will teach the young guys the ropes and lead by example.

You have a birthday coming up next month: what will it be like to celebrate during a pandemic? Do not remind me! We usually have a game/exhibition on my birthday but I try not to make a big deal about it anymore.

What is it like to be an African-American man in 2020? This year has been challenging and is different than any other year. I have never felt like our country is so divided where you have to choose sides. I really hope people understand that it was not as divisive in the past and I hope some good can eventually come out of it.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Our guys are extremely hungry from last year after being the #1 seed in the Big 10 tourney last March. We want to win another Big 10 title and I do not think there is a ceiling for this team. We want to go to the Final 4 but we will take it 1 game at a time.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new UC Riverside women’s coach Nicole Powell

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with new UC Riverside women’s coach Nicole Powell. She was named Arizona Player of the Century, then became a 3-time All-American at Stanford, and won the 2005 WNBA title in Sacramento. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Powell about being a great FT shooter and her expectations for this year.

At Mountain Pointe High School you won 3 state badminton titles/1 state discus title, were runner up for a state tennis title, and were named Arizona Player of the Century in basketball: how did you become such an amazing all-around athlete, and are there any sports that you are not good at? That was a long time ago. I had so many awesome coaches and was really fortunate. I had an amazing experience at Mountain Pointe and all of the coaches let me play a lot of different sports, which is not very common. I was really grateful to go there and it was a great time in my life. I cannot play a lick of anything anymore but it was an awesome experience.

You were a 3-time All-American/3-time Pac-10 tourney MVP while playing for Coach Tara VanDerveer at Stanford: what makes her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? I learned so many things from her but the 1st 1 that comes to mind is attention to detail. She is a master of her craft and made sure that we paid attention to everything we did. She also taught us how to reach for that perfect game: when you are training your motivation should be to try to be your very best. Now that I am a coach myself, I can appreciate her continual evolution and her ability to learn/adapt to what is trending in the sport and teach the game at a high level.

In the 2004 Elite 8 you had 31 PTS/10 REB and were guarding Tasha Butts when she banked in a shot in the lane with 1.7 seconds left in a 2-PT loss to Tennessee: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career, and what was it like to be in the middle of a Hall of Fame chess match involving VanDerveer and Pat Summitt? It is still so painful and the sting will never go away: we were so close but that is what makes sports wonderful. I am such a huge fan of Pat: what is really cool is that there are so many of her former players who have become coaches that her legacy is being perpetuated. Thank God for that: this generation needs to know who she is and the mark that she has left on so many people.

In the spring of 2004 you were drafted 3rd overall by Charlotte (2 spots behind Diana Taurasi): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the WNBA, or other? It was really a special day. I went to the 1st-ever Phoenix Mercury game in 1997: I remember it because it was on my 14th birthday. To have the opportunity to join the league less than a decade later was amazing. When I was a kid there was not a chance to see women playing pro basketball on TV…but now it has become the norm. It had not been guaranteed in the past so to finally be allowed to do it felt deeply meaningful to me. My family was there to share the moment with me: we had a pretty incredible group of women in that draft class (including Taurasi/Alana Beard/Lindsay Whalen).

In March of 2005 you were traded to Sacramento and 6 months later you scored 13 PTS in a 3-PT win over Connecticut to clinch the WNBA title: what did it mean to you to win a title, and are we going to see Duke (who hired your former Monarchs teammate Kara Lawson as head coach in July) on your schedule anytime soon? Not right now due to COVID but we shall see. It was amazing to win that title: there was just something about that team. Everybody bought in to their role and we had great leadership in Yolanda Griffith, who is 1 of my all-time favorite people in life. We had an amazing bench and our practices were extremely competitive: we made each other better and had each other’s backs. It was a really fun time and the city of Sacramento just loved us and came out in droves with their cowbells at old-school ARCO Arena. It still saddens me that there is no longer a franchise there: I am really fond of those days.

In 2007 and 2009 you led the league in FT%: what is the secret to making FTs? My coach at the time told me to get to the line more. It is just about repetition: it is a free shot and there is no reason that everyone cannot shoot 90%. I was only around 70% as a college freshman but I challenged myself to get better and eventually I did.

