Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Baylor SR PF Lauren Cox

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Jon Teitel

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We continue our season preview coverage with Baylor SR PF Lauren Cox. Virginia lost several players after winning an NCAA title last spring (including Kyle Guy/De’Andre Hunter/Ty Jerome) but the Baylor women’s team lost almost as much after winning their own title, with Kalani Brown/Chloe Jackson each being selected among the top-15 picks at the 2019 WNBA Draft. 1 returner that Coach Kim Mulkey will be able to count on is Lauren: she was named conference DPOY and is finally healthy after suffering a left knee injury in the 3rd quarter of the title game win over Notre Dame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Lauren about winning a title and playing against her sister next month.

You are 6’4”: how big of an advantage is your height on the court? It is a big advantage, especially on defense. I also have really long arms that help me alter shots and on offense it gives me the ability to shoot over smaller defenders.

In 2016 you were named national high school POY at Flower Mound High School: what made you choose Baylor? I chose Baylor because of the winning program, the family environment, and the fact that it was close to home.

Later that summer you were named tourney MVP at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and which of your teammates impressed you the most (Chennedy Carter/Tyasha Harris/Evina Westbrook/other)? It meant a lot to win the gold with the U18 national team. It is always a blessing to be able to represent the US. I really enjoyed playing with every player on that team: they all brought different skills to the roster and now they are all having successful college careers.

You play for Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey: what makes her such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? Coach Mulkey is one of the most competitive and intense coaches that I have ever seen and that is what I love about her. She hates to lose and you can see this through her coaching. One of the most important things that she has taught me is to never lose my competitive drive and never be content.

Last year your 92 BLK were #14 in the nation and you were named conference DPOY: what is the secret to being a great shot-blocker? I played volleyball in high school so I think that really helped with some of my shot-blocking ability. I also understand angles and timing.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney title game you scored 8 PTS before suffering a left knee injury in the 3rd quarter of a 1-PT win over Notre Dame: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how is your health doing at the moment? Getting that win was one of the best feelings of my life. We had worked hard all year so holding that trophy up at the end was a dream come true. I am 100% now and playing/practicing just like usual.

You are 1 of 4 seniors/grad students on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I do not think there is much pressure on me to be a leader because I was in that role during my sophomore and junior years. I just have to keep doing what I have been doing by leading my team both on and off the court.

In October Baylor will host an exhibition game vs. Lubbock Christian to raise awareness for diabetes: how excited are you to face your sister Whitney? I am really excited to play against Whitney. We have a ton of family coming to the game and it will be really exciting. It is also very special because it is our type 1 diabetes awareness game.

Your mother Brenda played basketball at SMU and your father Dennis also played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say that right now I am the best athlete based on my experience but my sisters all have different skills and they will all improve as they get older.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our ultimate goal is to make it back to the Final Four and win another national championship. I expect everyone to come back this year with the same intensity and the same will to win as last year so I am excited to get started with this team.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Colgate assistant coach Mike Jordan

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Colgate assistant coach Mike Jordan. The Raiders lost a home game last February to fall to 13-10 overall, and then proceeded to turn things around by winning 11 straight games to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996. 2019 conference COY Matt Langel deserves a lot of the credit but had 3 awesome assistants to rely on in Dave Klatsky/Pat Moore/Mike Jordan. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Jordan about his famous basketball name and having a brutal road schedule this November.

You played for Coach Fran Dunphy at Penn: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He was an awesome person who was very knowledgeable about the game. He pushed you to be your best and never accepted anything less. I learned to always be the best I can even though my best might be different than someone else’s best.

In 1996 you were named Ivy ROY and in 2000 you were named Ivy POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It is always good to be recognized for the work you put in but the awards did not compare to winning an Ivy championship during my final 2 years of college: that is all that matters at the end of the day.

After graduating you played pro basketball for more than a decade in 9 different countries: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? The 24-second shot clock is a big difference. They also have club teams abroad rather than college teams. They have a different style where everyone can shoot the ball, even if we are finally leaning toward that model a little in the US. The big men overseas are very good passers.

What is the best part of being a basketball player named Mike Jordan, and what is the not-so-best part? The best part is that nobody forgets your name…and the worst part is that nobody forgets your name! If you ever do anything bad you will always hear about it.

