Atlantic 10 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on September 30, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON POLL:

  1. VCU
  2. Saint Louis
  3. Dayton
  4. George Washington
  5. Loyola Chicago
  6. George Mason
  7. Saint Joseph’s
  8. Saint Bonaventure
  9. Duquesne
  10. Richmond
  11. Davidson
  12. Rhode Island
  13. La Salle
  14. Fordham

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A10 1ST TEAM:

-Javon Bennett – SR, G – Dayton
-Brayden O’Connor – SR, G – George Mason
-Rafael Castro – SR, F – George Washington
-Miles Rubin – JR, C – Loyola Chicago
-Deuce Jones II – SO, G – Saint Joseph’s
-Robbie Avila – SR, C – Saint Louis

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL A-10 2ND TEAM:

-Amael L’Etang – SO, F – Dayton
-Tre Dinkins III – SR, G – George Washington
-Dasonte Bowen – SR, G – Saint Bonaventure
-Barry Evans – SR, F – VCU
-Jadrian Tracey – SR, G – VCU
-Tyrell Ward – JR, G – VCU

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-10 3RD TEAM:

-Keonte Jones – SR, F – Dayton
-Dejour Reaves – SR, G – Fordham
-Trey Autry – JR, G – George Washington
-Christian Jones – SO, G – George Washington
-Mike Walz – SR, C – Richmond
-Ahmad Nowell – SO, G – VCU

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Overall, from top to bottom, I feel this league should be better. With so many basketball-centric schools to be in the markets that they are in, with the budgets and resources that they have, and having the buy-in from the fanbases that they do, there is no way in hell this should be a one-bid league. There is no way in hell that the 1st-place team should not be seeded in the top-half of the bracket. Part of the problem was that I do not think the better teams in this league play the OOC schedules they need to in order to establish themselves. That was definitely the case last year. This league really should be better.

-VCU had a strong season a year ago before bringing in first-year coach Phil Martelli Jr. This may be a strange thing to say about a team that won 28 games and made the NCAA Tournament, but they really should have been better. I feel a lack of overall schedule strength kept them from receiving a better seed. They have their work cut out for them this year as all five starters are gone. While they do have some impressive-looking transfers, including guys like Tyrell Ward and Jadrian Tracey (who saw key minutes at P4 programs), I am not sold that they will be quite as good as they were a year ago. At least I am not convinced of that yet.

-Saint Louis saw improvement from the season before last year and while I think they will continue to improve this year, I am unsure I would have picked them to finish as high as 2nd. Having said that, they have one of the best big men in the league in Robbie Avila, and with some solid-looking transfers I do think the Billikens will be better this year than they were a year ago.

-Dayton had a solid year with 23 total wins last year, which was their fourth straight season of winning 20 games or more, but it still felt like they really should have been better. They failed to make the NCAA Tournament, which was an underachievement given the pieces they had a year ago. They have a very solid backcourt led by Javon Bennett and Rutgers transfer Jordan Derkack. They also have a solid-looking frontcourt, with guys like Keonte Jones and Amael L’Etang. They should also be a tough defensive team. They are my pick to win the league.

-Expectations are high for George Washington this year after a rather “meh” season last year. 21 total wins was solid, but they were still just 9-9 in conference play. Three starters are back, including Rafael Castro (who is a solid frontcourt player) and Tre Dinkins (who averaged just under 13 ppg out of the backcourt last year). I expect the former Colonials/current Revolutionaries to be fairly strong this year and I agree with where they are in the preseason poll.

-Loyola Chicago has three starters back including Miles Rubin, who is one of the best big men in the league. This is a team to watch for. They won 25 games a year ago and were fairly strong down the stretch with a solid showing in the NIT. Their experience will be an asset, and the addition of CofC transfer Deywilk Tavarez will give them some experience in the backcourt. I think the preseason pollsters have them a little low. I could see them finishing as high as 2nd, or even 1st.

