Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Utah State JR SG Brock Miller

Posted on September 18, 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 Utah State JR SG Brock Miller. He served a mission before college, missed most of his freshman year with a foot injury, and got married last year. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Brock about winning the 2020 MWC tourney and his expectations for this year.

You served a 2-year LDS mission in Buenos Aires before going to college: how did you like Argentina, and how important is your faith in you life? It was a great experience for me to learn the culture and help out any way that I could. My faith is the centerpiece of my life, along with my family.

You play for Coach Craig Smith: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is an amazing coach due to his energy and how he knows his players. What he emphasizes the most is “NBA”: Next Best Action. He knows that mistakes will happen but teaches us to move onto the next play. “Find a way” is another big quote he uses as our leader/teacher/coach. His consistency has allowed us to be consistent as a team, especially when getting to March so that we can be our best.

You played in each of the 1st 5 games in 2017 before missing the rest of the year due to a foot injury: how bad was the injury, and how were you able to get back onto the court? My last game was at the PK 80 tourney against Portland State. I knew that something was up because my foot had been throbbing a few days earlier but I could not even walk after that last game. The doctor found a fracture in my foot and I was pretty devastated, but I really worked on my body/my game as much as I could while in a boot. It ended up working out well because I was able to get that year back.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you scored a team-high 13 PTS/3-6 3PM in a loss to Washington: what did you learn from that game about what it takes to win games in March? It takes a team that stays together, is fundamentally sound, and just finds a way. We played a good Washington team and struggled little bit but it was still nice to get a taste of March Madness. You have to come ready to play and it all starts in the preseason and being focused on getting better every day and never being satisfied. Our defense is what has carried us a lot in the past and will be a big key for us again this year.

You got married in 2019: what impact has your wife Bailey had on you either on or off the court? She has had a great impact on me: she is very supportive and pushes me to be better. She played college volleyball and knows the time/dedication involved in playing your best as an athlete. She has been a huge blessing to me and our marriage is a very positive thing. Her dad actually played here in the 1980s!

In the 2020 MWC tourney title game you scored 2 PTS and Sam Merrill made a 3-PT shot with 2 seconds left in a 3-PT win over top-seeded San Diego State: did you think that Sam’s shot was going in, and where does it rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? That has to be the most clutch shot I have ever seen…but I knew that it was going in because I have seen him make those kinds of shots since high school. He loves the rhythm dribble to his left and I think that he will do great things at the next level.

A few days later you learned that the NCAA tourney was canceled due to the coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and how do you feel about playing this year despite having an autoimmune disease? When we 1st heard the news we discussed playing without fans and we were okay with that, even though it is much cooler when you have fans in the stands. It was very devastating when we learned that the season was over because we thought that we had the experience to make a nice run. 1 of the side effects of my disease is a lower immune system but we are keeping ourselves safe and testing and doing the right things. I just take my vitamins and stay healthy: I want to play basketball so I will do whatever is within my control to make it happen.

Your teammate Neemias Queta was 2019 conference ROY/DPOY but missed 9 games last year while recovering from an injury: what makes him such a good player, and how crucial is he going to be to your team’s success this year? He is very crucial to our success. He is a great player who has an impact on both the offensive/defensive ends of the court. As a wing defender it is nice to know that he has my back if the guy I am guarding beats me to the basket. He was really good on offense 2 years ago but has gotten even better by working on his jump shot and he has great touch around the rim. We are excited to have him back because he is phenomenal.

Your older brothers Brandon/Corbin and father Brett all played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? It depends on who you ask: if you ask me I will say me and if you ask the others they will say themselves! It is pretty cool to have a sporty family: we have a lot of basketball in our blood.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The #1 goal is to win another MWC title, and then make a run to March Madness. We got cheated last year so we will do whatever it takes to win. A lot of teams in our conference will be coming for us so we just need to be locked in every day and keep our 8 freshman on the same page so that we can mesh with them.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 2000 Olympic gold medalist Peggie Gillom-Granderson

Posted on September 18, 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 Peggie Gillom-Granderson about having a Hall of Fame sister and winning a gold medal in 2000. Today marks the 20th anniversary of team USA’s 90-61 win over Cuba in Olympic round-robin pool play.

