Hoops HD

Last Saturday Vanderbilt lost to Arkansas in the SEC semifinals but was still good enough to earn an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Commodores became the 1st team to ever make the NCAA tourney with 15 losses, mostly because their strength of schedule was 1 of the best in the nation.  They will face #8-seed Northwestern in a West Region match-up on Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with SR PF Luke Kornet about being an Academic All-American and following in his father’s footsteps.

In the 1988 NCAA tourney your father Frank (an All-SEC player at Vandy) had 20 PTS/10 REB in a 3-PT win over Utah State and then played 40 minutes in a 6-PT OT win over Pitt that was helped by Barry Goheen’s 24-footer at the end of regulation: who is the best athlete in the family, and does he talk about that tourney run all the time?! My dad probably would have qualified back in the day and was a good athlete. I have heard about it but he talks more about the Sweet 16 game when they lost to Danny Manning and eventual champion Kansas.

You grew 7” as a high school senior in Texas: how did that affect your game, and what made you choose the Commodores? I was very behind athletically so it was difficult for me to even run/jump. It took awhile for me to improve: it was a big switch to go from playing on the wing to guarding ball screens and battling in the post for rebounds. I had to develop my body before I could play against D-1 players and become a solid big man. Both of my parents went to Vanderbilt and I was pretty familiar with the place. It was an obvious choice to me because it is such a good school.

You play for Coach Bryce Drew: what makes him such a great coach, and how many times have you seen video of his famous shot from 1998? He is great at setting the tone for the whole program. He works very hard but is always trying to figure out the best way for us to get better and grow on a daily basis. I have seen his shot quite a few times but he does not talk about it a lot: it is the media who mentions it all of the time.

In January of 2016 you had a triple-double (11 PTS/11 REB/school-record 10 BLK) in a win over Auburn: where does that rank among the best all-around performances of your career? It is probably my best game from a blatant statistical standpoint, but I feel that I have had some better games in terms of big games against good teams, such as Senior Night when we beat Florida. There were other games where I played a smaller role but helped us get a big win.

You faced a ton of NCAA tourney teams in non-conference play including Bucknell/Butler/Dayton/Iowa State/Marquette/Middle Tennessee/Minnesota: how brutal was that schedule, and which of these teams impressed you the most? It was difficult because it seemed like we could not go more than 1 game before having to face another tourney-caliber team. It was hard to build up any momentum due to all of those constant tests, although it did help us improve. Middle Tennessee was a very talented team: they do not get a fair say because they are a mid-major but it will be fun to see them play a 5-12 game vs. Minnesota, who we also played this year. I think it will be a pretty cool match-up to watch.

You started conference play 5-7 before winning 7 of your next 8 games: how were you able to turn things around so dramatically in February? It finally started clicking for us even while we were losing. We began to play a higher quality of basketball so we felt like we were getting better rather than simply getting discouraged by focusing on the results. It kept building on itself and we fought through the losses and then started to string together some wins: our attitude was important.

You have beaten Florida 3 times in the past 7 weeks: what advice do you have for your fellow in-state tourney team East Tennessee State who gets to play them on Thursday? The Gators are a team that you never look forward to playing. They have talent all over the court and are fast so 1 big thing is to keep their guards out of the lane.  You have to grind out a lot of possessions and expect a fight for 40 minutes, and you cannot get discouraged when they make a run.

In the 2016 1st 4 you had 8 PTS/9 REB in a loss to Wichita State: what did you learn from that loss that you think will help you this time around? I learned that we have to give a full 40-minute performance. The Shockers did not break away from us until the final 8 minutes so you cannot get overconfident if you make a run early: you have to stay committed and not let your emotions get the best of you.

Earlier this month you were named 2nd-team Academic All-American due to your 3.71 GPA in a double-major of computer science/math: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom, and what is your plan after you graduate this spring? Early on it seemed like I just went from class to practice to homework. You can never let yourself fall behind: you definitely have to get your work done whenever you can. It was not easy at first but I was committed to never slipping in my schoolwork. I am planning to play basketball for as long as I can, hopefully in the NBA or professionally somewhere else. After that I might take a computer science job, or become a coach, or work for a non-profit.

How do you feel about getting a #9-seed, and what do you know about Northwestern? I think a #9 is great for us: I heard that we were predicted to be anywhere from a #8 to missing the tourney entirely. Northwestern has been pretty amazing this year: they are a well-balanced team without many weaknesses. It will be a tough/physical game: I expect them to be fully locked-in for 40 minutes so we will have to be focused as well.

Last Saturday North Dakota had a 4-PT OT win over Weber State in the Big Sky title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Fighting Hawks have made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances but their very 1st as a D-1 program will come against #2-seed Arizona in a West Region match-up on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with North Dakota assistant coach Jeff Horner about his own tourney memories as a player at Iowa and winning a tourney title game in OT last weekend.