You are the only D-1 player besides Sabrina Ionescu (who you helped recruit as an assistant at Oregon) with multiple triple-doubles in NCAA women’s tourney history: how did you balance all of the different aspects of your game, and where does Ionescu rank among the greatest college players that you have ever seen? It was never something that I was thinking about: I did not even realize I had a triple-double the 1st time until my coach told me about it. I was a big PG back then and I had some really good teammates around me. Sabrina is absolutely 1 of the all-time greats: she might become the best ever someday. She is just getting started in the WNBA and it will be fun to watch her play for a really long time. She is amazing on the court and people are drawn to her: just look at her jersey sales. She is a special human being.

Last March you were hired as head coach at UC Riverside: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took the job for a couple of reasons. #1 is the leadership of our athletic director Tamica Smith Jones: she is just awesome. When you are really drawn to someone’s leadership style then you really want to work for them. I 1st heard her speak at the Final 4 so when I got a call from UCR there was an instant connection. It is a terrific school in a really good conference. I love the area and the campus is gorgeous so it just made sense and is the best fit for me right now. I am glad to finally be on the court because it has been a long, long process of dealing with COVID. It is nice to be training with our student-athletes.

What is it like to be an African-American woman in 2020? That is a really big question and I appreciate it: what a year it has been in so many ways. Our whole team is signed up to vote and I think eventually all of our student-athletes will be registered. I think that we are all dealing with serious stuff regardless of what race we are because we are all affected by it: health, politics, criminal justice, immigration, fires, climate change, etc. I feel very lucky to have been born in the time period I was born in. Voting is not just for young people: my parents taught me the importance of voting while I was growing up, and the Civil Rights Movement was not that long ago. I am who I am but being a leader for my team and doing the best that I can is really awesome. It is important to see men/women of every color being leaders and doing things in any category. We have come a long way in this country but still have a long way to go. Race is a really tough thing to deal with: my dad grew up in segregated Arkansas and had to sit up at the top of the movie theater and drink from a separate water fountain. I feel very fortunate and am very cognizant of doing the best I can. I love all of my student-athletes and will continue to pave the way for women, especially in coaching.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? I want to create a really amazing culture based on energy/effort/caring for each other, now more than ever. We have to take care of each other both on and off the court and do our best to teach them every day. Change is always difficult due to the unknown but our returning players have been really positive and are now working with our newcomers. We are huge on skill development and teaching our concepts. We want to win every single game but right now the focus is on just getting after it.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new UC Riverside coach Mike Magpayo

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with new UC Riverside coach Mike Magpayo. He started in real estate, then became an assistant coach a decade ago, and was hired in July as head coach of the Highlanders, . HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Magpayo about his international roster and his expectations for this year.

You previously served as CEO of a multi-million-dollar real estate company in California: how did you like the business, and how did you get into coaching? I ran a real-estate company during the boom but also coached a high school basketball team. When the crash happened in 2007/2008 we barely survived it and in 2010 I was moving to New York City to get my masters’ degree in real estate. I wrote letters to a bunch of college head coaches and the only 1 who wrote me back was Kyle Smith. He said that if I gave up everything else and was willing to start at the bottom then he would give me a shot…and he did.

As an assistant at Campbell/Columbia you helped manage a “Moneyball” type of statistical system: how much importance do you place on analytics? A lot! It is a huge part of our program here because that is how I learned it at Columbia. My last 2 bosses came from the St. Mary’s coaching tree, which is where they learned it themselves. All of Coach Randy Bennett’s disciples use a similar system. I believe in a lot of the analytics but it is mostly a tool I use to hold the team accountable. We track everything (even in practice) and then post it: it is a fully-transparent program.

Last March as an assistant at UC Riverside you were scheduled to play UCSB in the Big West tourney quarterfinals before learning that everything was canceled due to coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and do you think that it was the right decision? We are competitors so of course we wanted to play. We were in the same hotel as UCSB and ate next to them in the dining room. We were really bummed because our team was trending in the right direction at the time. I cannot believe it was 7 months ago: we just started practicing with the new protocols and our guys were dying during their 1st 4-minute workouts! I am trying to lead us back to where we were last season.

