The Hoops HD Report: September Season Tip-Off Edition!!!

Posted on September 25, 2018 by David Griggs

It is now officially college basketball season!!  Practice has officially started!!  Practice!!  Which means that teams are finally allowed to scrimmage against…well…themselves.

Chad and the panel begin by taking a quick look around the country with live look-ins on the first day of practice!  Chad and David then discuss/debate the NCAA’s stance on allowing teams to have one of their two exhibition games to be a charity game against another div1 team, but not be granting waivers for a third exhibition game.

We then move on to our main topic, which is looking at the rivalries in college basketball.  We talk about what we think the biggest rivalries are in terms of both importance and bitterness.  We then look at some of the lesser known rivalries, and finally we end by talking about series that would be rivalries if the two schools would just decide to play each other…

 

And for all you radio lovers, below is an mp3 version of the show….

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews new UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s Season Previews and Interviews

We continue our season preview coverage with new UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell. 15 years ago he was leading his college team in FT%, 5 years ago he was working for Shaka Smart as a VCU assistant during the NCAA tourney, 6 months ago he was working for Smart as a Texas assistant during the NCAA tourney…and now he is running the show in Asheville. The only downside: the Bulldogs lost each of their top-7 scorers from last year’s team. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Morrell about how to succeed on the golf course as well as on the recruiting trail.

You played basketball/golf in college: which sport were you best at and which 1 did you enjoy the most? I was better at basketball but was also a decent golfer because I grew up working at a golf course. I can assure you that I enjoy playing golf more now even though I do not have much time to golf. I used to be a golf coach at King University in Bristol, TN…which just meant that I drove the van! Your life changes when you join a Power 5 school and I have only played golf about 3 times since coming here: I miss it a lot.

You led the basketball team in FT% multiple times: what is the secret to making FTs? You just have to be a good shooter! People used to ask Coach Oliver Purnell about it when I worked for him at Clemson: he said that he just needed to recruit some better FT shooters.

You spent the past 7 years as an assistant to Coach Shaka Smart at VCU/Texas: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? I cannot pinpoint any 1 specific thing but he has the innate ability to infuse his players/staff with a tremendous amount of confidence. He gets kids to believe in themselves more than they even thought possible. He is the best that I have ever been around at having kids literally believe that they were the best version of themselves. I worked with him at Clemson too so I have known him for about 15 years: he always challenged me to not put as much pressure on myself. He does a great job of looking at everything holistically and trying to see the good no matter what the situation is.

In 2015 you were named the top recruiter in the country under age 35: what is the key to recruiting? Just work. People put too much insight into it: the better recruiters spend more time at recruiting because it is more important to them. I have always enjoyed it, as did the head coach I worked for, so we were able to recruit some really good players. Recruiting is the lifeblood of your program.

In April you were named head coach at Asheville: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? It was a great opportunity at a great place that has had a lot of success built on the backs of many good coaches including Nick McDevitt/Eddie Biedenbach. I grew up about 1 hour away from here so I am very familiar with the area. When I interviewed here I saw that it was a tremendous place with great support: we do not have football so basketball is very important here.  It is not the “stepchild” like it is at other schools so it is important that we are good.

You lost each of your top-7 scorers from last year’s team: where are you going to find some offense? If I knew that then I would be probably be making a lot more money playing poker! We are very young but will have 8 guys out there who have never played college basketball before. We only have 2 guys who even played in a game at Asheville last year so it goes deeper. We have really good young players who I am excited about but there is a maturation process so I am glad we do not play our season opener tomorrow.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against NC State/Auburn/Vanderbilt: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of them! Schools at our level have to go out and play those kinds of games: it is a great opportunity for our guys to go to a great venue and play some good teams. We will approach it the way that we approach every game and just try to control the things that we can control.