You graduated from Iowa as the school’s all-time leader with 612 AST/262 3PM: how did you balance your scoring with your passing, and what is the key to being a good PG? I just let the game come to me: I would start out trying to find my teammates, and then get my own scoring going later in the game if necessary. It was easy to balance it out because when you are playing 36 MPG you can make mistakes and still remain on the floor.

In 2006 you were named Big 10 tourney MVP but then lost to #14-seed Northwestern State in the NCAA tourney when Jermaine Wallace made a fadeaway 3-PT shot with 0.5 seconds left in a 1-PT upset: what is the key to winning games in March, and what is the key to being a Cinderella? You just have to come in and play with a lot of confidence. Even though we were a #3-seed, Northwestern State was not afraid of us: they played carefree whereas we felt that we had everything to lose. The biggest problem for us is that after we built a 17-PT lead we were unable to stop their own momentum during their comeback.

You work for Coach Brian Jones: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He has taught me how to handle players: he lets our guys be our guys regardless of their background. I think that is the toughest thing for college coaches to do, which is why our kids respect him and want to play for him.

In the 2016 CIT your team had a 3-PT OT loss to UC Irvine: what did your team learn from that game that you think can help them going forward this year? We were able to host a postseason game, which was a big deal for our school, and hopefully we got some experience that we can use to play on a bigger stage this week. We do not lack confidence and are not afraid to play against anyone.

You do not have a single guy on your roster who grew up in North Dakota: what sort of recruiting philosophy does your staff have? We have a kid coming in next year who was the North Dakota high school POY so hopefully we can get our in-state recruiting going well over the next couple of years. We have a lot of connections in Minneapolis/Iowa and have brought in a few JC guys as well. I feel that a lot of kids from the Midwest are a good fit for our staff’s personality.

You played several good non-conference teams this year like Bakersfield/Iowa/Northern Iowa: which 1 of them impressed you the most? Iowa was really young this year but still made the NIT. Bakersfield is super-athletic and UNI has a great coach in Ben Jacobson. Playing those good teams earlier this year should help us in the postseason.

SO PG/SG Cortez Seales was named Big Sky 6th Man of the Year: what makes him such a good player, and how crucial has your bench play been to your team’s success this year? He has an old-school game where he does not take a lot of threes or dunk the ball: his mid-range shooting is fantastic. His teammates call him “the ultimate bad shot-maker” because he misses a lot of open shots but it is just impossible for opponents to block his shot even when they are right on him. We bring a couple of other guys off the bench including a 7-footer in Carson Shanks, who he will be a big key when facing a big team like Arizona. Our bench has been huge and brings it everyday in practice even if they are not getting a lot of minutes during games.

Last Saturday Quinton Hooker was named conference tourney MVP after scoring 28 PTS in a 93-89 OT win over Weber State in the Big Sky tourney title game: how were you able to pull out the win, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I honestly do not know how we pulled it out! We were trailing at the end and not making plays that we usually make but we just kept fighting. I told a fellow assistant that if we could somehow get it to OT that the game was ours. Everyone was happy and there were many tears of joy: this exact moment is why you work so hard during the off-season. We had an assembly when we got back to campus with hundreds of people who showed up: it was awesome.

After starting the season 5-6 you have only lost 3 games since New Year’s Eve by a combined 10 PTS: how were you able to turn things around in January? The 1st 10 games were against a lot of big/tough teams on the road, but we always competed and felt that we stayed right with our opponents. We got a big-time wake-up call after getting beat by 37 PTS at Portland State in late-December, so that loss helped us re-focus, as did our loss to Sacramento State a couple of weeks ago.

You received a #15-seed: what do you know about Arizona, and are you going to ask your old college coach Steve Alford (now at UCLA) for any tips on his Pac-12 rival? They are huge and super-talented with big guards and a very good team. Some people are picking them to go all the way, but we just have to keep it close and play with nothing to lose. I have already texted Coach Alford so hopefully he can help us out a bit!

Last Saturday New Orleans had a 3-PT OT win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Privateers have not made the NCAA tourney since 1996 but are finally back this year and will face fellow #16-seed Mount St. Mary’s tonight in the 1st 4 in Dayton, with the winner having the daunting task of facing defending champ Villanova in an East Region match-up on Thursday night in Buffalo. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Coach Mark Slessinger about why he took the job and how he ended up as conference COY.

You played PG at Aurora: how good a player were you back in the day, and how did you 1st get into coaching? I was an absolutely horrible player but the only thing I have wanted to do since 5th grade is become a coach. I worked at camps, became a student assistant, and was lucky enough to break into D-1 at age 22.

You spent more than a decade as an assistant to Mike McConathy at Northwestern State: what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? We do not have enough time to discuss everything because I learned so much while working next to him. He taught me how to keep basketball in perspective and use the game as a coaching ministry to teach kids about life. He was very influential in how I approach the game.

