All-Access at the East Regional: HoopsHD interviews LSU Spirit Director/Coach Pauline Zernott

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The East Regional is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is all over it and covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with LSU Spirit Director/Coach Pauline Zernott about the role of college cheerleaders and her prediction for Friday night.

What is the atmosphere like at LSU this week now that you are in the Sweet 16? It is a fantastic time for LSU Basketball. Everyone is super excited to see the success of this year’s team.

You grew up in New Orleans and went to college at LSU: how did you like being a cheerleader, and what was it like to cheer for the New Orleans Saints? I love the opportunities that I have been given as a cheerleader and coach. I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively and have been to so many amazing stadiums and game day environments. Cheering for the Saints was great and I was fortunate to be there when their success was on the upswing. However, I must say that while the Superdome is an incredible stadium, nothing comes close to cheering in Tiger Stadium!

What do you do as Spirit Director/Coach? I do a little of everything for the program. I oversee tryouts, game day preparations, team calendars, scheduling, appearance requests, recruiting, budgeting, equipment orders, coaching at home and away games, summer camps, clinics, etc. I am very fortunate to have some amazing assistant coaches who help me with the day-to-day training of the cheerleaders and Tiger Girls, and I work with Team Mike to make sure that our team mascot Mike the Tiger gets to all of his events.

Will we see your group doing anything extra-special for the NCAA tourney this weekend? Our main goal is to support our basketball team. We will help pump them up for the game and hope to cheer them on to victories. We are really thankful to be in DC. We will be going to the White House to meet 1 of our Louisiana congressmen (Steve Scalise) at the Capitol.

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over the past few decades? I believe the biggest role of a collegiate cheerleader is to be an ambassador of school spirit and tradition. It is our job to do our best to support our athletic teams and represent our University in a positive light. Being a collegiate cheerleader is an honor and a privilege. Supporting our athletic teams and school community is our objective. We do so much more now compared to 20 years ago: we have no off-season.

How do you decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? We based our travel roster off of seniority, grades, and volunteering. We are very fortunate to have amazing athletic teams at LSU to support. Whether it be basketball, football, gymnastics, baseball, volleyball, etc.: we typically have a lot to cheer about. Not many schools are as fortunate as we are here at LSU. All of our athletic programs are phenomenal!! Being here in DC is very exciting because our team has not been to the Sweet 16 in a number of years. We are very proud of the team and the hard work and success they have had this year. They have been through so much but have never given up. I believe that they have shown great adversity in light of having a really emotional year.

What has been your favorite moment so far this season: beating Kentucky, beating Tennessee, Senior Night, other? Senior Night without a doubt: we clinched the regular season SEC Title!! It was magical and reminded me of those the late 1980’s when I cheered on players like Shaq, Stanley Roberts, Wayne Sims, Chris Jackson, and Vernel Singleton. I was ecstatic that the cheerleaders I coach were able to experience such an amazing atmosphere. Deaf Dome was like old times and that night was incredible!!!

What impact (if any) have the team’s off-court situations had on your squad (Wayde Sims’ death last September, Will Wade’s suspension earlier this month, etc.)? The tragedy of Wade’s murder was so heartfelt and brought our LSU family closer together. The experience was heartbreaking and nothing short of a tragedy. I believe that our team had played hard for #44 during each and every game this season.

What is your school’s policy on player-cheerleader dating? There is not really a policy and it has never been an issue. We always ask that outside relationships are kept private and they are not part of our team’s dynamic.

Any predictions for Friday night? Michigan’t beat LSU: 💜💛🏀🏀

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All-Access at the East Regional: HoopsHD attends LSU practice

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The East Regional is coming to Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is all over it and covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel got to attend LSU’s practice on Thursday morning and now brings you the following photo/video essay.