Your assistant coach Kyle Perry was head coach at South Carolina Upstate and a 4-time member of the All-Academic team as a walk-on for Bobby Cremins at Georgia Tech: how nice is it to have a former head coach on your staff, and how smart is he?! He is a smart guy and a tremendous member of our staff: I hired him because I have known him for a long time. He has a wealth of experience at this level and know what it takes to succeed. However, it is not like I give him tests every other day: I just try to hire bright/motivated people.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Just to move forward and get better every day. It is not about being result-oriented early on since we have 6 true freshmen and 2 redshirt freshmen. We also have 2 transfers sitting out this year who I am excited about so the future is bright. I am only holding them accountable to what they can control, which will enable us to grow up quicker.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Penn State head coach Pat Chambers

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s Season Previews and Interviews

We continue our season preview coverage with Penn State head coach Pat Chambers. When you play/work for a Hall of Fame coach like Herb Magee at Philadelphia University and then work for 2-time NCAA championship coach Jay Wright at Villanova, you learn what it takes to succeed as a coach. Coach Chambers made the NCAA tourney in his 2nd year at head coach at BU in 2011, then after 6 years of hard work in State College it was lucky year #7 that resulted in a 26-win season and an NIT title game victory over Utah. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Chambers about winning a title and having an experienced coaching staff.

You were a player/assistant for Hall of Fame coach Herb Magee at Philadelphia University: what makes him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is 1 of a kind and an offensive genius. Even if the other team knew where the ball was going, he would get our guys a good shot at the basket. My teammates and I had a great relationship with him. We did more 5-on-5 drills than I ever recall doing with another coach: he let his guys play and then coached them up.

You made the 2009 Final 4 as an assistant to Coach Jay Wright at Villanova (who has won 2 NCAA titles in the past 3 years): are we going to see the Wildcats on your schedule anytime soon? Hopefully in the NCAA tourney! Or maybe in the Gavitt Games if we continue to show improvement.

As head coach at BU in 2011 you were 10-13 entering February: how did you flip the switch to win 11 in a row (including the America East title game by 2 PTS in OT), and how did you enjoy facing the Morris twins of Kansas in the NCAA tourney? My memories of BU are incredible: I cherish those times and it really shaped me as a coach. We had a very difficult non-conference schedule but after getting punished on the road 1 night that season (a 60-48 loss at New Hampshire on 1/29) we resolved to never let it happen again. The guys believed in the game plan vs. Kansas and we were right there with them into the 2nd half. The Morris twins were great: I had recruited them to Villanova so it was a lot of fun to see them again.

Last January at Ohio State Keita Bates-Diop made a deep 3-PT shot with 5 seconds left to to tie the game, then Tony Carr banked in a shot at the buzzer to beat the Buckeyes: did you think Tony’s shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most exciting finishes that you have ever seen? It is up there: Scottie Reynolds hit a last-second shot to beat Pitt and help get us to the Final 4 in 2009 when I was at Villanova. We were also losing the 2011 America East tourney title game until the very end when John Holland made some big shots. I wanted a timeout after Keita’s shot and was wondering what on earth I would say in the huddle. That win in Columbus propelled us to new heights.

In the 2018 NIT title game you beat Utah to win the title: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what do you think your team learned from its postseason run that will help them this year? We beat a very tough Temple team at home and then won road games at Notre Dame/Marquette. Beating Mississippi State in the semifinals was a huge step because it taught us how to win. We wanted to be in the NCAA tourney but we showed that we deserved to be there. The NIT was a steppingstone and a great experience for our team: I take great pride in winning championships.

Your team was top-10 in the nation in STL/BLK: how much importance do you place on defense? That is our foundation: if you come to our practices you will see that is exactly what we are built upon. I do not think that our staff got enough credit for what we did but defending/rebounding is who we are. We bring back a lot of great shot-blockers this year (including Mike Watkins’ 2.3 BPG) so I like the cornerstones that we have.

