Under The Radar Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Wednesday, March 14th

Posted on March 14, 2018 by John Stalica

-Unlike last year’s chaotic start to the NIT, chalk held up in all 9 home games of the first round played last night. There were a couple of close results – USC needed overtime at home to hold off UNC-Asheville before winning 103-98 in overtime.  Note that USC’s leading scorer Chimezie Metu will not play in the NIT – that is his personal decision as far as we know. Asheville did have a chance to win in regulation, but alas were not able to make their final shot at that time. Louisville also came from behind after trailing by as many as 7 points in the 2nd quarter before coming back to win 66-58. Rider also led by 8 at halftime at Oregon, but the Ducks blew the game open in the 4th quarter and beat the Broncs 99-86. Other winners included Notre Dame, Baylor, Middle Tennessee, Saint Mary’s, Oklahoma State and Western Kentucky.

-The Team of the People (Cal Baptist – West Region) learned last night that they will be the #7 overall seed in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight next week at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  They will take on #2 Queens College of North Carolina (Southeast Region) in their opener. Other teams that advanced to the Elite Eight were Ferris State (Midwest), West Texas A&M (South Central), Northern State (Central), Le Moyne (East), East Stroudsburg (Atlantic) and Barry (South).

-There was also one opening round game in the CIT – Utah Valley had a comfortable 22-point win at home against Eastern Washington.

NIT

-(6) LOUISIANA AT (3) LOUISIANA STATE (7:00 PM, ESPN3/WatchESPN). This will be a fun in-state matchup; Louisiana earned an automatic invite to the NIT after winning the Sun Belt regular-season title in decisive fashion. LSU was much improved in Year 1 under Will Wade and even looked like they might turn the corner for the NCAA Tournament back in early January after a good start in the SEC before eventually tailing off.

-(7) HARVARD AT (2) MARQUETTE (7:00 PM, ESPN2). Harvard also earned automatic qualification for the NIT after earning the #1 seed in the Ivy League tournament (they tied with Penn for the regular season championship). Marquette will be playing this and any future home games in the NIT on campus in the much smaller Al McGuire Center.

-(5) TEMPLE AT (4) PENN STATE (8:00 PM, ESPNU). While Penn State’s highlights seemed to be concentrated solely on 3 wins against Ohio State, Temple was a little more diversified with early-season wins against Clemson, Auburn and Wichita State. However, both teams failed to consistently win against fellow NIT teams and teams below that cut line – hence this old Atlantic 10 rivalry being renewed for one night only.

-(7) UC-DAVIS AT (2) UTAH (9:00 PM, ESPN3/WatchESPN). UC-Davis followed up their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid from last season with a regular-season title in the Big West. Alas, they ended up in the NIT after a loss to eventual Big West champion Cal State-Fullerton in the semifinal round. Utah failed to win in their Pac-12 opener against Oregon, but they were at least a team of discussion as far as at-large NCAA bids last week.

-(5) NEBRASKA AT (4) MISSISSIPPI STATE (9:00 PM, ESPN2). There is actually some familiarity between these two teams – they played a charity exhibition in the preseason that Mississippi State won in Starkville back in October. This should be a fun matchup between a pair of homecourt heroes.

-(4) BOISE STATE AT (5) WASHINGTON (10:00 PM, ESPN3/WatchESPN). This should have been a game that Boise hosted, but Taco Bell Arena is booked with 1st and 2nd-round NCAA Tournament games this week. However, one of Boise’s highlights this season was a win at Oregon – they are just as capable of winning a 2nd time in a Pac-12 venue.

-(6) BYU AT (3) STANFORD (10:00 PM, ESPNU). The Cougars were the last at-large team selected in the NIT field – they made a late push with their win against Saint Mary’s in the WCC semifinals last week. Stanford also improved after being hamstrung with injuries earlier in the season.