I got my media credential, grabbed my LSU media guide, and headed over to the court.  There was a LOUD buzzer right at 9AM…and then a 5-10 minute delay until the Tigers actually took the court.  The 1st thing you notice is the smell of the brand new court: not so much the freshly-cut wood but more of whatever cleaning product they used to get it nice and shiny:

There are media spread out all along the baseline:

I took an open seat on the sideline opposite 2 racks of basketballs…until a security guy told me to move:

The players eventually drifted onto the court and spent a few minutes getting some shots up:

Here is the video to prove it:

SO PG Tremont Waters, last week’s hero who made the game-winning layup with 1.6 seconds left to beat Maryland in the 2nd round, worked on 3s from the corner:

Then the team came together at mid-court before moving on to the next drill:

I thought that I might have the scoop of the week after seeing a guy who looked like suspended head coach Will Wade out on the floor…but it was just assistant coach Greg Heiar:

I assumed the CBS broadcast team would mosey in after lunch but they were up early this morning: Jim Nantz was picking up the rear but Bill Raftery/Tracy Wolfson/Grant Hill showed up minutes after I did:

LSU spread out along the baseline for some running drills:

SR PF Kavell Bigby-Williams got some stretching in:

JR SG/1st-team Academic All-American Skylar Mays got some jogging in:

FR PF Naz Reid worked on his low-post moves with some added obstacles like 2 defenders with blocking pads:

Here is the video to prove it:

That’s all for now, check back later for continuing coverage.

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UTR Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Wednesday, March 27

Posted on March 27, 2019 by John Stalica

For Jon Teitel’s interview with Bengal Brass member Jacie Shreve – CLICK HERE

Yesterday, we saw more high-profile changes as well as an extension in the 2019 Coaching Carousel. The first move saw Steve Prohm sign an extension with Iowa State; he had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Alabama head coaching job that opened up earlier this week. Tim Miles was dismissed at Nebraska as was expected for a little while, but another move that came out of left field yesterday was Mike Anderson being let go at Arkansas. Finally, indications are that San Francisco’s head coach Kyle Smith is expected to be named the next head coach at Washington State (replacing Ernie Kent).

As far as the NIT last night, the first two tickets punched last night for Madison Square Garden went to Wichita State and TCU. Indiana played their third straight game without Romeo Langford in the lineup, and it finally caught up to them in a 73-63 loss to the Shockers last night. Markus McDuffie led Wichita with 21 points. TCU trailed by 3 points at home against Creighton at halftime, but they began the 2nd half with a 16-0 run and ended up winning 71-58. Kouat Noi led the Horned Frogs with 25 points and 7 rebounds.

Sandy Cohen III had a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) to lead Green Bay to an easy 30-point win in the second round of the CIT; they will host Cal State-Bakersfield in the quarterfinal round of the CIT on Friday. Hampton had all 5 starters score in double figures to lead them to a 73-67 victory against Charleston Southern; they will play at NJIT tomorrow night in Newark in the CIT quarterfinal round.

One CIT quarterfinal game was played last night; Marshall ended Presbyterian’s 2-game road win streak with an 83-66 victory. CJ Burks led Marshall with 20 points; Jon Elmore also had 16 points for the Thundering Herd as well.

NIT

(4) COLORADO AT (2) TEXAS (9:00 PM, ESPN2) – While Texas had to fight tooth and nail against South Dakota State and Xavier to advance to the quarterfinal round, Colorado had an easier time beating Dayton and Norfolk State at home. While this will be their first road game of the NIT, Texas has hardly been an intimidating venue this postseason; they’ve had a COMBINED attendance of about 5,000 for their two home games so far in the NIT.

(5) LIPSCOMB AT (2) NC STATE (9:00 PM, ESPNU) – Much like Wichita State thus far, Lipscomb has been a road warrior in the NIT with a win at Davidson and a blowout win at UNC-Greensboro. NC State had to survive a pair of upset bids by Hofstra and Lipscomb, but ended up winning both environments in a raucous atmosphere in their old stomping grounds – Reynolds Coliseum. They will play one more game at Reynolds (also named Valvano Arena now) for the right to advance to the NIT Final Four.