You grew up playing basketball on a dirt court in a cow pasture but did not play on an organized team until 10th grade at Lafayette County High School: how hard was the adjustment from playing in your yard to joining a real team? It was not really a cow pasture but it was a dirt court! There was no real adjustment because I did not start playing until later on because I was tall and people told me that I was pretty good.

After graduating in 1976 you became the 1st African-American woman to be awarded an athletic scholarship to Ole Miss: how big a deal was it at the time? You might think that I am humble but I never thought about it. My brother was there at the time and that was where I wanted to go. I did not realize that accomplishment until much later on.

You remain the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in school history (2486 PTS/1271 REB): did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your records? I have no idea. When I played I had the best teammates and had the time of my life. I had fun and when they gave me the ball I would make a turnaround jumper. I just played because I loved the game but I did not realize that I was the leading scorer/rebounder until a long time afterward: I did not look at the stats. My coach did tell me about 1 stat: he told me that I only had about 6 AST in my career (because once the ball went into the black hole it never went out again!). I was told to shoot the ball and that is what I did.

After graduating you played 1 year of pro basketball for the Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s Professional Basketball League: what was it like to play with a legend like Nancy Lieberman and against legends like Carol Blazejowski/Ann Meyers? They were awesome people. Nancy was great to play with and was very funny. She was the stud but our coach never treated her any differently than the rest of us. Annie was not only a great player but 1 of the best people I have ever met. The Blaze could score: she and I were inducted into the Hall of Fame as “Trailblazers of the Game”. It was fun to contact people who I have not seen since my playing days. There were more than 60 players who showed up.

In the 1983 NCAA tourney as an assistant to your former college coach Van Chancellor, you had a 7-PT 3-OT loss to Tennessee: what was it like to face Pat Summitt in March, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? Tennessee was always great: I think we only beat them once while I was there. I remember playing against Holly Warlick. Pat was a legend back then as well as a great person. We always wanted to beat her but they were always good. I scored 45 PTS against Tennessee and my sister Jennifer scored more than 30 PTS against the Lady Vols.

Jennifer was an amazing scorer whose 2186 PTS ranks #2 on the school’s career scoring list: how did you like coaching her, and who was the better player? We were 2 totally different players. I will give her credit as the better all-around player while I mostly rebounded/scored. She loved the game and played morning/noon/night. I remember her losing a state title game 1 time in Jackson, MS…and she came back that night and was playing ball out on the dirt court. After practice she would ask me why I made her run but we always respected each other on the court. 1 time we played LSU and Coach Van Chancellor was on her case for not doing this and that. I showed him the stat sheet and once he saw that she had 30 PTS/15 REB he felt bad about it.

In 1997 you moved to the WNBA and as an assistant to Chancellor with the Houston Comets you won back-to-back titles in 1997/1998: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball, and were do those Comet teams rank among the best that you have ever seen? We had so many great players like Sheryl Swoopes/Cynthia Cooper/Tina Thompson/Kim Perrot: I do not think there will ever be another team like that. They were locked in and played together because they were on a mission. I loved being in the pros because you did not have to worry about recruiting or any other responsibilities. In college you had to worry about ordering the uniforms but in the pros you can just focus on building great relationships. I still stay in touch with the players I coached and we will always have a relationship.

At the 2000 Olympics you and Geno Auriemma were assistants to Coach Nell Fortner on team USA: what was it like to work with Geno, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? That was 1 of the best times of my life. You might think there would be a problem with so much talent but Geno was in his place and everyone knew that Nell was the head coach. He gave his input but knew his role and everyone got along and knew what we were there to do. Nell did a great job.