You currently work for Coach Matt Langel at Colgate, who was your former teammate with the Quakers: what was he like as a player, and what is he like as a boss? He was a very good shooter/hard worker and knew how to play, which is what we teach our guys now. I am very fortunate to work for 1 of my best friends: he learned a lot from Dunphy and allows us to do a lot of things as assistants. He allows us to grow as coaches, which is perfect for me, and is very family-oriented so our kids are always around the gym. He is a very understanding boss and it is a very unique situation for me: I am lucky to work for a guy like that.

In the 2019 conference tourney title game Jordan Burns scored a Patriot League tourney-record 35 PTS in a win over Bucknell en route to being named tourney MVP: how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most, and how big a deal was it to win the school’s 1st Patriot League regular season/tourney titles since 1996? It was a big deal for our players/staff. We had been close before and were down a bunch the previous year while Bucknell was having a party down on the other end of the court: it was like a nightclub with a DJ and people dancing! I made our guys watch that and Jordan worked hard every day to step up and become a better player. He wanted to beat Bucknell because he remembered how it felt in 2018 and he did not want to feel that way again.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you had a 7-PT loss to Tennessee: how close did you come to pulling off the upset, and what did your team learn from that game that will help them this year? We were close: Rap (Rapolas Ivanauskas) not being able to play hurt us size-wise since he is such a big guy who can spread the floor but we had a good chance to win even without him. When the opportunity comes you have to step up. We try to teach the players that each possession matters: the game is so fragile that you can win or lose it on a crucial turnover or not boxing out or letting someone get into the lane. It all comes down to the details.

Last year Langel was named conference COY, PF Rapolas Ivanauskas was named conference POY and Tucker Richardson was named conference ROY: is there anyone on your team who did NOT win an award last season?! We also had a couple of guys on the all-defensive team and they all earned everything that they achieved last year. However, they were happiest that we got to play in the NCAA tourney, which trumped everything else as the team’s highlight of the year.

Your non-conference schedule includes 3 straight road games in November at Clemson/Syracuse/Auburn: how do you prepare for such a brutal road trip? We have to prepare for NJIT 1st because they beat us last year, and then you prepare just as if it was anyone else on your schedule. We have to play a little smarter/better and not give those high-major teams extra possessions/easy points. If they earn it and beat us then so be it, but if we trust our scouting report and stick to the script then we will be fine.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Same as usual: continue to get better each day and compete for a championship. Most people probably have us as favorites but the league is very good this year so it is wide open.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Colgate JR PG Jordan Burns

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Colgate JR PG Jordan Burns. The Raiders lost a home game last February to fall to 13-10 overall, and then proceeded to turn things around by winning 11 straight games to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996. It was a total team effort but Jordan deserves a lot of the credit for getting hot at the right time with 35 PTS in the conference tourney title game win over Bucknell and 32 PTS in the NCAA tourney loss to Tennessee. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jordan about being named conference tourney MVP and having a brutal road schedule this November.

You grew up in Texas and originally decided to play D-2 basketball at Midwestern State: what made you change your mind, and why did you eventually choose Colgate? Colgate was my 1st offer but I chose Midwestern because it was close to home and a comfortable spot for me so that my parents could come drive and see me play. After about 1 month I saw Colgate’s schedule come out and talked to my parents/coaches, then ended up decommitting and came here for an official visit. It proved to be the right place for me.

You play for Coach Matt Langel: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He genuinely cares about his players and treats us like his real family. It is the best that I have ever been treated by a coach and he teaches us life lessons that translate well to the court.

You started 19 games as a freshman and were named to the conference All-Rookie team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It was a big credit to the other guys we had on that squad who put the ball in my hands when it was time for me to play and helped make me feel comfortable.

Last year you set a school record for most assists in a season with 171: what is the secret to being a great PG? You always need to want the best for everyone else. Finding other people for open shots just helps with the flow of the game, and you also need to want your teammates to succeed.

In the 2019 conference tourney title game you scored a Patriot League tourney-record 35 PTS in a win over Bucknell en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what was the feeling like when your fans stormed the court? Rap (Rapolas Ivanauskas) got into a little foul trouble and he told me to take over the game. My teammates told me to keep shooting because I was hitting shots early. The court storming was a feeling like no other: my mom/brothers were there and I ran over to them to embrace them.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you scored 32 PTS/8-13 3PM in a 7-PT loss to Tennessee: how close did you come to pulling off the upset, and what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? We believed that we were a really good team and played with a lot of confidence. We learned that we have to keep coming together despite injuries and if we continue to work super-hard then we can be even better this November: it gave us a big confidence boost.

