Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Jon Teitel

Last season Gonzaga coach Mark Few became the 6th different D-1 coach to ever win at least 37 games in a season. To win that many games you have to go pretty far in the NCAA tourney, so it should come as no surprise that 4 of the other 5 have won NCAA titles: John Calipari/Mike Krzyzewski/Bill Self/Jerry Tarkanian. Joining Few in the “made the title game but has not won it yet” club is Kansas State coach Bruce Weber, who went 37-2 with Illinois in 2005 but had a 5-PT loss in the title game to North Carolina. Last year he won his 400th career game and made the postseason for the 12th time in the past 16 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Weber about being named national COY and having a young roster this year.  This marks our final season preview interview of 2017: let the real games begin!

You were an assistant to Gene Keady at Western Kentucky/Purdue for almost 20 years: what made him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His competitive spirit/toughness. He could yell at the players and then hug them a few minutes later so they really respected him and he got the most out of them. The biggest thing I learned is to live/coach with passion every single day.

In the 1996 NCAA tourney as an assistant at Purdue, #16-seed Western Carolina missed a pair of shots in the final seconds of a 2-PT loss: how nervous were you at the end of the game, and do you think that we will ever see a #16-seed win a game in March? We were very nervous because we were a team that had overachieved quite a bit after losing national POY Glenn Robinson. They took us to the wire and had a chance to beat us. The little guys have gotten better so I think that it is bound to happen someday…but not in the near future.

In the 2002 NCAA tourney as head coach at Southern Illinois, Jermaine Dearman scored 25 PTS in a 2-PT win over #3-seed Georgia: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing at the United Center, and how were you able to overcome a 19-PT 1st-half deficit? We had played so well in the 1st round against Texas Tech/Coach Bob Knight so we were relaxed and just played loose against Georgia. We made a nice push at the end of the 1st half and continued moving forward in the 2nd half. We were very battle-tested that season so our toughness helped us win that game. There is no doubt that we had a home-court advantage: I think it was an underdog scenario and we were a local school so everyone in the crowd just jumped on board.

Take me though the magical 2005 season as head coach at Illinois:
In the Elite 8 you trailed Arizona by 15 PTS with less than 4 minutes left in regulation: how on earth did you beat them?! I think that it was a little bit of a similar thing. As a coach I was dying because we probably got a little tight and Arizona was playing unbelievable, but we just had a belief that we could come back. We became confident and Arizona became a little uptight.

You started 29-0 and ended up 37-2, which tied the then-NCAA record for most wins in a season: how close did you come to going undefeated, and how close did you come to winning the title? We were only 2 possessions from possible perfection: we were 29-0 until Ohio State made a big 3 to give us our 1st loss, but that helped us regather our focus heading into the Big 10 tourney. It gave us a good perspective and helped us make a run. We had a shot to beat UNC but tourney MOP Sean May had the best game of his career. I wish that James Augustine would not have fouled out: he might have been a difference-maker at the end. The amazing thing is how our guys stayed focused: there were media/autograph seekers around us every single day but despite all of the attention they never flinched.

You finished the season by being named national COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? At the time my mom had just passed away so I probably did not appreciate it at the time, but when you go into your office and see the trophy with the names of everyone else who has won it you realize what a special accomplishment it was. We did everything except win the title.

You have won conference championships and a conference COY award at each of the 3 schools where you have been a head coach: how have you been able to have so much success at so many different places? A lot of it is just what I learned from Coach Keady, who gives credit to Coach Eddie Sutton. The coaching trees have been pretty successful for those 2 guys! You have to defend and share the basketball, which usually gives you a chance to win.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you had a 7-PT win over Wake Forest in the 1st 4 before losing to Cincinnati: what do you think your team learned from those games that you think will help you this year? It was a great accomplishment for our seniors who had fought through some tough years/injuries. It was also good for our young guys to get a taste for it, and they want to be part of that again so our sophomores are working very hard and have become the foundation of our program.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against ASU/Vanderbilt/Washington State/Georgia: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All coaches will say that you just need to focus on going 1-0 but those will all be early tests for us. We have not won an exempt tourney championship so doing that would help build our confidence.

