Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Charleston head coach Earl Grant

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Gregg Marshall might have taught Earl Grant a little too well.  As an assistant to Marshall at Winthrop the duo went to 3 straight NCAA tourneys, then after arriving at Wichita State they increased their win total from 11 in year 1 to 17 in year 2 and 25 in year 3.  Grant was hired as head coach at the College of Charleston in September of 2014 and has demonstrated the same ability to take great leaps in quick fashion: 9 wins in year 1, 17 in year 2, and 25 in year 3 (which included an invite to the NIT).  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Grant about the keys to recruiting and being named conference COY last spring.  

You played basketball at Georgia College and won a pair of conference titles: what is the biggest difference between D-2 vs. D-1? The biggest difference is just the size of the players, especially the big guys in D-1 who are taller/heavier. In D-2 you often play with 4 guards/1 forward, which is more of the way the game is shifting now at all levels.

In the 2006 NCAA tourney as an assistant to Gregg Marshall at #15-seed Winthrop, Chris Lofton scored 12 PTS including a fadeaway jumper from the corner in the final second of a 2-PT win by Tennessee: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? That was a true example of a dagger in your heart! We went into the game knowing that Lofton was a great shooter: he shot it even better when he was contested so part of me wondered if we should have just let him shoot it unopposed. We controlled the game for the most part but they just had the last shot. In the locker room it was very painful because our chance to advance was taken away in 2 seconds.

You grew up in North Charleston: what did it mean to you to become coach of the Cougars in 2014? Seeing how John Kresse elevated the program from the NAIA through various conferences and finally making it to the NCAA tourney was great: he really changed our city during his 20 years as head coach. Now we have an amazing city and the program has become nationally-recognized so it means a lot to be a small part of the success. I want to continue to help it rise because it is where I learned how to compete when I came down to campus as a high school kid to play in an open gym against guys like Anthony Johnson/Jermel President.

You are known for being a great recruiter: what is the secret to getting a high school kid to sign on the dotted line? I do not know if there are any secrets but a big thing is identifying the right kind of guy who can fit your personality and what you are trying to do. When they get to campus they will relate to the players you already have. You need to build trust with the player and his family.  You also need a good product to sell and at Charleston we have a great product, which has helped us get talented players to help us with our vision.

You only won 9 games in year 1 but increased that to 25 wins in year 3: how were you able to improve so much in only 2 years? A huge part of the turnaround is that we were very fortunate to have inherited a group of high-character/talented players. The staff also had unbelievable decision-making when it comes to our 1st couple of recruiting classes, which certainly helps. As the players go through the growing pains and get older they have become better.  Having continuity in our staff was another big reason we have been able to move in the right direction in a relatively short period of time.

Last year you were named conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was kind of weird because I never thought about that being a possibility so it caught me off guard a little bit. It was very emotional for me when it happened because even though they called my name there were so many players/coaches who were responsible for that. You cannot prepare for the emotions you will feel because everyone worked so hard to make that happen.

In the 2017 NIT you had a 7-PT loss to Colorado State: what do you think your team learned from that game that will help them this year? 1 of the things we all learned from the CAA tourney/NIT is the importance of staying true to who we are. We were a tenacious rebounding team all year but got away from that a little bit as we allowed way too many points at the end of our season. We scored plenty of points to win but just needed to get some more stops.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Wichita State/Rhode Island: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of those games will be tough but I am focused on the 1st game of the year against Siena because they are a good program so I cannot wrap my mind around any other team. I knew that Wichita State/Rhode Island would be favored to win their respective conferences so they will test us to see if we are capable of handling tough situations early in the season.