In the spring of 2000 Ole Miss named its soccer/softball/volleyball complex after you and your sister (the Gillom Sports Center), the trophy for the best women’s college basketball player in the state was named in your honor in 2008, and you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013: what did it mean to receive such outstanding honors? I cannot believe that: of all the awards the 1 naming the building after us was 1 of the best honors of my life. I am not dead and never donated a ton of money but that shows what the school thought of us! When I got a call that they were naming the Gillom Award after only me I was surprised because Jennifer had more honors than I did. To be named to the Hall of Fame was also shocking: I just played basketball but was not a superstar like Sheryl Swoopes.

After returning to your alma mater as an assistant to your former teammate Carol Ross, you 2 were driving to Memphis on a recruiting trip in 2004 when a patrol car pulled you over for speeding but the cop just gave you a warning and let you go: was that a factor in your decision to marry him the following year?! That was how I met my husband! He pulled us over and told us to slow down: I looked at Carol and said that I could probably go out with him. He called me a few months later, we were married soon after, and are still married 15 years later.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Liberty JR PG Darius McGhee

Posted on September 17, 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 Liberty JR PG Darius McGhee. He had an upset win over Mississippi State in the 2019 NCAA tourney, won 30 games last year including the Atlantic Sun tourney title game, but will have to take a leadership role this year after the Flames graduated an amazing senior class a few months ago. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Darius about his team’s tempo and his expectations for this year.

You are 5’9”: do you see your size as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? It is definitely an advantage: it is easier to turn corners against my opponents due to my quickness.

You were born in North Carolina and went to high school in Virginia: what made you choose Liberty? I went to an all-boys boarding school in Virginia where I learned what I needed to do to play D-1 basketball. Coach McKay started recruiting me a few years ago and this place is so unique that I fell in love with it.

You play for Coach Ritchie McKay: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? His overall care for the entire person. We have a great relationship outside of basketball. He has taught me to be attentive to the small details for a reason: as the season progressed it started to click/make sense.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you had a 4-PT upset of Mississippi State before a 9-PT loss to Virginia Tech: what is the key to winning games in March? Being able to have a defensive identity and get stops when it matters. Offense comes and goes but your entire team has to be connected on defense.

You did not start a single game as a freshman but started all 34 games as a sophomore: what is the biggest difference between starting a game vs. coming off the bench? You have a responsibility in either role and have to do your best in both positions.

In the 2020 Atlantic Sun tourney title game you scored 13 PTS in a win over Lipscomb, then a couple of days later you learned 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? I was excited after winning the title because we were trending in the right direction. After hearing the news I was devastated for our seniors because until that point the sky was the limit. I think it was a great decision: public health is first and foremost.

You lost an amazing senior class from last year in Caleb Homesley/Scottie James/Myo Baxter-Bell/Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz: how on earth will you try to replace all of their offense/leadership? They were so important to us not just as teammates but as brothers. They instilled so much in this program that it seems like their legacy has never left.

In an era of up-tempo offenses your team plays at 1 of the slowest paces in the nation: it obviously works well (since you won 30 games last year) so what makes it so effective? On offense we do not settle for bad shots and work together to get the greatest shot possible, and we are all tuned in on defense.

What is it like to be an African-American man at Liberty in 2020? Liberty is a great place regardless of your race: I have not heard 1 person here endure any tragedy/trauma. The people are loving/kind and the place is full of love.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? Just to do everything possible to win and leave nothing to chance. Hopefully we can win another A-Sun championship tourney and then make a run in March Madness.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Jack Rodgers about 1952 Olympic gold medalist Charlie Hoag

Posted on September 17, 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 Jack Rodgers about his friend/teammate Charlie Hoag winning an NCAA title and gold medal in 1952.

