Dejection Sunday: HoopsHD shares some Selection Sunday memories from Tim Healey about James Harden

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Jon Teitel

This is our saddest Selection Sunday ever because there is too much Sunday and not enough Selection. America obviously has bigger problems to worry about this month and quite possibly the only silver lining is that we have a LOT of free time to reflect on Sundays from the past. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel concludes our 3-part series with ASU play-by-play guy Tim Healey, who shared a story of how he made the Selection Sunday show in 2009 and his college memories of the future NBA MVP.

In the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Game Harden scored 8 PTS for the West in a 2-PT win over the East: how good was he back in high school? It was a really big deal because ASU does not get McDonald’s All-Americans very often. The top programs in the country get most of them every recruiting cycle while ASU only gets about 1 per decade. To this day he remains 1 of the highest ranked recruits we have ever had, although Bobby Hurley has brought in some great classes.

In 2009 as as sophomore at ASU he was named conference POY/All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such outstanding honors? It was also a big deal: for 35 years ASU has struggled to remain consistently competitive/relevant. During Ned Wulk’s tenure prior to joining the Pac-8 they had a proud history but it has been challenging over the past few decades. However, the worm may start to turn even though they have only made the NCAA tourney about 6 times since Ned left. Given their past history, ASU has still been able to have several conference POYs (including Eddie House/Ike Diogu).

He started growing his trademark beard that same year: was it really because he was too lazy to shave, and do you think that he will ever shave it? I do not know why he started to grow it. He might shave it some day but it is both his nickname as well as part of his mystique.

In 2012 he was named NBA 6th Man of the Year with Oklahoma City (a season that included a 40-PT effort off the bench in a road win at Phoenix): do you think that it was a difficult adjustment for him to go from college start to coming off the bench in the pros? I would think that when you are a rookie and go to a team that has enough talent to make the NBA Finals it can be tough, but it must be nice to be a key piece of a great team with guys like Russell Westbrook/Kevin Durant. Everyone wants to be “the guy” but it cannot have been too unsatisfactory since he played as well as he did.

He played for team USA at the 2012 Olympics: what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? It had to have been a big honor to represent his country in that way and wear the red/white/blue. It was a great honor for ASU to have a player on the Olympic team.

He entered the NBA as a SG but switched to PG in 2016: what position do you feel he is most comfortable at on the court? I think that he is really gifted in both areas. He sees the court so well but also has a great shot. He has good size yet can drive to the hoop.

In January 2018 he became the first player in NBA history to have a 60-PT triple-double (60 PTS/10 REB/11 AST) in a 7-PT win over Orlando: where does that rank among the best all-around games that you have ever heard of? It is right there at the top. I do not get to watch a lot of regular season games but it was a pretty remarkable performance.

In 2018 he led the league with 30.4 PPG and was named MVP: what did it mean to him to be named the best player in the best league in the world? People ask me if I am surprised with how good he has become and my answer is “yes”. He was talented from the 1st time he walked onto the court as a freshman…but I never dreamed that he would become MVP. I thought that the 6th Man of the Year was the niche he would settle into but he has turned out to be a better pro than I ever envisioned. I am sure that being MVP meant the world to him. Arizona has been a nationally elite basketball program since the 1980s and sent so many players to the NBA, but the interesting thing that I would argue is that none of them have achieved the heights that James has or been as great a player as he is. It meant a lot to ASU fans to give them something to brag about to their in-state rival. He still maintains a rooting interest in his alma mater: they hung his jersey in the rafters a couple of years ago and he came back to Tempe for that special night.

