Draft Dreams: HoopsHD interviews NBA prospect Trey Porter

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Jon Teitel

There are only a couple of weeks left for the college kids to impress the scouts before the NBA Draft takes place on June 20th. We will spend that time talking to the stars of tomorrow as they prepare for the next phases of their careers. Trey Porter started his college career at GMU, then spent 2 years playing at ODU, and finished up at Nevada with a trip to the NCAA tourney. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Trey about the Wolf Pack’s recent coaching change and what it would mean to get drafted.

You began your college career at George Mason where you played in 30 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just listened to what the coaches told me to do, did what they said, worked my way into the rotation, and eventually got more playing time.

In 2015 you transferred from George Mason to Old Dominion: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose the Monarchs? My coach at GMU (Paul Hewitt) got fired so my fellow freshmen and I all ended up transferring to other schools. ODU was 1 of the 1st schools to reach out to me and I wanted to stay close to home. They had recruited me when I was still in high school so I already had a good relationship with them.

In March of 2018 you had 29 PTS/9-12 FG/12 REB/0 TO in a win over Florida Atlantic: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? I think it definitely ranks up there: I got pretty hot and stayed pretty hot. It was probably 1 of the best college games I had production-wise.

After graduating from ODU you transferred to Nevada: how did you like playing 1 year for Eric Musselman, and how do you think Steve Alford is going to do in Reno? I liked playing for Coach Musselman: he helped me do what I needed to do to prepare to become a pro player and achieve my dreams. Coach Alford has a proven track record and has won at many different schools so I think he will do phenomenal at Reno and pick up where Coach Musselman left off. I do not think there will be a dip in the team’s number of wins.

In the NCAA tourney last March you had 3 REB in a 9-PT loss to Florida: what did you learn from that loss that will help you going forward? I learned that there are certain things that I need to add to my game to stay on the court longer: I did not play as much as I would have liked.

Your FG% went up during each of your 4 years in college: how were you able to keep improving every single season? I just started dunking the ball a little bit more! About 75% of my points were on dunks and I just got more and more athletic each year.

You were top-10 in BPG in each of the 3 conferences you played in over the past 5 years: what is your secret for blocking shots? Just timing. I let my teammates know that I am back there to support them. I was not as great this past season but still blocked a few shots. Timing is crucial: knowing when to go for a block and when not to (so that you do not give up an offensive rebound).

You are a type 1 diabetic: what impact has that had on you both on and off the court? Some days are a little harder than others but for the most part I have it under control. I think there was only 1 game this year where I had to take a break because my blood sugar was a little low but it was just a 1-time thing. I did not know that people looked up to me but a lot of parents/kids reached out to me and said I was an inspiration to them, which was great. I felt like I was affecting lives even more off the court.

Your mother Caroline played basketball at Radford, your sister Amber played basketball at James Madison, and your sister Erin played college volleyball: who is the best athlete in the family? Oh me: everybody knows that! We are all athletic in our own respect but I am definitely the best athlete.

What would it mean to you to get drafted? It would be mind-blowing. I want to play basketball for as long as I can at the highest level I can. Just being able to lace up my sneakers and play in the NBA would be my own lifelong goal, even if I do not get drafted.

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Happy Draft-iversary!: HoopsHD interviews Scott Stricklin about his Hall of Fame father-in-law Bailey Howell

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Jon Teitel

With the 2019 NBA draft taking place later this month, we will spend the next few weeks taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of players who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From a future Hall of Famer selected 2nd overall in 1959 (60th anniversary) through a conference POY picked in the 2nd round in 2009 (10th anniversary), these stars have all seen their dreams come true in past drafts. We begin our series with Scott Stricklin, athletic director at Florida whose wife Anne happens to be the youngest daughter of Hall of Famer Bailey Howell. At Middleton High School Howell set a Tennessee state high school scoring record, then graduated from Mississippi State with the most PTS/REB in school history. After being drafted 2nd overall by Detroit in 1959, he made 6 All-Star games in a 7-year period from 1961-1967 before winning a pair of titles with Boston in 1968/1969. In 1997 he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2006 he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Scott about the 60th anniversary of his father-in-law getting drafted and the 50th anniversary of winning back-to-back titles.

