Queen of the Big 12: HoopsHD interviews Baylor coach Kim Mulkey

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Jon Teitel

There are great players who become terrible coaches, there are mediocre players who turn out to be championship coaches…and then there is Kim Mulkey, the first person in NCAA basketball history to win titles as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.  After winning 4 straight Louisiana high school titles, she won back-to-back national titles as a PG at Louisiana Tech in 1981/1982.  She won a gold medal with team USA at the 1984 Olympics, then became an assistant at her alma mater to Coach Leon Barmore while helping the Lady Techsters win another title in 1988.  She became head coach at Baylor in 2000, where she won a pair of titles in 2005/2012 and is favored to make her 4th straight trip to the Elite 8 next month.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Mulkey about having a 4.0 GPA in high school and going 40-0 in 2012.

You won 4 state basketball titles at Hammond High School while receiving a 4.0 GPA: how did you balance your success on the court with your success in the classroom? It is really all I never knew: go to school and play ball. I knew my schedule every day and loved to compete both in the classroom and on the floor. I probably did not have the best study habits because I needed more sleep!

As a PG at Louisiana Tech you went 130-6, won a pair of national titles, lost another title game by 2 PTS, and lost a Final 4 game by 5 PTS: how was your team able to be so dominant, and how close did you come to winning 4 straight titles? We came very close as you can see by the close scores of those 2 losses. Our practices were more competitive than some of the games we played. We recruited the best players and got the best results: I do not know if there will ever be another era like that at Louisiana Tech.

In 1984 you were the 1st winner of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (given to the nation’s top college senior under 5’6″): did you consider your size to be an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I did not view it either way: I think size is overrated in all sports. You see some very successful players in the NBA/NFL who are short: it does not matter.

In the 1984 Olympics you played for team USA: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? At that time it was the ultimate prize. When you stand for the anthem and they put the medal around your neck you realize how special it is, even more so because it was in Los Angeles.

In the 1988 NCAA tourney as an assistant to Coach Leon Barmore at your alma mater you had a 2-PT win over Auburn to clinch the title: what made Leon such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He has always been able to make players better. He taught me to pay attention to detail and make sure that your team plays defense no matter how good they are on offense. He gave us everything he had so we wanted to give him everything we had in return

In 2000 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I was humbled and honored but none of us enters sports with that as our goal. We love to compete and win championships: all the individual accolades will happen if your team is successful.

In 2005 you became the 1st person in college basketball history to win a national title as a player, assistant coach, and head coach: how does winning 1 as a player compare to winning 1 as a coach, and do you think that anyone else will ever accomplish that trifecta? I do not compare championships: they are all the same and all mean a lot. I am sure that someone else will do it in the future: why not? There are lots of great players who become great coaches so I think that it will eventually happen.

In 2012 you were named national COY, won your 2nd NCAA title as a head coach, and became the 1st coach to ever finish a season 40-0: how were you able to keep your team focused for every single game that year, and where does tourney MOP Brittney Griner rank among the best players that you have ever seen? It is very difficult to go undefeated: you have to stay hungry and make your players understand that practice is important. Brittney will go down as 1 of the best players in the history of women’s basketball.

Your son Kramer plays baseball at LSU and your daughter Makenzie played basketball/softball at Baylor: who is the best athlete in the family? They would each say that they are the best and they are certainly better than I am! We had a lot of competition around our house when they were growing up in all kinds of sports from ping pong to pool. They think the world of each other.

After inheriting a 7-20 team at Baylor you are on pace to win at least 21 games in each of your 17 seasons as a head coach: what makes you such a great coach, and how long do you plan on sticking around for? You are only as good as the players/coaches who take care of you. My assistants are loyal and have stuck with me for a long time. If I stay healthy then I think I will stay in it for a while. It is a tough business with a lot of demands on your time so I cannot put a time frame on it: I will just keep coaching as long as I am effective.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Feb 1st

Posted on February 1, 2017 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

-For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day, which highlights a tight conference race in the Big South – CLICK HERE

It was a pretty chalky night last night, but there was still quite a bit of excitement.