He has led the NBA in FTM/FTA every single year since 2015: what is his secret for getting to the FT line, and what is the key to making them once he gets there? He is just a big/strong individual who can lower his head as a guard and just get through traffic: many things can happen when you drive and most of them are good. He has been a good FT shooter throughout his career (85.8 career FT% is top-50 all-time). I remember a game at Washington State when he made some clutch FTs at the end of regulation to force OT before the Devils lost to the Cougars on a buzzer-beater. CBS ended up using my radio call of that Taylor Rochestie basket in their Selection Sunday intro! It was a heartbreaking loss but I remember how clutch James was in defeat.
(P.S. Here is a clip of that Rochestie shot: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVc1xWIfLCQ)

His 2296 career 3PM ranks #5 all-time: do you think that he will eventually pass Ray Allen (2973 career 3PM) for #1 all-time, and do you think that we will see him in the Hall of Fame 1 day? If he keeps playing at his current level I think that he will be a potential Hall of Famer at some point. He has the talent so the main thing is whether he can stay healthy. He left here more than a decade ago but I am unsure if he can catch Ray Allen.

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The Tournament That Wasn’t: Big West

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Chad

HoopsHD continues its series leading up to Selection Sunday and March Madness, as we simulate what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next is the Big West Tournament.  UC-Irvine dominated the season in this conference, winning the regular season title by 3 games.  However, their conference tournament run would start with a matchup against Long Beach State — the Anteaters’ top rival in the conference.  Would UCI be able to make it back to the Big Dance for the second year in a row, or would they get upset along the way and watch a lower seed steal the bid?  It is time to find out!

 

BIG WEST QUARTERFINALS

The Big West quarterfinals began with the 2/7 matchup between Cal State-Northridge and Cal State-Fullerton, and saw Northridge’s Lamine Diane scored 19 points and pull down 12 rebounds as his team overcame a 2-point halftime deficit to win 75-66.  Up next, UC-Riverside was trying to extend its best season at the D1 level and held a 37-36 lead over UC-Santa Barbara at the half.  However, the Gauchos proved to be too much and won it going away, 74-58.

In the evening doubleheader, top-seed UC-Irvine was able to take care of rival Long Beach State 76-64 despite 17 points from the Beach’s Chance Hunter.  Finally, UC-Davis built what appeared to be a commanding 42-25 first half lead over the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors.  The Bows came storming back in the second half, had the score tied 9 minutes in, and then pulled away late to end the Aggies’ season, 78-69.

 

BIG WEST SEMIFINALS

Hawai’i again found themselves down at the half in their semifinal matchup with top-seed UC-Irvine, this time by a score of 39-34.  Unlike their quarterfinal game, however, there was no magical second half run in store.  The Anteaters dominated the second half of the game and won easily, 90-67.  Tommy Rutherford’s 18 points led the way for Irvine.

In the second semifinal, UCSB and Cal State-Northridge played the most entertaining game of the Big West tournament so far.  Northridge held a narrow 4-point lead at the halftime break and it looked like the Matadors were ready to pull away when they opened it up to 13 points seven minutes into the second half.  The Gauchos fought back hard, however, closing the lead down to 3 with under 30 seconds left.  Northridge was able to make their free throws, however, and when the horn sounded they had escaped with an 80-76 win and a spot in the title game.

 

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP

The Big West championship game, despite being one of the last games of the night on a very busy Saturday of college hoops, was certainly worth staying up for.  UC-Irvine had easily won the regular season title, but Northridge gave the Anteaters all they could ask for and more, taking a 7-point lead into the half and building that lead to 11 early in the second.  UCI was not to be denied, however, as the ‘Eaters came storming back to tie the game at the halfway point of the second and eventually built a 5-point lead late.  The Matadors had one final push, with a couple of 3-point plays late pulling them within one.  However, Irvine made their free throws when needed and was able to hold on and punch their dance ticket, by a final score of 88-85.

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The Tournament That Wasn’t: Big Twelve

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Chad

HoopsHD continues its series leading up to Selection Sunday and March Madness, as we simulate what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next is the Big 12 Tournament, an event that featured a quarterfinal matchup between Texas and Texas Tech that may very well be an elimination game for each team’s postseason hopes.  Kansas and Baylor were each on pace to be #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and if the championship game ended up being between the two, it would certainly be one of the top games of the entire season.  Who would win?  Who would secure their dance ticket?  It is time to find out!