Your father-in-law grew up in Middleton, TN: what made him choose Mississippi State? My understanding is that he did not want to go too far from home. Coach Babe McCarthy was a great recruiter and really made the entire Howell family feel very comfortable.

He was known for both his hook shot and his work ethic: how did he develop each of these keys to his success? His parents instilled a good work ethic in him and he was a great competitor. He was determined to do everything possible to prepare to be successful. I know from playing family board games that he is an intense competitor: he plays to win!

On February 1, 1957 he set a school record with 34 REB in a game against LSU, and his 1277 career REB remains a school record: what was his secret for being a great rebounder? I know that he was just a tenacious competitor who studied his teammates’ shots and knew where they were going to come off the rim.

In 1959 he was named 1st-team All-American after leading the Bulldogs to a 24-1 record and the 1st SEC title in school history: how on earth was Kentucky the only SEC team to make the NCAA tourney?! Back then only the conference champion was eligible, and Mississippi had a history of not allowing their teams to compete against schools with integrated teams, which is not something we are proud of. In 1963 we defied the wishes of the sitting governor to play against Loyola-Chicago in East Lansing, MI. It was similar to the Texas Western-Kentucky game a few years later and it was great for us to take that stand. Bailey was very disappointed that his team did not get to prove how good it was.

He was drafted 2nd overall in the spring of 1959 by Detroit: what did it mean to him to get drafted? A lot of guys played AAU basketball and had to get real jobs so that they could support their families. The NBA was not a financial boon back then so a lot of guys got off-season jobs. At 1st he was not sure whether to join the league but eventually decided to give it a shot.

He played at least 75 games during each of his 12 years in the NBA: was he just fortunate to escape any serious injuries, or tough enough to play through them, or a little bit of both? Bailey has really taken care of himself with clean living, even to this day. After he retired he was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, which caused him to feel fatigued. If that happened in the 21st century with today’s medicine then his career would have probably lasted even longer.

Take me through the magical 1968 NBA playoffs when he was a member of the Celtics:
After losing to the 76ers in the 1967 Eastern Division Finals, he scored 17 PTS in a 4-PT win at Philly in Game 7 of the 1968 Eastern Division Finals: how was Boston able to become the 1st team to ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit? Boston won a bunch of titles before he arrived, and I have heard him say that when they lost in 1967 he felt like a bit of a jinx until they won it all the following 2 years.

He scored 30 PTS in Game 6 of the Finals against the Lakers to help the Celtics clinch their 10th title: how did he adjust to having Bill Russell as a player/coach, and what did it mean to him to win a title? It was a pretty veteran group who would sub themselves in and out because they had developed a rotation that respected everyone’s role. It was unusual by today’s standards but pretty normal back then. There was 1 game where Russell could not make it to the arena and Red Auerbach had to step in to coach. Bailey missed his 1st few shots that night but Auerbach told him to keep shooting and he ended up with a career-high scoring night.

In Game 7 of the 1969 Finals he scored 9 PTS in a 2-PT win on the road over the Lakers: how intense was the Boston-LA rivalry back then, and how did they triumph on the road against a team featuring Elgin Baylor/Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West? Everyone thought that Celtics team was past its prime and during their shoot-around that day there were flyers on the fans’ seats outlining the planned celebration. Boston used that as motivation and despite being a bunch of “old guys” they made sure that the Lakers would not celebrate that night.

After he retired he worked for the Converse shoe company: how did he like the job, and what has he been up to since then? He liked it from the standpoint of providing for his family. He retired more than 20 years ago and has lived in Starkville ever since. He owns some rental properties here, is active in his church, and attends a lot of Bulldog sporting events.

He was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1997 and the College Hall of Fame in 2006: where do these rank among the highlights of his career? Bailey is a pretty humble person but I think he would say that it was a neat experience. In typical fashion I also think that he would be quick to credit everyone else who was a part of his life, but speaking for his family it was neat to see him honored in that way.

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2019 NBA Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Draft will take place on June 20th and until then we will do our best to predict where everyone will get selected. Some websites do their mock drafts based on “best player available” but we try to focus on team needs: for example, if a team like Phoenix already has Deandre Ayton at the 5-spot then they are probably not selecting a C with the #6 overall pick. So, please see our 1st round predictions below and then tweet us your comments regarding what looks good and what might need a re-pick.