-The biggest surprise was Creighton’s win at Butler.  It is hugely important because it is a high quality road win late in the season, which is something Creighton (or more specifically their head coach) seems to struggle to pick up, but they also managed to win without Mo Watson, which demonstrates they can win high caliber games without him.  I have been nothing but critical of Creighton and Coach McDermott for how they typically finish the season.  I will be the first to admit and acknowledge how impressive it would be if they’re able to shore things up and finish strong despite everything that’s happened to them.

-Tennessee also picked up a rather impressive and decisive win at Auburn last night.  I love the way they’re playing right now and think that they’ll be safely in the field by the time Selection Sunday gets here.  Their profile needs to improve, but it should improve quite a bit based on how they’ve been playing.

Other than that, it was the night of very close calls….

-Maryland won at Ohio State, but they had to sweat it out.

-North Carolina won at home against Pitt, but it was surprisingly close.

-Kentucky took care of Georgia at home, but needed five extra minutes to do it.

-Wake Forest remains on the bubble after their win at Boston College, but they only won by 5.

-Akron continues to run through the MAC with their win at Northern Illinois which keeps them on the bubble, but they trailed for most of the game and only ended up winning by 3.

-Dayton picked up the win at Fordham, but trailed for pretty much the entire second half until the final couple of minutes.

-Georgetown continues to inch closer to the bubble.  They held serve against DePaul last night, but only won by 3.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-BAYLOR AT KANSAS (***Spotlight Game***) (Big Twelve).  The storyline for this is quite incredible.  It’s two teams battling it out for first place in the conference and for #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.  With Kansas most likely going to the Midwest Region in Kansas City and Baylor most likely going to the Midwest Region in Memphis they actually aren’t completely in each other’s way, but it is the first chapter in what could be up to three hugely important games if the two end up meeting for a third time in the conference tournament.  Both teams have just one conference loss, and for both of them it came at West Virginia.  Kansas is coming off a huge win at Kentucky, so I like their profile a little better.  They also haven’t lost at home for several years, so it won’t be an easy game for Baylor to win.  -PENN STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Indiana has lost two straight games by big margins.  They’re back home today against a Penn State team who they struggled against earlier in the year and who they really need to beat on their home floor tonight.

-ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Arkansas is right on the fringe of the bubble.  Alabama isn’t really in the tournament picture, but they’ve been playing much better since conference play began and they aren’t the kind of team that the Razorbacks can overlook.

-GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC).  This game is extremely bublicious.  Both teams are on the bubble, and both really need this win, especially Clemson who is just 2-6 in league play and cannot afford to drop a winnable conference home game.

-SYRACUSE AT NC STATE (ACC).  I think both teams are outside the bubble right now, but both are also in a position to make a run at it if they can finish strong.  Both could really use a win in this one.  It has a pivotal feel for both teams.

-WICHITA STATE AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley).  Wichita State should land on the bubble, and most likely in the field, if they win out through the regular season.  Their profile is kind of weak when it comes to big wins, but they will finish the season with a lot of true road wins and almost no bad losses, and I think that will likely be enough.

-RICHMOND AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  both these teams are at the top of the A10 standings, but VCU is the only one with a solid chance of making the tournament.  This is a rivalry game and it’s always fun when these two get together.  Tonight should be no different.

-NEW HAMPSHIRE AT STONY BROOK (America East).  The Team of the People!!!  They are one game behind Stony Brook in the conference standings and can catch them with a win today!!

-VILLANOVA AT PROVIDENCE (Big East).  Providence is coming off a huge win at Marquette, and although it’s unlikely if they’re somehow able to pick up this one they may be in a position to make a run at the tournament if they keep it up.  Nova is coming off one of a huge win against Virginia and still appears to be on pace to end up on the #1 line.

-MARQUETTE AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  Marquette is coming off a somewhat surprising loss to Providence in their last game after picking up two huge wins in a row.  This is a rare winnable conference road game for them so they need to take advantage.

-TCU AT KANSAS STATE (Big Twelve).  TCU has slipped off the bubble and out of our projections.  They’ll have chances to get back in there, but they’ll have to be able to win games like this in order to do it.  K State has had some frustrating losses this season, but is still on pace to make the tournament so long as they hold serve in games like this.

-FLORIDA STATE AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  This is a rivalry game with some added importance.  Florida State still looks like a solid protected seed, but they don’t seem to be heading for the #1 line like they did a couple of weeks ago.  They’ve lost two straight games and are trying to avoid a third straight loss.  Miami FL has been outside of our bubble all year, but they just picked up a huge win against North Carolina over the weekend, and can build on that with a win at home tonight over their rivals.

