Hoops HD

Happy Tourney-versary!: HoopsHD interviews Doris Rogers about Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Jon Teitel

With the 2020 NCAA tourney tipping off next month, we will spend this month taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of players/coaches who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From some game-winning FTs in the 1955 tourney (65th anniversary) through a 17-PT comeback win in the 2015 1st 4 (5th anniversary), these legends have all carved out a little piece of history in past Marches. We continue our series with Hall of Famer Sue Gunter, who had great success at 3 different colleges in 3 different states. She went 44-0(!) in 2 seasons at Middle Tennessee, then led Stephen F. Austin to 5 AIAW Sweet 16 appearances in an 8-year span from 1973-1980…but when she arrived in Baton Rouge she took it up a notch. After becoming LSU head coach in 1982, she led her team to 14 NCAA tourneys including 4 Elite 8s from 1986-2004. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Sue’s friend/former teammate Doris Rogers about the 35th anniversary of Sue winning the Women’s NIT title and the 15th anniversary of being elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sue was an AAU All-American at Nashville Business College in 1960: how good a player was she back in the day, and how did she get into coaching? My 1st year at Nashville was her final year there. She was a role player and the kind of player who everyone loved to coach because she did whatever you asked her to do. She was a shooter but also unselfish and supportive: the perfect teammate. I heard her say that she always saw the game a little differently than her teammates and what adjustments needed to be made so even while she was a player she offered suggestions like a coach. She was an insightful player but not bossy.

She began her coaching career at Middle Tennessee State, where she went a combined 44-0 in 1963 and 1964: how was she able to come in and win every single game? Our coach John Head was the greatest coach I have ever known, which helped a lot. Tennessee has always been a hotbed for women’s basketball so she was able to bring in some good recruits like Marynell Meadors. She was a great motivator even though the games were not televised.

In 1976 at the very 1st Olympic women’s basketball tourney she was an assistant coach for team USA: what did it mean to her to win a silver medal? She and head coach Billie Moore were just so surprised because they barely had enough money to send a team to Canada. Sue was 1 of the most patriotic people I ever knew and she always put the team first. It started an avalanche for women’s basketball and she was very proud to have helped start that. Her father died around that time so she had to miss a few games before heading back to Montreal.

In the 1980 Olympics she was head coach of team USA (and had an assistant named Pat Summitt): how devastated was she about not participating due to a boycott? She said that she respected the President and would honor the boycott…but I am sure that she was disappointed on a personal level. Coach Head passed away during Olympic qualifying and he was a person that she had respected so much.

She was the 1983 national COY as head coach at LSU and a 2-time SEC COY: what did it mean to her to win such outstanding honors? She would say it is about “my girls”. I am sure she was proud of that but I do not think she ever admitted it to herself and would be irritated if people mentioned it to her.

In the 1985 WNIT title game she had a 20-PT win over SEC rival Florida: what did it mean to her to win a title? She was really proud for her university and her players and what they accomplished together but it was never about her. All of us have egos but she certainly put hers in a unique perspective.

She missed the 2nd half of the 2004 season due to acute chronic bronchitis, but acting coach Pokey Chatman ended up leading the team to the Final 4: how bad was her health, and did she give Pokey any advice along the way? Sue did not go to the Final 4 in New Orleans but was there every step of the way during the season. She was a part of it as much as she could be but she had all the confidence in the world in Pokey and always knew her potential.

She retired after 40 years of coaching in D-1 with 708 career wins, which at the time made her the 3rd-winningest women’s basketball coach in NCAA history: what made her such a great coach, and how was she able to stick around for 4 decades? It was her attitude and willingness to adapt and learn new things. Sue knew human nature: she always cared about her players. She could change with the times and hire different assistants but she loved her players and loved the game. She helped lay the foundation for LSU’s success since then.

In April of 2005 she was elected to the Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of her career? I am not certain because it was such a traumatic year, but she would have been proud and said that her parents would have enjoyed it. It was never about her so she would have credited everyone in the sport she had ever known. We are a composite of where we have been and who we were around.