You have a great set of assistant coaches including Kevin Freeman (UConn’s all-time leader with 140 games played) and Jim Ferry (2011 conference COY at LIU): do you find yourself leaning on different assistants for different things based on whether they were a successful player vs. a successful coach? They all have their own strengths. I put this group together over the past 2 years to help make me a better coach. Keith Urgo is my go-to guy who worked with me at Villanova and has been a staple for us. Jim is someone I can lean on to help me through some of the tough times due to his 30 years of coaching experience/wisdom. He is also an offensive genius: our spacing has gotten better and we are sharing the ball more. Knowing Kevin’s background as a champion was huge: I wanted a winner and someone who can coach big men and develop them.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against DePaul/Virginia Tech/NC State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? North Florida…because we open up with them. I know what I will get from the 3-5 guys who produced for me last year but I need to see what we can get from our freshmen. I am excited about the potential lineups we will be able to play but I put together a very difficult non-conference schedule because we want to take the next step.

You lost a pair of great guards from last year in Carr/Shep Garner but have great frontcourt depth including Lamar Stevens/Mike Watkins/John Harrar: how is the backcourt looking at the moment? It is looking terrific. You will like this kid Jamari Wheeler because he makes everyone around him better and distracts his opponent on defense. I love all of our freshmen: they have bought in both on and off the floor and are coachable so I just need to see who will start because they are all capable of doing so.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? When I 1st got here I would answer that question by saying we want to win 20 games and make the NCAA tourney…which has only led to me getting a stomach ache, so now I just want to get 1% better every day and take it 1 day at a time. It is a totally new team so we just need to have faith because we want to take the next step.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Penn State F Lamar Stevens

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s Season Previews and Interviews

We continue our season preview coverage with Penn State F Lamar Stevens. 2 of last spring’s postseason MVPs have left college basketball (NCAA tourney MOP Donte DiVincenzo from Villanova was a 1st round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks and CIT MVP Andre Spight from Northern Colorado is playing pro basketball in Europe) but 2 decided to stick around (CBI MVP Roosevelt Smart is still at North Texas and Stevens remains in State College). The Nittany Lions have not made the NCAA tourney since 2011 but with a stacked frontcourt this just might be the year that they break the streak. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Lamar about a sad Selection Sunday but a powerful postseason performance.

You grew up in Pennsylvania: what made you choose Penn State? Just the coaching staff: I had so much faith in them and their ability to develop the team. I had other offers but wanted to blaze my own path rather than go somewhere that already has a lot of history.

You play for Coach Pat Chambers: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His ability to get the best out of all of his players. He can relate to players from different backgrounds and brings the fire out of us. He holds everyone accountable, which is huge for a coach, and he expects the most out of us. The thing I learned is that every detail matters: you cannot take anything for granted.

In February 2017 you scored 26 PTS in 42 minutes during an 8-PT 3-OT loss at Indiana: how exhausted were you by the end of that game? It was a hard-fought battle. I was a little tired but our strength and conditioning coach has prepared us well.

You started 33 games as a freshman and averaged 12.7 PPG: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I took a lot of pride in preparing my body/game during the offseason. I look back and wish I could have done more but it was a good learning experience.

After an 8-PT loss to Purdue in last year’s Big 10 tourney semifinals your record stood at 21-13: how hard was it to sit through Selection Sunday, and what was your reaction after your team’s name did not get called? It was difficult because we all believed that we could have made an impact in the NCAA tourney, but we just looked at the NIT as a chance to prove ourselves. We were hungry/excited to keep playing.

In the 2018 NIT title game you scored a game-high 28 PTS/11-15 FG win over Utah en route to being named NIT MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? My coaches/teammates believed in me, which pushed me to play so well. IT meant everything because it is hard to win a championship. To go out on top was great.

Your team was top-10 in the nation in STL/BLK: how much importance does your team place on defense? That is our staple and something that Coach continuously talks about: defending and rebounding. Our best defenders bring the best out of all of us.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against DePaul/Virginia Tech/NC State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I think our biggest test will just be our 1st game since we have so many young guys on the team. Each game will be a test but we will take it 1 game at a time.

