Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new Wofford coach Jay McAuley

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with new Wofford coach Jay McAuley. There were only 8 teams in the entire country last year who lost 5 or fewer games and 1 of those 8 was Wofford. The Terriers lost to 4 high-major teams in non-conference play last November/December, then went 18-0 in SoCon play, won 3 games in 3 days to clinch a conference tourney title, and beat Seton Hall by 16 PTS in the NCAA tourney before a 6-PT loss to Kentucky to end 1 of the greatest seasons in school history. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McAuley about starting a new job and celebrating his birthday.

You were co-captain as a senior at Georgia: what is the key to being a good leader? There has to be a sense of experience and you need a good blend of command with your voice while working hard and being consistent. You need the gift to motivate guys, which is what I tried to do despite not being a great player myself. I tried to lead by example and be all about the team, which has helped me since I became a coach. Everyone has mentors who help shape their path but my leadership skills started from an early age.

In the 2008 SEC tourney, your team won 4 games in 3 days (due to a tornado) to win the title despite going 4-12 in conference play and only having 8 healthy scholarship players: what are your memories of that wild weekend? It was something that was really special. Basketball is a great team sport so when things are clicking and you have momentum then you see the beauty of March. If you ask what changed I would say that I learned an important lesson: it is not about what you do but how you do the things that are necessary to win a game. We simplified the game and played really hard for each other. We were playing with house money after the tornado hit and the venue changed, which favored us. It was a pretty cool thing that we accomplished.

Last season your team won 30 games and went 18-0 in conference play: where does that season rank among the greatest in school history? It is certainly up there by statistical measurement: we were the only team in the nation to go undefeated in conference play (both regular season and conference tourney). You need good players to do that and we have surrounded ourselves with good people who sacrifice some things that our society right now is not used to doing. Our guys are really talented and believe in what we do. It was a fun ride and we can take a lot of good things to build on that. We are not satisfied with last year: we are a competitive program and have another level that we want to get to.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you had a 16-PT win over Seton Hall and then a 6-PT loss to Kentucky: how close did you come to beating the Wildcats, and what did your team learn from that postseason run that will help them this year? Just being in the NCAA tourney was an incredible experience. We has such good momentum entering the tourney that there was a belief that we could go far. That final 4 minutes vs. Seton Hall where we were on fire and the fans going nuts was amazing. We were riding high and were super-close to beating Kentucky but were a little flat when we just needed to be ourselves. I take nothing away from the Wildcats: if you had told me that we would be right there at the end with a chance to win the game I would have taken that.

Last April your former boss Mike Young was hired as head coach at Virginia Tech: what makes him such a great coach, and are we going to see the Hokies on your schedule anytime soon? He is an awesome guy/incredible coach. People call him a “basketball genius” because he is a really good tactician but has a great feel for all of the components within a program. He allows others to showcase their skills/talents: he is not a dictator where it is all about him and I think he will continue that at Virginia Tech. I do not think that we will face them anytime soon but who knows.

You begin your 1st season as head coach this fall: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? It has been great! I am lucky to have already been here and won multiple championships as an assistant. It has been a smooth transition because the players know me: it is not like I need to get the feel for a new situation. We feel that we can continue the winning tradition here and push the limits. It was a no-brainer for me and was a natural time for me to become a head coach and I think that I can do a pretty good job here.

You graduated your top-2 senior scorers from last season in Fletcher Magee/Cameron Jackson: how will you try to replace all of that offense/leadership? I tried to convince them to medically redshirt and hang onto them before they walked across the graduation stage but it did not work! We have developed 23 pro players over the past decade, which is an amazing stat. They left a work ethic that our younger guys have adopted and now it is time for the next group coming up. We have a lot of returning guards and just need our young big men to step up.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Butler/Missouri/UNC/Duke: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I was waiting for you to say that the Celtics/Lakers were on our schedule as well! We had the 6th-hardest non-conference schedule in the nation last year and it is getting harder to find teams who want to play us. Those games will help prepare us for both conference play as well as games that matter in March so that we do not blink against Seton Hall/Kentucky. We also play South Florida and will have our hands full but will prepare our best and expect to win.

You turned 36 last month: what did you do for the big day? I finished up 1 of our camps and went out to dinner with my daughter and then had a tea party at my house.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? The expectation here is pretty simple: to win. I talk to our team about the daily process: as clichéd as it sounds we simply need to outwork our opponents in everything that we do. We put the work in to be confident: we do not listen to the outside noise and just try to be competitive.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Wofford SR SG Nathan Hoover

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Wofford SR SG Nathan Hoover. There were only 8 teams in the entire country last year who lost 5 or fewer games and 1 of those 8 was Wofford. The Terriers lost to 4 high-major teams in non-conference play last November/December, then went 18-0 in SoCon play, won 3 games in 3 days to clinch a conference tourney title, and beat Seton Hall by 16 PTS in the NCAA tourney before a 6-PT loss to Kentucky to end 1 of the greatest seasons in school history. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Nathan about being a great shooter and having a new coach.