-George Mason had a great season a year ago where they won 27 total games and just missed making the NCAA Tournament. Having said that, for them to win 25 regular season D-1 games and not get in is probably a sign that they need to play a tougher OOC schedule. Just one starter returns from last year’s team so it will likely be a rebuilding year for the Patriots, which is why they are picked to finish toward the middle of the standings. Tony Skinn has done a phenomenal job as head coach and I think he will get them rolling again soon. Their roster does have some impressive-looking transfers, so they may end up exceeding expectations.

-After back-to-back 20+ win seasons for Saint Joseph’s, things are not off to the best of starts for the Hawks this year. They had a coaching change very late in the offseason when Billy Lange left to take a job with the New York Knicks and Steve Donahue (who is a solid coach) took over, but it was such a late transition that you wonder what kind of impact it will have. Just two starters are back, so they will be relying on guys without a whole lot of experience to step into much bigger roles.

-Saint Bonaventure is another 20+ win team that lost most of its roster. They were just 9-9 in A-10 play a year ago, but I think they can be even better this year considering some of the additions they have made. Amar’e Marshall (Buffalo) and Darryl Simmons II (Gardner-Webb) were both prolific scorers at the D-1 level and should be great additions for the Bonnies this year.

-Duquesne won just 13 games last year. This followed back-to-back 20+ win seasons that actually saw them win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Now the Dukes appear to be back to finishing in the bottom half of the conference. They do appear to have a fair amount of experience, but it is hard to say whether or not that will translate into wins.

-So, on to Richmond. Every year I pick the Spiders as a dark horse, and every year they sort of let me down. I love how they play. Having said that, their system requires guys who have experience playing that style. With college basketball being so transfer-heavy right now, it is hard to play the way Richmond does and build success because right as the players are starting to get it, they often jump into the transfer portal and it is back to square one for the Spiders. They lost DeLonnie Hunt to an injury last year and were never the same after that…but he is back this year. They have enough guys returning who were a part of their rotation that should give them the experience they need to be better this year. I have NOT learned my lesson: I think Richmond will be the surprise team this year!!

-Coach Matt McKillop just cannot get the motor going at Davidson. He’s 48-49 in his three years there, and the days of being an A-10 frontrunner feel like they were a long time ago. They finished just 12th in the standings last year, and with just one starter back expectations for this year are once again…well…not great. They face the same issues that many programs are facing. Key players chose to transfer rather than return, and every year it feels like they are starting from scratch.

-Rhode Island managed a winning record for the first time since 2020 last year, but with all 5 starters gone the Rams are having to rebuild from scratch, and it could be a very long season for them. It has been a frustrating stretch for Coach Archie Miller.

-La Salle and Fordham. Both were terrible last year, neither return any starters, and neither are expected to be good this year. A short time ago Fordham was near the top of the A-10 standings, and WOW was it fun! La Salle has also managed to build some decent teams, but more often than not these two teams are just atrocious. I do not see how. Given where they are located and how much buy-in the universities have from their alumni base, it seems that even just by accident they would be good every once in a while. If these two teams played in the Patriot League, or the Metro Atlantic, or even the NEC, I do not think they would finish in the top half the majority of the time: that is RIDICULOUS!!

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews UT Martin G Kenley McCarn

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

We are less than 5 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with UT Martin G Kenley McCarn, who talked about being a great FT shooter and her expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in Arkansas, and at Melbourne High School you won 4 state titles while going 130-7: did it reach a point where people just expected you to win every time that you stepped onto the court? I would say that was the expected outcome. We worked very hard and had a great bond on the court: once we won 2 in a row we were expected to keep winning a 3rd/4th in a row.

You got off to a great start at UT Martin in 2022 by setting a program record for a freshman debut with 31 PTS in your season opener against Troy, but suffered a season-ending injury following your 4th game against Marshall: how bad was it, and how were you able to get back onto the court? I had a stress fracture in my ankle: I could have come back after Christmas, but my coach and I agreed it would be a waste so I decided to redshirt. I had to wear a boot on my foot and use crutches for 2 months and then slowly started lifting/working out.