You lost a pair of great guards from last year in Tony Carr/Shep Garner but have fantastic frontcourt depth including yourself/Mike Watkins/John Harrar: how is the backcourt looking at the moment? It is looking really good. Freshman Rasir Bolton has stepped up big-time throughout the summer and he is ready to play at this level right now. We have some other freshmen as well who can score at a high level so I am excited to see them shock a lot of people.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goal is to just win every day, be the best team we can be, and get 1% better each day. I do not know exactly where it will lead us but the sky is the limit.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Georgia State G D’Marcus Simonds

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s Season Previews and Interviews

We continue our season preview coverage with Georgia State G D’Marcus Simonds. D’Marcus was D’Man last season: he had the 1st triple-double in school history, averaged 21.2 PPG, and was named conference POY/conference tourney MVP/All-American. He can also turn it up when the stakes are highest: he scored 27 PTS in the Sun Belt tourney title game win over Texas-Arlington and 24 PTS in the NCAA tourney loss to Cincinnati. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with D’Marcus about being conference ROY and what it takes to win in OT.

You grew up in Georgia: what made you choose Georgia State? There were a couple of things that led me to Georgia State. Obviously at the top was the coaching staff: it felt right being around them. I knew what my goals were entering college and I had seen what they did with RJ Hunter. I also loved the thought of living in Atlanta and still being close enough to home for family and friends to come out and watch me play.

You play for Coach Ron Hunter: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? I think he is such a good coach because he will always be honest with you. There are times were players do not always want to hear that but in the long run honesty is the only way to get better. I do not know that there is just 1 thing I could pinpoint that I have learned from him. I have grown up so much under him the last few years and I know I still have a lot to learn this year as I try to help our team win another championship.

As a freshman you averaged 13.4 PPG and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The funny thing is that the first 10 games or so of that year I was coming off the bench and only played limited minutes in a few games. I needed to have the game slow down a bit for me and when it finally did so in December I felt like I could really make an impact. Coach Hunter runs a complicated style of defense that it takes everyone some time to learn, but once you do the fans can see why we are so good defensively.

In November 2017 you had a triple-double with 20 PTS/10 REB/10 AST in 28 minutes in a win over Carver Bible: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? Honestly, that was pretty cool! It was not something that I set out to do and I did not know it was the first one in school history until after the game. It does rank as 1 of the cooler things I have been fortunate enough to accomplish in basketball. The number I love the most is the 10 assists: I take great pride in getting the ball to my teammates and that night I was able to do it better than I ever have before.

Last year you averaged a school-record 21.2 PPG and were named conference POY/All-American: what is the key to being a good scorer, and what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? The key to being a good scorer is taking the right shots as well as driving to the hoop for an easier shot whenever possible. I think one of the biggest things I learned between my freshman and sophomore seasons was knowing when to shoot and when to pass. I felt like I started to take smarter shots last year even though my shooting percentage went down: hopefully I can continue to improve on that this year. As for the awards, they are great but none of them would be possible without my teammates help. We truly came together as a group of brothers last year and I want that bond to continue this season.

In the 2018 Sun Belt tourney title game you scored 27 PTS in a win over Texas-Arlington en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? Before the tournament even started our team was truly focused and came together. When I struggled in the semifinals of the tournament they really picked up me and I was ready for that championship game. I think that was what led me to having a great game against UT-Arlington. I was able to refocus and prepare to win a conference championship. As I said earlier, none of this would be possible without them.

In the 2018 NCAA tourney you scored 24 PTS in a loss to Cincinnati: what did you learn from that loss that will help you this year? My teammates and I learned a lot in that game. The thing that we took out of it is that even though we lost, we can still play with anyone in the country. We had the lead in that game with about 10 minutes to play before Cincinnati wore us down. We have used that as motivation in the offseason to come back even stronger this year. We want to get back into the NCAA Tournament in March and take our program deeper in the tournament that it has ever been before.