1 of your assistants is Chris Lowery, who also worked for you at Southern Illinois/Illinois: how reassuring is it to have a guy on the bench with 3 NCAA tourney appearances on his resume when he was a head coach at SIU? When you build a staff you need to figure out everyone’s role, just like you do with your team on the court. You need young guys, experienced guys, and people who know the ups and downs of being a head coach. When I go out on a recruiting trip I know that things will be okay back in the office. It is great to have him: most of my staff has worked with/played for me in the past so they know what is supposed to get done.

You only have 1 grad student and 1 senior on the roster: do you feel that you have enough experience to contend this year or are you 1 year away from being a serious contender? We have 3 good juniors but to be a contender we need some young guys to develop and figure our their roles. I do not want to ruin their spirit but we have some road games that we have to win. The league will be good again this year but I do not know how good: every year I do not think the Big 12 can get any better…but every year it does! We could be really good a year from now but just need to worry about this year.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I have high expectations and we should be an NCAA tourney team that is competitive in the league. Now that we have had a taste of success we want to take another step, but we are just worried about today’s practice and getting better every day.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day, Nov 10: Bucknell at Monmouth

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Chad

It is both the first day, and busiest day, on the college basketball calendar!  CLICK HERE for a rundown of all of today’s action

Bucknell at Monmouth, 8:00 PM Eastern, espn3

Welcome to the 2017-18 college basketball season!!!  The past several months have been filled with some crazy adventures off the court, from FBI investigations to players locked in Chinese prisons, but it is finally time to get the games underway!  Almost every day from today through the end of the regular season, I will be bringing you my Under the Radar Game of the Day, a highlighted game involving two teams that are neither from a regular multi-bid league nor ranked in any of the national polls.  Tonight we begin our journey in West Long Branch, New Jersey where the Monmouth Hawks out of the Metro Atlantic will be hosting the Patriot League’s Bucknell Bison.

Monmouth has been one of the most noteworthy Under the Radar stories the past couple of years, especially given that the team did not make the NCAA Tournament in either of those seasons.  During the 2015-16 campaign, the Hawks were an impressive 27-7 during the regular season including wins over Notre Dame, USC, UCLA and Georgetown.  They were also, in our opinions at least, an awful snub by the Selection Committee when they got passed over after being upset in the MAAC tournament.  The 15-16 year also introduced us to the crazy antics on the Monmouth Bench.

Last year, Monmouth again took the MAAC regular season title, losing only twice in conference play, and again got upended in their conference tournament.  Two great seasons, and two NIT bids for the Hawks.  Unfortunately for head coach King Rice’s squad, this year is not as promising as the last two were, especially now that Justin Robinson, the team’s heart and soul, has graduated.  They are not without weapons, however, as Micah Seaborn should step up and big a big-time scorer this year.

The bigger story about tonight’s game, and the main reason why it is our choice for Game of the Day, is the road team.  Bucknell has won three straight Patriot League regular season titles, and added a bid to the NCAA’s last season to boot, where they lost a hard fought game to West Virginia.  All five starters return from last season’s team, led by Patriot League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Nana Foulland.  As if he is not tough enough to stop, Zach Thomas won the Patriot Tournament MVP Award last year.  Beyond the two of them, Kimbal Mackenzie and Stephen Brown were both double-digit scorers.  The Bison are deep and talented, and if they are able to pick up enough notable non-conference wins, could be seriously in the discussions for an at-large bid come March, if by chance they end up needing one.  Road wins are always tough to get, and will be even more important in the Selection Committee room this year than in the past.  Getting a victory tonight in one of the toughest venues to win at in the MAAC would definitely give the Bison a solid early notch in their belts.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Friday, Nov 10th

Posted on November 9, 2017 by David Griggs

Happy College Basketball Season Everybody!!! 