You grew up in Memphis: what made you choose Wofford? The previous coach came to my high school and also my house. When I came here for my visit and saw the new gym that they were building it just felt like the best fit.

You played in all 33 games as a freshman and were named to the conference All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I put in a lot of work during the offseason and got into the gym a lot. I started playing better and adjusting to the college game as the season progressed. Eventually I felt as comfortable as I was back in high school.

Last season your team won 30 games and went 18-0 in conference play: where does that season rank among the greatest in school history? I believe it is 1 of the top seasons ever around here. I know there were some past conference champs who should have won a game in the NCAA tourney, but our conference last year was very difficult and we won several Tier 1 games. I think we are the best.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you scored 18 PTS in a win over Seton Hall and 19 PTS in a 6-PT loss to Kentucky: how close did you come to beating the Wildcats, and what did you learn from that postseason run that will help you this year? We were very close to beating Kentucky: it came down to a couple of possessions. I played well in our final few games so that has helped my confidence out a lot, which is the best thing to have. I am very excited to see what the future holds both for me and the team.

Last year you shot 90.6 FT% and led the conference with 46.9 3P%: what is the secret to being a great shooter? The main thing is to get up enough shots to be able to shoot well during games when you are being guarded and coming off of screens. I focus on repetition until it becomes 2nd nature.

Last April your former coach Mike Young was hired as head coach at Virginia Tech: were you surprised that he left, and how is the transition going under new coach Jay McAuley? I was not surprised that he left: I was happy for him to get a job at a big school and I wish him success. It was rough for a couple of weeks because we did not know who we were going to get to replace him but it has been great to have Coach McAuley. He has brought in some amazing assistants who have connected with us and I feel very good about our entire coaching staff.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Butler/Missouri/UNC/Duke: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I do not think that any 1 game is the hardest. We beat North Carolina at their place 2 years ago so we are prepared to play anyone at any place. We will play as hard as we can to give us the best chance to win no matter who the opponent is.

You graduated your top-2 senior scorers from last season in Fletcher Magee/Cameron Jackson: how will you try to replace all of that offense? We have great players coming back who were big keys last year so we all have a lot of confidence/trust in each other.

You are 1 of 3 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? I have been leading my teams all through high school and had a pretty big role last year as well. I am very energetic and people seem to like that.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I want to carry our team as far as we can go. I would like to be nationally recognized even while playing at a mid-major school and become conference POY. Hopefully we can go even farther as a team than last year.

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The Hoops HD Report: September Session (Pay For Play)

Posted on September 25, 2019 by David Griggs

Chad and the panel, some of whom are legal experts, take a look at the House Bill in California that will allow student-athletes to make money off of their names, images, and likenesses, and the NCAA’s objections to it.  We look at what’s going on, debate and discuss the legal ramifications of it, talk about what (if anything) the NCAA can do about it, and then talk about how much it could potentially change college athletics.

 

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

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Evansville coach Walter McCarty

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Evansville coach Walter McCarty. It is fascinating to look back at the 1996 Kentucky Wildcat championship roster and see how many of the players on that team went to to have further success as players and/or coaches. Nazr Mohammed won the 2005 NBA title as a player for San Antonio, Derek Anderson/Antoine Walker teamed up to win the 2006 NBA title as players for Miami, Allen Edwards won the 2017 CBI as head coach at Wyoming, and Mark Pope was named head coach at BYU last April. Evansville hopes that Walter McCarty can add to that legacy: after spending close to 2 decades as an NBA player/assistant coach, the Aces hired him as head coach in 2018 and he enters this season having lost 3 of his top-5 scorers from last year. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McCarty about winning an NCAA title and coaching his hometown team.

In 1994 as a player at Kentucky you scored 23 PTS including a 3-PT shot with 19 seconds left to overcome a 31-PT deficit en route to a 4-PT win at LSU (which remains the biggest 2nd half rally in NCAA history), and in Game 3 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals as a member of the Celtics you had 4 REB as your team overcame a 21-PT 4th quarter deficit en route to a 4-PT win over New Jersey (which set a record for the biggest comeback in NBA playoff history): what is the secret to coming all the way back to win a game? You need guys who are really connected and care about each other as a team. The biggest thing is to be tough enough to come together and get the job done.