She passed away in August of 2005: when people look back on her career, how do you think she should be remembered the most? If I can quote 1 of her players: “Reach back and help someone”, which really says it all. It just means to pay it forward: if that is not in place then whatever you accomplish is not important.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged Doris Rogers, lsu, Sue Gunter | Comments Off

Under The Radar Game of the Day: Friday, February 14th

Posted on February 14, 2020 by John Stalica

For last night’s Hoops HD Bracket Rundown podcast featuring a reveal of the Staff Bracket – CLICK HERE

For Jon Teitel’s interview with Hall of Fame-elect Tamika Catchings – CLICK HERE

Rider (14-9, 8-5) at Siena (11-10, 7-5) – 9:00 PM EST (ESPNU)

Tonight’s final game of the Valentine’s Day slate of games takes place in Albany between the hometown Siena Saints and the Rider Broncs in a matchup of MAAC contenders. The Broncs came into the season looking like one of the favorites to win the conference, but sputtered out of the gates looking great one night and utterly mediocre a couple days later. Now they have won five out of six – the only loss was at Monmouth; their best win came at home against Saint Peter’s. Dimencio Vaughn (14.1 points a game) is also shooting 45.6% from outside the perimeter this season.

Siena is the ultimate homecourt hero in this conference – they are a perfect 10-0 at the Times-Union Center but a horrid 1-10 away from home so far. Their lone road win came against perennial conference contender Iona back on the final day of January. Tonight begins a three-game homestand that will also include matchups against Manhattan and Iona. While Jalen Pickett leads the Saints with 15.2 points a game, Manny Camper (13.7 PPG/10.4 RPG) is averaging a double-double this week.

And since this is Valentine’s Day, watch this classic moment between both Rider and Siena:

Posted in CBB on TV, Daily Rundown, Under the Radar | Tagged MAAC, Rider, Siena, under the radar | Comments Off

Hoops HD BRACKET RUNDOWN: February 13th

Posted on February 13, 2020 by David Griggs

This was recorded on Thursday at 10pm. No games that were played on Thursday were considered

Tonight all the panelists submitted their top 55 teams. They were collectively ranked, seeded, and placed into the bracket that is revealed line by line similar to the way it is on Selection Sunday. The Panel debates and discusses each team as they are revealed. Watch and find out who the #1 seeds are, who the protected seeds are, who’s on the bubble, and who just missed it!

Below is the completed bracket, but do not look at it until you’ve watched the show!!

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

Posted in Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | Comments Off

Call to the Hall: HoopsHD interviews brand-new Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Jon Teitel

Some players start out as phenoms before fading away, others are late-bloomers who only hit their stride toward the end of their career…and then there are players like Tamika Catchings who start dominating in high school and then continue to have success until the day they retire. She won state championships in Illinois as a high school sophomore and in Texas as a senior, then showed up in Knoxville and helped the Lady Vols go 39-0 during her freshman year. The Indiana Fever drafted her 3rd overall in 2001 and she more than lived up to her potential during her 15-year pro career: 2002 WNBA ROY, 2011 WNBA MVP, 2012 WNBA Finals MVP, 5-time WNBA DPOY, and a 10-time All-Star. With all of this team/individual success, it was not surprising to learn earlier this week that she was elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Tamika about winning 4 Olympic gold medals and being 1 of the greatest players in WNBA history.

As a senior at Duncanville High School in 1997 you recorded the 1st-ever quintuple-double in the history of the sport (25 PTS/18 REB/11 AST/10 STL/10 BLK): how on earth did you do that?! I have no earthly idea, but after the game everyone was checking out the stat sheet: it was pretty cool. I am super-energetic and love playing the game.