Charlie was born in Oklahoma and went to high school in Illinois: what made him choose Kansas? He was born in Guthrie, OK, in 1931 and his family later moved to Oak Park, IL. I met him during high school and along with Bob Mayer we became close friends. Charlie’s family was from Oklahoma and had put pressure on him to go to Oklahoma even thought he was good enough to go to any school that he wanted. Bud Wilkinson was the Oklahoma football coach and recruited Charlie and I with our parents in Oak Park. He offered football scholarships to both of us and invited us to fly down the following weekend to visit the campus. Coach Wilkinson and his staff did an excellent job of recruiting us and we both left OU thinking that would be our 1st choice. Warren Woody, a successful/wealthy insurance executive for Equitable, was a huge KU fan who lived in Chicago and had been recruiting Charlie for some time so the following weekend we were invited to visit the campus at Kansas. The only difference is that instead of the coaches it was the players who did the recruiting, and the frosting on the cake was when Coach Phog Allen came into the picture. He knew that we loved basketball and went out of his way to meet us and got Coach Jules Sykes to agree that after the football season we were welcome to join the basketball team. Charlie was an unbelievable athlete in grade school and high school: he ran track and the 1st time he did the broad jump at a grade school meet he jumped over the pit! They moved the starting point back 1 foot, he jumped again…and still made it over the pit but hurt his arm on his landing. In high school Charlie won the Illinois state discus championship and set a new state record. He was a sports hero and everyone loved him.

He played basketball/football/track at Kansas: which sport was he best at, and which sport did he enjoy the most? He was the best at all of them so I assume he loved them all! I think that basketball was his favorite because he reached goals that he did not reach in other sports. However, were it not for a football injury in 1952 he might have given Billy Vessels a run for the Heisman Trophy. We also loved playing basketball for Phog Allen/Dick Harp.

What made Allen such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that Charlie ever learned from him? He was a basketball icon and an interesting person. He was a philosopher who loved to talk/preach/share his beliefs. He imprinted his values on his players and we were no exception. He was a great coach who had a great assistant in Coach Harp who was the X’s and O’s man. Everyone loved/respected Phog and we played our hearts out for him.

In the 1952 NCAA title game he scored 9 PTS in a win over St. John’s: what did it mean to him to win a title? I did not make the traveling squad so I listened to the game on the radio in the athletic dorm at KU. Dean Smith was also a close friend on the team. I lived the win vicariously with Charlie and Dean when they returned and we celebrated together. Soon after that we were excited to see 7 of our players going to the Olympics. It meant a lot to Charlie but he never bragged about it.

That summer he was 1 of 7 Jayhawks (with Allen serving as assistant coach) who won a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics: what did it mean to him to win a gold medal, and what was the reaction like when the team got back to Lawrence? The gold medal was as meaningful to Charlie as the NCAA title was. Just like anyone else would be who won a gold medal for his country, he was bursting with pride to have had the opportunity. Charlie played well throughout the tournament and represented himself/his country/KU with pride.

He was a 2-time All-Conference tailback, still holds the school record with 3233 career all-purpose yards, and was picked in the 1st round of the 1953 NFL Draft by Cleveland: how devastated was he after suffering a career-ending knee injury in the 1953 Kansas-Kansas State football game? Charlie and I both had knee surgeries during Thanksgiving vacation of our senior year and it kept both of us off the basketball team that winter. I was more upset about it because most of the other Olympians had graduated and I could have finally made the traveling team! I think that Charlie took it better than I did because he had already achieved so many of his goals. That KU team went on to lose to Indiana in the 1953 NCAA title game by 1 PT: if Charlie was on that team then I think we would have won back-to-back titles.

He spent some time in the Air Force: what impact did his service have on him either on or off the court? We joined the Air Force ROTC together during college and served 2 years as lieutenants after graduating. I served in Arizona and Charlie was in Texas. The Air Force experience was a good transition from college while we were planning our business careers after we were discharged.

After retiring from basketball he worked as an insurance broker: how did he get into the business, and how did he like it? Warren Woody, who recruited Charlie to go to KU, looked out for his athletes after graduation and made sure that Charlie was offered a job as an insurance salesman. He worked there for several years and later became an insurance manager in Topeka, which was his primary business career.

In 2008 he was inducted into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame: where did that rank among the highlights of his career? I think that he took it in stride. He was happy about it and his family was very proud as well.