#. TEAM: NAME, POSITION (SCHOOL OR COUNTRY/YEAR)
1. New Orleans: Zion Williamson, PF (Duke/FR)
2. Memphis: Ja Morant, PG (Murray State/SO)
3. New York: RJ Barrett, SG (Duke/FR)
4. LA Lakers: De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF (Virginia/SO)
5. Cleveland: Jarrett Culver, SG (Texas Tech/SO)
6. Phoenix: Darius Garland, PG (Vanderbilt/FR)
7. Chicago: Coby White, PG/SG (North Carolina/FR)
8. Atlanta: Cam Reddish, SG/SF (Duke/FR)
9. Washington: Jaxson Hayes, PF/C (Texas/FR)
10. Atlanta: Bol Bol, C (Oregon/FR)
11. Minnesota: Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF (France/INTL)
12. Charlotte: Nassir Little, SF (North Carolina/FR)
13. Miami: Rui Hachimura, SF/PF (Gonzaga/JR)
14. Boston: Romeo Langford, SG (Indiana/FR)
15. Detroit: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG (Virginia Tech/SO)
16. Orlando: Brandon Clarke, PF/C (Gonzaga/JR)
17. Brooklyn: PJ Washington, PF (Kentucky/SO)
18. Indiana: Goga Bitadze, C (Republic of Georgia/INTL)
19. San Antonio: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF (Kentucky/FR)
20. Boston: Tyler Herro, SG (Kentucky/FR)
21. Oklahoma City: Mfiondu Kabengele, PF/C (Florida State/SO)
22. Boston: Dylan Windler, SG (Belmont/SR)
23. Utah: Luka Samanic, PF (Croatia/INTL)
24. Philadelphia: Daniel Gafford, PF/C (Arkansas/SO)
25. Portland: Bruno Fernando, C (Maryland/SO)
26. Cleveland: Kevin Porter Jr., SG (USC/FR)
27. Brooklyn: KZ Okpala, SG/SF (Stanford/SO)
28. Golden State: Cameron Johnson, SF (North Carolina/SR)
29. San Antonio: Talen Horton-Tucker, SF (Iowa State/FR)
30. Milwaukee: Grant Williams, PF (Tennessee/JR)

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The key is Leverage: HoopsHD interviews Knight Commission panelist Eric Chenowith

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Jon Teitel

Last week the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held its spring meeting in Washington, DC. The 3 main topics of the day were: a report on actions and plans to address remaining challenges in college basketball, an update on NBA changes that impact college basketball development pathways, and hot topics impacting college basketball (including college athlete disability insurance/NCAA player endorsement restriction/state and federal intervention). 1 of the many great panelists was former Kansas basketball star Eric Chenowith, who currently serves as owner of Leverage, a company that provides Disability and Life Insurance Services. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and got to chat with Mr. Chenowith about playing for Roy Williams and what he is now doing at Leverage.

You played for the West in the 1997 McDonald’s All-American Game: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (the Collins twins/Baron Davis/Larry Hughes/Tracy McGrady/other), and how on earth did you lose to the East by double-digits?! Coaching! If I had to pick 1 guy I would say Ron Artest. He stood out during our pick-up games because he was further developed physically than anyone else (and more skilled as well). The game itself is a blur to me now.

You played for Roy Williams at Kansas: what makes him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is great due to his attention to detail/organization. Everything is planned out to the minute and there is no sloppiness. Everything is regimented/organized and has a purpose, which is a part of his success. He taught me to have a good work ethic: I saw him outwork people both in coaching/recruiting. I still carry that in my professional life to fight through fatigue and the ups and downs of a career.

In the 1999 NCAA tourney you had 11 PTS/10 REB in a 4-PT OT loss to Kentucky (Scott Padgett had 29 PTS/10 REB): how close did you come to pulling off the upset? We had them beat and were up by 3 PTS in the final seconds of regulation. Wayne Turner drove in for a layup so I just let him go by me because even if he made it we would still be in the lead. He missed it, Jamaal Magloire tapped it out to Padgett, who sidestepped our defender and made a 3 to send it into OT. We had it won but the chips just did not fall our way.