CIT

-NIAGARA AT EASTERN MICHIGAN (7:00 PM). While both teams are coming off of disappointing losses in their respective conference tournaments, it had to sting more in one respect for Niagara after being upset in their MAAC opener against Fairfield. However, Eastern Michigan is also coming in looking to make amends after a 1-point loss in the MAC semifinals to Toledo.

-SAINT FRANCIS-PA AT ILLINOIS-CHICAGO (7:00 PM). The Flames come into this game much improved over the course of the last two seasons, but ended their regular season with 3 consecutive losses to Wright State, NKU and Milwaukee. Saint Francis was originally picked to win the NEC in the preseason, but were short-circuited in their NEC tournament opener at home against Fairleigh Dickinson.

-LAMAR AT TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (8:00 PM). A pair of southern Texas schools will be reunited for the final game of the night in the CIT. UTSA actually finished 5th in C-USA, but there was no shame in losing to eventual champion Marshall in the quarterfinals of their conference tournament. Lamar finished #6 in the Southland, but they lost their conference tournament opener to Central Arkansas.

CBI

-JACKSONVILLE STATE AT CANISIUS (7:00 PM). Postseason play in the Big 4 got off to a good start with St. Bonaventure beating UCLA in the NCAA First Four last night – we’ll see if Canisius (along with Niagara tonight) can give Buffalo-area fans more reason for optimism tonight in their opener against a Jax State team that lost in the OVC semifinals.

-MIAMI-OHIO AT CAMPBELL (7:00 PM). While Chris Clemons and Campbell couldn’t replicate the same run they had in the Big South tournament last year, they will get to play host to a much-improved Miami team tonight in the thriving metropolis of Buies Creek.

-TEXAS-RIO GRAND VALLEY AT NEW ORLEANS (8:00 PM). This season, the inclusion of UTRGV gives the WAC 5 total teams in the postseason – their highest percentage of postseason teams since their salad days in the 1990s. Their reward is a trip to New Orleans to take on the Privateers out of the Southland.

-NORTH TEXAS AT SOUTH DAKOTA (8:00 PM). While South Dakota was denied further advancement out of the Summit league thanks to in-state foe South Dakota State, the silver lining for tonight will be a chance to play at least one postseason game on campus. Also keep an eye on North Texas in the near future in Year 1 of the Grant McCasland regime.

-CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT SEATTLE (10:00 PM). Is it me, or does CAU play some of their best ball in the Pacific Time Zone? They had a win at Cal and a near miss at UCLA back in November. Seattle was also competitive against New Mexico State before ultimately losing in the WAC semifinals.

-MERCER AT GRAND CANYON (10:00 PM). The Lopes fell one game short of winning the WAC Tournament in their first season of eligibility, but nonetheless will get to play at least one more home game in front of a rabid crowd. Mercer was one-and-done in the SoCon after losing to Wofford in their opener.

-COLGATE AT SAN FRANCISCO (10:00 PM). The Raiders missed a chance to make the NCAA Tournament for only the 3rd time in school history after losing at Bucknell in the Patriot championship last Wednesday. However, the Dons are very difficult to beat at home – ask Saint Mary’s how tough it can be.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Tennessee assistant women’s coach Bridgette Gordon

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

Tennessee lost to South Carolina in the SEC women’s tourney earlier this month but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. Head coach Holly Warlick has now led the Vols to 6 straight NCAA tourneys since taking over in 2012, but this year she has someone new to rely on in the form of assistant coach Bridgette Gordon. As a player at Tennessee in the late-1980s under Coach Pat Summitt she pretty much owned the sport: 1986 co-SEC ROY, 4 consecutive trips to the Final 4, and winner of the 1989 Honda Sports Award as the top female college basketball player in the nation. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Coach Gordon about winning a pair of NCAA tourneys as her team prepares to host #14 seed Liberty on Friday afternoon in Knoxville.

In 1986 you were named co-SEC ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I attribute it to my work ethic and the competitiveness that I always had. I was able to win a spot on the team and the whole atmosphere prepared me for what I was up against in the conference.