In 2024 you were named All-OVC 1st-team: what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor (especially since you were coming back from an injury)? It meant a lot because it was a hard season. It is hard to come back from injuries, especially during college.

Take me through the 2024 postseason:
In the OVC tourney title game your team had a 28-PT loss to Southern Indiana, but since the Screaming Eagles were ineligible for the NCAA tourney, your team got the automatic bid: how weird was it to get blown out but still get to keep playing? It was a little weird. Our coach did not play our starters (including me), which was hard to go through because I am very competitive. However, we felt like we deserved a spot in the NCAA tourney due to everything that we had been through.

In the 1st 4 you scored 12 PTS in a loss to Holy Cross: what are your memories of your only March Madness experience so far? It was a little rough because we did not play the way that we wanted to. If we get back there again then I hope we play better.

Last year you made 60-64 FTs (93.8 FT%): what is the secret to making FTs? I do not want to admit it…but I guess it is listening to my coach! He helped fix my form and now I usually make them.

You earned an OVC Academic Medal of Honor during each of the past 3 years: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I make sure to show up to class. It is hard to put in all the hours that are required, but you just need to find time to get everything done.

You have a birthday coming up next month: any plans for the big day? Not really: it is an off day so I assume we will just go eat dinner or something.

In November you will host Tennessee in the Pat Summitt Heritage Classic (the Lady Vols’ 1st trip to Martin since 1997): how excited are you to play against the highest-ranked team to ever visit the Elam Center? I am very excited: it will be a cool event to honor Coach Summitt and I think it is sold out!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goal is to win a conference tourney championship: we are young but are working hard so I think that we can get there.

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Metro Atlantic Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on September 30, 2025 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

MAAC PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Quinnipiac
  2. Siena
  3. Sacred Heart
  4. Manhattan
  5. Marist
  6. Iona
  7. Merrimack
  8. Fairfield
  9. Mount Saint Mary’s
  10. Rider
  11. Saint Peter’s
  12. Niagara
  13. Canisius

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 1ST TEAM:

-Devin Dinkins – JR, G – Manhattan
-Will Sydnor – SO, F – Manhattan
-Amarri Monroe – SR, F – Quinnipiac (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Anquan Hill – SR, F – Sacred Heart
-Justice Shoats – SR, G – Siena

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 2ND TEAM:

-Elijah Lewis – SR, G – Marist
-Jaden Zimmerman – SO, G – Quinnipiac
-Mekhi Conner – SO, G – Sacred Heart
-Bryce Eaton – SO, G – Saint Peter’s
-Gavin Doty – SO, G – Siena

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 3RD TEAM:

-Deuce Turner – SR, G – Fairfield
-Jadin Collins-Roberts – JR, G – Marist
-Xavier Lipscomb – SR, G – Mount Saint Mary’s
-Zion Cruz – SR, G – Rider
-Nyle Ralph-Beyer – SO, G – Sacred Heart

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Quinnipiac has won 20+ games each of the last three seasons and finished in 1st place the last two seasons under Coach Tom Pecora, but they have yet to win the MAAC Tournament and make the NCAAs. They have two key starters back this year including Amarri Monroe, who is one of the best players in the league. Asim Jones is also a quality transfer. If some other guys can step up then they could be atop the standings again.

-Siena had an unimpressive year a season ago, so I am a little surprised to see them this high in the preseason poll. Three starters are back including Justice Shoats, who is one of the better guards in the conference, so they should improve from their 8th place finish from a year ago, but finishing as high as 2nd seems a little ambitious.

-Sacred Heart also has three starters back including Nyle Ralph-Beyer and Gavin Doty, who make up a solid backcourt. Anquan Hill also gives them a strong frontcourt presence: he averaged nearly 13 ppg last year, grabbed 6 boards a game, and can hit from the outside. Sacred Heart does not have a strong history or brand, but I really like them this year and think they have a chance to win the league. They only finished 7th last year, but were much better in the second half of conference play than they were in the first, and with the experience they have I think they can be as good as anyone.