CBI

COASTAL CAROLINA AT DEPAUL (8:00 PM, Fox Sports Go) – Amazingly enough, DePaul is the last team standing in the Big East in terms of postseason play. While the Blue Demons are coming off of a fairly easy win against Longwood, they will now host a Coastal Carolina team that went on the road and put West Virginia out of their misery. The winner of tonight’s game advances to the CBI Best-of-3 Championship Series that starts next Monday.

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All-Access at the East Regional: HoopsHD interviews LSU Bengal Brass member Jacie Shreve

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The East Regional is coming to Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person!  HoopsHD is all over it and covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel starts us off by chatting with LSU Bengal Brass member Jacie Shreve about being in the band and her prediction for Friday night.

What is the atmosphere like at LSU this week now that you are in the Sweet 16? LSU is buzzing!! Our team making it to the Sweet 16 is awesome, plus our gymnastics team was named SEC Champions this week! I also work in the athletic department and everyone is so busy trying to make all of the arrangements for our awesome team. I think it has brought on a bigger sense of family across campus when you see everyone getting together to watch our team go far.

What made you choose LSU for college? My grandparents/dad all went to LSU. Though I grew up in north Texas I was always making the trips to Baton Rouge with my family to go to football/baseball/basketball games. It was a no-brainer for me!

What instrument do you play, and how did you 1st get into playing it? I first started playing flute when I was 11 and transitioned to piccolo during my sophomore year of high school. I was unable to participate in athletics so I channeled my energy into learning an instrument. I looked up to my babysitter who was in high school band and went on to play in the LSU Tiger Band.

What kind of music does the band play at LSU home games, and will we see your group do anything extra-special for the NCAA tourney this weekend? Tiger Band plays a variety of music for football games both in the stands and on our field thanks to our creative directors/graduate assistants/members. We play our favorite classics like “Take On Me” and “Boogie Down” (part of our “Boogie Trifecta”), but we also play some newer songs like “Right Above It” and “All of the Lights”. The Bengal Brass Pep Band learns more intricate arrangements like the brass band rendition of “Sweet Dreams” and “I Like It” by Cardi B. We also perform a medley of our school songs before home basketball games which involve huge bass drums, a drum rack, and our awesome spirit squad members. I would love to do that at the tournament…but I do not think that our drums will fit on the plane!

What is your favorite song to play, and why? My all-time favorite song to play is “Right Above It”! We all go hard on that song and I think it really makes a difference with the crowd, specifically our student section.

What do you think the role of a college band is today, and how much time/energy is involved? I think the college band is extremely important on campus and within an athletic department. Tiger Band is present not only in the stands and on the field for football games, but we also perform a pep rally in our arena after marching through campus on our way to the football stadium. We practice an hour and a half 4 days/week leading up to a 2-3 hour practice on game days. During my 4 years in the band I have meet so many awesome people. Playing with your friends makes all the difference: it does not feel like we are working hard but we still put out a great product to LSU fans throughout game day.

How does the band decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? Our director (Dr. Kelvin Jones) selects the final 30 from all of the Bengal Brass Pep Band members. It is based on attendance and involvement during the game. I have always watched March Madness at home so when people send screenshots of me screaming my head off it is wild! I love that we can hype up the team and be the support when not a lot of students can make it out to the tournament location.

What has been your favorite moment so far this season: beating Kentucky, beating Tennessee, Senior Night, other? This is a loaded question! Watching LSU beat Kentucky on TV was so exciting: my roommate thought something was wrong when I started making a commotion in our apartment. I was working the Tennessee game (not playing in the pep band) so getting to witness the anticipation leading up to that game until the final missed shot by Tennessee was the best feeling in the world! However, Senior night was the best because my friend/fellow piccolo player and I were both playing our last regular season game together (he was drum major this year so we only got to play together during Bengal Brass). We both sat through a 2-16 season in SEC play 2 years ago in Bengal Brass so watching our team cut down the nets after winning the SEC regular season championship felt like we had come full-circle. We are a basketball school now!

