Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Saint Mary’s F Calvin Hermanson

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Gonzaga has owned the WCC ever since Mark Few took over at the start of the millennium and they seem to be peaking as they were only a few points away from winning the NCAA title last April.  However, they have faced some stiff competition recently in the form of conference rival Saint Mary’s, who is coming off back-to-back 29-win seasons.  Gaels’ big man Jock Landale gets most of the press but his fellow SR Calvin Hermanson has played a big part in the team’s stunning success: he made a team-high 74 threes as a sophomore and was named All-WCC 1st-team as a junior.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Calvin about almost winning the Little League World Series and the heated rivalry with the Bulldogs.  We also wish him a happy belated birthday last week!

In the 2007 Little League World Series as a pitcher/outfielder you helped your Lake Oswego team reach the US semifinal game: which sport were you best at back in the day and which 1 did you enjoy the most? I think even back then I was still better at basketball. That Little League team was pretty crazy: I was only like the 6th or 7th-best kid on the team and was mostly a closer.

You have several teammates from Australia (including Emmett Naar/Jock Landale/Tanner Krebs): do you find that they are more similar to you on the court or off the court or both? The Aussies are funny guys and have definitely taught me their sense of humor. This is my 5th year here so I have gotten used to them on the court: they are good at moving the ball and are awesome guys off the court as well.

You play for Coach Randy Bennett: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He is amazing at putting great people around him: both coaches/players who get along with each other. I have never played on a tighter team in my life so I am thankful to him for bringing us all together.

On 12/16/15 you blocked the 1st shot of your college career, which then went viral because it happened to be against UC Irvine’s 7’6” center Mamadou Ndiaye: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I do not think about single plays too much but that was a pretty cool moment: the crowd got really excited!

Your 88 3PM last year were #2 in school history and your 43.1 3P% was best in the conference: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? Just repetition. I try and get in the gym a lot every week and put up a lot of shots. I also try to practice my shot with guys contesting me and being in motion all the time.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you scored 14 PTS in a 9-PT loss to Arizona: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? We already knew that we could play with anyone in the country but that confirmed it. They are a great team but we were able to build a 10-PT lead on them in the 1st half.

Your team finished #2 in the nation with 57.5 PPG allowed: what is the key to playing great defense? Coach Bennett has always been a strict man-to-man guy so we work on our defensive stances and put a lot of work into it. We just put the time in during practice and then it shows on the court.

You have a new transfer this year in 5th-year G Cullen Neal: how is he adjusting to his 3rd team in 3 years? I have hung out with him quite a bit. He originally committed here verbally but then followed his dad to New Mexico after he became coach there. It feels like he is coming home and he will be a great addition to our team.

For people who do not watch a lot of WCC basketball, how intense is your rivalry with defending NCAA runner-up Gonzaga? We really do not like each other. My buddy Connor Griffin was a walk-on there. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has not been too intense over the past few years but I think ours is up there with an old-school rivalry like Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. It is pretty darn intense.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As a team our goal is to win the WCC championship and make it back to the NCAA tourney. It was a special experience last year and we felt that we belonged, but we might have left some meat on the bone and we want to win a few more games in the tourney this year.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Iona G Deyshonee Much

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Some teams finish the regular season knowing that they will be in the NCAA tourney in a couple of weeks, while other teams know that it will go right down to the end of the conference tourney to see if they make it.  Iona was in the latter group last spring, but thanks to a 1-PT OT win over Siena in the MAAC tourney title game they secured their spot in the dance before losing to Oregon.  1 of their biggest talents was G Deyshonee Much, who despite only starting 9 games last year was 5th in the conference with 1.4 SPG and even had a rare 4-point play against Saint Peter’s in an OT win last January.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Deyshonee about being a great 3-PT shooter and what he learned from the game against the Ducks.

You began your college career at Buffalo but decided to transfer to Iona after your freshman year: is is true that you picked the Gaels by looking for programs with thin rosters or that would be graduating a lot of seniors, and do you have any regrets? That is true and I have no regrets.

You play for Coach Tim Cluess: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? In my eyes he makes sure that everyone is working hard. If someone comes in and can compete with you at your position then he will make sure that nothing is handed to anyone. He taught me how to have an even better work ethic, which helped build more character in myself.

On 2/5/16 you scored a career-high 30 PTS/8-12 3PM in a win at Canisius: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yes, but I also worked hard in practice because coach makes us shoot a ton of shots. I had a great PG that year in AJ English who did a tremendous job of finding me since he knew I was hot.

As a sophomore your 44.7 3P% was #10 in the nation: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? Repetition. We have great managers who are willing to join us in the gym any time of day or night.