In the 1996 NCAA tourney title game you had 7 REB in a 9-PT win over Syracuse: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was awesome! We learned a lot the previous year when we thought we would win it all but fell a little short against North Carolina. It meant a lot because we worked really hard and the Kentucky fans were ready because it had been a long time since they had won a title.

You spent 10 years in the NBA: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? In the pros you have guys who are taller/more athletic and their response time is quicker. The pro game is faster/stronger and is the highest level of basketball: you cannot get it unless you are there in person.

After retiring you became an assistant to both Rick Pitino at Louisville as well as Brad Stevens with the Celtics: what is the most important thing that you learned from either of these 2 great head coaches? Both guys prepare better than anyone I have ever seen, which is something they have in common. I learned the importance of a good work ethic from Coach P, and Brad taught me how to keep my composure and treat my team well.

You were born in Evansville: what does it mean to you to be coaching your hometown team? It is awesome and I am thrilled/appreciative every day: each time I drive to work I see something that brings up a fond memory. It is an honor to be back here.

Last year you started 9-9 before losing 12 of your final 14 games: what happened? I love my guys and they played hard for me but we just did not have enough talent. We played hard/played together but knew that it would be a tough season.

Your 1st road game of the year is a trip to Lexington in November: will you treat it as just another game or do you think that it will be a very special moment? It is always a special moment to be in Lexington because I had the time of my life there for 4 years. It will be a businesslike approach as we try to get a win but will also be fun to see my friends.

You lost a pair of experienced assistant coaches last month in Todd Lickliter (who retired) and Matthew Graves (who became an assistant at Xavier): how comforting is it to be bringing in Bennie Seltzer (who was an assistant to Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma and an assistant to Tom Crean at Marquette/Indiana) as 1 of your new assistants? It is very reassuring. I believe in Bennie and love what he has been able to do for this team. His basketball knowledge is on another level so I have already seen the tremendous impact that he will have.

You lost 3 of your top-5 scorers from last year (Marty Hill/Shea Feehan/Dainius Chatkevicius): how will you try to replace all of that offense? We had some guys who sat out last year so we will not have any problem scoring the basketball: I am not concerned with that at all.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goal is to be the most physical/connected team as well as the team that plays the hardest. If we can do that on a daily basis then we will have a fun season.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews James Madison assistant coach Ashley Perez

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with James Madison assistant coach Ashley Perez. It is hard to find a mid-major assistant coach in either the men’s or women’s game with more on-court experience than Coach Perez. She started in the Big East, scored 20 PTS in an NCAA tourney game for JMU, played pro basketball overseas, and was even part of her country’s national team. Now she is an assistant coach at her alma mater for a squad that won 29 games last season and returns each of its top-5 scorers. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Perez about playing in the NCAA tourney and how she likes her new job.

You began your college career at St. John’s: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose JMU? After a year and a half I did not feel like St. John’s was the right place for me for a number of reasons. JMU recruited me out of high school and ever since then the people here have proven to be supportive and have helped me grow tremendously.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 20 PTS/6-9 3PM in 24 minutes off the bench in a 10-PT loss to Ohio State: where does Kelsey Mitchell (who scored 23 PTS and is now the #2 scorer in NCAA history with 3402 career PTS) rank among the greatest players that you have ever faced? Playing against Kelsey was a great experience! Playing at St. John’s/JMU/internationally I have seen a lot of phenomenal players…and Kelsey Mitchell is without a doubt one of the better scorers I have ever faced.

In December of 2015 you scored a career-high 33 PTS/7-13 3PM in 34 minutes in a 7-PT loss to West Virginia: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I always felt like I had something to prove when playing against bigger-name teams. I was extremely focused but played really loose so that helped.

In the 2016 CAA quarterfinals you had 21 PTS/11 REB/3 STL and scored the final 7 PTS in a 3-PT win over Charleston: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? That game is really memorable for me but I am not sure that I would consider it to be one of my best all-around games.

You were an 83.9% career FT shooter at JMU: what is the secret to making FTs? Being extremely relaxed and trusting the countless free throws I have practiced so that I would make them when they counted.

You played pro basketball in Ireland and played for the Puerto Rican national team at the 2018 FIBA World Cup: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball outside the US? There are a number of rules that I can specifically think of but the biggest differences are the physicality and the vast number of game styles. A lot of players overseas have their own style that is different from what I have seen here in America.