In July you were hired as head coach at UC Riverside: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? The joke is that there are no bad jobs because there are only 357 of them in the country! I am from Southern California and am a product of the UC system. Coach David Patrick left us a full cupboard of players who are 100% committed: so far so good. We are practicing/working out so that is all we could ask for.

You are the founder/president of the Asian Coaches Association and are now the 1st-ever D-1 head coach of Asian heritage: how big a deal is it, and why did it take so long? We have to give Rex Walters some credit because he is half-Asian. In the NBA Finals we see Coach Erik Spoelstra and his own grind to become a head coach: he opened the door and hopefully I can keep it open for the next generation. The Asian Coaches Association had 13 people at our 1st meeting but our most recent meeting had around 150-200 attendees. There are a lot of Asian coaches out there for both men/women. Coach Spoelstra texted me after I got the job and just told me to represent.

Last year you had 1 of the best defensive teams in the nation: what is the key to playing good defense? I give all of the credit to Coach Patrick. We built it with size: our difference is that we have 6 guys who are at least 6’9” and we do not have a guy shorter than 6’3” on our team. We are long/gritty/tough, which helps with both rebounding/defense. We recruited size and utilize it in our schemes: we will not change too much defensively so the guys should be able to have a seamless transition.

Your roster includes several players from Australia/New Zealand: what sort of recruiting philosophy will you have? Coach Patrick and I are branches of the St. Mary’s tree, where international players were always part of the puzzle. We have 9 players from down under: it might be the largest # in all of D-1. We want great guys with a great work ethic who you would not be afraid to let them watch your kids. They come from a culture who have a great approach to practices and building a team, which has helped us become a winning program.

You graduated your senior backcourt of Dikymbe Martin/Khyber Kabellis but bring back almost everyone else on the roster: how will you try to replace all of that offense/leadership? We are lucky to bring in 2 transfers from big-time programs in Flynn Cameron (DePaul) and Jock Perry (St. Mary’s). I think that they will help us with both offense/leadership: they are older and know how to work.

You have a birthday coming up next month: what will it be like to celebrate during a pandemic? The biggest news is that my wife is pregnant! I am getting too old so I do not even want to celebrate my birthday. 7 months without doing what I love to do (coach) has been brutal. I could not be happier right now just to be working on the game that I love.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The only team in our league who we have not beaten during the past 2 years is UC-Irvine but we were right there last year. We do not talk about it as much right now but we will hold our guys to a high-performance standard every day. I expect us to compete at the top of our league and I have a lot of confidence in this group.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Hofstra SR G Jalen Ray

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with Hofstra SR G Jalen Ray. He started 33 games last year, scored a career-high 27 PTS in a win at UCLA, and made the CAA All-Tourney team. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jalen about being a great 3-PT shooter and his expectations for this year.

You were born/raised in Hampton, VA: what made you choose Hofstra? My recruiter is from Hampton. I felt that it was time for me to move away and focus on something else: I like my hometown but there are a lot of distractions. The academic part of Hofstra and the coaching staff are both great.

You play for Coach Joe Mihalich: what makes him such a good coach? He believes in his players and has a lot of trust in us: he is a great leader.

You started 1 game as a sophomore and 33 games as a junior: what is the biggest difference between being a starter vs. coming off the bench? When you are a starter you need to be able to play with the right tempo from the opening tip.

Last November you scored a career-high 27 PTS in a 10-PT win at UCLA: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I just felt comfortable out there and knew that I could do whatever I tried to do. I got some good shots early and everything was falling.

Last March in the CAA tourney title game you scored 17 PTS/3-6 3PM in a 9-PT win over Northeastern and made the CAA All-Tourney team, then learned a few days later that the NCAA tourney was canceled due to the coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and do you think that it was the right decision? At 1st I did not like the news because we had finally made it over the hump to win the championship game. Looking back on it now, I think it was a good decision to cancel for both health/safety reasons.

You have shot over 39 3P% during each of the past 3 years and made a pair of game-winning threes as a freshman in the closing seconds against Monmouth and Towson: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Balance is everything: you also need confidence in your shooting ability.

You graduated a pair of sensational senior guards in Desure Buie/Eli Pemberton: how on earth will you try to replace all of their offense/leadership? We have a lot of new players this year but it will be the same as it has been in the past: next man up.