You return each of your top-6 scorers from last year: how important do you think all of that experience will be to your team’s success this season? You cannot put a price on experience so I believe that it is a great thing. We have never had such an experienced team so we have high expectations. That maturity will help us to focus on the process and not get caught up in everything else.  We have a lot of hard work to do if we want to accomplish some great things.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I do not have any personal goals yet: we want to continue to move the program forward with good players/coaches/staff/support. We want to reach our potential as a team and be playing our best basketball in March to make sure we are peaking at the end of the season. We do not have a ton of expectations besides putting our best foot forward.  I do expect them to work hard and live up to our values on a daily basis while trying to reach the highest level we can as a team. We are very excited about this group and think we have a lot of special young men who deserve the right to have a chance for success.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Charleston head coach Earl Grant

NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Jon Teitel

Yesterday it was announced that the NCAA has created a Commission on College Basketball to examine 3 specific aspects of D-1 basketball:

1. The relationship of the NCAA and its institutions/student-athletes/coaches with outside entities (such as shoe companies, agents/advisors, etc.)
2. The NCAA’s relationship with the NBA (specifically its “1-and-done” rule)
3. The relationship between colleges and the NCAA national office (to promote transparency and stop any future scandals before they blow up)

The Commission will commence its work next month and then recommend changes in April. The 14-person Commission is a fascinating mix of former players (David Robinson)/coaches (John Thompson III), current school presidents (Rev. John Jenkins), and a chairwoman who was the US Secretary of State (Dr. Condoleezza Rice). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel reached out to many of the Commissioners to get their reaction and has heard back from Florida athletics director emeritus Jeremy Foley, who issued the following statement:

This commission has important work ahead. The collective talent, experience and wisdom of the people I have the opportunity to work with is off the charts. We have the chance to make a positive impact on the health of college basketball going forward, and that’s a responsibility we won’t take lightly.

We congratulate AD emeritus Foley on his appointment and hope to bring you further reaction from other members of the Commission in the days ahead.

Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off on NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Conference Preview: Big Twelve

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Chad

Click HERE for all of Jon Teitel’s season preview interviews and Chad Sherwood’s conference previews

BIG TWELVE

When one hears the term “basketball conference,” thoughts of the ACC or the Big East quickly come to mind.  When one looks at the numbers over the past four seasons, it becomes clear that the Big 12 should be in those thoughts.  Kenpom.com has rated the Big 12 as the #1 conference in the country four years in a row, and with the depth and talent in the league again this season, it could become five.  Of course, when we talk Big 12, it all starts with the Kansas Jayhawks, who have won or shared a mind-boggling 13 straight conference regular season titles.  There is no reason to suspect that number will not reach 14 this season, as the Jayhawks have one of the most talented teams in the nation and may find themselves in San Antonio cutting down nets at the end of the day.