-VIRGINIA TECH AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Virginia is coming off one of their more impressive games of the season even though it was a loss.  Beating their rival at home and picking up another conference win should make them feel better.  I still think they’re the best team in the ACC.

-NORTHWESTERN AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Both teams are in the rankings!!  Northwestern isn’t just on pace to make the tournament, but they’re on pace to be wearing white in the Round of 64.  Purdue still has a shot at protected seed if they can finish strong.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT LSU (SEC).  South Carolina is continuing to cruise and should be able to pick up another road win and improve to 8-1 in SEC play.  They’re tied atop the standings with Kentucky right now.

-TEXAS TECH AT TEXAS (Big Twelve).  Texas Tech is squarely on the bubble, and this is the kind of game they need to win in order to stay there.

-CINCINNATI AT TULSA (American).  Cincinnati has a shot at ending up as a protected seed, but they’ll pretty much need to run the table in order to do it.  That means winning on the road against a Tulsa team that is nowhere near the bubble, but that has played well in conference.

-NORTHERN IOWA AT ILLINOIS STATE (Missouri Valley).  Northern Iowa was having an atrocious season until about the middle of January, and although they have no shot at making the NCAAs without the automatic bid, they have won five straight games so they do come into this one with some momentum.  Illinois State is having a fantastic season and should end up inside the bubble if they can win out, or even if they drop a game so long as they are an outright first place finisher.

-SETON HALL AT XAVIER (Big East).  Seton Hall needs to stabilize their resume and picking up a road win like this is a great way to do it.  Xavier just needs to pick up some wins.  They still haven’t beaten anyone that is solidly in the field yet, so this would arguably be one of their biggest wins of the season if they’re able to pull it off.

-EAST CAROLINA AT SMU (American).  SMU appears to be cruising toward the NCAA Tournament and will get there as long as they continue to hold serve.

-USC AT WASHINGTON (Pac Twelve).  This is a chance for USC to pick up a conference road win and add a little bit of spice to a resume that’s already pretty solid.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day: Winthrop at Radford

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Chad

Winthrop at Radford, 7:00 PM Eastern, bigsouthsports.com/watch

The mid-point of the Big South regular season has come and gone and once again the conference appears to be a chaotic dogfight that may come down to the final week of the season.  Unlike prior seasons, when the conference tournament was played at a pre-determined location, the stakes are higher this year as the regular season champion will host the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds (and the highest remaining seed will host the championship game).  Heading into play tonight, Liberty, after defeating Presbyterian last night, holds a half game lead in the league standings at 9-2.  Tied for second at 8-2 are Winthrop and UNC-Asheville.  Asheville will be hosting Charleston Southern tonight while the Winthrop Eagles will be on the road, at Radford, in our Under the Radar Game of the Day.

Winthrop currently sits at 16-5 overall.  The Eagles had won 12 of 13 games before they were upset at home over the weekend by High Point.  Keon Johnson did have another strong game for the Eagles with 31 points while Xavier Cooks added 19.  The Eagles’ only other conference loss this season also came at home, when they fell to rival Radford 82-80 back on New Year’s Eve.  Radford (9-13 overall, 4-6 in conference) will be looking to pick up the season sweep today.  Caleb Tanner had 20 points in the earlier win and Justin Cousin added 19.  Cousin has been in double figures in 6 of his last 7 games, and will need another strong effort if he and his teammates are going to pick up another upset win tonight.

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News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Tuesday, January 31

Posted on January 31, 2017 by John Stalica

For Chad Sherwood’s UTR Game of the Day between Boise State and Colorado State – CLICK HERE.

For the weekly Hoops HD podcast featuring Hoops HD Chairman Emeritus Kyle Lamb – CLICK HERE.

For Jon Teitel’s weekly Bracket Projection (as he guesses the Selection Committee) – CLICK HERE.

For Chad Sherwood’s weekly Bracket Projection (as he personally sees fit) – CLICK HERE.

Yesterday, there were a pair of significant developments in college hoops. The major development off the court was confirmation of Xavier’s Edmond Sumner being diagnosed with a torn ACL in his knee during Sunday’s game against St. John’s. Needless to say, all of the Hoops HD panel wishes him (and Creighton’s Mo Watson Jr.) the best during his rehab.