For ALL of our extensive preseason coverage, which amounts to more than what most preseason magazines offer – CLICK HERE

For the first ever episode of Hoops HD’s latest podcast, The Kyle Lamb Show – CLICK HERE

NEWS AND NOTES

-After about two weeks of meaningless and mostly boring exhibition games, the season is finally here!!  Like any first weekend of the season, we have a bunch of games that really aren’t a whole lot less boring, but at least they mean something!!  And, we have some pretty good showcase games as well.  At least by Week 1 standards.

-Everyone starts out at zero.  Regardless of what the write ups say, everyone starts out at zero.  To give the games some sort of context we have to do some sensible supposing, but in theory the SWAC could win 80 percent of their OOC games, end up with half the teams in the RPI top 25, and put more than half the league in the NCAA Tournament.  It’s also true that the ACC could end up losing 80 percent of their games and only sending the conference tourney winner to the NCAAs.  Everything is ultimately determined by what happens on the court, which is how it should be.

-MARCH MADNESS BE DAMNED!!!  There are college basketball games being played today than there will be on any other day for the rest of the year.  And with so many exempt tournaments being played in November, we actually have more basketball crammed into the the final three weeks of November than what we typically see in March.  And whether you believe it or not, a lot of these games are just as important as a lot of the games in March because they do so much to shape which teams will be in positions to land inside the bubble on Selection Sunday.  As the previous note says, everyone starts out at zero, and the teams that pick up the most meaningful wins early on will be the ones best positioned to make the NCAAs without needing the automatic bid.  So on that note,  NOVEMBER MADNESS IS HERE!!

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-SPRING ARBOR (nondiv1) AT EASTERN MICHIGAN.  This gets highlighted because it is the first official game to tip off!!  No other reason.  None.  I mean…ZERO!  If this were the second game to tip off there would be no reason to mention it, but since it’s the first, it gets mentioned.

-CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS AT CAL BAPTIST.  The Team of the People officially open what is destined to be their season of dominance!!!!  Your Lancers Ladies and Gentlemen!!!  CLICK HERE to watch the game at 10pm, est!

-TEXAS A&M VS WEST VIRGINIA (Armed Forces Classic in Ramstein Germany).  One of the better games of the day, and if you want to see it in person you need to fly to Germany.  TAMU should be much improved, and if they get this win over a West Virginia team that many think could end up as a protected seed, then it will go along way toward establishing TAMU as a protected seed.  I know it’s the first night, but big wins count as big wins even on the first night, and this would be a big neutral floor win for whoever pulls it off.

-MEMPHIS VS ALABAMA (Veterans Classic in Annapolis, MD).  Alabama isn’t used to being formidable in basketball, but it appears they will be this year.  They are on the cusp of the coach’s poll and could end up in the rankings before too long.  Memphis has a good coach, but they appear to have an awful team this year.  But, who knows?  Tubby Smith has surprised us before.  If Memphis can somehow get this one then everyone will sit up and take notice.

-NORTHERN IOWA AT NORTH CAROLINA.  It’s actually not technically a buy game, but it could end up looking like one.  Northern Iowa has had some good teams, but they really struggled last season and by all accounts will struggle again this year.

-ELON AT DUKE.  This is a buy game, but it is worth mentioning.  Elon had a strong finish to the season last year and they return most of their key players, so they should be a very strong UTR team.  They’re probably swinging over their heads in this game, but they’re still better than what many probably realize.

-INDIANA STATE AT INDIANA.  The IU debut of Archie Miller!  The Hoosiers may really struggle this year, but they shouldn’t struggle tonight.

-MARYLAND AT STONY BROOK.  Interesting road game for the Terps against a Stony Brook team that will be formidable in the America East, but most likely not a frontrunner.  They have a showcase game against a P5 school tonight, though, and the atmosphere alone should make it worth tuning in to.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT WOFFORD.  Mike Young has done an outstanding job at Wofford, and tonight they get to open the season and a new arena against a team that was in the Final Four last year.  Much of that team for South Carolina has since departed, but this should still be a great game and experience for both teams.