-Manhattan is coming off their best season in at least five years, so Coach John Gallagher is definitely making some progress. The Jaspers were also very good down the stretch last year, winning seven of their last nine before losing in the conference tournament. Two key players return in Will Sydnor and Devin Dinkins, both of whom averaged 13 ppg a season ago. With the addition of some key transfers, including Terrance Jones from Norfolk State, Manhattan should continue to improve. I actually like them to finish higher than 4th.

-Marist has four starters back from a 20-win team, but must replace their best player from a season ago and were terrible down the stretch, so that would explain why they were only picked 5th. Still, as a program, they have shown consistent improvement in recent years and I look for that to continue this year.

-Iona has a new coach, and with just one returning starter they will be looking to rebuild the roster. Coach Dan Geriot has had success in the past, and given time he should be able to get Iona rolling again, but this year it just seems like there are far more questions than answers.

-Merrimack will be tasked with replacing all five starters, and like a lot of teams with complete roster overhauls it is hard to know what they will look like. Kevair Kennedy appears to be a strong point guard who they will be heavily relying on.

-Fairfield is coming off a year where they won just 12 games overall and finished 10th in the league. Two starers return including Deuce Turner, who received preseason all-conference honors. Braden Sparks is also back and should be a significant contributor, but expectations are not all that high for the Stags.

-Mount Saint Mary’s had a great year last year, winning 23 games overall and then winning the MAAC Tournament after a 4th-place finish. The problem is that nearly everyone from that team is gone. They will be relying on some upperclassmen and transfers who have limited experience as they try and rebuild.

-Rider has ten new players on the roster, but two key starters are back including Zion Cruz, who should give them some pretty good experience at the guard position. It is a transfer-heavy roster and they are likely in for a long year.

-Saint Peter’s did something that very few teams did last year: they won their last game! Nearly all D-1 teams lose their last game unless they win a postseason tournament. The problem is they won very few other games and did not play in the conference tournament. Just one starter returns and with a transfer-heavy roster they will look to improve from last season, but the expectations are not high.

-Niagara won just 11 total games last year and finished 12th in the conference. They have just one starter back and are not expected to do much better this year.

-Canisius was simply atrocious last year. They won just three games and were among the worst teams in all of D-1. This is a program with a somewhat rich history, so it is odd to see them as bad as they were a year ago. I also think Jim Christian is a fairly good coach, which makes it even more puzzling. They have overhauled their roster, which is something they probably needed, but the expectations for them are not high as they are picked to finish dead last.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews San Diego State G Naomi Panganiban

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

We are less than 5 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with San Diego State G Naomi Panganiban, who talked about winning her conference tourney title game in triple-OT last March and her expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in San Diego and in addition to basketball you were a great track and field athlete in high school: how much of an advantage is your running/jumping ability on the basketball court? Track and field helped me stay conditioned in the offseason and the plyometrics helped my jumping and injury prevention. It definitely played an important part in my transition to college basketball.

What made you choose San Diego State? I chose SDSU because of how welcoming everybody made me feel and the coaching staff. Being from San Diego, I grew up watching games in Viejas and it has always been a dream of mine to play here.

You play for Coach Stacie Terry-Hutson: what makes her such a good coach, and what is it like to have her husband Justin as 1 of your assistant coaches? What makes Stacie a good coach is the environment and culture she helps create for the team and her ability to work under pressure. I think Justin was a great addition to the team because he has a lot of knowledge of the game and helps us get better as players individually.

You made your debut for the Philippines senior’s women’s team in 2024: how big is basketball among Filipinos? Basketball is huge in the Philippines: it really is a kind of religion.

Last year you were named to the conference All-Freshman Team and your 10.3 PPG was the most in the conference among true freshmen: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I try to come in the game and do whatever the team really needs in that moment. I like to think as myself as someone can make plays for both myself and for others. Luckily, I had teammates and coaches who really believed in my ability, which made it easy for me to showcase what I can do.