Beyond the Jayhawks, a pair of up-and-coming teams look to make big strides this year, as TCU will try to ride an NIT championship last year to an NCAA berth this one, and Shaka Smart may finally have a roster of “his” players capable of leading Texas into the conference’s upper echelons.  West Virginia and Baylor should both be very good again while Oklahoma will try to rebound from a disappointing 2016-17 season.  Finally, don’t overlook Texas Tech as Chris Beard is doing an excellent job elevating the Red Raiders despite the surprise departure of Tubby Smith a year ago.  This conference certainly has depth, enough so that if the team we are predicting for last place, Oklahoma State, can put aside its off-court problems, they might have enough weapons to finish several spots higher and contend for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Kansas – Frank Mason, Josh Jackson and Landen Lucas combined to average over 45 points and 20 rebounds per game last season.  All three are gone, and yet the Jayhawks still enter the season with a real shot at heading to the Final Four.  Devonte’ Graham will lead the way, joined in the backcourt by Mississippi State transfer Malik Newman, who was once the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who passed on a chance to enter the NBA draft.  Down low, the Jayhawks are young but very talented, with Udoka Azubuike healthy after only playing 11 games as a freshman and another top prospect in forward Billy Preston.  This team has all the pieces necessary for another Big 12 title, and a lot more beyond that.
  2. TCU – No, this is not a typo.  Jamie Dixon led the Horned Frogs to 24 wins and the NIT Championship last season — and returns his entire starting lineup.  This team now has experience and depth, and added in one of the conference’s top recruiting classes.  Kenrich Williams and Vladimir Brodziansky are legitimate double-double threats every time out, and with added depth this season, TCU will be dancing for the first time since 1998.
  3. Texas – The Longhorns have a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores, but those sophomores all got a ton of playing experience last season despite losing 22 games.  Andrew Jones should score a ton of points this year, especially with Matt Coleman arriving to help solve the point guard problems and Mo Bamba, the potential #1 NBA draft pick in 2018, coming in add a ton of size, strength and power.  Shaka Smart’s team has a chance to be very good this season, and could finish even higher than this.
  4. West Virginia – Press Virginia led the nation in turnover margin last season, and this year should be more of the same.  Bob Huggins has another solid, deep team.  Although they are not likely to dethrone Kansas, the Mountaineers, led by Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles, Jr. and Esa Ahmad (assuming he is reinstated from an indefinite suspension by the time conference play begins), will cause opponents problems on a nightly basis and should be wearing their home uniforms in a first round NCAA Tournament game in March.
  5. Baylor – The Bears will once again be difficult to beat with Manu Lecomte running the point and seven-footer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. down low.  However, another finish in or near second place will be difficult as they have to find a way to make up for several offseason losses, most notably Johnathan Motley.
  6. Oklahoma – Lon Kruger’s team gained a ton of valuable experience last season despite losing 20 games.  With the majority of last year’s team back and the addition of stud freshman point guard Trae Young, there is nowhere to go but up for the Sooners.  The team will need to compensate early for a lack of depth in the frontcourt, especially with Kristian Doolittle academically suspended for the fall semester.
  7. Texas Tech – Head coach Chris Beard has an intriguing mixture of senior leaders (Justin Gray, Keenan Evans and Zach Smith) and heralded prospects (point guard Davide Moretti and shooting guard Zhaire Smith).  The Red Raiders failed to win a single road game last season — if they can change that and get the new players to blend with the veterans, it would not be a complete shock to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
  8. Kansas State – The Wildcats have a pair of very good guards in Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown, but the team may not have as much talent down low or as much depth as they did last season, when they barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a member of the First Four.  Kansas State will win some games, but probably not enough to dance again.
  9. Iowa State – The Cyclones could be in for a long season as they lost their top four starters from last season’s team.  The good news is that a few highly-rated recruits will get some playing time.  They will also get some help from senior guard Donovan Jackson and UTSA transfer forward Jeff Beverly.
  10. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys lost three of their top four players from last season and saw their head coach bolt for the Illinois job after just one season.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were one of the programs targeted by the recent FBI investigation, including a massive document subpoena request that just made headlines this week.  Despite a few solid players, including returnee Jeffrey Carroll, Cal State Northridge transfer Kendall Smith and St. John’s transfer Yankuba Sima (eligible after the fall semester), the off-court issues may be too much to keep this team out of the cellar in a very deep conference.
Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big Twelve

NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jon Teitel

Earlier today it was announced that the NCAA has created a Commission on College Basketball to examine 3 specific aspects of D-1 basketball:

  1. The relationship of the NCAA and its institutions/student-athletes/coaches with outside entities (such as shoe companies, agents/advisors, etc.)
  2. The NCAA’s relationship with the NBA (specifically its “1-and-done” rule)
  3. The relationship between colleges and the NCAA national office (to promote transparency and stop any future scandals before they blow up)

The Commission will commence its work next month and then recommend changes in April.  The 14-person Commission is a fascinating mix of former players (David Robinson)/coaches (John Thompson III)/athletic directors (Jeremy Foley), current school presidents (Rev. John Jenkins), and a chairwoman who was the US Secretary of State (Dr. Condoleezza Rice).  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel reached out to many of the Commissioners to get their reaction and has already heard back from Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith, who issued the following statement:

I am privileged and honored to serve alongside such a distinguished group committed to making the great game of college basketball even better for all parties involved.

We congratulate AD Smith on his appointment and hope to bring you further reaction from other members of the Commission in the days ahead.

Posted in News and Notes | Comments Off on NCAA Commission on College Basketball: reaction

Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Richmond head coach Chris Mooney

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

A lot of great coaches have come/gone through the A-10 during the past decade but there are still some very good veteran guys like Bob McKillop/Phil Martelli.  If you take a look at Chris Mooney’s record at Richmond you will not see a lot of losing seasons, which is due to the fact that he has not had a single 1 in the past 10 years.  He learned his craft at Princeton as a 4-year starter for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril.  Last year the Spiders won 22 games including a pair in the NIT before losing to eventual champion TCU in the quarterfinals.   HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Mooney about playing for a Hall of Famer and coaching a young team this season.