-FORT WAYNE AT OAKLAND.  I like this Oakland team and feel they’re good enough to land inside the bubble if they fail to win their conference tournament, but that means blowing through their season.  Their margin for error is small, and even though it’s opening night they need to treat this game, and every other game, like it’s meaningful if they want to pull it off.

-SIENA AT CHARLESTON.  Charleston is another team that I think may be good enough to land inside the bubble, but it’s the same deal as Oakland.  They have a small margin for error and if they’re going to pull that off then they cannot error tonight against a decent (by UTR standards) Siena program.

-TOWSON AT OLD DOMINION.  It’s unlikely that either of these teams will end up in the NCAA Tournament picture, but it’s not impossible.  ODU should be a force in CUSA, and Towson returns a lot from a team that looked good down the stretch last year.  It’s a good first game for both teams.

-MIT (nondiv1) @ HARVARD.  Harvard is actually potentially a top 40 team, but even if they weren’t I’d highlight this game.  These two commonly open the season against each other, and I love it!!

-UNC ASHEVILLE AT RHODE ISLAND.  We all like this Rhode Island team, and some of us (me included) think they may be a top 25 caliber team.  This is a buy game, but it’s not a complete joke of a game.  UNC Asheville is probably the best team in the Big South this year so Rhody just can’t completely overlook them.

-LOUISIANA AT OLE MISS.  This is a buy game, and this Ole Miss team is a team to keep an eye on, but that’s not why we’re highlighting this game.  It’s not Louisiana Lafayette anymore!  They are simply the University of Louisiana!  RAJUN CAJUN!!

-SAMFORD AT ARKANSAS.  Yes, this is a buy game, but this is a Samford team that should be a SoCon frontrunner this year, and it will be interesting to see what they do against an Arkansas team that we still have a lot to learn about.

-MERCER AT UCF.  We highlight this because we think UCF may be a tournament team, and that Mercer is capable of making some noise on the SoCon.

-UMBC AT SMU.  This is technically an unbracketed Battle 4 Atlantis game, and I like the match-up because of how drastically improved UMBC was last season, and how we have so many questions about SMU going into this year.  Can Tim Jankovich keep SMU’s program at the level of them consistently making the NCAA Tournament?

-NORTHERN COLORADO AT COLORADO (Front Range).  We love the Front Range!!!!  Okay, that’s all I’ve got, but we do love the Front Range!!

-MISSOURI STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY.  Missouri State is who a lot of us like to win the Missouri Valley this year, and Western Kentucky is a team that we all liked as a top forty team this year until their offseason went completely to hell.  So many question marks about the Toppers this year.  Maybe we’ll learn something about them tonight.

-NIAGARA AT SAINT BONAVENTURE (Big 4).  I like the Bonnies.  I think they can be a tournament team.  In order for that to happen, they need to take care of business in games like this.  It is somewhat of a rivalry game.

-CENTENARY AT SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.  Whenever Centenary plays a div1 team, we mention it.  That’s not the rule, but it’s sort of the rule.

-BUCKNELL AT MONMOUTH.  Monmouth had an NCAA caliber team the last two years.  It’s a shame the committee never took them.  I understand why they didn’t because of their paper, but I also disagree with that decision and feel they were better than a lot of teams the committee did take.  They are rebuilding this year, but Bucknell is not.  This Bucknell team roared down the stretch last year and was right in there with West Virginia in the Round of 64.  With nearly all of that team back the Bison could be a force this year, and could get the attention of the committee if they fail to win the automatic bid.  In order to do that, they need to be able to win games like this, even on the first night.

-IOWA STATE AT MISSOURI.  This is a great first game for an Iowa State team that is in complete rebuild mode, and Missouri who is trying to turn around what has been a horrendous last couple of seasons.

-YALE AT CREIGHTON.  Creighton clearly has the upper hand, but I still like this match-up.  Yale is at least a formidable opponent and should finish in the top half of the Ivy League.

-PITTSBURGH VS NAVY (Veterans Classic).  It could be a very long year for Pitt this year, but if they can start their season off with a road win it may give them some much needed momentum for early in the season.