Joining you on the All-Freshman Team was Nat Martinez, whose 41.9 3P% was 5th-best in school history: even though you 2 are just sophomores, are you ready to be leaders this year since you lost 7 of your top-9 scorers from last year (Veronica Sheffey/Adryana Quezada/Kim Villalobos/Cali Clark/Khylee Pepe/Erin Houpt/Jazlen Green)? We are definitely trying to fill that leadership role this year and help show the newcomers the ropes to keep our winning culture. This past year we both learned a lot from the experiences and from the upperclassmen who helped us.

You were also named to the conference All-Academic Team: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It gets tough at times, but what really helped me is time management and giving myself a break when I need it. During the season, things are very fast-paced and hectic so taking advantage of the resources and support we have helps a lot.

Take me through the 2025 postseason:
In the conference tourney title game you scored 17 PTS in 46 minutes in a 4-PT 3-OT win over Wyoming: what are your memories of the 1st D-1 conference final to last at least 3 OTs since 2013? I remember it being back-and-forth the entire game. Every time we thought it was going to end, another overtime came! I remember just thinking to push through. We wanted to win so badly: when the buzzer finally went off, everyone felt so relieved.

In the NCAA tourney you scored 5 PTS in a 59-PT loss at LSU: did you learn anything from that game that can help you this season or do you try to not think about it at all? I learned a lot of valuable lessons from that game. One of them was to stay locked in even when your game plan is not working. Another is to focus on what you can control and play at your own pace.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal is to be someone who my teammates and coaches can consistently rely on, whether that is getting a bucket, bringing energy, or being a leader. I am very excited for this season and to see what we can do. We have a new squad with a lot of talent so hopefully we can continue the momentum from last year and go back-to-back.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews NC State G Zoe Brooks

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

We are less than 6 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with NC State G Zoe Brooks, who talked about winning games in March and her expectations for this season.

In 2023 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (MiLaysia Fulwiley/Hannah Hidalgo/JuJu Watkins/other)? Hannah: I used to play basketball with her when we were younger and it has been cool to see her take off.

You were born/raised in New Jersey: what made you choose NC State? The atmosphere was great and I love Coach Wes Moore. During my official visit he crashed a golf cart: nobody got hurt but I felt I had to come here because we are both goofy.

What makes Wes such a good coach? He has been coaching longer than I have been alive and has always been a winner. He wants me to be the best player I can be and make me a pro.

In your 1st career start you had 14 PTS/12 REB/10 AST in a win over Liberty to become the 2nd woman in school history to record a triple double: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? I do not think I played well that night because I did not shoot the ball well and had a few turnovers…but it was still a great accomplishment.

You played in 38 games that season and were named to the conference all-freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Just trusting my abilities and having a coach who had a lot of trust in me. I played a lot of minutes as a freshman around a bunch of great players, including a couple who are now in the WNBA.

In the 2024 Final 4 you scored 12 PTS in a loss to South Carolina: where does that undefeated national champ Gamecock team rank among the best that you have ever seen? They were pretty good…and still are! We stuck around in the 1st half before they pulled away in the 2nd half. They were not the best shooting team but killed us on the boards and were very athletic.

Last March you were named Most Improved Player in the conference and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was cool but I do not play for accolades. I just want to be the best version of myself and help my team win, but it was still nice to add those to my resume.

You have won a total of 10 postseason games during your 1st 2 years: what is the secret to winning games in March? Play together and trust your plan. It begins in the summer when you build good chemistry, and by March it is about “survive and advance”. If you make a single mistake it could be the end of your season so there is little room for error. You must be disciplined and locked in: you cannot make the same goofy mistakes like you might in November.