You started 27 games as a sophomore but only 9 as a junior: what is the biggest difference between starting a game vs. coming off the bench? Starting helps my confidence but if I am not producing or helping us win games or there is someone else who can do the job better, then that is fine.  Whatever is necessary to win is the most important thing.  I respect Coach’s opinion: he is not doing it to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Despite playing fewer minutes than the previous year your 1.4 SPG was #5 in the MAAC: how do you balance your offense with your defense? I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team win by being active.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you scored 15 PTS/5-10 3PM in a loss to Oregon: what did you learn from that game that you think will help you this year? It taught me to have confidence in myself and keep the guys going. I felt that some of our players were close to throwing in the towel but I just tried to keep encouraging them.  We actually kept it to a close margin in the 2nd half before the Ducks eventually pulled away.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Syracuse/St. John’s/Rhode Island: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I cannot put 1 team above another: the worst team in D-1 can beat the best team on any given day so we will just go out and compete every night.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal is to go back to the NCAA tourney. This is the most talented team that I have ever played on so I expect us to get back there.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Nevada head coach Eric Musselman

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

It almost seems that you cannot call yourself a basketball coach unless you have hired Eric Musselman to work for you.  The list goes on and on: Mike Fratello, Chuck Daly, Doc Rivers, Lon Kruger, Herb Sendek, and of course his father Bill.  All of this experience helped turn him into a successful head coach: back-to-back USBL titles, 2012 D-League COY, the 2016 CBI title, and the 2017 MWC tourney title.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Musselman about coaching in the NBA and winning the 2016 CBI.  

In the 1987 NCAA tourney as a player at San Diego you had a 1-PT loss to Auburn after Danny Means missed a FT and Paul Leonard was called for a double-dribble in the final 6 seconds: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? Over the course of a 4-year playing career it was an unbelievable experience to cap off my time at USD by playing in 2 NCAA Tournaments. Playing in the Hoosier Dome was an awesome experience and we knew that we would have our work cut out for us by playing against an SEC opponent. That loss as a senior, knowing it was the last game I would ever play, helped me learn and put in perspective what our players go through at the end of their own college careers.

After graduating you were named head coach of the Rapid City Thrillers at age 23, and your 68.8 career winning percentage remains #2 in CBA history behind George Karl: how were you able to be so successful despite starting at such a young age? My dad gave me great advice: try to recruit players who have played under great coaches. For instance, some of the players that we acquired the rights to in the CBA had played for Hall of Fame coaches like Bobby Knight at Indiana (Keith Smart/Jimmy Thomas) and Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV (Jarvis Basnight). We also had players with extremely high basketball IQ’s like Craig Neal (whose father was a long-time high school coach), Wayne Tinkle, Leon Wood, and Lester Conner. Many of those guys even went on to become head coaches themselves.

You were an assistant for several notable NBA coaches including Chuck Daly/Doc Rivers/Lon Kruger/your father Bill: which of them had the biggest influence on your own coaching career? My dad had an influence on my coaching career before I even got into the business. Growing up, basketball was my life and everything centered around it. I would wake up, eat some cereal, and then instead of watching cartoons there would be game tape on the screen. Immediately after school my mom would drop me off at Minnesota to watch basketball practice, and the next day it would start all over again. Every coach who I have worked under has had a tremendous influence and I am grateful for the mentorship that they all have provided. Coach Daly was like a second father figure to me. He took me under his wings and was really the person who had the most influence over my career. Doc Rivers was an unbelievable motivator. Lon Kruger/Herb Sendek/Johnny Jones all helped develop me into a college coach who knew about both recruiting as well as X’s and O’s. Mike Fratello/Hubie Brown are the 2 most organized people who I have ever coached under and both were defensive geniuses. Additionally, I have been able to work alongside great coaches like Tom Thibodeau/David Fizdale/Scotty Brooks. All have taught me so much about basketball, coaching, and even life.

You were also the head coach of Golden State/Sacramento: what is the biggest difference between being a head coach in the NBA vs. the NCAA? There are drastic differences between pro basketball and college basketball. From an X’s and O’s standpoint the side out-of-bounds plays in the NBA are so important, while in the college game the baseline out-of-bounds plays are important. Substitution patterns during an 82-game season/48-minute game in the NBA vs. a 30-game season/40-minute game in college are also very different so managing a team can be challenging. Off the floor, the college game is about developing young men and getting them ready for the real world off the floor as much as it is about preparing them for success on the court. You take on the role of a parent and it is important to instill discipline, stress the importance of academics, and help set them up for life after college.