You graduated in 2016 and got your master’s degree in 2019: how much importance do you place on academics? I have grown to understand the importance of academics and the importance of personal growth. In order to be a well-rounded/understanding person it is necessary to be a lifelong learner.

Last June you were named an assistant at your alma mater to 1 of your own former assistant coaches (Sean O’Regan): why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took this job because of how important this program is to me and I think that I can help the program continue to grow. So far it has been challenging but rewarding.

You went 29-6 last year and return each of your top-5 scorers (Kamiah Smalls/Jackie Benitez/Lexie Barrier/Devon Merritt/Kayla Cooper-Williams): how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? Those 5 seniors have worked extremely hard to be in the situation that they are currently in. They have experience in a number of situations which will help us hopefully tie it all together this year for a CAA Championship. They are all great kids who continue to work extremely hard: that is all that you can ask for.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goals are always to win a CAA Championship and make the NCAA Tournament while developing our girls to be their best. We want to continue to be seen and grow on a national scale and our seniors will be able to lead us toward that.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Vermont SR SF Anthony Lamb

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of our extensive Preseason Content

We continue our season preview coverage with Vermont SR SF Anthony Lamb. The America East has been playing conference basketball tournaments since 1980 and during that 40-year span Drexel legend Malik Rose is the only player who was named conference tourney MVP more than twice (he did it 3 years in a row from 1994-1996). We have a new contender this year in the form of Anthony, who was named MVP in 2017 as a freshman and then again last season as a junior. Were it not for an injury as well as as an all-time Cinderella named UMBC in 2018 we might be looking at 1 of the only 4-time conference tourney MVPs in the history of the sport. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Anthony about overcoming a serious injury and being a senior leader.

You play for Coach John Becker: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He has been a key instrument to me growing up as both a man/player. He knows that there are differences between people and manages each player in the way that is best for them. He loves toughness/defense and has us buy into that. He gives you a chance to grow but also challenges you to reach a better version of yourself.

As a freshman in 2017 you started all 34 games, were named both conference ROY/conference tourney MVP, and scored 20 PTS in a 10-PT loss to Purdue in the NCAA tourney: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? I just came in really determined to push myself. My game has always evolved but going from high school to college is a different kind of jump. There was less stress because people did not expect a lot from a freshman so it helped to not have the pressure of being “the man”.

In 2018 you missed 17 games due to a right foot fracture that you suffered during practice: how hard was it to get back onto the court, and how is your health doing at the moment? I am doing great right now and do not have any bite-back from the injury. It was more difficult mentally than physically. It took 8 weeks for me to get back to my regular health but took me until the end of the summer to get my body in the right shape to play the way that I wanted to play. Any time I can play basketball it releases stress for me.

Last December you scored a career-high 42 PTS/6-14 3PM in 47 minutes during a 7-PT 2-OT win over St. Bonaventure: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”, and how exhausted were you by the end of the game? I would not say that I was in the zone: they tried to make us play more 1-on-1 so I just scored a lot of PTS out of necessity. I definitely remember being tired but also felt exhilarated: I remember yelling/chanting at the end because I was so ecstatic that we won the game.

You finished the season by leading the conference in PPG/RPG and were named conference POY/conference tourney MVP/Honorable Mention All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I do not look at those that much: I appreciate people showing me love but I have different goals. Awards do not help us go farther in the postseason and that is the journey that I am on.

In the 2019 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS in a 7-PT loss to Florida State: how close did you come to pulling off the upset, and what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? I have actually watched film of that game the past couple of days. I need to become a smarter basketball player: there are so many different things you can do and so many strategies you can apply. Once you understand that then you have to understand what works and what does not, so I want to make the best decisions to help our team win. There were a lot of reasons why we lost but I think it just came down to how smart we played.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games at St. John’s/Virginia/Cincinnati: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I have not looked at their rosters yet because right now we are trying to learn how our own pieces fit together. We have our whole core back and will try to be as sharp as we can be.

1 of your new players is graduate transfer Daniel Giddens: how big a deal is it to have a guy transferring in who has played at big-time schools such as Ohio State/Alabama? I cannot really say because I have not played at those schools myself but he is a good guy who is really trying to push himself. He has made a really good transition to becoming part of our family and Coach has definitely helped Daniel make great strides.

You are 1 of 2 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? There is a lot of pressure but most of it is internal because I have really high standards. I take a lot of pride in my work and 1 of my roles is to be a leader. I am really grateful for the support system around me.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I want to become an All-American, be DPOY, and be the best leader I can be so that they remember me for that. I also want to be top-10% in defense nationally. We want to win a national championship and I believe that we can actually do it: it will take a lot of hard work but we have the crew to do it.

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