Your parents Millie/Maurice attend most of your games: how tight is your family? They do not come to every single game but definitely most: if we play 30 games then at least 1 of my parents will make it to about 25/26. I also have some cousins in Charlotte who come down for some games as well.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal is to be ACC POY, win an ACC championship, win a national championship, and go undefeated at home again. It went unnoticed last year (18-0 at home), but that was a crazy accomplishment. We hosted #1 Notre Dame last February and beat them (104-95 in double-OT) so it would be nice to do that for our fans.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new Lipscomb assistant coach Scott Cherry

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE For All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

We are less than 6 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with new Lipscomb assistant coach Scott Cherry, who talked about winning the 1993 NCAA title as a player and his expectations for this season.

You were born/raised in New York: why did you choose North Carolina for college? It is a crazy story. I was recruited by schools like Holy Cross/Fairleigh Dickinson but I did not find anything I was searching for. As a senior a local sportscaster picked a 10-man all-star team and named me as the 10th guy. He watched me play and sent my film down to UNC. Then they started watching me and must have liked what they saw, but never saw me play live. JR Reid turned pro and Kenny Anderson decided to go to Georgia Tech, which opened 2 scholarships up for me and Kevin Salvadori.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? It is what everybody says: he treats everyone the same no matter who you are. There are guys who get to do more than others on the court due to their ability, but off the court he treated each of us like we were the best player on the team. He taught us how to dress and how to act because everything was done in a 1st class manner to prepare us for success in life in addition to basketball. We played pickup basketball together each summer because it was such a tight-knit family. We always know that we can return: even though I was a reserve who played limited minutes I am treated like royalty on campus.

You were captain during your senior year: what is the key to being a good leader? Sacrificing yourself. To be a great family/team/business you need to get all the individuals to work together and believe in the common mission. You must sacrifice what you want so that everyone will benefit. Coach Smith simplified that vision and made sure that everyone bought into that: you have to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful. We had great players during each of my 4 years: we were not the most talented team in 1993 (compared to teams like the Fab 5 or Kentucky), but it ranks at the top for me because it was the best team that got the ultimate prize. People were talking about Coach Smith never winning the big 1 so it became a rallying cry for us. We had our arguments/fights but would set them aside at the end of the day and did everything for each other. I wanted to start and play 35 minutes but that was not my role. I led in my way, but George Lynch was the spearhead of the team due to his work habits, and we all moved in the same direction. Some people told George that he needed to shoot more threes to make it to the NBA, but Coach Smith told him to just show everyone what he could do (rather than what he could not do). Some guys do it by action, some do it by word, and some do it by both. We lost in the Final 4 in 1991 and were determined to get back there and change it. There were some guys who did not buy into that and might have been super-talented…but they did not stick around very long.

You played in the 1993 title game 6-PT win over Michigan: what was your reaction when Chris Webber called a timeout that his team did not have in the final seconds (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiJxgcka7BA), and what did it mean to you to win a title? I knew that they did not have any timeouts left…but I was more upset that the referees did not call him for traveling. As a PG who always had the ball in my hands I always paid attention to those things. I hated the situation for him but it gave us a great opportunity to win the game. Donald Williams calmly knocked down the FTs and we pulled away for the win. It was unbelievable to win a title: not many people are able to achieve it. When you watch the Fab 5 documentary it always turns out well for me! When you can hang a banner it allows you to leave a legacy, and that success will open doors and help create conversations. Those guys are forever special in my heart: not just the players but everyone on the staff. During the days after that I would wake up and wonder if it had really happened.

After graduating you played 1 year of pro basketball in Cyprus and then became a forklift salesman: how did you get into coaching? When you start playing basketball at age 5/6 and keep playing through college you want to play professionally for as long as you can. I was fortunate to play in Cyprus: it is not as glamorous as people think because you miss everything back home like birthdays/holidays, but I got to do some cool travel like visiting the Pyramids. I had lunch with a student who I met during college and he asked me what I wanted to do when I was done playing. I moved to Greenville, NC, and became a salesman for 3 years. It is like being a coach: I was selling a product and explaining what we can offer and how we will take care of you…which is what you do at a university. People buy from people so I was selling myself, which is also what you do as a coach. I learned a lot during those 3 years but was itching to become a coach.