In the final game of the 2016 CBI championship series you had a 3-PT OT win over Morehead State: what did it mean to you to win a title? It is hard to win a championship at any level, especially in the postseason. The thing that made us proudest was how far our team came in such a short amount of time. We were coming off of a 9-win season with a team that did not believe in itself, but that eventually allowed us to coach them with maximum energy/enthusiasm while they bought into our vision.

Last year you added former Oregon State/Iowa State player Hallice Cooke to your staff as an undergraduate assistant: how difficult was it for the 21-year old to stop playing basketball to protect his health after doctors found a growth in his heart? It was devastating news but Hallice and his family handled it in an incredible manner. We felt like he was such an important part of our program that even if he was unable to suit up and play we still wanted him to be a coach. We are all very fortunate that he received the great news that he is now able to play.

In April you hired former LSU head coach Johnny Jones to be 1 of your assistants: what does he bring to the table? We are excited about our current staff as we have moved some of our younger staff members up in roles: Brandon Chambers has switched from Video Coordinator to Director of Operations, Hays Myers from Graduate Assistant to Director of Player Development, and Anthony Ruta from Director of Basketball Operations to Assistant Coach. We feel like we have a tremendous staff. Anthony is the ultimate grinder and someone who has worked his way up through loyalty, trust, and hard work. Gus Argenal was hired as an Assistant Coach and gives us a another coach with head coaching experience and connections to the Bay Area: he is a rising star. Johnny Jones being a Head Coach for 33 years gives me a lot of experience to lean on both during games as well in the recruiting world.

You have many transfers on your roster: what is the key to having everyone come together and bond as a team? We do a ton of team-bonding stuff. We feel like chemistry off the floor is as important as anything we do on the floor. Our transfers have done a great job of blending in with the core freshman we have brought in over the first 2 years including Cam Oliver/Josh Hall/Lindsey Drew. Throughout the summer we did a ton of stuff with our players to help them bond off the floor. Activities like a boxing class or a 3-mile run through Lake Tahoe help get our players out of their element, challenge them, and bring them closer together. While in Costa Rica we did things like whitewater rafting, zip lining, and ATV riding: it is nice to have some fun but also to learn a little more about each other. These experiences are critical for team chemistry.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Rhode Island/Texas Tech/TCU: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? We feel like every game on our schedule has its own challenge. Obviously to play a Big 12 team on the road like Texas Tech that is as well-coached as it is will be a huge hurdle. We also feel like Rhode Island/TCU are potential top-25 teams in the country and will have legitimate chances to make the NCAA Tournament at the season’s end. Both will present big challenges, just as our 5 non-conference road games will as well.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have tremendous respect for everyone on our schedule so we take everything 1 game at a time. In the 2 years we have been at Nevada we have prided ourselves on finishing the season stronger/better than when we began. We pride ourselves on getting 1 percent better as coaches, support staff, and players on the court.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Tennessee-Martin head coach Anthony Stewart

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Tennessee-Martin appeared to hit rock bottom 5 years ago after finishing the 2012 season with a 4-27 overall record, including 0-16 in OVC play.  Fast forward to 2017 and the Skyhawks have turned things around in a big way.  In his very 1st season as a head coach last year, Anthony Stewart led the team to a 22-13 record, including a 14-PT win over UNC-Asheville in the CIT.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Stewart about his unique path to the coaching business and his philosophy on transfers.  

You played basketball/baseball at Mount Union: which sport were you best at and which 1 did you enjoy the most? In college I was good at both sports but was probably the best at basketball.  I enjoyed both of them: I was a pitcher on the baseball team.

How did you 1st get into coaching? On accident in 2000. I got a promotion at my company where I did corporate logistics and ran into an old friend who I had played against in Columbus, OH.  I became his assistant at Columbus State but did not think I could make it work because I already had plenty to do at work.  He called me every day for 3 straight weeks and I told him that if he held practice at 6AM before I had to report to work then I could give it a shot.

You were an assistant to Coach Heath Schroyer at Wyoming/Tennessee-Martin: what sort of relationship have you 2 developed over the past decade? He is like family and is 1 of my closest friends. He was very influential in my growth as a coach.

In the spring of 2016 you replaced Heath as interim head coach at Tennessee-Martin: why did you take the job, and what was the biggest lesson you learned during year #1? It was a remarkable opportunity: there are only 350 or so of those D-1 jobs on planet earth.  It is nice to run your own team and call your own timeouts. I had to admit to myself that I did not know everything, which helps you use the resources/people around you. My assistants work with me, not for me.