Last year Langel was named conference COY, PF Rapolas Ivanauskas was named conference POY, and Tucker Richardson was named conference ROY: is there anyone on your team who did NOT win an award last season?! There were actually not enough awards to go around: we had some guys on the bench who should have won some awards as well! We are ready to win some more awards this year and are hungry to succeed.

Your non-conference schedule includes 3 straight road games in November at Clemson/Syracuse/Auburn: how do you prepare for such a brutal road trip? Anyone who says those games are not circled on our schedule would be lying. We believe that we can go into those games and get some wins: we will not lay down for anybody and truly believe that everyone on our schedule is beatable.

You missed several games last year with a chipped bone in your left ankle: how is your health doing at the moment? Really well: I am getting back to 100% and still doing my rehab but by November I am pretty sure that I will be at 110%!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have a lot of goals: we think that we can win 30 games, win the conference outright (after sharing the regular season title with Bucknell last year), and maybe even make the Sweet 16. We also want to be the best defensive team in the country because we already have the offense to be a special mid-major team.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Long Beach State JR SG/SF Jordan Roberts

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Long Beach State JR SG/SF Jordan Roberts. The 49ers only won 15 games last year but 2 of those wins were away from home against teams who made the NCAA tourney (Iona in Las Vegas and UC-Irvine on the road). You may not have seen him much in the past but if you have some free time in November he will be staying out west to play on national TV in the Wooden Legacy. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jordan about having a brutal non-conference schedule and spending Thanksgiving in Anaheim.

You grew up in California: what made you choose Long Beach State? It was really close to home and I felt that it was part of a conference in which I could make a big impact.

You play for Coach Dan Monson: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? Accountability: I needed a coach to be hard on me so that I could get the best out of my ability.

You played in 31 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Defense. I knew that playing good defense would get me onto the court even while I was still maturing as a freshman and learning the offense.

Last year you were top-10 in the conference in ORB%: what is the key to being a good rebounder? You need to have the attitude to go get the rebound: it is simply about whether you want it or not.

In the 2019 Big West tourney quarterfinals you scored 18 PTS including a jumper in the final second to clinch a 2-PT win over Hawaii: how were you able to overcome an 18-PT deficit, and where does that shot rank among the highlights of your career so far? It was potentially the last game for our 7 seniors so we wanted to give it all we got. I think that shot was my highlight so far.

Your brutal non-conference schedule includes games against UCLA/Stanford/St. Mary’s/Arizona/Providence/USC/Florida: how are you preparing to survive such a gauntlet? We are prepared to go to war. We schedule those kind of games to prepare us for the rest of the season.

You will also be participating in the Wooden Legacy: how excited are you to spend Thanksgiving in California? Really excited. We have traveled to Florida/Las Vegas the past 2 years so we should have a lot of our fans there this November.

You will open up that event with Providence and might have to beat Wake Forest/Arizona to win it all: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Probably Arizona: they always have a lot of talent and have some good new guys coming in this year.

You mentioned all of the seniors you had on the roster last year: how will you try to replace all of that experience/leadership? We cannot replace their experience but will have a new mindset with a lot of new guys who are ready to go.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Winning a Big West championship: that is the main team goal. I do not have many personal goals other than just wanting to help our team win.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Pepperdine SR F Kameron Edwards

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Pepperdine SR F Kameron Edwards. He has spent most of his college career overcoming injuries (fractured jaw in 2017, concussion in 2018, and various injuries in 2019) but when healthy he and his brother Kessler have played some quality minutes for Coach Lorenzo Romar. You may not have seen him much in the past but if you have some free time in November he will be staying out west to play on national TV in the Wooden Legacy. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kameron about overcoming injuries and spending Thanksgiving in Anaheim.

You grew up in California: what made you choose Pepperdine? It is close to home so that was a big deal for me. It is a small Christian school with a great sense of community and great academics so it was a no-brainer for me.

You play for Coach Lorenzo Romar: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He spends a lot of times getting to know us off of the court, which builds a lot of the trust that we have in him. He taught me how to play hard/intense while staying in control.

In 2016 you were named to the conference All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was able to listen and take direction. I was the only scholarship freshman at the time so it was not easy. I was screwing up drills and they would have to stop practice and teach me the right way to do things, which helped me become a better player.