-BELMONT AT WASHINGTON.  It’s a buy game, but Belmont is perhaps the best team in the OVC, and although Washington’s struggles have been addressed with a recent coaching change, they’re still going to go through a rebuilding process.  Don’t be surprised if Belmont makes them sweat, or even beats them.

-IDAHO AT NEVADA.  It’s the Big Sky preseason favorite visiting the Mountain West preseason favorite (or at least one of them).  These are the kinds of games teams like this need to win in order to build momentum and start making a case for themselves.

-GEORGIA TECH VS UCLA (Shanghai, China).  I still believe UCLA to be a solid tournament team, but I don’t expect them to be as good as they were a year ago.  They begin the year halfway around the world against a Georgia Tech team who showed signs of life a year ago under Josh Pastner.  Okay, what is in italics is what I wrote about this game on Monday, when I first typed up this page.  On Tuesday, things happened that changed things more than a little bit.  Georgia Tech has been reported by a (presumably now former) friend of Josh Pastner for providing players with improper benefits.  So, that seemed noteworthy.  Then UCLA did something that totally blew that out of the water.  Three UCLA players, including LiAngelo Ball, were arrested in China for shoplifting.  They have since been released from prison, which is fortunate because I imagine that whatever sort of “re-education program” the Chinese have for shoplifters is not pleasant.  One can only assume that the school will deal with this very severely.  It remains to be seen how severely the Chinese authorities will handle this.  While out of jail, they have been instructed to not leave the hotel.  GOOD JOB UCLA!!!

 

BUY GAMES

-Savannah State @ Cincinnati
-Trevecca Nazarene (nondiv1) @ Middle Tennessee
-Central Arkansas @ Baylor
-Campbell @ Penn State – Campbell is improved and should do well in the Big South, but even though Penn State is nothing special they’re probably in over their heads
-Walla Walla (nondiv1) @ Eastern Washington.  The greatest name of any school anywhere.  I’m not talking about EWU either.
-Detroit @ Virginia Tech
-Alabama State @ Mississippi State
-Fairleigh Dickinson @ Seton Hall
-Cornell @ Syracuse
-VMI @ NC State – NC State welcomes Kevin Keatts as their new coach
-Western Carolina @ Clemson
-Robert Morris @ Ohio State
-CCNY (nondiv1) @ Rutgers
-South Carolina State @ Wisconsin
-UNC Greensboro @ Virginia
-Presbyterian @ Tennessee
-Utah Valley @ Kentucky – Mark Pope is the coach of UVU and a former Kentucky player.  He should get a hero’s welcome tonight.  Unless he somehow wins the game, of course.
-Bryant @ Georgia
-Colgate @ UConn
-Cal Poly @ Stanford
-Kennesaw State @ Butler
-New Orleans @ Saint John’s
-Morehead State @ Xavier
-Houston Baptist @ Providence
-Charleston Southern @ Davidson
-Ball State @ Dayton – Ball State is improving, and Dayton is reloading, but it’s still probably a mismatch in Dayton’s favor
-Grambling @ VCU
-Delaware @ Richmond
-Georgia Southern @ Wake Forest
-Southern @ Illinois
-North Florida @ Michigan State
-South Carolina Upstate @ Minnesota
-Edwardsville @ Purdue
-Gardner Webb @ Miami FL
-Norfolk State @ Auburn – Chuck Person will n0t be attending
-UMKC @ Wichita State – Stay div1 Roos!!  Stay div1!!
-Northern Arizona @ Arizona
-Northwestern State @ Texas
-Seattle @ Saint Louis – If SLU loses this then Chad will never hear the end of it
-Loyola MD @ Northwestern
-Pepperdine @ Oklahoma State
-Columbia @ Villanova
-Texas Southern @ Gonzaga
-Mount Saint Mary’s @ Marquette
-Chattanooga @ Wyoming
-Tennessee State @ Kansas
-American @ Kansas State
-UL Monroe @ TCU
-Chicago State @ Iowa
-Austin Peay @ Vanderbilt
-Sacramento State @ Colorado State
-Southern Utah @ Oregon State
-Cal State Fullerton @ USC
-Prairie View A&M @ Utah
-San Diego Christian (nondiv1) @ San Diego State
-UC Riverside @ California
-Coppin State @ Oregon