 

BIG 12 QUARTERFINALS

The Big 12 started quarterfinal play with the huge 4 vs 5 game between Texas and Texas Tech.  This was by far the most intriguing conference quarterfinal in the nation, as the winner looked to be in great shape for an NCAA Tournament bid while the loser had a very good chance to be on the way to the NIT.  Texas Tech had one huge advantage in this game – they were a team that knew how to win in the postseason after last year’s run to the national championship game.  That could have been the difference, as the Red Raiders came out strong and held on all the way, winning 83-70 and advancing to the semifinals.  Davide Moretti was the standout star, scoring 17 points in the victory.  For Shaka Smart’s Longhorns, it was time to sit back and wait to see if their team was called on Sunday afternoon.

The second quarterfinal matched top-seed Kansas up against 8-seed Oklahoma State.  The Cowboys entered on a four-game winning streak, and had Bracketologists suddenly saying that there was a chance for this team, if they got the win today, to pull themselves out of nowhere and into the bubble talk.  However, they were up against the best team in the nation, and Kansas showed up ready to play.  The Jayhawks rolled to an 88-69 win led by 19 points from Devon Dotson.

The evening session began with 2-seed Baylor taking on 10-seed Kansas State.  Although the Bears had suffered a few toe-stubs down the stretch, they still seemed poised to be on the #1 seed line as long as they did not suffer a bad loss in the Big 12 Tournament – which basically meant as long as they won this game.  Although they did not blow K State out by any means, Baylor was able to build an 8-point halftime lead and keep the Wildcats at arm’s length the rest of the way, winning 73-64 and laying a solid claim on the #1 seed line in the Big Dance.  Jared Butler scored 17 points and MaCio Teague added 15 for the victorious Bears.

The final quarterfinal was between 6-seed West Virginia and 3-seed Oklahoma.  Both teams entered this game as close to being locks to make the NCAA Tournament as possible, and were playing this tournament for seeding and for pride.  The Mountaineers held a narrow 2-point lead at the break, 35-33, and then turned up the defensive pressure even greater in the second half, holding the Sooners to only 25 points after halftime.  West Virginia won by a final score of 67-58, with Oscar Tshiebwe’s double-double of 10 points and 11 boards leading the way.  Oklahoma was left to see where the Selection Committee would send them, while West Virginia had a semifinal date with Baylor.

 

BIG 12 SEMIFINALS

Although most experts felt that their quarterfinal win over Texas was enough to put the Red Raiders into the Big Dance, the team knew that beating #1-ranked Kansas in the semifinals would lock up a bid without any doubts.  Tech came out red hot in the first half and was able to take a 37-34 lead into the break.  However, KU proved to be just too much for the team.  Udoka Azubuike had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Devon Dotson added 17 points as the Jayhawks won by a final score of 77-68.  With Kansas in the title game, the only question was whether we would get to see a battle against another 1-seed, Baylor, in the finals.

Baylor had gone into Morgantown, West Virginia, for their final game of the regular season and walked out with their worst loss of the season, losing to the Mountaineers by 12 points.  West Virginia knew they could defeat Baylor and Baylor wanted revenge in this game – which led to one of the best games of the Big 12 Tournament so far.  The Bears held a narrow 31-28 lead at halftime.  The second half saw neither team open a lead of more than 4 points, and a Jordan McCabe 3-pointer tied it at 60 with just under 2 minutes left to play.  Devonte Bandoo of Baylor was fouled with 36 seconds left but only hit one free throw to put the Bears up 61-60.  The Mountaineers then saw Emmitt Matthews’ 19-footer hit off the front of the rim, but Oscar Tshiebwe was there to tip in the miss and put WVU up 62-61 with 21 seconds left in the game.  It all came down to Baylor’s final possession, and the Bears were able to get Jared Butler open for a short jump shot, which he nailed with 14 seconds to play to put his team up a point.  Tshiebwe got one more shot off for the Mountaineers at the buzzer, but it could not find the net and the Baylor Bears were moving on to the title game by a final score of 63-62.