As a player at Princeton you were allegedly nicknamed “Dr. Sweats” because you could not afford to buy jeans: who gave you the nickname, and how did you like it? I could afford them but came to college without any jeans (just sweats).  My teammate Galen Criqui (son of famous announcer Don Criqui) gave me the nickname: it was funny.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril at Princeton: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His understanding/vision of the game were incredible. What he was doing in the 1960s/1970s is very similar to how it is played at the highest level today: dribble handoffs, shooters spread around the perimeter, etc. They were a high-powered offense with future NBA players. He was always very honest so there was never any confusion about where we stood: players crave honest evaluation.

You entered the 1991 NCAA tourney on a 16-game winning streak but Lance Miller scored 19 PTS including a 6-foot jumper with 1.3 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Villanova: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? I remember it really well…and it was really devastating. Villanova was a good team but we were the #8-seed and were nationally-ranked. The 2 schools had played a lot in the 1970s/1980s and Big East basketball was a very physical brand of basketball. It was a really tough loss because it felt like that was going to be the year that we advanced far in the tourney.

In the 2011 postseason as head coach at Richmond you won 3 games in 3 days to clinch the A-10 tourney, then beat Vanderbilt/Morehead State to reach the Sweet 16: what is your favorite memory from that incredible run? There are a lot of good memories. We won the championship game by enough points that we were able to sub out our stars toward the end and give our bench guys a chance to play, which was really special.

In the 2017 NIT quarterfinals you lost to TCU: what did your team learn from that game that can help them this year? TCU was playing great and went on to win the NIT title in New York. When playing an opponent that good you learn that everything you do is so critical: not just every possession but every since cut/defensive positioning. You have to make everything hard for your opponent and give yourself the best chance to win, which we did not do. It takes a little extra concentration.

Last year SG De’Monte Buckingham was named conference ROY: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? He is a really talented player and was more physically ready than most freshmen. He has incredible instincts and a great mind for the game.  He was able to see the game at his speed and adjust far more quickly than anyone else. He is super-competitive so he was ready to attack in his 1st season.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Cincinnati/Georgetown/Wake Forest/BC: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Delaware: the very 1st one. We always try to play a great non-conference schedule and are fortunate that they are not a constant string of road games. We are young enough that no game will be easy. We are younger than we are “inexperienced” so we just have to concentrate at a high level.

You only have 1 senior and 1 grad student on the roster: how do you figure out your team’s leaders when you have such a relatively young roster? Since we are around the guys so much we can recognize who they follow/believe in. We have a good feel for that since we see it transpiring every day. There are guys who played a lot of minutes as young players so I think that our leadership will be very good.

You graduated your top-2 scorers from last year (TJ Cline/ShawnDre’ Jones): how will you try to replace all of that offense? That will be really difficult. TJ was 1 of the most unique players in college basketball: he was 2nd in the conference in AST despite standing 6’9”.  ShawnDre’ was a scorer since he 1st got here. We feel we have guys who are ready to step in for them.  The major step we took last year was defensively so we have to figure out who we are on offense.  We went to TJ when we needed a basket so we need to find out who is comfortable in that position and is able to do it at critical times, which is the fun part of having a team of new contributors.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We talk about goals just among ourselves. Our expectations could be really exciting because there are some guys who can emerge as great players with the right amount of seasoning. If we improve during the course of the season, as we generally have in the past, then this will be a fun team to be around.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Richmond head coach Chris Mooney

Conference Preview: Big East

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Chad

Click HERE for all Season Preview articles from Jon Teitel and a schedule for Chad’s conference previews

BIG EAST

Any discussion of what conference is the best in the nation better include the Big East this season.  The conference that gave us the 2015-16 national champions may have more returning depth and star power than it has since a time before it split away from its football-playing brethren.  Leading the way once again should be the Villanova Wildcats.  Jay Wright seems to easily replace every piece he loses and should do so once again this year, especially now that standout recruit Omari Spellman is eligible to play.  Seton Hall, Xavier and Providence all return a ton of big pieces and should be sniffing right at the Wildcats’ heels all season long.