In the 2017 CIT you lost to Campbell: what did your team learn from that game that will help them this year? Anytime you can make the postseason and play meaningful games it is an honor. I think it gave them a thirst and some much-needed experience.

Your 14 home wins last year were the most since 1992: what kind of home-court advantage do you have at Skyhawk Arena? The statistics show that the home team has a greater chance to win (by a couple of percentage points).  Our fans give us a little extra as the 6th man during close games, which was very helpful for us last year.

Your 10 non-conference wins were tied for the most in school history: what sort of scheduling philosophy do you have? We have a very tough non-conference schedule again this year: I do not like to play too many cupcakes.  We want to compete in every game so that we will be prepared for an 18-game OVC schedule this year.

You have several transfers on the roster (Matthew Butler/Kevin Little/Garrett Sams): what is the key to integrating all of the new guys with all of your returning talent? We recruit a specific kind of student-athlete who can fit into our community and our team. When we zero in on possible Skyhawks we bring them in to see how they interact with our existing roster.  We also talk to our own guys about the new guys: it is not just a 1-way street.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We want to get our 1st NCAA tourney bid. I am very excited about this team because it is probably the most talented that I have been associated with here. We need camaraderie/chemistry but I think the sky is the limit for this group.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Princeton assistant coach Brett MacConnell

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Mitch Henderson is building quite the New Jersey-based basketball staff in Princeton: he has 1 assistant coach who made back-to-back NBA Finals with the Nets (Kerry Kittles), 1 who was a 3-year captain at The College of New Jersey (Skye Ettin), and 1 who was a 4-year team manager at Rutgers (Brett MacConnell).  It obviously worked out well for the Tigers last year: an undefeated Ivy League season, winners of the inaugural Ivy League basketball tournament, and a near-upset of Notre Dame in the NCAA tourney.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach MacConnell about the key to recruiting and how it felt to win 19 games in a row last season.  

During college at Rutgers you were a 4-year manager for the men’s basketball team: how did you 1st get into coaching, and could you have ever imagined that the Scarlet Knights would become part of the Big 10? I definitely did not think they would be joining the Big 10 but I do remember that there was a lot of college realignment going on at the time. I really got my start as a manager and knew that I wanted to get into coaching. I worked at the Rutgers camps and got to meet some of the coaches, then progressed from D-3 to D-2 to D-1. I worked for 2 very different coaches in Gary Waters/Fred Hill, which laid the foundation for my own path into coaching.

You are known for being a great recruiter: what is the key to getting a high school star to sign his name on the dotted line, and does working in the Ivy League make your job easier or tougher? The key at Princeton is to find student-athletes who value basketball and academics equally. The guys we recruit successfully are the ones who realize that they are not compromising the basketball side of things by coming here because we have a very difficult schedule that has become the norm. I think the Ivy League has only become easier to recruit for due to the success of the league in recent years: its profile has risen greatly with games on ESPN as well as the Ivy League tourney.

Last year as an assistant coach at Princeton you had a 19-game winning streak that included a perfect 14-0 conference season: where do you think that team ranks among the best in school history? I have to make sure I do not alienate any alumni!  It is really hard to gauge: we were 1 shot away from winning an NCAA tourney game, which would have put us in rarefied air. I measure most of our teams against the 1998 team, which my boss played for (27–2 overall, 14–0 in conference play, and a win over #5-seed UNLV in the NCAA tourney).

While that would have been good enough in the past to get an NCAA tourney berth, you had to win the inaugural Ivy League conference tourney last March to secure your spot: what kind of home-court advantage did the Quakers have while facing you in the semifinals at the Palestra, and do you like the idea of the Ivy League having a conference tourney? I love the tourney: there was 1 split-second after we finished 14-0 where I had my doubts but that quickly passed. I would like to see it played at a neutral site or at the #1-seed’s court in the future but even if not I still hope it continues.

In the 2017 NCAA tourney you took Notre Dame to the final possession before a 2-PT loss: how close did you come to pulling off the upset, and what did your team learn that you think can help them this season? I think that just playing on that stage gives you great experience and now we have the goal of getting back there. You can never quantify how valuable is it to the players in the program in terms of preparing them for the future. Having veterans who have been through it will allow the younger guys to lean on them in similar situations.

Last year the Tigers led the conference in several categories including scoring defense/3-PT FG%/turnover margin: are there any 1 or 2 specific stats that you think are most highly correlated to a team’s success? We love all those KenPom numbers and pay attention to all of them. There is not 1 specific stat but the 3 you mentioned are things that we have always valued. 3-PT shooting is very important, as is taking care of the ball, and we have hung our hat for several years on playing good defense.