You set an NCAA record with 4 consecutive trips to the Final 4 at Tennessee: what made Pat Summitt such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? Her ability to get the best out of each and every 1 of her players. She knew how to cater to each individual by pushing certain buttons. She developed me into the player she saw that I could be. We were ranked 13th in the SEC my freshman year and Georgia was the favorite but we were able to upset them: when we lost in the Final 4 it just made me want to get back there the following year.

Even though Louisiana Tech had beaten the Volunteers in 11 of their previous 12 meetings entering the 1987 NCAA tourney title game, you scored 13 PTS and held the Lady Techsters to their lowest point total in school history during a 67-44 win to clinch the 1st title in Tennessee history: how did you play what Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore called “the greatest defensive game I have ever seen”? That was the good old hard days when you played the final the very next day after the semifinals. We could have thrown in the towel after beating Long Beach State in the semis but we walked through everything that Louisiana Tech did. We knew their plays better than they did and were calling them out in advance: they were just starstruck! It came from us imagining what their plays would be like.

In the 1988 Olympics you won a gold medal with team USA: where does that team rank among the best that you have ever been a part of, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? That is the ultimate goal when you are representing the USA and you have an entire nation rooting for you back home. It meant so much to me and will always remain dear to my heart: there is nothing else like it. It was special to take on all of the big challenges with Russia back in the Olympics. As a little girl I aspired to win a gold medal: even today it seems surreal. When they played the anthem after we won it was amazing: I still get a chill thinking about it now. I remain the best of friends with all 11 of my teammates: it was 12 ladies competing for 1 goal. God bless Coach Kay Yow: she was a great woman and we wanted to win it for her. To have your dream come true is just so special: Pat told me when she was recruiting me in my living room that it would happen if I just played hard enough.

In 1989 you were named SEC POY and won the Honda Sports Award as the top female college basketball player in the nation: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? When I look back at it they were great individual accomplishments and it showed that all of my hard work/dedication had paid off, so that was something I loved. Being a champion comes 1st…but individual awards are a close 2nd.

Take me through the magical 1989 NCAA tourney:
You set an NCAA tourney record by making 17 FTs in a win over Long Beach State: what is the secret to making FTs? I kept saying to myself that I would just put the icing on the cake and try to win another title for Pat before we graduated. We panicked during the 1988 Final 4: our hotel was 1 hour away from Spokane, it was pouring rain, and we were stuck in traffic without a police escort! Our senior class was determined to go out with class: they called us “money players”.

You tied a championship game record held by Cheryl Miller/Cynthia Cooper with 27 PTS in a win over Auburn en route to being named tourney MOP: is it true that Coach Summitt got angry at you during a 2nd half timeout and told you to play harder and that you made 4 straight shots despite having a tooth knocked loose that later required a root canal to save it?! I had to pinch myself and ask if this was real! If I had to do it all over again I would choose Tennessee every time. Those stories are true. I got hit when I went up for a rebound and even though I was focused on winning a title I came over to the bench holding my tooth: I was worried about looking like Michael Spinks! Pat ignored the rest of the team and told me that Ruthie Bolton wanted it more than me: she pushed my button and the light just went on for me. We could not get by them for a few years due to their match-up zone.

You led the SEC in scoring in 1988 and you still hold the school record with 338 career STL: how were you able to balance your offense with your defense? Just due to my competitiveness: I hated to lose more than I loved to win and had so much pride that I did not want to let anyone score on me. Melissa McCray was a great on-ball defender so I just had to get in the passing lanes and steal the ball. Pat gave me an autographed photo and wrote that I was “1 of the best players she ever coached”. I am competitive in everything I do: washing dishes, playing cards, etc.