On the floor last night, the biggest game was in South Bend – Duke was able to get their 2nd straight road win after being exiled from their locker room by an ailing Coach K. The Blue Devils won 84-74 in a game they led most of the way. Notre Dame did mount a 2nd half comeback when Luke Kennard got into foul trouble and got as close as 1 point. They could neither tie nor take the lead, and now the Irish suddenly have 3 consecutive losses in the ACC.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma State has now won 4 in a row after their win in the first leg of the Bedlam Rivalry last night. It was their first win at Oklahoma since 2004 (also the same year the Cowboys last made it to the Final 4).

Most of the UTR conferences had their leaders win without too much difficulty – Belmont, NC Central, Monmouth, Texas Southern, and Florida Gulf Coast all won last night. The Sun Belt featured the top 3 teams (Georgia Southern, UT-Arlington and Arkansas State) all on the road last night, and only the Red Wolves of Arkansas State came out victorious last night – they won at Louisiana-Lafayette to claim a share of the conference lead. UT-Arlington came up short at Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern got bounced at Troy.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTED GAMES (all times Eastern)

MISSISSIPPI STATE at OLE MISS (SEC, 7 PM – SEC Network) – This is the first Egg Bowl matchup between Mississippi’s resident SEC schools tonight. The Rebels nearly knocked off Baylor over the weekend, but need to rack up wins in a hurry if they want to be even discussed as far as potential NCAA Tournament teams go. Ditto for Mississippi State, although they’re further down in the pecking order.

IOWA at RUTGERS (Big 10, 7 PM – BTN) – Iowa won the earlier matchup in Iowa City, but Rutgers has shown themselves to be a tough out at home. Will there be a letdown after their near miss at the Garden against Wisconsin?

MARYLAND at OHIO STATE (Big 10, 7 PM – ESPN) – The Terps are still undefeated away from home, but face a desperate Ohio State team still looking for wins of any sort in the conference. They’ve already lost at home to Purdue and Northwestern. Maryland is looking to play its way up into protected seed territory.

PITTSBURGH at NORTH CAROLINA (ACC, 7 PM – ESPN2) – Poor Pitt. We’ve already seen what Louisville can do to a wounded animal, and UNC is not going to be in a good mood at all after losing to Miami on the road over the weekend.

WAKE FOREST at BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC, 7 PM – ESPNU) – If Wake Forest has a hangover from their come-from-ahead loss at home against Duke, they will be on major upset alert at Chestnut Hill. The computers/metrics love the Demon Deacons, but their profile is not yet in line with those rankings in the eyes of the Hoops HD panel.

GEORGE WASHINGTON at RHODE ISLAND (A-10, 7 PM – CBS Sports Network) – The Telltale Heart of the Atlantic 10 comes in the form of the Rhode Island Rams – they have a pulse, but barely. They already have a home loss to La Salle in conference play and absolutely must hold serve at home against the Colonials.

CREIGHTON at BUTLER (Big East, 7 PM – FS1) – Speaking of teams in a bad mood, Butler is coming off their first loss at Hinkle Fieldhouse since last February. Creighton momentarily stopped the bleeding with a win at home against DePaul, but they will need to play on another level if they’re going to steal a win in Indy tonight. Butler is still playing for a shot at winning the Big East regular season crown.

TEMPLE at TULANE (American, 8 PM – ESPN News) – Not exactly sure why I highlighted this game, but it is also part of national TV viewing for tonight.

AKRON at NORTHERN ILLINOIS (MAC, 8 PM – ESPN3) – The Zips are halfway home to running through the table in the MAC, although the Huskies have been a very tough out at home this season. If they pass tonight’s test, their toughest remaining games will be at Eastern Michigan, Ohio and Kent State.

TENNESSEE at AUBURN (SEC, 9 PM – SEC Network) – The Vols have put themselves in the discussion after very pivotal wins at home against Kentucky and Kansas State last week. Now they need to prove they can win in hostile environments – their old friend Bruce Pearl awaits them at Toomer’s Corner tonight.

