Now that the NBA draft is in the books, your 2 main opportunities to see some basketball in the months ahead are the NBA Summer League and The Basketball Tournament. The TBT is an open-application, single-elimination tourney featuring 64 teams and offering $2 million in winner-take-all prize money. There will be 8 regionals during July in Columbus/Greensboro/Lexington/Memphis/Salt Lake City/Wichita/Richmond/Syracuse, followed by the final 3 rounds during August in Chicago. We continue our preview coverage with Josh Young, who graduated from Drake in 2010 as the leading scorer in school history before his TBT teammate Reed Timmer broke his record last year. The 2 former Bulldogs will play for Iowa United next month as they try to win the $2 million grand prize. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Josh about being a great FT shooter and leading the MVC in scoring.
As a high school junior you scored a school-record 64 PTS against Alex High School: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yes: I think that is a great way to put it. I was just feeling it that night. I remember getting off to a nice start offensively and I never really cooled off but when the game was over I had no idea that I scored that many points. Our opponent only scored 63 PTS that night so it was a bit humorous: that was a fun night!
You led the state of Oklahoma in scoring as junior and senior at Lawton Christian High School and led your team to back-to-back state titles in 2005/2006: how dominant a player were you back in the day, and what did it mean to you to win 2 titles? I was able to be consistently dominant mainly due to the fact that I worked hard to be that type of player. My father was my coach and was very strict with me. He made sure that I put in the time to become a great player, and that work paid off in my stats and scoring ability. Winning back-to-back titles is never easy to do but we had a great group of guys who had been playing together since about 7th grade. Every win was special but to cap off our last 2 seasons as state champs was amazing.
You had a perfect 4.0 GPA during high school: did you ever consider going to an Ivy League school, and why did you decide to attend Drake? Both of my parents were educators. I have always known that basketball was something I wanted to pursue professionally but my parents understood the importance of education and how to equip me to be successful outside of the game I love. It was 1 of the main reasons I chose to attend Drake: I wanted to attend a university with high academic standards but also a place which would let me thrive on the basketball court. Drake provided a great mix of the 2.
In 2008 at Drake you led the MVC in scoring (15.9 PPG) and 3-PT shooting (43.4 3P%): what is the secret to being a great scorer, and what is the secret for 3-PT shooting? I do not know that there is a “secret” but there is definitely a formula. Perfect practice and repetition are the 2 things that give any player a chance to be highly successful at whatever they do. I use to practice my shooting so often that it was just second nature during games. Having the ability to shoot from long range always keeps the defense honest so that allowed me to have driving opportunities to the basket as well as the chance to pull up for mid-range shots. In my opinion you have to be a triple threat to be a great scorer and that is what helped me become the scorer I was.
You scored 7 PTS in the 2008 MVC tourney final (a 30-PT blowout over Illinois State) to give Drake a trip to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1971: how big a deal was it to make it to win a conference title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? That game was unbelievable. I was so proud of my team because going into that game we had already secured a position in the NCAA tourney. Illinois State needed that win to get into the field but nobody seemed to care about that, as shown by the final score. We were fierce competitors: I believe that was the greatest moment in our school’s history since a Final 4 appearance in 1969. Our campus was on fire (not literally!) when we returned. Everyone was so excited about our win and a berth in the NCAA tourney.
What are your memories of the 2008 NCAA tourney (you had 18 PTS/3 STL in a 2-PT OT loss to Western Kentucky)? That experience was like nothing I had ever witnessed in my life. The NCAA really knows how to roll out the “blue” carpet and welcome its guests. The crazy thing about it today is that I almost do not remember the game at all. What I do remember is the run we made at the end of the 2nd half to tie up the game and force OT. I also remember being surprised to see so many Drake fans in Tampa: we had great support! The game was literally in our hands until Ty Rogers knocked down a 3-PT buzzer-beater to win it and send us packing. That was a roller coaster of emotions but I would not trade the experience for anything.
After replacing his father (Dr. Tom Davis) and being named national COY, your coach Keno Davis left Drake to become head coach at Providence in April 2008: what made him such a great coach, and what was your reaction like when you heard that he was leaving after just 1 season? What I loved about Keno was his ability to reach and understand his players. He did a great job giving each of us confidence in our own ability, and in turn that helped us play well as a team. He was such a smart coach who understood the game. We always had a game plan for each opponent but he was able to make crucial adjustments when necessary during games. He was definitely a player’s coach. When I found out that he was leaving I was extremely disappointed. I understood his reasons for leaving…but I also knew that had he stayed the Drake basketball program could have potentially risen to the ranks of a Butler or Gonzaga. He was a great coach for that place, but with that being said he definitely earned his way into the Big East.
As a junior you set a school record by making 32 straight FT over a 9-game stretch: how were you able to maintain your focus for such a long time, and what is your secret for FT shooting? There is really no secret. It always comes down to 2 things: practice and repetition. I shot so many free throws during practice that it was just second nature when I stepped up to the line during games.
You have spent the past several years playing pro basketball abroad before returning to the US for the TBT: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball, and what do you hope to do in the future? Obviously the skill level of each individual player is higher at the professional level. However, I think that the biggest difference is the mental capacity of each player. So many players who play professionally THINK basketball: they have great basketball IQs. That is why my 2008 Drake team was so successful: we had guys who understood the game. People can shoot/pass/jump at every level of basketball but being able to understand the game before something happens is what separates players at this level. My future definitely has basketball in it, as I will continue to train players and host basketball camps with my company (Josh Young Basketball). I would like to eventually have a gym of my own to expand that business. I enjoy speaking in front of people so I would like to travel and become a motivational speaker. I am also big into real estate so that will be in my future for sure as well as something along the lines of a venture capitalist. I hope to have many great things ahead.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? This might be 1 of the coolest questions I have ever been asked! To tell you the truth I have never really thought about it. I know that I want to inspire people when they see me play. I play with such a passion and love for the game that no matter what a person does,I want to inspire them to take that same passion to their workplace or home or wherever. I want people to remember me as a guy who loved the game and left everything that God put inside me out on that court. I want to be known as a record breaker: someone who always played to win. I want people to remember me as the guy who did things right and cared about his teammates and those people around me. The truth is that I want people to remember me as a great basketball player…but that would mean nothing if they do not see me as a great man first.