You won 7 straight Italian League Championships as a pro player from 1990-1996: how was your team able to be so dominant for such a long period of time? We had some of the better Italian players on the team, but it was also due to my competitive mentality. My 1st year as a pro we were runner-up to Clarissa Davis, who I could not stand losing to in college when she was at Texas: I just told my team that we would not lose to her again. I have won titles at the high school/college/pro/Olympic level, and the European Cups were also the biggest of the big. I hope to go down in history as a winner. Pat played a huge part in my life: God blessed me with a lot of talent but she just brought so much out of me.

In 2007 you were elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I was also elected to the Lady Vols Hall of Fame in 2001 and had my jersey retired on 1/27/90 so I have had a lot of highlights throughout my life. I lost my father during my 1st year as a pro and Pat was with me the whole time: talk about a roller coaster of emotion. I think about all of my teammates/coaches: there are so many people who helped me along the way and made me who I am. I played against boys while growing up and they all challenged me. I am just blessed to have received so many prestigious awards. The only 1 that is missing is Springfield: hopefully 1 day they will come knocking.

You worked as an assistant coach at several different schools before joining your alma mater as an assistant to Holly Warlick last July, and it seems to be working as the Lady Vols won their 1st 15 games this season: how do you like being a coach, and what will it take to get back to the Final 4 for the 1st time in a decade? I try to instill success in our young ladies because I have been there/done that. My father is a native Jamaican so I have always had to work for everything I got: my upbringing has a lot to do with it. It is a great honor to work for Holly at a place where I helped win 2 titles as we try to add to the legacy. We could not duplicate what we did with Pat because this is a whole different generation: the NCAA now will not let us develop them the way we did back in the day. I was a center growing up but they spent hour after hour with me in the gym to teach me how to dribble and develop me into a forward. Holly has a vision of how we will win and we have had some great recruiting classes so we just need to have some nasty defense/relentless rebounding. That is why I came back and we have all the ingredients to win a title: the kids just need to be willing to put in the work.

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Bracket Tactics: HoopsHD provides some tips to surviving and advancing

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

The best week of the year is finally here! This is the reason why we ponder the impact of high-school All-Americans, the importance of having a smart/veteran coach, and exactly how many different “Wildcats” can make the Final 4. For those of you who need some last-minute bracket advice grounded in historical facts/trends, see below for our Sweetest 16 Suggestions. For the rest of you, enjoy the madness!!

TIP #1: No team that lost its opening game in its conference tournament has ever gone on to win the NCAA title that same year.
STRATEGY: The extra few days of rest have not proven helpful in the past so take a long hard look at TCU (2-PT OT loss to Kansas State in Big 12 tourney quarterfinals) before penciling them in as your champ.

TIP #2: Since 1979 only 2 national champions did not have a McDonald’s All-American on their roster (2002 Maryland/2014 UConn).
STRATEGY: A coach who cannot recruit the best high school players usually fails to win it all so beware of picking Purdue/Xavier to go all the way.

TIP #3: The last coach to win a title in his very 1st year as coach at a school was Tubby Smith at Kentucky in 1998.
STRATEGY: History is not on the side of Butler (LaVall Jordan)/Missouri (Cuonzo Martin).

TIP#4: Since UNLV won it all in 1990, 26 of the past 27 champs have come from a power-conference (except for UConn in 2014): ACC (10), SEC (6), Big East (6), Pac-12 (2), Big 12 (1), Big 10 (1).
STRATEGY: You might want to think twice before picking anyone from the A-10/WCC to win it all.

TIP #5: Only 3 coaches with 4 or fewer prior tournament appearances have won the title since 1985 (Steve Fisher/Tom Izzo/Kevin Ollie).
STRATEGY: Teams like Clemson (Brad Brownell has 4 prior tourney appearances)/Florida (Mike White has 1 prior tourney appearance) might need a little more seasoning before they can win it all.

TIP #6: Each champ since 2002 had a strength of schedule that was among the top-75 in the nation.
STRATEGY: You have to play the best to learn how to beat the best you might want to stay away from Houston (#82)/St. Bonaventure (#88).