GEORGIA at KENTUCKY (SEC, 9 PM – ESPN) – For the last time, you are looking live at Brent Musburger calling a game on TV. Kentucky will not be in nearly as hospitable a mood after losing back-to-back games against Tennessee and Kansas.

VANDERBILT at TEXAS A&M (SEC, 9 PM – ESPNU) – A pair of hard-luck teams meet up in College Station tonight, but neither team is in any serious postseason mode right now.

WISCONSIN at ILLINOIS (Big 10, 9 PM – BTN) – The Badgers will be on upset alert tonight as they go to the State Farm Spaceship in Champaign tonight. The Illini are running out of chances to get quality B1G wins, and a loss will put them even further behind other bubble teams.

WEST VIRGINIA at IOWA STATE (Big 12, 9 PM – ESPN2) – Will Hilton Magic be on hand tonight for Iowa State? They’re 5-3 in the Big 12, but they face a critical week with both West Virginia and Kansas on the schedule. However, as Oklahoma State will attest, teams like the Mountaineers aren’t fazed in road environments for the most part.

DAYTON at FORDHAM (A-10, 9 PM – CBS Sports Network) – The Flyers will also be on upset alert tonight as they venture into the Bronx to play Fordham. The Rams already knocked off VCU at home, but historically have also struggled against Dayton, home or away. A Dayton loss would put them on the wrong side of the bubble for the foreseeable future.

GEORGETOWN at DEPAUL (Big East, 9 PM – FS1) – Joby’s Nitty Gritty rankings briefly had Georgetown as the last team in the field (before Oklahoma State’s win last night), so we highlight this game to see whether or not the league’s resident Rasputin is able to get Georgetown on a 3-game winning streak.

WYOMING at SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West, 11 PM – CBS Sports Network) – You are indeed a rabid hoops fan if you can make it awake through this game tonight.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day: Boise State at Colorado State

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Chad

Boise State at Colorado State, 9:00 PM Eastern, espn3

For our latest HoopsHD Report video, CLICK HERE.

With the Mountain West Conference heading towards its second consecutive single-bid season, we here at Hoops HD decided earlier this year to relegate the entire conference down to “Under the Radar” classification.  As such, it would be a mistake not to highlight a few of their games this season in our Under the Radar Game of the Day, and tonight is the perfect opportunity as the two teams currently tied for second place, one game behind Nevada, face off in Fort Collins, Colorado.  The host Colorado State Rams enter play tonight at 14-8 overall and 6-3 in MWC play, including a road win this past weekend at San Diego State.  The Rams, who only used 7 players in that game, were led by Gian Clavell (37 points and 8 rebounds) and Emmanuel Omogbo (24 points and 9 rebounds).  Clavell hit the game-winning shot with under 5 seconds left to give the Rams their first win at Viejas in 14 years.  If the Rams can continue to play as well as they did on Saturday for the rest of the season, they have a real chance to challenge for the conference regular season title.  However, depth may prove to be an issue, especially when it comes time to play three games in three days in the conference tournament.

The visiting Boise State Broncos are currently 13-7 overall and 6-3 in league play.  They picked up a 15 point win at Wyoming this past weekend.  Chandler Hutchison had 14 points in the win, which was actually one of his lower point totals so far this season.  He has topped the 20 point mark nine times this season including a 23 point effort last week in a loss to Nevada.  The Broncos picked up a home win over Colorado State back on December 31 by one point, 74-73.  Hutchison had a double-double in that win, with 20 points and 11 rebounds, including the game winning three pointer.  If tonight’s game is anywhere close to as good as they first matchup between these teams, it will definitely be worth the watch!

 

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The Hoops HD Report: January 30th

Posted on January 30, 2017 by David Griggs

Kyle Lamb joins the panel, and they begin by discussing the different types of college basketball power rankings metrics.  Each panelist discusses whether or not each member values them, how they go about implementing them, and how they feel the selection committee uses them.  From there, they review some of the big games from the weekend, including Kansas’s huge win at Rupp Arena, and Villanova’s thriller over a Virginia team that, despite the loss, is looking better and better.  From there they run through all of the multi-bid leagues and touch on Gonzaga’s #1 rankings, UCLA’s recent struggles, the big game coming up between Kansas and Baylor, Kentucky’s two straight losses, the strength of the ACC, Xavier’s and Creighton’s issues with injuries, and much more.

 

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

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