He passed away in 2012: when people look back at his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As I remember him! He is still placed on a pedestal for the athlete he was and I am happy that I was there to share the experience with him. I spoke at his funeral in Lawrence along with Bob and we highlighted all of his accomplishments: it brought him back to us as we remembered his greatness as an athlete, person, friend, and family member.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Georgia State assistant coach Jarvis Hayes

Posted on September 16, 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 Georgia State assistant coach Jarvis Hayes. He led the SoCon in scoring, then led the SEC in scoring, then played 12 years of pro basketball before coming back to college to coach. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Hayes about being a great scorer and his expectations for this year.

In 2000 as a player at Western Carolina you became the 1st freshman in 40 years to lead the SoCon in scoring: how were you able to come in and dominate right from the start? Coming in as a freshman the only thing that I knew was to be aggressive. I did not know anything about college, the system that we ran or nothing. I relied on my love for the game and my aggression. My coaches empowered me to be aggressive and fortunately it translate to the games.

After transferring to Georgia you led the SEC with 18.6 PPG to achieve the rare distinction of having led 2 different conferences in scoring: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I do not think there is a great secret to scoring. I was a bigger wing when I played. I am not going to say that I was the fastest player but I used my size/fundamentals to keep me 1 step ahead. I used my opponents’ defensive aggression to my advantage: more often than not they were shorter/quicker than I was. They tried to speed me up and get me to play out of control and keep me away from the 4 spots on the floor where I was most comfortable: the 2 corners and the 2 wing spots. I relied on the fundamentals to gain an advantage in getting to my spots and making plays. By cutting the speed of my defender with great footwork, they were at my mercy because it did not matter how fast they were: if I got to my spots then they could not combat my size.

Take me through the 2002 NCAA tourney:
You scored 31 PTS/14-22 FG in a win over Murray State: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? The 2002 NCAA tournament was probably the best and worst feelings ever wrapped into 1 weekend!! In my 1st-ever tourney game I was on fire and felt like no one could stop us. Murray State actually started the game pretty hot and was winning for a good bit of the 1st half. After we settled down a bit our size/discipline/talent took over. My emotions were so high that day that I could have played another game that same day! It was an unbelievable feeling to play your best on the biggest stage.

You had 26 PTS/4-5 3PM/11 REB in a 2-PT loss to Southern Illinois (who overcame a 30-11 1st half deficit): where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? On the flip side 2 days later was quite possibly the worst feeling that I felt. Against Southern Illinois we had a huge 1st half lead and went into halftime confident that we would get the win. Southern Illinois fought back and won a hard-fought game 77-75. Personally I thought that I played pretty well but it was not good enough: I felt like I could have done more for us to win. I took great responsibility in the loss being the leader of the team but all in all the chance to experience March Madness was AMAZING!!

In the summer of 2003 you were drafted 10th overall by Washington (5 spots behind Dwyane Wade): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? Getting drafted 10th overall in 2003 was an amazing experience. In a way it was validation not only of my college career but my entire career from rec ball through middle school/high school/college. I was never very highly recruited, did not have a ton of offers, and was never on any list of the highest-ranked players. I was doubted all the way through and had to prove myself at every stop. It never made me angry but only fueled my motivation to get better. The funny thing is that although reaching the NBA was a lifelong dream, it was never the end-all/be-all if I did not make it. I always prided myself on my love of the game and felt that if I was only concerned with that then the rest would take care of itself.

You spent more than a decade playing in the NBA/overseas, as well as for the Qatari national team: what do you see as the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? I played 12 years of pro ball: 7 in the NBA and 5 overseas. The biggest difference at that time was the physicality of the game. Do not be confused: the NBA is a very physical league but the overseas game is a bit more physical. This is not only because of the rules (or lack thereof, such as NO illegal defense) but since the players were not as athletic they played a more rugged game. Before the current small ball we see in today’s NBA game, the post players were extremely skilled shooters/passers. Today’s NBA game has a large European feel to it.