TIP #7: Murray State has played in the most NCAA tournaments (15) without ever making the Sweet 16.
STRATEGY: The Racers have also not been a #12 seed in a while so maybe this is the year they break the streak.

TIP #8: There are 6 active coaches who have won at least 70% of their NCAA tournament games (minimum 5 wins).
STRATEGY: Do not expect Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (76.5%)/John Calipari of Kentucky (75%) to be catching an early flight home.

TIP #9: There are 3 teams who have won at least 90% of their games in the round of 64 (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Kansas (32-2)/North Carolina (29-1) are near-automatic.

TIP #10: There are 8 teams who have won at least 75% of their games in the round of 32 (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Arizona (18-4) is looking good vs. the Davidson-Kentucky winner if they can get by Buffalo, but the TCU-play-in winner better pray for a miracle if they have to face Michigan State (17-5).

TIP #11: There are 8 teams who have won at least 75% of their Sweet 16 games (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Michigan (12-2)/Florida (9-2) have played great in their Sweet 16 games so North Carolina/Purdue should not rest on their higher-seeded laurels.

TIP #12: There are 9 teams who have won at least 70% of their Elite 8 games (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Ohio State has won 11 of its 15 Elite 8 games (73.3%) so keep an eye on them if they can make it to the 2nd Sunday.

TIP #13: There are 6 teams who have won at least 70% of their Final 4 games (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Kentucky is 12-5 in the Final 4 so if you pick them to survive the South Region then you might want to pick them to get all the way to the title game.

TIP #14: There are 11 teams who have won at least 83% of their NCAA tournament games in their home state (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: How pissed is Houston (5-0 in the state of Texas) that they are playing in Wichita instead of Dallas?!

TIP #15: There are 10 teams who are undefeated in their NCAA tournament games in a specific state (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Duke could not be happier to be playing in Pittsburgh (6-0 in the state of Pennsylvania).

TIP #16: There are 11 teams who have won at least 67% of their NCAA tournament games as an at-large team (minimum 5 games).
STRATEGY: Do not sleep on North Carolina because even though they did not win the ACC tourney they still have a terrific track record when they do not get an automatic bid (64-25).

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews NC Central SR F Pablo Rivas

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

On Saturday NC Central beat Hampton 71-63 in the MEAC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Eagles won 25 games and made it to the 1st 4 before a 4-PT loss to UC-Davis in 2017, and despite going 19-15 this year they were good enough to claim the school’s 3rd NCAA tourney bid in the past 5 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with SR F Pablo Rivas about winning the conference tourney and preparing to face Texas Southern tomorrow night in Dayton.

 (photo courtesy of Mark Sutton)

You were born/raised in Panama: how did you 1st get into basketball, and what made you choose the Eagles? My dad was a big-time basketball player so I looked up to him. I played soccer at 1st but later tried to follow my dad’s basketball legacy.

You play for Coach LeVelle Moton: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is so smart/humble: he always comes up with a good game plan for us to execute and emphasizes all the right things that it takes to win. We try to avoid making minor mistakes because that is what good teams do.

Last year you led the conference with 69.8 FG%: what is the key to being a great shooter? Just working hard, getting into the gym, and plenty of repetition. You have to build up your confidence because sometimes the crowd is against you on the road and you have to stay focused.

In the 2017 1st 4 you scored 12 PTS in a 4-PT loss to UC Davis: how close did you come to winning the game, and what did you learn from that loss that will help you this March? We had played well all season long but kind of lost a sense of who we were at the wrong moment. It was great to be on a big stage so we just need to play together as a team and take it 1 possession at a time.

In November you only played 7 minutes in an 8-PT loss to Marshall: what impressed you the most about your fellow NCAA tourney team? That is a tough place to play. They are a great team as well and we battled with them all game long.

In January you had a career-high 23 PTS/14 REB in a win at Coppin State: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? That game meant a lot to me because it helped establish my confidence so I learned to just keep attacking.