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | 1 Comment

The Kyle Lamb Show!! Season 1, Episode 1

Posted on November 9, 2017 by David Griggs

Welcome to the first ever edition of Hoops HD’s brand new podcast ‘The Kyle Lamb Show!!!’  Whereas Hoops HD Report focuses on certain teams and how they fit into the national scene, this show will focus on the many other various topics and issues that are impacting college basketball.  Unfortunately Kyle could not be here this evening, which perhaps makes him the first person in history to miss the debut of his own show.  Chad and David discuss the Year in Residency Rule, and touch briefly on the idea of playing regular season games overseas.

 

Audio only for this show.  Our radio lovers are happy, but our TV lovers will just have to deal with it.

Posted in Kyle Lamb Show, News and Notes, Podcasts | 1 Comment

Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews SMU head coach Tim Jankovich

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon’s interviews, and the rest of our extensive and continuous preseason coverage

The history of SMU basketball coaches contains a little bit of everything: a Final 4 coach (Doc Hayes), a coach who later received a show-cause penalty (Dave Bliss), a coach who helped end UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak when he played for Notre Dame (John Shumate), a coach who previously was named national COY (Matt Doherty), and a Hall of Famer (Larry Brown).  All Tim Jankovich brings to the table is being 1 of the winningest players in Kansas State history, an assistant to some of the best coaches in NCAA history, and a 39-5 record as head coach at SMU.  The reigning AAC COY will try to get his team back to the NCAA tourney and see if he can remain undefeated at Moody Coliseum.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Jankovich about working for great coaches and how his own coaching style has changed over the past couple of decades.  

You were a 3-time Academic All-American as a PG at Washington State/Kansas State: how were you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I was probably like almost every player/coach who I know.  I did not love hearing a lecture every day because my heart was on the court but my family upbringing helped make it a big priority.

In the 1980 NCAA tourney Tony Branch made an off-balance banked 15-footer with 1 second left in a 2-PT OT win by Louisville: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was a little devastating but we were all very young at the time (I was a sophomore) and Louisville ended up winning it all. There were a couple of other losses that were much more painful.

In the 1981 NCAA tourney Rolando Blackmon made a 15-foot baseline jumper with 2 seconds left to clinch a 2-PT upset of Oregon State: what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was absolutely incredible but when you are in the middle of the tourney it is probably more exciting for the fans. It did not hit me until the following week when I was getting taped up 1 day and saw that we were on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which was surreal.

You have served as an assistant to many successful head coaches including Lon Kruger/Eddie Sutton/Kevin Stallings/Bill Self/Larry Brown: what is the most important thing that you learned from any of them? I carry every single thing I can from all of them. I would match my teachers in this game against anyone who has ever lived: I might be the most fortunate student in the history of the game! You do not have time to hear every single thing that I have learned but I loved them all. Several of them have retired but I had good fortune to work for all of them.

You previously served as head coach at North Texas/Illinois State: how has your coaching style changed at all from the start of your career to now? I would say that it has changed a lot because I have learned so much. When you are young you know what you know but as you get older you study the game more and use your brain to figure out new ways to do things. What changed a great deal was my approach to coaching, which has changed my love for the profession. After my son was born I felt a different responsibility because everyone I coached was somebody else’s son, so I tried to talk to/coach them as if they were my own son. It made my life so much more rewarding because it is not just about trying to win games: it goes far deeper than that.