Coach Mitch Henderson was named 2017 conference COY: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? I am heading into year #6 so I am not sure that we have enough time to cover everything that I have learned!  The 1st thing he stresses is to be myself while developing my own voice, and conversely you have to be able to change/evolve to help the team win more games. We have changed a lot defensively over the past couple of years after meeting with some other coaches around the country. Our program has always been about the quality of individuals and he does not compromise on that when recruiting.

You have a brutal non-conference schedule featuring Butler/Miami/USC/Middle Tennessee: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test, and what do you think about the prospect of having to possibly face the Trojans twice during a 5-day stretch in December?! There is a chance we might play Miami twice as well, although it is a little less likely than USC. It is out of our control but we take it 1 game at a time so we are focusing on Butler because they are game #1 on our schedule.

You lost several good seniors but return G Myles Stephens, who was named both conference DPOY/conference tourney MVP last year: what makes him such a great player, and how much pressure is there on him to be a leader this year? It is hard to pick just 1 attribute because he has become such a well-rounded player. He is shooting the ball well, can score in the post, and rebound: he does a little bit of everything. He is a menace on both sides of the ball and will have to take on a bigger leadership role.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goal every year is to win the Ivy League and make the NCAA tourney but we take it day-by-day with smaller goals and a focus on the process.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Xavier G JP Macura

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Jon Teitel

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

Quick: name the only Xavier player who started every game last season.  Edmond Sumner: no.  Trevon Bluiett: close.  The correct answer is SG JP Macura, who helped the Musketeers beat Arizona to reach the Elite 8 before losing to eventual runner-up Gonzaga.  Even though it did not count, he also made 1 of the longest shots I have ever seen against the Bulldogs at the end of the 1st half: 

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/xavier-jp-macura-buzzer-beater-march-madness-long-shot-elite-8-opposite-3-point-line-what-did-not-count-but-still-crazy

He gets it done on both ends of the court, as he was 2nd on the team with 14.4 PPG and led the team with 1.4 SPG.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with JP about his miraculous heave and a super-strong non-conference schedule.

You grew up in Minnesota: what made you choose Xavier? The coaches for sure, as well as the winning history of the program making the NCAA tourney. I also liked the small classroom environment and the coaches made it feel like home during my visit.

You play for Coach Chris Mack: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him? He is just a player’s coach: he will get on you about certain things but is willing to help you become a better player. He has taught me that to be a good player/team you need to put in a lot of hard work.

In 2016 you were named Big East 6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I thought that it was pretty cool to see my hard work paying off…but it is more important for the team to make the NCAA tourney.

In the 2016 NCAA tourney Bronson Koenig scored 20 PTS including a fadeaway 3 at the buzzer in a 3-PT win by Wisconsin: did you think that his shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It is by far the most devastating loss of my career. He had a good look and is a good shooter so it was kind of heartbreaking, but it helped our team/coaches want to finish games better. Attack and finish were our big talking points last year and it was great to make the Elite 8, but I think we can make an even further run this year.

Last November you scored a career-high 28 PTS/6-11 3PM in a 6-PT win over Clemson: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? My teammates did a great job of finding me and helping me get open. At halftime they told me to keep shooting and my shot felt perfect.

In the 2017 Elite 8 you scored 18 PTS in a loss to eventual runner-up Gonzaga: how on earth did you make that 75-footer before halftime that did not count, and what did you learn from that game that will help you this year? Sometimes I practice weird shots when I was in the gym but it just happened to go in. It did not bother me when they waived it off since we were losing anyway. We were short some players and a few of our guys were running out of juice, but it will help because now we know what it takes to go further in the tourney. We need some more fire/energy toward the end of the season.

You have a brutal non-conference schedule that includes games against Wisconsin/Kansas State or ASU/Baylor/Cincinnati/Colorado: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I would say Wisconsin because it is on the road and will be a good early test for us to see where we are at and who will step up. We have a lot of confident players and someone will eventually step up.

You are 1 of 3 seniors on the team: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? It is not really any pressure because we have been doing a good job all summer of showing the young guys the ropes and leading by example. We have already become leaders because it is just who we are and we can hopefully take these guys very far.

PF Kerem Kanter transferred in this year from Green Bay: how is he adjusting to joining the team? Great: he is a unique player who can really score and will help us in a lot of ways on the offensive end. He will be difficult for a lot of teams to guard and has picked things up quickly.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our goal is to win the Big East and make the Final 4. I expect us to play as hard as we possibly can every single night.

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