After entering the MEAC tourney last week as a #6 seed you had to win 4 games in 5 days to clinch the title: how exhausted were you by the end of the weekend, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I was very exhausted so my legs were dead tired. When I got back I took an ice bath and just tried to take care of my body and recover. Almost everyone is on spring break but the people who did stick around were going crazy at our Selection Sunday party at the Student Union: it was a great event.

You ended up being named 2018 conference tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? I just locked in more than I ever have in my life. I felt like I had to take a bigger role this time around and I am proud of myself for being able to do that.

You are 1 of 4 seniors on the roster: how do you help prepare your freshman backcourt of Jordan Perkins/Reggie Gardner for the challenge ahead? I try to act as a big brother as much as I can and give them advice…just like my older teammates did for me in the past. I simply tell them to run the team, play relaxed, and not turn the ball over. Sometimes they try to do too much but that is natural for freshmen.

What do you know about Texas Southern, and what will it take to beat the Tigers on Wednesday night in Dayton? They just won the SWAC tourney and are a good team, but so are we so it will be a good battle.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Penn SR PG Darnell Foreman

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

On Sunday Penn beat Harvard 68-65 in the Ivy tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Quakers only won 13 games in 2017, but bounced back this year to go 24-8 and claim the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2007. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with SR PG Darnell Foreman about winning the conference tourney and preparing to face Kansas on Thursday afternoon in Wichita.

You grew up in New Jersey: what made you choose the Quakers? I am a local guy from Camden which is right across the Ben Franklin Bridge from Philly so it was a no-brainer for me. I watched many games in the Palestra while growing up and always wanted to be a part of the Big 5. I get a top-notch education and get to do something I love so it is pretty great.

You play for Coach Steve Donahue: what makes him such a good coach, and what has he told you about his own run to the Sweet 16 with Cornell in 2010? He is very understanding of all the responsibilities that student-athletes have as well as the social media era we live in. He holds everyone accountable but not with a harsh tone: he comforts us, which is what we need since we are critical of ourselves. He says that past seasons are part of the past: we are a new team.

You played in all 28 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just tried to bring energy/effort, especially on the defensive end. I was still adjusting to the pace/physicality of the college game but Coach Jerome Allen thought that I could do something to help the team.

In November you scored 13 PTS in a loss to Villanova: what impressed you the most about your fellow NCAA tourney team from the Big 5? It was amazing to see how easily they can get points from different players throughout their entire rotation: there are no weak links. They compete hard against whoever they are playing, whether it is a top-25 team or a low-major team.

In the Ivy tourney title game on Sunday you scored a game-high 19 PTS in a 3-PT win over Harvard: how worried was the team when you were down by 13 PTS in the 1st half, and how on earth were you able to respond by going on a 24-0 run? It was not a sense of worry: we just lost our energy and needed to find a way to get some momentum. We stayed patient and once we saw that our fans stayed with us we were locked in.

At the end of the 1st half you made a deep 3-PT shot over a double-team to beat the buzzer and give your team a 34-32 halftime lead: did you think the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is up there just because of the time/situation/magnitude. I think that all of the shots I take are going in and I had a good feeling once it left my hand, which is why I started jogging toward half-court. I am grateful to be a part of the long list of great Palestra memories.

AJ Brodeur was named 2018 conference tourney MVP: what makes him such a great player? He is so versatile and can score in so many ways. He also bring the energy on defense and is a great teammate.

You and Caleb Wood are the only 2 seniors in the starting lineup: how do you try to prepare the younger guys for the challenge ahead? This is a new experience for me but I have been playing for a while so I am just telling the guys to enjoy the process and play as hard as they can.

During your 1st 3 seasons your team won 9 games, then 11, then 13: when you were starting this season 4 months ago did you honestly believe that a 24-win season was even a possibility? Yes! I am not arrogant but we worked so hard to get here and winning 20 games was our goal. We set the bar pretty high and we accomplished our goal.