Take me through the 2006 NCAA tourney as an assistant to Jim Larranaga at GMU:
You had a 5-PT win over defending national champ UNC in the 2nd round: how weird was it to upset your alma mater? It was weird. My son was 7-8 months old at the time and people would ask me who I would cheer for…and I said the school that is paying my check! I was not trying to beat Coach Smith, which would have felt VERY different, but we were excited to just beat Michigan State in the 1st round.

In the Elite 8 you had a 2-PT OT win over #1 seed UConn: what is the secret to being a Cinderella in March? Coach Larranaga did a great job of keeping our guys grounded/loose. Billy Packer and Jim Nantz just CRUSHED us on Selection Sunday: we were not supposed to be there so we were playing with house money. We knew that people would have to eat their words if we beat the Spartans, and after a slow start vs. UNC (we trailed 16-2 less than 5 minutes into the game) we finally got rolling. By the Elite 8 we felt that we had earned it but just tried to go out and have fun because we did something unbelievable. UConn did not help their cause by saying that they did not know any of our guys or where our school was located, which gave us a lot of motivation. We should have won it in regulation but Coach did a great job of managing our 7-man rotation because we were not that deep. We adjusted what we did defensively…and it really worked. The CAA was an incredible league back then: UNCW made the NCAA tourney, while Hofstra/ODU made the NIT. We got in and did what we thought we could do until we ran into a buzzsaw in Florida. GMU is hosting a 20-year anniversary event this December.

You spent 9 years as coach at High Point, where you won 4 straight regular season titles from 2013-2016 and were named conference COY in 2014: since you had so much previous success as a head coach, why did you decide to join Kevin Carroll’s new staff as an assistant at Lipscomb last May? When I was let go at High Point I took a few years off and we moved to Tennessee. When I decided to get back into college basketball I was okay with being an assistant. When you are a D-1 head coach there are a lot of things that come with that…and 95% of them do not involve basketball. It is challenging to manage all of that on a daily basis, so I was excited to give suggestions without having to be the decisionmaker. It is even more challenging to get a head coaching job now, but I like being a teacher/mentor and explaining how the players can become successful in life. I needed a job and had developed a relationship with Kevin on Zoom during COVID. We had been set at High Point so having to leave was a dagger, but Kevin and I stayed in touch: I later tried to get him to recruit my son to play for him in D-2! After I was let go from Central Michigan he called me and asked me if I would be interested in working for him. It is exciting for me to be at a Christian institution: it narrows our recruiting pool and lets us bring in the kind of kids who embrace what our university/program stand for. I can lay my head down at night knowing that we are doing the right things: it is like recruiting at an Ivy League school and Kevin is an incredible human being. I am an old dog who has learned a lot of new tricks: when I showed up to our 1st meeting with a pen/pencil he asked me what I was doing! I am here to help/guide/offer advice.

You played against Duke during their back-to-back title years in 1991/1992: how do you explain the rivalry to someone who has never seen it in person, and what will it be like to head back to Cameron Indoor Stadium when you play the Blue Devils in December? It is like 2 high school rivals or the neighbor down the street who you want to beat every time you play against him. Back then there was a disdain for each other and I think it is 1 of the top-2 rivalries in college sports along with Ohio State-Michigan. When we played them it did not matter what our records were. As you get older you develop a tremendous amount of respect for the things that Coach K/Coach Scheyer have been able to do. Playing in Cameron is the experience of a lifetime. We tried not to make it more than it was…but everyone knew what it was. People would not go to work the next day because it was that intense!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have the same goals every year: a successful non-conference record (which will be challenging this year), then win the regular season conference title and set yourself up for the postseason. We do not focus on the end results: the model for our team is “live your legacy”, which involves building an army of difference-makers. If we are hungry/honest/humble, those things will lead to unity/servanthood where you want to give of yourself to others. That is the pillar of the program, and it will lead to success off the court in life. We brought in 9 new guys so our former role players will have to step up while we put together the new pieces. Good teams are able to succeed via togetherness, because we know that we have recruited enough talent to win.

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