The Big East is deeper this year than just those four, however.  Creighton and Butler both have a lot of question marks but enough talent to be in the NCAA Tournament.  Marquette and St. John’s could be in the picture as well.  That’s 80% of the league.  While we are not predicting 8 bids at this point, anything less than six would be a major disappointment.  And DePaul at least will have a new home court arena that doesn’t take a week to travel to from their campus.  In fact, but for Georgetown’s woes (and we are predicting a ton of them for this Hoyas team), every team should be competitive and fun to watch all season long.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Villanova – Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins are gone . . . so what?  Jay Wright’s team may be just as good, if not better, than last season’s 32-4 record with the likes of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo in the backcourt and on the wings, and prized recruit Omari Spellman finally eligible down low.  The scariest part for the rest of the Big East, and maybe the entire nation, is that there are no seniors on the roster.
  2. Seton Hall – The Pirates have a real chance to finish on top of the league standings as they return four starters and most of the key reserves from a team that won 21 games last season.  Khadeen Carrington and Myles Powell both have the ability to light up the scoreboard, and Angel Delgado is the type of monster presence down low that very few teams have the ability to matchup with.  Oh yeah, Desi Rodriguez is also still here.
  3. Xavier – Villanova may be the best team in the Big East, but like Seton Hall, Xavier should be right on their heels with the guard tandem of Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura leading the way.  The player to really keep an eye on is 6-10 graduate transfer (from Green Bay) Kerem Kanter.  He has the chance to be a major force down low and should be able to make up for the offseason loss of RaShid Gaston.
  4. Providence – The Friars won 20 games and finished tied for third in the Big East last season.  They return their top eight players (led by Rodney Bullock) from last year and add in a few very good new pieces, including freshman Makai Ashton-Langford.  In any other conference, that is a formula to be picked at least in the top two, but with the talent on the teams above them, fourth place may be the ceiling.  That being said, this team could be good enough to be playing on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.  Of course, the recent announcement that senior forward Emmitt Holt is out with an injury does not help, but hopefully he will be back on the court soon.
  5. Creighton – Despite losing Mo Watson, the Bluejays should be solid in the backcourt again with Marcus Foster, Khyri Thomas and Syracuse transfer Kaleb Joseph.  The same cannot be said for the frontcourt, where a handful of newcomers, including 6-11 freshman Jacob Epperson and 6-10 D2 transfer Manny Suarez will have to find a way to make up for the loss of NBA first round pick Justin Patton.
  6. Butler – The Bulldogs are young and have their fourth new head coach in the past five seasons; however, they still appear to have the talent to make it to the Big Dance.  Sophomore Kamar Baldwin will be joined in the backcourt by a bunch of guys even younger than he is, so it will fall to senior forward Kelan Martin to provide the team with leadership.  If he does, and if the players gel under new head coach LaVall Jordan, this team should expect to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
  7. St. John’s – Chris Mullin is proving all of his naysayers wrong as he rebuilds the Red Storm program back to respectability.  He brings back a backcourt pairing of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett, together with swingman Bashir Ahmed, that should keep the Johnnies in the game most nights and provide a ton of excitement for fans.  There are still a lot of questions down low, but if Michigan State transfer Marvin Clark and players like Tariq Owens step up their games, this team has a chance to have its dance ticket punched.
  8. Marquette – Size will be an issue for the Golden Eagles with their top two returning scorers (Markus Howard and Andrew Rowsey) being under 6 feet tall and their best interior player (SMU transfer Harry Froling) not eligible until December.  That being said, if they can hit the 3-pointers the way they did last season, there is a chance to pull off just enough wins to be in the bubble talk come March.
  9. DePaul – The Blue Demons are high on D2 transfer Max Strus, who will join Eli Cain (15.6 points per game last season) in the backcourt.  They also add some help down low with Northern Illinois transfer Marin Maric.  Most importantly, however, the Blue Demons open the new 10,000 seat Wintrust Arena, no longer having to commute across Chicago just to play games. The new building should bring out more fans; however, a finish at or near the bottom of the conference  is once again likely.
  10. Georgetown – The Hoyas went 5-13 in the Big East last season.  Their top two scorers from that team are gone.  Their head coach was fired, and his replacement (Patrick Ewing) has never been a head coach before.  If not for DePaul, the Hoyas would have been in last place last season.  Despite DePaul, they will be there this time around.
Posted in Conference Preview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Conference Preview: Big East