As a freshman at Tennessee in 1998 you went 39-0 as the Lady Vols won their 3rd straight title: what made Pat Summitt such a great coach, and where does that team rank among the best in women’s college basketball history? I would say that we were 1 of the top teams ever, even though I am a little biased. There was literally bloodshed every day in practice due to how hard we worked. It is a tribute to Pat and a result of how hard our captains pushed us. Pat was just amazing: she was able to relate to each and every 1 of us. You go to Tennessee to operate at the highest level and to play with and against some of the best players in the country. She pushed me to be better than I thought I could be both on and off the court. I cannot imagine being the person I am today without having gone through that.

You were drafted 3rd overall by Indiana in 2001, sat out the entire season due to an ACL injury, then scored 18.6 PPG the following year en route to being named 2002 WNBA ROY: how hard was it to make it back onto the court, and how were you able to play so well once you did so? I thank God for the people we had in Indiana. I worked out every day with our coaches/trainer and when I finally got cleared to get going they were there with me. I played a few months for the Chicago Blaze to help get me ready for the next level so by the time I got to training camp I felt comfortable enough to play well. The organization was amazing, which really helped.

In 2011 you were named WNBA MVP and in 2012 you were named WNBA Finals MVP: is it harder to be the best player during an entire season or the best player in a championship series with a title on the line? I am not sure because it is hard to win either award. If I had to pick 1 I would say the regular season MVP because you have to play at a high level all year without taking any nights off.

You were a 5-time WNBA DPOY and your 1074 career STL remains the most in league history by a large margin: what is the secret to playing great defense? Love the game! Playing under Pat’s system and learning how to play defense was really important. Once I learned how to play defense and see that I could change the outcome of a game, I just tried to be the best defender I could and did not take that responsibility lightly. It is also a passion: you have to WANT to play defense and I just wanted to be our defensive stopper.

You set a record by making 12 consecutive playoff appearances: how were you able to remain so successful throughout your career? We had a great team/system that everyone bought into. We struggled for the 1st couple of years and then got tired of losing.

You are a 4-time Olympic gold medalist: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and do any of the 4 stand out as your favorite? All of them came during different phases of my life. The 1st 1 occurred while I was still a baby in the WNBA, so I was just in awe to be around legends like Dawn Staley/Lisa Leslie. In 2012/2016 I became 1 of the leaders of the team along with Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi. Being able to represent my country was a dream. I remember watching team USA on TV in 1996 and wondering if I would ever have the opportunity to get that highest of honors.

You served as President of the WNBA Players Association from 2003-2016: why did you take the job, and what was your proudest accomplishment? Initially I just got thrown into it to lead the charge after the 2 presidents before me retired. Over the years it became something I was proud of: to be a voice for all players from rookies to vets. I think my best accomplishment was assisting on the CBA negotiations.

You currently work for the Fever as the VP of Basketball Operations/General Manager: how do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I am enjoying myself. It is a little crazy right now with free agency but I like the process. Watching how our former GM was able to wheel and deal taught me how to build a team and build relationships with our players.

Earlier this week you were named a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is awesome! From being born with a hearing disability to joining the WNBA: I never really dreamed about being a Hall of Famer. I am thankful to a lot of people like Pat who saw something in me when she first started recruiting me. Having someone who believes in you so much is what keeps you going: it is a blessing/honor.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged indiana, Tamika Catchings, Tennessee | Comments Off

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Feb 13th

Posted on February 13, 2020 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for our latest Under the Radar Video Podcast

NEWS AND NOTES

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day between Murray State and Austin Peay – CLICK HERE

-We saw another top 5 team lose to an unranked team yesterday as Louisville fell at Georgia Tech. That hasn’t been happening quite as often now that the rankings have caught up with who’s actually good, but it’s still a familiar tale for the season. It’s more of an ego bruise than anything else for the Cardinals. They’re still in solid shape to end up as a protected seed.

-Creighton got a huge, season defining win at Seton Hall yesterday. It was close the entire way, but Creighton head the lead for most of it. I often talk about how the Bluejays always taper off toward the end of the year. That does not seem to be the case this year!

-Auburn needed overtime, but held on to beat Alabama at home. Auburn has won their last five games, and four of them have been in OT.