You finished your 1st season as SMU head coach by winning a school-record 30 games and being named conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It certainly makes me proud but I have done this long enough to not get too carried away. We had outstanding players that could not have been more fun to coach and we have a tremendous staff.  It is a program honor that means your full group had a heck of a year.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you had a 1-PT loss to USC after the Trojans overcame a double-digit deficit: what do you think that your team learned from that game that will help them this year? If we had more guys back there would be a lot of lessons but I think we lead the nation by only having 3 players back due to limited scholarships. We are not playing with a full deck but those 3 have experience. What hurt us in the tourney last year is that the postseason ban from a couple of years ago meant that we did not have anyone with postseason experience. It is like playing golf with your buddies vs. entering a professional golf tourney. As a player, I know that the more tourney games I played, the more comfortable I felt.

You lost 3 of your top-4 scorers from last year (Semi Ojeleye/Sterling Brown/Ben Moore): how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? Ouch! The 3 returning guys will have their production go up and we will see how many of our young players can be productive on offense. Experienced talent is where you want to go so I am sure that their aggressiveness will be amplified.

You will spend Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis: how do you prepare to possibly face Arizona/Villanova on consecutive nights? I have tried my best to not think about it because it only makes my days longer! Right now we need to be optimistic yet realistic. We have 9 scholarship players so it is a pretty tall order but I intentionally try not to think about our future opponents. I just want to expedite our development as soon as I can.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I hope it does not sound like I am avoiding your question but I learned a long time ago not to set any specific number of wins as a goal. I think that every single team should have the goal of winning a national title.  It might sound crazy but it is possible so why not have that be your goal…but do not get caught up in numbers. We ask our guys the same question and they always say national championship: I guess we have brainwashed them well!

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews SMU G Ben Emelogu II

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for all of Jon’s interviews, and the rest of our extensive and continuous preseason coverage

Only 9 teams lost 5 or fewer games last season: 1 of them made the NCAA title game (Gonzaga) and 2 others were #1 seeds (Villanova/Kansas).  SMU was 1 of the other 6, but after losing a few seniors as well as Semi Ojeleye they will need a strong season out of Ben Emelogu II.  He missed the entire 2016 season due to injury and only started 3 games last year but was such a force off the bench that he was named AAC Co-6th Man of the Year.  If his performance during the Mustangs’ Canadian tour this past August is any indication (11.3 PPG, 13-26 FG, 7-15 3PM), perhaps another conference championship will be within reach.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ben about why he transferred to Dallas and what it meant to get his degree last spring.

You grew up in Texas but originally signed with Virginia Tech: how did it feel to be named team captain as a freshman? It was huge. It was a big load to carry as a freshman but was an exciting moment.

Why did you decide to transfer in 2014, and what made you choose SMU? I found out that my grandmother had cancer so we talked it out with everyone and I just decided to come back home.

You won a pair of AAC tourneys in 2015/2017: what did it mean to you to win a pair of titles? It was a big payoff and a big momentum-builder going into the NCAA tourney. It put a stamp on our whole season.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had a 1-PT loss to UCLA (on a questionable goaltending call) and in the 2017 NCAA tourney you had a 1-PT loss to USC (who overcame a double-digit deficit): how sick are you of playing Pac-12 teams from Los Angeles in the postseason?! I cannot stand it but we get USC again this year so I am looking forward to that game. Hopefully this season we can go deeper in the tourney.

Last year you were named conference co-6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I give the credit to my teammates/coaches who helped me out throughout the season after I was coming off of an injury. Even if I am not scoring points I am still helping the team win.

You got your degree in Sports Performance Leadership with a minor in Sport Management last May: does it feel any different to enter the season with a degree under your belt? It has not hit me yet because I am still taking sports management classes but my family is very happy for me.

You are 1 of only 2 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this season? There is a lot of pressure but I can deal with it. We have a great culture here so we will teach the young guys and get everyone on the same page.

You will spend Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis: how do you prepare to possibly face Arizona/Villanova on consecutive nights? We are just trying to get better as a team right now and get ready to compete. We have a tough schedule and the conference has gotten better as well.

Your brother Lindsey played basketball at Weber State and your cousin Cedrick played basketball at Washington State: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a tough 1. I want to say me but my brother/cousin were also good so pick your poison with any of us!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Just to win and have fun doing it. Each year we play with a chip on our shoulder and try to prove everyone wrong.

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