After starting all 33 games as a sophomore and being named an Honorable Mention All-American despite playing just 29 minutes/game, you only started 21 games as a junior while playing 22 minutes/game: was it frustrating to see your playing time decrease, or could you simply tell that incoming freshmen Nick Collison/Drew Gooden were going to turn into longtime future NBA players? It was hard but the pie just got split into thirds. I was the main option as a sophomore but my stats/minute remained pretty similar the following season.

Your 242 career BLK remains #3 in school history: what is the key to blocking shots? Blocking them with both hands. Most guys shoot the ball right-handed so I just tried to block them with my left hand. My high school coach taught me how to rotate off of my man and help from the weak side.

In the 2001 NBA draft you were picked 43rd overall by the Knicks (5 spots behind Mehmet Okur): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was the accomplishment of a goal but a bit of a disappointment as well. Had I come out of college after my sophomore year I could have been a lottery pick but 2 years later I was a 2nd rounder. A lot of people are just thrilled to be drafted but I had little to no chance of making the Knicks so it was not the best situation for me to go to. It was still great to be drafted but by the time New York released me all of the other NBA rosters were full.

You played pro basketball for several years after college: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? It depends where you are playing. In France it was more run-and-gun, while the NBA was more about half-court sets at the time. It has been interesting to see the NBA morph into the European style of not letting the ball get “sticky”. When I played in Asia it was more iso-ball so a big man like me would always get the ball down on the block.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self has made 16 straight NCAA tourneys in Lawrence but his streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles was broken last year: how proud are you of all that he has accomplished, and how do you describe the atmosphere at the Phog for someone who has never experienced it in person? I do not think that he could have done a better job of taking over the program. It is never easy to take over for a legend like Roy but he has added banners/titles and I hope he stays there forever: I cannot say enough good things about him. I think Dick Vitale said it best when he compared being in Allen Fieldhouse to hearing a jet take off from a runway! The intensity/excitement/passion is incredible: I think it is the best sporting venue not just in college basketball but in the entire world.

Last year you formed a company called Leverage, which helps with insurance planning for some of the best athletes/entertainers in the world: how did you get into the sports disability industry, and what are the biggest challenges you face? I had an insurance policy when I was at Kansas so I was a consumer in college. After I retired as a player I got into coaching for a couple of years but eventually got hired by a very prestigious firm in Beverly Hills. It was a pretty easy transition for me because I already knew everyone in sports. Insurance is not sexy but it eases the pain when you know the guy who is selling it to you. Guys do not dread my calls so I have helped add an element of ease to it. The challenges are other brokers who do not play by the same ethics that I do: a lot of people take shortcuts or take kickbacks but I do not. Those things eventually catch up to people so I will never change.

What insurance/workman’s comp considerations were going through your mind after seeing Zion Williamson get hurt earlier this year? I competed for his insurance but did not win it. I had peace of mind because I knew that he was covered but it was pretty scary for everyone. The next day his company leaked the intimate details to the media so I felt bad for both him and for Duke.

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The Hoops HD Report: May Session (Transfer Portal and Pay For Play)

Posted on May 28, 2019 by David Griggs

Chad and David are joined by Kyle Lamb and Galen Clavio for a discussion on the transfer portal and the impacts (or lack thereof) that it’s had on college basketball after its first year of existence.  They also look at the Pay for Play debate and examine how the NCAA has been challenged in court and how the rulings have been going against them.  We discuss whether or not we think that trend is going to continue and what the long term effects of it could be.

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

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Taking the LEAD: HoopsHD interviews Knight Commission panelist Tom McMillen

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Jon Teitel

On Wednesday the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held its spring meeting in Washington, DC. The 3 main topics of the day were: a report on actions and plans to address remaining challenges in college basketball, an update on NBA changes that impact college basketball development pathways, and hot topics impacting college basketball (including college athlete disability insurance/NCAA player endorsement restriction/state and federal intervention). 1 of the many great panelists was former Maryland basketball star Tom McMillen, who currently serves as president of LEAD1, an association representing athletics directors and programs of the 130 member universities of the Football Bowl Subdivision. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and got to chat with Mr. McMillen about playing in the most infamous Olympic basketball game ever and what he is now doing at LEAD1.