 

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Two teams that appeared destined for 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament met in the Big 12 title game.  Although this was their third meeting of the season, with each team having won at the opponent’s home court, there was talk that it might not be their last – these teams could very well be squaring off again at the Final Four in Atlanta.  Everyone expected a great game, and that is exactly what they got.  The teams traded shots the entire first half with KU taking a 1 point lead into the break, 30-29.  In the second half, Kansas twice opened the lead to 6 points, but both times the Bears stormed back to tie it up.  With Kansas up 64-60 and 1:12 left to play, MaCio Teague nailed a 3 to pull the Bears within a point, and after a defensive stop it was Devonte Bandoo hitting from beyond the arc to give his team the 2-point lead with under 40 seconds left.  Baylor’s defense held the Jayhawks, and the Bears made their free throws to pull off a 68-64 win and claim the Big 12 Tournament championship.

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The Hoops HD Report: Special Edition (to put it lightly)

Posted on March 16, 2020 by David Griggs

On the eve before the NCAA Tournament was scheduled to start, the nearly full panel of Hoops HD Staff reflect on what a crazy and unprecedented week it’s been with the outbreak of the coronavirus/Covid-19.  They discuss their own personal feelings, some share experiences, some share opinions, and some give shout outs to teams that we wish we could have seen in the NCAA Tournament.  It’s a very different kind of show where we reflect on what we’ve experienced for the past week, what we may be facing in the future, and how we all hope we can get through this unique and somewhat scary challenge that we are all facing.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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Dejection Sunday: HoopsHD shares some Selection Sunday memories from former Middle Tennessee star Kerry Hammonds

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Jon Teitel

This is our saddest Selection Sunday ever because there is too much Sunday and not enough Selection. America obviously has bigger problems to worry about this month and quite possibly the only silver lining is that we have a LOT of free time to reflect on Sundays from the past. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our 3-part series with former Middle Tennessee star Kerry Hammonds, who shared a story from Selection Sunday in 1987 and its impact on the 1986 national champs.

You started 29 games at Middle Tennessee as a freshman and averaged 13.8 PPG/8 RPG: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I thought that I averaged a double-double. I had a terrific high school coach who taught me everything. I was not a great jumper but he taught me how to get good position and go get the ball.

You entered the 1985 OVC tourney with a 10-13 record but won 3 games in 3 days with each win coming by 3 PTS or less: how much of a home court advantage did you have while playing at the Murphy Center, and how on earth did you win the tourney after such a terrible regular season? Home court advantage was a big plus for us. We had a little hot streak toward the end of the season and beat each of the top-3 teams to win it.

In the 1985 NCAA tourney you scored 9 PTS in a loss to North Carolina: could you tell at the time that Brad Daugherty (25 PTS/11 REB) was going to become a star? Yes: it was difficult to get a shot off against him. I thought that I was a big guy but HE was huge.

Your scoring decreased from your freshman to sophomore year but your FG% increased from under 40% to over 50%: how were you able to improve your shooting from 1 year to the next? A lot of practice and working hard: I guess I got a big head, which is why my average went down. I was coming off the bench for most of my sophomore year after starting most of my freshman year.

Despite a 4-PT loss to Austin Peay in the 1987 OVC tourney semifinals on your home court you made the NCAA tourney and scored 11 PTS in a loss to Notre Dame (David Rivers/Donald Royal combined for 51 PTS): were you surprised to hear your name called on Selection Sunday? Not at all: we were a pretty good team. I remember Denny Crum being mad because we got in and Louisville did not! That was probably our best team.

After sitting out the 1988 season you had 17.3 PPG/conference-best 10.3 RPG as a senior: how on earth were you able to average a double-double as a 6’7” center? Position and a good eye for the ball. We had a lot of shooters so if I wanted to score then I had to rebound 1 of their misses. I loved to rebound: it was fun because not everybody wanted to do it.