In November of 2017 you scored a career-high 27 PTS/13-18 FG in an 8-PT loss to UCSB: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I think that is accurate, plus the fact that there were a lot of plays drawn up for me. My shot was dropping that night so the coaches did a good job of making sure the ball got to me.

You missed all of 2017 due to a fractured jaw, missed 9 games in 2018 due to a concussion, and only played 18 games in 2019 due to various injuries: how is your health doing at the moment? It is really good. I had foot surgery 5 months ago but am back on the court and feeling 100%.

1 of your teammates is your brother Kessler: who is the best athlete in the family? Oh man…that has got to be me. He does have more bounce than I do: I have to give him that!

You had 2 seniors on the roster last year (Eric Cooper/Darnell Dunn) who have both moved on: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I would not say that it is pressure: it has been a smooth transition and myself/Colbey Ross are co-captains. The younger players trust/respect what we have to say, especially due to Colbey’s great work ethic.

Your non-conference schedule includes games at Cal/USC and your conference schedule includes 2 games against Gonzaga: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I think all of the Pac-12 games stick out as really good opportunities for us to show what we can do against Power 5 conferences. We also play Arizona in the Wooden Legacy.

Speaking of the Wooden Legacy, how excited are you to spend Thanksgiving in California? I cannot wait! We have a lot of local guys on our roster so it will be good for us to stay close to home and get to see our families during the holiday.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? This is definitely a tournament year for us and we feel that we can win 20 games. We hope to finish top-3 in the conference and open a lot of people’s eyes.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Charleston SR PG Grant Riller

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Jon Teitel

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We continue our season preview coverage with Charleston SR PG Grant Riller. After missing an entire season with an ACL injury he has bounced back better than ever: Two-Time All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team, 2017 conference All-Rookie Team, 2018 Conference Tournament MVP, and 1 of the top-20 scorers in the nation in 2019. You may not have seen him much in the past but if you have some free time in November he will be leading his team out west to play on national TV in the Wooden Legacy. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Grant about evacuating during Hurricane Dorian and spending Thanksgiving in Anaheim.

You grew up in Florida: what made you choose Charleston? I was not that highly recruited coming out of high school but once I came here on my visit I felt that it was the right place for me.

You play for Coach Earl Grant: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is definitely a players’ coach and has worked for some of the best head coaches in the country. He is a people person and has taught me how to be a professional both on the court and in the classroom.

You missed your entire freshman season due to an ACL injury but as a redshirt freshman in 2017 you started 29 games and were named to the CAA All-Rookie team: how difficult was it to get back onto the court, and how were you able to play so well once you were healthy? My body was not really developed at the time so it was a blessing that allowed me to get stronger and helped prepare for me the next year.

In the 2018 CAA tourney title game you scored 20 PTS in a 7-PT win over Northeastern en route to being named conference tourney MVP, then scored 16 PTS in a 4-PT loss to Auburn in the NCAA tourney: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and how close did you come to upsetting the Tigers? We had a lot of good players including 2 future NBA players, which gave me more freedom offensively. There was a questionable call at the end of the Auburn game but we just came up a little short.

Your PPG/RPG/APG have increased during each of your 1st 3 seasons: how have you been able to keep improving every single year? Just staying in the gym: I am here mostly year-round and the coaching staff prepares us well in the offseason.

Last Valentine’s Day you scored a career-high 43 PTS/17-25 FG in a 4-PT loss to Hofstra and finished the year #20 in the nation with 21.9 PPG: what is the secret to being a great scorer? Letting the game come to you. You have to play within your offense and know that the ball will eventually find you.

Your non-conference schedule includes a spot in the Wooden Legacy: how excited are you to spend Thanksgiving in California? I am extremely excited. It is a great opportunity for our team because we have a lot of young guys who are not very experienced.

You will open up with Wake Forest and might have to beat Providence/Arizona to win the event: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? They will all be tough games but our focus at the moment is on Wake Forest.

Earlier this month the school had to evacuate due to Hurricane Dorian: how scary was it at the time, and how is the campus/city doing now that you are back? The campus is fine now and the city did a great job of cleaning everything up. We were fortunate to evacuate before it hit but it seems that all is well.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I only want to focus on improving as a player. I came back to win a championship so that is my biggest goal.

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