Any predictions for Friday night? Marlon Taylor will become rocket man again, Waters stays wet, and Dr. Mays will be in. All in all, the team with the most points will win (I really do not want to jinx anything)… oh, and we will be rocking Capital One Arena!

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UTR Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Tuesday, March 26

Posted on March 26, 2019 by John Stalica

For last night’s Hoops HD Report podcast recapping and previewing the NCAA Tournament – CLICK HERE

For Jon Teitel’s interview with Western Michigan Academic All-American Seth Dugan – CLICK HERE

In their second round NIT game last night, Colorado wasted little time jumping out to a 20-point lead at halftime and ended up holding off a brief Norfolk State challenge before easily winning 76-60 to advance to the NIT Quarterfinal round at Texas on Wednesday. Tyler Bey led the Buffaloes with 17 points and 9 rebounds.

The CBI also resumed last night – West Virginia had to have been playing like they wished to be anywhere else in the world last night. The Mountaineers gave up a school-record 109 points at home in an eighteen-point loss to Coastal Carolina. Four players scored in double figures for the Chanticleers; they were led by a 34-point performance from Devante Jones. Their reward will be a trip to DePaul on Wednesday night in the first CBI semifinal; the Blue Demons punched their ticket with a 97-89 victory against Longwood.

Home cooking also paved the way for South Florida to beat Utah Valley and Loyola Marymount to beat Brown as well. LMU will travel across the country to play at South Florida in the second semifinal matchup on Thursday.

There were also a pair of road wins in the CIT last night; Texas Southern ended up winning at UTRGV and Cal State-Bakersfield won their second road game in a row with their victory at Southern Utah.

NIT

(6) WICHITA STATE AT (1) INDIANA (7:00 PM, ESPN) – The first quarterfinal matchup of the NIT pairs up a Wichita State team that pulled off some clutch road wins at Furman and Clemson against an Indiana team that has been able to win both of their home games in the NIT without the services of Romeo Langford.

(2) CREIGHTON AT (1) TCU (9:00 PM, ESPN) – This is the only matchup in the NIT where both of the top two teams advanced in their region. TCU won comfortably against Sam Houston State and Nebraska, whereas Creighton will go on the road for the first time in the NIT after home wins against Loyola-Chicago and Memphis.

CIT

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT HAMPTON (7:00 PM, WatchCIT.com, 2nd Round) – Hampton will live to host another game after their 81-72 victory at home against Saint Francis-Brooklyn in the John McLendon Classic last week. Charleston Southern had a closer game against Florida Atlantic last week, but still ended up with a 2-point win.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT GREEN BAY (8:00 PM, WatchCIT.com, 2nd Round) – FIU earned their first ever postseason victory last week with an 87-81 win at Texas State last week. Green Bay had the most surprising win in the CIT thus far with an 8-point victory at East Tennessee State in the Hugh Durham Classic.

PRESBYTERIAN AT MARSHALL (7:00 PM, WatchCIT.com, Quarterfinal) – In an odd scheduling quirk, Marshall was one of three teams (along with NJIT and Louisiana-Monroe) that got a bye into the quarterfinal round based on their performance in the first round where they beat IUPUI 78-73 in the Jim Phelan Classic. Presbyterian finds itself playing its third road game in seven days after wins at Seattle and Robert Morris.

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The Hoops HD Report: Sweet Sixteen/Elite Eight Edition

Posted on March 25, 2019 by David Griggs

The panel looks back at all the games from the first two rounds of the tournament, and discuss how three #12 seeds got out of the Round of 64, three of the four #1 seeds trailed at halftime to #16 seeds, but at the end of the day 14 of the 16 teams in the Sweet Sixteen are protected seeds.  UCF lost a thriller/heartbreaker to Duke, Houston is in their first Sweet Sixteen since 1984, Uncle Buzz’s Virginia Tech team is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1967, and after a rough season Oregon is in the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in four years.  All that, and so much more…

 

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

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