You work for Coach Rob Lanier: how did he do in his 1st year in Atlanta, and are there any big changes we should look for in Year 2? My time here at Georgia State with Coach Lanier has been amazing. Looking back at Year 1: I think sometimes when you come into a situation as a new head coach where you have to rebuild and basically start from scratch it can be tough. What is equally (if not more) difficult to do is come into a situation where the program is a consistent winner and the foundation is solid…and then step in and raise the bar from there: that is what Coach Lanier has done. The returning players bought in from Day 1. Coach’s vision was set, the guys committed to it, and it showed in the results. Going into Year 2: the excitement around the guys and the staff is high. We have a great group of freshmen who will be ready to help us along with 3 transfers who sat out last year that are chomping at the bit to play. It should be very exciting this year!

You have a few transfers on the roster including Corey Allen (from Detroit)/Justin Roberts (from DePaul): as someone who knows a little bit about transferring, what is the key to fitting in when joining a new team? With the transfers on last year’s roster in Corey/Justin, I would tell them that sitting out was the toughest thing they had to do and that they are almost free. The emotion that goes through one’s mind about performing after sitting out is nerve-racking. I constantly tell them that the way to fit into a new situation is to be genuine to yourself: you have to always be who you are. Both of those guys are team-first guys and the fitting-in part did not come hard to them because their commitment to the game was pure. I thought both of those guys played extremely well for us.

Your twin brother/college teammate Jonas is an assistant coach at Xavier: who is the best player in the family? Of course I am the best player in the family: what were you expecting?! Although Jonas was a very good player in his own right.

What is it like to be an African-American man in 2020? It is a very difficult time in America today. All of the injustices you see almost on a daily basis are heartbreaking. As an African-American I find the greatest challenge is having the conversations that I have to have with my 2 sons who are only 10 and 11 years old. It is hard for me to find the right words. Trying to explain to them that you will not get the benefit of the doubt in most situations because of the color of your skin. I try to be sure that I raise my boys to be respectful and always take the higher road: I teach them to love and respect everyone.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? With each year there is a new team/new goal/new expectations. For this team, my goal/expectation is for us to be the best version of ourselves as a team. and if we can accomplish that then this year should be really special!

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Blair Kerkhoff about 1952 Olympic gold medalist Phog Allen

Posted on September 16, 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 Blair Kerkhoff, author of “Phog Allen: The Father of Basketball Coaching”, about Phog winning an NCAA title and gold medal in 1952. Today marks the 46th anniversary of Phog’s passing so we are proud to honor his memory.

Allen was a child when basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith, and after Naismith encouraged him to enroll at Kansas in 1904 Allen ended up playing for him: what kind of relationship did these 2 legends have? Phog played basketball on a local athletic team with some of his brothers and was a standout player. Naismith attended 1 of Phog’s games in Kansas City as his reputation was growing. Naismith was not a traditional coach: he oversaw the team but sometimes served as an official. It was a friendship that lasted until Naismith passed away in 1939: they are 2 of the leading figures in the history of the sport and worked in the same building together for decades.

In 1907 Naismith left Kansas and even though Allen was still a student he was named head coach and led his team to a 43-9 record over the next 2 years while winning a pair of conference titles: how on earth was he able to make the transition from player to coach in the middle of his college career? It was not much of a career as a player/student: he was only enrolled for 1 year. Kansas was not his 1st coaching job: he had coached for a year at Baker University before returning to KU.

In 1909 he left the Jayhawks to study medicine at the Central College of Osteopathy in Kansas City, and returned to the university in 1920 to coach all sports while treating injured athletes: how was he able to balance being a doctor with being a coach? The idea of him becoming a doctor originated with him being a coach. He saw injured players who were not treated properly (if at all) and realized that being a doctor would give him an advantage as a coach. He got a job coaching in Missouri and had great success before KU hired him as athletic director in 1919. He coaches football before becoming basketball coach the following year.