In the 1989 NCAA tourney you had 11 PTS/13 REB in a win over Florida State: how were you able to overcome a 17-PT 2nd half deficit to win by 14 PTS, and where does freshman Mike Buck’s performance rank among the greatest that you have ever seen (after only averaging 5 PPG during the season he explored for 26 PTS in 22 minutes off the bench without missing a single shot: 7-7 FG/6-6 3PM/6-6 FT)? Mike got hot! We had 3 guys who were scoring 17+ PPG and we just got on a roll. That game is in the top-3.

You still rank among the top-3 in school history with 1616 PTS/955 REB: how did you balance your scoring with your rebounding? Coming out of high school those were 2 things that I could do: they just came naturally to me. I preferred rebounding more than scoring but when you get an offensive rebound then you are in a good position to score.

In 2014 you were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I guess it is the 2nd-highest behind getting my diploma. I was a kid from the projects in Macon, GA: I did not even expect to go to college, much less make a Hall of Fame. I just pursued my career very hard.

Your younger brother Kelvin played at Middle Tennessee as did your son Kerry II (who later became the director of basketball operations for Coach Kermit Davis): who is the best athlete in the family, and how important is the school to your family? I think that I am the best and my son is #2: if he were not so injury-prone he would probably have been #1 because he could do it all. My daughter is there now: the school has been very good to me and my family. I had never heard of it back in the day until Coach Bruce Stewart got the job and came by to recruit me. If it were not for him then I never would have went there so you could say we owe it all to him.

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The Tournament That Wasn’t: Big Ten Tournament

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Chad

HoopsHD continues its series leading up to Selection Sunday and March Madness, as we simulate what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next is the Big Ten Tournament, a tournament with more depth than what we often see in NCAA Regionals.  At least ten teams entered this event with legitimate claims on being worthy of making the Big Dance.  Michigan State was red hot, Wisconsin had surged late to capture the top seed, and teams playing as early as the Second Round, like Michigan and Ohio State, had legitimate Final Four aspirations.  So who would win this tournament?  It is time to find out!

 

BIG TEN SECOND ROUND

The Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament opened with the 8/9 games between Rutgers and Michigan.  The Scarlet Knights were looking to take any doubt away from their potential inclusion in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991, while Michigan was looking to remain undefeated all-time against RU.  Although the prior meetings between the teams had been close ones, today’s game was not.  Michigan jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back, cruising to an 84-75 win.  Franz Wagner led the way for the Wolverines with 22 points, and Rutgers was left to wait for the Selection Committee’s decision on Sunday.

In the second game, the Iowa Hawkeyes were looking to improve their seed in the Big Dance while Richard Pitino’s Golden Gophers of Minnesota were looking to keep their season alive.  The later proved to be the stronger motivating factor, as Minnesota held a narrow lead at halftime and extended it in the second half to win by a dozen, 68-56.  Daniel Oturu was named Player of the Game, scoring 14 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.

The third games featured 7-seed Ohio State against 10-seed Purdue.  The Boilermakers knew that a couple of wins in this event would make them an intriguing decision for the Selection Committee, despite potentially having more losses than any team ever to get an at-large bid.  Purdue did what they needed to do today to pick up another very strong win, as the Boilermakers led by 11 at the half and held off the Buckeyes in the second half.  Ohio State actually took a 79-77 lead with 1:07 left thanks to a Kyle Young 3, but Sasha Stefanovic answered with one from beyond the arc of his own.  When the final horn sounded, Purdue has an 81-79 win, and a date in the quarterfinals with Michigan State.

The final game of the second round featured 6-seed Penn State taking on 11-seed Indiana.  A few Bracketologists still claimed that Indiana was on the bubble, so the Hoosiers entered this game knowing that a win might to necessary to lock up a tournament bid.  The game was back and forth throughout, with Indiana taking the lead with 6:30 left to play, and doing just enough to hold off Penn State the rest of the way.  Late free throws made the final score 76-67, and pretty much turned Indiana into a lock to make the NCAA Tournament.  The Hoosiers win also completed a day where all four lower-seeded teams had advanced to the next round.