In the 1972 NIT title game as a player at Maryland you scored 19 PTS en route to being named MVP: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how did you win MVP when Len Elmore had 16 PTS/15 REB/11 BLK?! I thought that it was a great accomplishment for us. At the time there were only 16 teams in the NIT and 25 in the NCAA tourney so even if you missed out on the latter you were still 1 of the best 41 teams in the nation. I had a pretty good tourney (as did Lenny) and we played very well as a team.

In the 1972 Olympic gold medal basketball game against the Soviet Union, you scored 2 PTS in a controversial 1-PT loss after the referees restarted the game’s final seconds a couple of times and the Soviets eventually made a layup at the buzzer: what impact did that game have on your life (either on or off the court)? It was such an emotional experience: to go over there for a sporting event and then become part of the Cold War battle was pretty sobering. It was really a geopolitical event as much as it was about sports.

In the 1973 season opener at UCLA you had 12 PTS/9 REB in a 1-PT loss to the 7-time-defending champs (Bill Walton had 18 PTS/27 REB): how close did you come to breaking their 76-game home winning streak? We had the ball at the end and we had a chance to win it. I did not play my best game and we could not get a shot off before the buzzer. Pauley Pavilion was a pretty hard place to play. In addition to Walton UCLA had future Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes: it was a heck of a team.

Later that month you became the 1st Maryland student ever selected to be a Rhodes Scholar: how were you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It was a very difficult month because my father also passed away around that time. It was certainly 1 of the most tumultuous months of my college career. My dad was alive to see me named a Rhodes Scholar and was very proud of that. It was extremely meaningful to me to be the 1st Maryland student to get the Rhodes (about 5 years ago another Terp got it).

In the 1974 ACC tourney title game you scored 22 PTS in a 3-PT OT loss to eventual NCAA champion NC State: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career, and was Tom Burleson (38 PTS/13 REB) just unstoppable that night? Burleson was pretty unstoppable. That loss does not rank the same as the Olympic loss but it is right up there: they were both seminal games. It was not on a global stage so it was not quite the same but it did change college sports (the following year the NCAA tourney expanded from 25 to 32 teams while allowing 1 conference to received multiple bids).

In the spring of 1974 you were drafted 9th overall by Buffalo (2 spots ahead of Wilkes): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was 3 degrees of separation. The owner of the Braves (Paul Snyder) grew up in my hometown of Mansfield, PA and my dad was actually his dentist! I turned down the offer from Buffalo to be a Rhodes Scholar in England: I played basketball in Italy twice/week on a team where my cousin happened to be the assistant coach! My lawyer told me to come back to the US because of the impending ABA-NBA merger that could cost me a lot of money. I asked the head of the Rhodes if I could go back and the warden said that I had to do the Rhodes for 2 years in a row. I eventually learned that founder Cecil Rhodes only went to Oxford during the summer so I told the warden and I eventually got permission. I signed with Buffalo and then spent each of the next 3 summers studying back in Oxford.

In the decisive Game 3 of the 1983 Eastern Conference 1st round with Atlanta you had 4 REB in a loss at Boston: what are your memories of the bench-clearing brawl in the 3rd quarter when Tree Rollins bit Danny Ainge’s finger?! I remember it very well because we all got fined! I do not remember being involved in the brawl but it was a hard-fought game.

In 2013 you were inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is up there but the biggest honor was winning the Rhodes: it is a vote of your peers and a wonderful honor.

How did you enjoy being a 3-term Congressman from Maryland, and what do you do in your current role as president of LEAD1? I enjoyed the people I worked with and making policy. At LEAD1 we work on all of the issues in college sports and try to help shape them. We get out the message of all the good things that we have done for student-athletes while looking at ways to make schools better/more efficient.

Do you think the name/image/likeness issue will eventually be resolved at the state level, or the federal level, or by the NCAA, or other? I think that it could be resolved in California via passage of legislation. The NCAA working group will address it if it is doable, which I think it is, so I think we will see some model eventually emerge. It is  a continuing evolution: we are not paying kids as school employees but just giving them a little more. There are a lot of hurdles to overcome.

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