He helped get basketball accepted as an official Olympic sport in 1936, served on an NABC committee that created the first postseason basketball tournament in 1939, and with the help of assistant coach Dick Harp he created a pressure man-to-man defense in 1953 that was quickly copied by many other coaches: most people think of him primarily as a coach but does he deserve more credit for being an innovator? The idea of a book on Phog really interested me due to what he accomplished outside of coaching. When I started covering KU basketball in 1989 I began to learn about his life: starting the Kansas Relays, coaching football, creating the NABC, etc. He helped the NCAA tourney stay alive after it was a financial bust in 1939. As good of a coach as he was, he was even more influential off the floor.

In the 1952 NCAA title game he beat St. John’s: what did it mean to him to win a title, and was it extra-special because it allowed him to bring 7 of his players to the Olympics as the Olympic assistant coach? That was absolutely 1 of the perks. When he recruited the Class of 1952 in the late-1940s he told them that if they came to KU they would not only have a chance to win an NCAA title but also to go to the Olympics. I asked Coach Harp if Phog needed an NCAA title to validate his career: he said yes. It pushed him into a level that he would not have reached without it.

He was an assistant coach 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? That was huge for him. He would have loved to be head coach but he had to be assistant after losing to Peoria in the Olympic trials. He had also hoped to be Olympic head coach in 1936 but they lost to Utah State in an attempt to be the NCAA representative. He led the funding drive to help Naismith attend those Olympics in Berlin. The 1940/1944 games were put off and Adolph Rupp was head coach in 1948 but the 1952 Olympics were the next-to-last greatest accomplishment of his career. His last great accomplishment was recruiting a talented kid from Philly named Wilt Chamberlain! He knew that his retirement was pending and he wanted to go out on top. It was not just him and Harp on the recruiting trail: he got the local African-American community involved. The sad part is that he never got to coach Wilt due to reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 1955.

He lost a pair of NCAA title games to Indiana coach Branch McCracken in 1940/1953: how big was their rivalry, and where do those rank among the most devastating losses of his career? I do not know if there was a rivalry per se. The 1940 game was a blowout and really changed the direction of the NCAA tourney with the game selling out and proving that it could succeed and rival the NIT in New York City. They needed to attract conference champions and 1940 proved there was interest if you had the right teams in the right place. The 1953 loss was by a single point after KU’s best player BH Born fouled out. It was not 1 of Phog’s best teams but it was 1 of his best coaching jobs. Kansas also claims to be national champ in 1922/1923. By the end of his career he was still viewed as 1 of the top coaches in the history of the game.

He coached college basketball for 50 seasons and retired with the most wins in D-1 history: what made him such a great coach? His early players will tell you that they spent countless hours at practice working on fundamentals and just drilled the heck out of it. His style did evolve throughout the years: he was a really good recruiter and his teams always played great defense. He was able to attract better players and the sport was/is important to Kansas. It was always the main sport on campus and was taken seriously so all great high school players considered going there. He built the program to a place where it became an attraction to top-level recruits.

Several of his players followed in his footsteps to become Hall of Fame coaches themselves (including Dutch Lonborg/Ralph Miller/Adolph Rupp/Dean Smith): how proud was he of his coaching tree, and what made it so successful? Smith was on the 1952 title team and observed a lot, which helped him in his career. John Bunn, Frosty Cox: the list is endless and goes all the way back to the original trunk of the tree in Naismith. The fact that the arenas at Kentucky/North Carolina are both named for guards who rode the bench at Kansas is a testament to Phog. That 1923 team photo is 1 of the most amazing you will ever see: Phog/Rupp/Naismith!



He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1959 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2006: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I moved here at age 30 and knew that the Fieldhouse was named for him but did not really know about his contributions. Once I learned more about him I was surprised that he was not more recognized around the nation. Whenever College Gameday comes to town ESPN talks about him, but 30 years ago he was not mentioned among the all-time great coaches. I got to talk to his family/Dean Smith/Clyde Lovellette: it was such a delight to write a book about him. I hope he is recalled for his great career and his great impact on the game.

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