Marquette was down big at Villanova, but came back and actually had a chance to win in the final minute, but couldn’t quite get over the top. They ended up falling 72-71.

-Butler ended Xavier’s three game winning streak . They held off a late run by the Musketeers for a 66-61 win which should keep them in the 4/5 seed range for now.

-Houston won on the road at South Florida, but it wasn’t easy. As well as they’ve been playing, it was sort of surprising that they struggled, but they held on to win 62-58.

-VCU fell at home to a George Mason team that’s been struggling and is nowhere near the NCAA Tournament. I believe this will knock VCU pretty far outside the bubble, and anything short of winning out through the regular season, which would include beating Dayton, would mean having to win the autobid.

-Rutgers is still in search of their second road win, and that is a huge problem. They fell behind big to Ohio State yesterday, and while they came back to make it close, it wasn’t enough.

-Michigan picked up their second road win of the year by curb-stomping Northwestern 79-54. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but getting that second road win does help their resume.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-WICHITA STATE AT UCF (American). Wichita State is now squarely on the bubble and has a very small margin for error the rest of the way. Losing to a non-tournament team, even if it’s on the road, falls outside that margin for error.

-MEMPHIS AT CINCINNATI (American). This is a hugely important bubblicous game for both teams. It’s a case of both of them needing the win, and neither of them being in a good position as far as the bubble goes if they were to lose. Cincinnati just dropped a close one at UConn and can’t afford to drop another game to a bubblish or lower team at home. Memphis has been sweating out some NIT-ish caliber teams, but needs a road win like this to help get them back on the right side of the bubble.

-IOWA AT INDIANA (Big Ten). This game suddenly has a pivotal feel to it for Indiana. The fans are starting to get wrestless, and they need some wins to help them lock up a spot in the field.

-COLORADO AT OREGON (Pac 12). These are both first ballot NCAA Tournament teams and this is a resume building opportunity. It’s kind of one that Oregon needs if they want to secure a protected seed since they are at home.

-WASHINGTON AT USC (Pac 12). We have USC inside the bubble, but still on the bottom half of the bracket, so they need to hold serve in home games against non-tournament teams. Washington just hasn’t been the same since they lost their starting PG.

-ARIZONA AT CALIFORNIA (Pac 12). Arizona has picked up a couple of road wins, but they need to pick up a few more, and this is about as winnable as any remaining road game they have.

-ARIZONA STATE AT STANFORD (Pac 12). This is another very bubblicious game where both teams need the win, and neither can afford the loss. We have them both squarely on the bubble right now.

-BYU AT LMU (West Coast). BYU should land safely in the tournament so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off

Under The Radar Game of the Day: Thursday, February 13th

Posted on February 13, 2020 by John Stalica

For last night’s Under The Radar podcast – CLICK HERE

For Jon Teitel’s interview with Fritz Mitchell and Gary Link about Hall of Fame head coach Norm Stewart – CLICK HERE

Murray State (18-6, 11-1) at Austin Peay (16-9, 10-2) – 9:00 PM EST (ESPNU)

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day takes place in Clarksville, Tennessee where the Governors of Austin Peay will host the Murray State Racers in a matchup of the top two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Govs started out league play with a ten game winning streak, but they came up shorthanded last week when they were swept on their Nashville road trip at Belmont and Tennessee State last week. Terry Taylor is averaging a double-double (22.3 PPG/10.4 RPG) in all games for Austin Peay this year.

Much like their aforementioned travel partners, Murray State also started the season 10-0 in the OVC. While the Racers had their streak snapped at Belmont (also bringing the Bruins within 2 games of first place and a single game from 2nd place), they did win at Tennessee State 73-65 last Saturday. Tevin Brown had a game-high 28 points for the Racers in the previous victory. This will be the first of two matchups between these two teams; the return game will take place at Murray State for the final regular season game between both teams.

Posted in CBB on TV, Daily Rundown, Under the Radar | Tagged Austin Peay, Murray State, Ohio Valley Conference, under the radar | Comments Off