Your brother Lavell ran track at George Mason and your sister Chantel runs track at Ohio State: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say that I am the best all-around athlete but both of them can beat me on the track.

What is it like to be an African-American man in 2020? You may wake up feeling great but you never know how the day will play out. I just try to make it through each day and not fear for my life.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Same as last year: we want to win back-to-back championships despite losing some good players.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews UTSA coach Steve Henson

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

We hope you are ready for a season unlike any other: testing, distancing, and bubbles, oh my! Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen, when it is going to happen, or whether anything actually will happen…but in the meantime we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches/administrators in the country. We continue our coverage with UTSA coach Steve Henson. He set a Kansas State record for career AST that still stands, faced Michael Jordan in the NBA playoffs, and was conference COY in San Antonio in 2018. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Henson about his brilliant backcourt and his expectations for this year.

In the 1988 NCAA tourney as a player at Kansas State you scored 6 PTS in a loss to eventual champion Kansas: how do you explain the “Sunflower Showdown” rivalry to people who have never experienced it in person? It is a terrific in-state rivalry: most kids in Kansas grow up following 1 of the 2 schools. I have a lot of friends who went to Kansas and a lot of friends who went to Kansas State. That year we played them 4 times: we won at Lawrence and then again in the Big 8 tourney…but they beat us when it counted.

In 1990 you led the Big 8 with 93 3PM and your 582 career AST remains the most in school history: what is the key to being a good PG? Just being able to translate the message from the head coach and getting everyone on the same page. You need to be a leader, bring it every day in practice, and have the respect of your teammates by being unselfish.

You played 9 years of pro basketball in the NBA and Italy: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? The game here has changed dramatically: analytics, 3-PT shooting, lack of back-to-the-basket play, etc. A lot of that stems from international play. I remember hearing commentators talk about how physical it was overseas but it varied from 1 country to the next: I did not think it was that physical in Italy but it was definitely physical in Greece. There is less specialization now then there was years ago: we used to have elite post players in the NBA but now there are a bunch of players who can do so many different things that they act as interchangeable parts.

In the 1993 NBA Eastern Conference 1st round as a player for Atlanta you were swept by Chicago: what was it like to face Michael Jordan as he was on his way to his 3rd straight NBA title? They were an incredible team. I played a couple of years before that in Milwaukee so I saw them on a pretty regular basis. They moved the ball and had an unbelievable understanding of their roles. They were clearly the team to beat and on a great roll at that time.

You later became an assistant to your college coach Lon Kruger at UNLV/Illinois/Oklahoma: what makes Kruger such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His ability to relate to the players and get them to buy in. He is great at Xs and Os but what makes him special is how he treats people on a daily basis both inside and outside the program: he is a real role model.

You were hired at UTSA in 2016 and were named conference COY in 2018: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot to our program. We only finished 5th in the league that year but it showed how much progress we had made. Several teams had more wins than us but the other coaches saw what we had done.

You won 20 games in 2018/17 games in 2019/13 games in 2020: how will you try to turn things around in 2021? We had a lot of returning talent last year but did not defend well enough and were not tough enough. We need to value possessions, compete on every single 1 of them, and work harder to get better shots. We have 2 elite scorers but relied on them too heavily.

Your senior backcourt of PG Jhivvan Jackson/SG Keaton Wallace combined to score almost 46 PPG last year: where do you think that they rank among the best pair of guards in the country? It is not for me to say but they have done it year in and year out. They are both tremendous talents who immediately impacted our program from the start. It has been fun to watch them grow and keep getting better: Keaton has really changed his body and Jhivvan was a big scorer for us right away. I think that we have some reinforcements this year who can take a little pressure off of those 2.

Your career 90 FT% remains among the best in NCAA history and last year your team’s 77.8 FT% was #12 in the nation: what is the secret to making FTs? For a team it is about having good FT shooters taking the majority of your FTs. Some of our big guys were also skilled enough to shoot a good percentage. I tried to keep it simple and have a good routine. You need some technique and then rep it to the point where it becomes automatic.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We are excited to make progress on the defensive end. If we can do that then we will have a chance to win a lot of ballgames. I think our league will be the best that it has been since I got here: there are a lot of transfers who have entered our league and the bottom of our league is rising. We are chomping at the bit and will score the ball but defense will be the key to our success.

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