Your team was 0-3 in OT games last year: what is the key to success in OT? That is a really good question…and one that if we can figure out will hopefully lead us to having a better record if we play any overtime games this year! With the short amount of time you have in OT it is important to get off to a quick start. Looking back on those three games last year, I do not think we ever got off to a good start and that definitely hurt us in those games.

Last year you led the conference in turnovers: did you do any specific kind of work this summer to try to cut down on your turnovers, or is it not that big a deal because it did not prevent your team from making the NCAA tourney? I have always played an aggressive style of basketball, which has probably led to some extra turnovers over the years. It is definitely something I always work on as no one wants to turn the ball over. However, I think my aggressiveness also leads us to more opportunities to score. It is something I have to balance as it is not a category you ever want to be leading.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goals and expectations at Georgia State basically remain the same every season: win conference championships and get to the NCAA Tournament. My teammates and I have worked extremely hard so hopefully those opportunities will occur once again this season. Our coaches have put together a demanding non-conference schedule that will hopefully get us ready for success when the time comes.

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Season preview: HoopsHD interviews Boise State G Alex Hobbs

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s Season Previews and Interviews

We continue our season preview coverage with Boise State G Alex Hobbs. The Broncos lost a ton of talent from last year (including NBA 1st-round draft pick Chandler Hutchison) but the cupboard is not totally bare thanks to their junior guard. He played in 26 games as a freshman, was named MWC 6th Man of the Year last spring, and is the best FT shooter on the team. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Alex about starting last season with and ending the year in the NIT.

Photo credit: Boise State Photo Services

You grew up in Texas: what made you choose Boise State? I always wanted to go to college out of state and Boise was 1 of my 1st offers so I felt that loyalty. My visit was great and I felt that it would be a great opportunity.

You play for Coach Leon Rice: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He taught me that my mindset is just as important as my skill/talent. A lot of guys are talented but cannot bring it every day. I respect him so much for what he has built here: it is easy to play for him because even if you make a couple of mistakes he will have your back.

You played in 26 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? That was part of the opportunity I mentioned earlier. I did not play very much at the beginning of the season but eventually I learned what it takes to play at this level. I worked hard and then flipped the switch toward the end of the year.

In last year’s season opener you scored a career-high 21 PTS/9-9 FG in a win over Eastern Oregon: what was it like to have a perfect shooting night? It was nice! I just credit my guys because I came out real aggressive and after I made my 1st couple of shots they kept getting me the ball for good looks.

In the 2018 NIT you scored 5 PTS and tied a career-high with 6 AST in a 3-PT loss at Washington: what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? I learned that a slow start can really kill you. We were able to come back from a couple of slow starts during the year but in March it is “go time”. We have to figure out ways to be better and start faster: we just have to learn why we started slow.

Last year you were named MWC 6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor, and are you going to stay in that role this year or become a starter? It meant a lot to me. I really took pride in coming off the bench, doing what I do as a playmaker, and providing a spark. I was truly honored to see my hard work pay off and see that everyone around the conference took note. We just started workouts so I am not sure what the future holds but we will just see where it goes.

You led the team with 87.8 FT%: what is the secret to making FTs? Just being dialed in. The more reps you get then the better you will be: step up to the line, get your feet set, and get locked in. Just zone everything out and you will have a good FT percentage.

You lost 3 of your top-4 scorers from last year (Chandler Hutchison/Christian Sengfelder/Lexus Williams): how will you try to replace all of that offense? We are missing a lot but other guys are ready to step up as they enter new roles. Being able to guard your opponent will keep you in a game and the guys have worked all summer to get better on defense while taking over that scoring role on offense. I also think that the better we get defensively, the better we will be as a team.

Your non-conference schedule includes 1 game against Creighton in November and 2(!) against Oregon in December: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Those will be big battles for us for sure. The coaches fulfilled their promise of giving us a tough schedule: they will be good tests for our new guys to see where we are at.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? There are different expectations coming into every year. As a competitor, every time you step onto the floor you try to win, so everyone in the conference is trying to win a championship. I just want to focus on getting better every day as we try to win the MWC.

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