 

BIG TEN QUARTERFINALS

Top-seed Wisconsin started its Big Ten tournament run in the quarterfinals against 9-seed Michigan, and the game looked like it would be a battle the entire way when the Wolverines took a 4-point lead into the halftime break.  Michigan held that lead until 6:40 left to play inn the game when Wisconsin’s Kobe King was fouled while making a shot for a 3 point play.   That play seemed to take the heart out of the Wolverines, and Wisconsin dominated the final 6 minutes, winning by a final score of 79-66.  Brad Davison’s 17 points led the way for the Badgers.

12-seed Minnesota had improved to 16-16 overall following their upset of Iowa, and now had a tough Illinois team ahead in the quarterfinals.  The Gophers were set to try to become one of the stories of Championship Week when they built a 40-27 halftime lead on the Illini.  Illinois fought back hard in the second half and tied the game at 68 with just under 2 minutes to play.  However, Brad Underwood’s team was unable to score again, and a jumper by Alihan Demir with 1:06 left proved to be the final margin of victory.  The Gophers dreams stayed alive, winning 70-68 and advancing to take on Wisconsin in the semifinals.  Daniel Oturu was dominant again in this game, scoring 18 points and pulling down 13 boards for the double-double.

The third quarterfinal was pretty much a must-win game for a Purdue Boilermakers team that was looking to sneak into the field despite a high volume of losses.  Their opponent, however, was Michigan State – the preseason #1 team in the nation that had finally started playing like that over the past few weeks.  Purdue gave Sparty all they could ask for and more, but at the end of the day, Michigan State was simply too much.  The Spartans, with four different players scoring in double-figures, got a key 3 late from Kyle Ahrens and hit their free throws to turn a 63-63 tie into a 74-66 win and likely ended up sending Purdue to the NIT.

In the final game of the quarterfinal round, a double-double from Jalen Smith and 19 points from Anthony Cowan helped lead the 3-seed Maryland to an 87-79 win over Indiana.  The  Hoosiers kept the game close for a half, and in fact it was tied at the break, but the Terps proved to be too much for the Hoosiers.  With the win, Maryland advanced to Saturday’s semifinal against Michigan State in a battle of what was arguably the two best teams in the Big Ten this season.

 

BIG TEN SEMIFINALS

In order for the Minnesota Golden Gophers to make the NCAA Tournament, they would need to win 5 games in 5 days.  With three of those wins down already, the Gophers matched up against top-seed Wisconsin in the first semifinal.  At halftime, Minnesota held a 32-22 lead and it looked like the feat may just be possible.  By the under-12 timeout in the second half, Wisconsin had the lead.  Although the game was close the rest of the way, key free throw shooting down the stretch was enough to end the Cinderella run and give Wisconsin a berth in Sunday’s title game.  Nate Reuvers led the Badgers with 17 points in the 70-65 win.

The 2 vs 3 semifinal of Michigan State and Maryland had all the looks for a great game before it tipped.  The first half even played out that way, with only 2 points separating the teams when they went to the locker rooms.  However, the Spartans took control midway through the second half, eventually opening up a 74-59 lead before cruising in for an 87-78 win and a spot against Wisconsin for the championship on Sunday.  Cassius Winston scored 20 points for the victorious Spartans and Xavier Tillman had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

 

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Michigan State was playing like the team picked by many to win the national championship preseason, but in one of the last games to tip before the Field of 68 was announced, it was the Wisconsin Badgers that got to cut down the nets.  Although the game was tied at halftime, Wisconsin clearly had the most gas left in their tanks , as the Badgers pulled away about midway through the second and won the Big Ten championship by a final score of 70-57.  Brad Davison scored 18 points and Nate Reuvers added 17 for the conference champions.  For both teams, however, the work had just begun, as they headed back to their hotels to watch the Selection Show and find out just what their path to a potential Final Four was going to be.

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