What do you know about Kansas, and what will it take to beat the Jayhawks in Wichita on Thursday afternoon? They are a top-5 program with a track record of pros/Hall of Famers. It will be tough for us since it will almost be like a home game for them in Wichita, but we like when the odds are stacked against us and are willing to go toe-to-toe with them.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Georgia State SR F Jordan Session

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Jon Teitel

On Sunday Georgia State beat Texas-Arlington in the Sun Belt tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Panthers made the CIT before losing to Texas A&M CC in 2017, but bounced back this year to claim the school’s 2nd NCAA tourney bid in the past 4 years. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with SR F Jordan Session about winning the conference tourney and preparing to face Cincinnati on Friday afternoon in Nashville.

You play for Coach Ron Hunter: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is a good coach because he is a high energy guy. He coaches with a lot of fire and cares about winning. One of the most important things I have learned from him is how to play the right way.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney your team had a 1-PT upset over Baylor: what is the key to success for a Cinderella in March? I think the key to our success in that game was our defensive effort. Our defense was great that night and a lot of players stepped up big when their time was called. We will need to do the same this week against Cincinnati.

In the 2017 CIT you scored 13 PTS in a loss to Texas A&M CC: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this March? Last year’s postseason was a tough one. We all wanted the season to end differently and after that game I learned how quickly the season can end if you do not give it your all. I think that our desire to keep playing will help us a lot in March because we all like playing together and think that we have a good chance of winning.

After starting only 18 games during your 1st 3 years you have started all 34 games as a senior: what is the biggest difference between coming off the bench vs. being a starter? Being a starter has been huge for me, especially with my confidence on the court. It helps a lot when I can go out there and just play so I focus on that. I have worked really hard the last three years and this just shows that my hard work/dedication have paid off.

In February you scored a career-high 22 PTS/10-14 FG in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? The game was really hyped up so we had to lock in or get into “the zone”. My teammates kept finding me on some good looks and I was just able to finish on the offensive end. At this part of the year every game is fun because you have to be “in the zone” each and every night.

In the Sun Belt tourney title game on Sunday you scored 7 PTS in a win over Texas-Arlington: what did it mean to you to win the title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It is an amazing feeling to be able to win a championship with all of the guys I basically grew up with here at Georgia State. Guys like Jeff, Devin, D’Marcus, Malik, and Isaiah are all guys who I have played with for a long time and we have talked for a long time about how we were going to win a championship. We always said that we had all the pieces to win but it is truly a blessing and a tribute to the benefits of all of our hard work over the past couple of years.

SO SG D’Marcus Simonds was named 2018 conference POY/conference tourney MVP: what makes him such a great player? D’Marcus is a walking bucket! He is a great player because he competes every night on both ends of the floor, can score on all three levels, and is a willing passer/rebounder.

You and Isaiah Williams are the only 2 seniors on the roster: how will you prepare the younger guys for the task at hand? I think that me and Zeke will help the younger guys on the team by reminding everyone to just have fun and appreciate being in the moment. At the same time, we have a big task at hand and want to win games in the NCAA tournament, and I think that our team is good enough to do it. When we are having fun and playing with passion on both ends of the floor we are really hard to beat.

What do you think about getting a #15 seed, and do you expect to have a lot of fans in attendance since it is only 250 miles from Atlanta to Nashville? I think that we will have a pretty good crowd in attendance. We really need all of our fans there: their energy really gets us going. I think that there will be a lot of people coming, especially since Nashville is not far from Atlanta.

What do you know about Cincinnati, and what will it take to beat the Bearcats? I have only seen Cincinnati play once this season so I do not really know that much about them yet. I do know that they are a #2 seed and a pretty good defensive basketball team, so it will be a battle of two really good defenses. We are looking forward to getting ready to play. It is going to take another great defensive effort/good offensive effort by everyone on our team.

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