You were hired in 2011 with a 3-player roster and no conference affiliation: why did you decide to take a job that you yourself later called a “train wreck”? The circumstances were unlike anything that I have ever seen but it was an opportunity to become a head coach in a city I love. I met my wife here and it is a special place. I saw a chance to build a winner the right way.

You played several power conference teams this year in Northwestern/Oklahoma State/USC/Washington State: which 1 of them impressed you the most? We were very impressed with USC’s athleticism: it was simply incredible. The Cowboys were really good and I am very impressed with how Coach Brad Underwood turned things around so quickly. Ernie Kent/Chris Collins are great coaches as well.

SR SF Erik Thomas was named conference POY/conference tourney MVP: what makes him such a great player, and how crucial has he been to your team’s success? He is extremely disciplined in his game: he scores within our framework and is 1 of the most efficient players in the country. He can put the ball in the basket in a ton of ways but plays very selflessly. He is a winner and once we figured that out we became aggressive in getting him the ball in places where he can score.

You won 10 games last year and are now in the NCAA tourney: how were you able to improve so much in only 1 year? A lot of the credit goes to my staff: we never stopped working because we knew that we had a lot of the pieces already here and had a lot of good guys. Sometimes you just have to invest the time/human resources into getting your players to believe that they are winners.

Last week you were named Southland COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was a great honor not just for me but for my entire staff. I have been in the league for almost 15 years so it was very humbling.

Last Saturday you had a 3-PT OT win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: how were you able to pull out the win, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? We just stayed the course with our game plan and did not get sideways with what we thought was important: defend/rebound. We have had some up and down nights during the season.  You cannot always make your shots but we were relentless in the 2nd half and just would not lose. It was as good of a coaching experience as any that I have ever had: the looks on the guys’ faces was phenomenal.

Your $5 million athletic budget is 1 of the smallest in D-1: did you have anything saved for the Selection Show party?! We had a wonderful event on campus at our great facility featuring 1 of the best brass bands in the city: we have a very supportive campus.

How do you feel about getting a #16-seed, and what do you know about Mount St. Mary’s? We could not be happier to be in Dayton: there is no better venue to play in and we are pulling up for practice right now. We know that Mount St. Mary’s is very talented so it should be an entertaining game.

Last Saturday New Orleans had a 3-PT OT win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Privateers have not made the NCAA tourney since 1996 but are finally back this year and will face fellow #16-seed Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday evening in the 1st 4 in Dayton, with the winner having the daunting task of facing defending champ Villanova in an East Region match-up on Thursday night in Buffalo. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with SR PG Christavious Gill about winning a conference title in OT.

You are 1 of several players on the roster who grew up in Louisiana: what made you choose New Orleans? I have had a relationship with Coach Sless since he started recruiting me when I was back in the 9th grade.  When he came to UNO he gave me my only D-1 offer and showed me that this could be home.

What makes Coach Mark Slessinger such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He gives all his players confidence and shows us how to grow up and the qualities of being a man.

You are only 5’8”: do you view your size as an advantage or a disadvantage on the court? I view it as an advantage because I am much quicker on offense and can stay lower than my opponent on defense. I can do a lot of things that taller guys simply cannot do.

Last March you scored a career-high 38 PTS/8-12 3PM in a win over Northwestern State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? We had to win that game to make our conference tourney and I did not want our lone senior to go out like that so I played my hardest and laid it all on the line.

Your roster is loaded with juniors and seniors: how crucial has all of that experience been to your team’s success this year? It has been very crucial. Myself and 3 other juniors on the team had a down year last season but worked hard this summer. We brought in a couple of JC transfers and we all stuck together. We dropped 2 games down the stretch but pulled together and made a run in the conference tourney.

You played several power conference teams this year in Oklahoma State/USC/Washington State: which 1 of them impressed you the most? The Cowboys pressured hard on defense but that game helped turn our whole season around because it showed us that we needed to work harder.

SR SF Erik Thomas was named conference POY/conference tourney MVP: what makes him such a great player? His work ethic/positive attitude: he is always smiling and never has any negative energy. He has worked so hard for the past 12 months and even told us before the season started that he would win POY. I am prouder of him than anyone else and I let him know it every day.

You won 10 games last year and are now in the NCAA tourney: how was your team able to improve so much in only 1 year? Just working! We are blue-collar street-sweepers and never take a day off because we wanted it so much. Stephen F. Austin had won our conference for the past 3 years but we wanted to show the world that we could win. Our coaches believed in us and we listened to every word they had to say.

Last Saturday you scored 10 PTS in a 3-PT OT win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: how were you able to pull out the win, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was all about executing down the stretch. We felt like we had a story to tell. We were down by 7 PTS at halftime but it was like a movie in that we were able to come all the way back and make our dream come true. It was a surreal/special moment that I will never forget.

What do you think about being a #16-seed, and what do you know about Mount St. Mary’s? We are happy to be here and it is a blessing. Mount St. Mary’s is a good team who presses a lot but we look forward to playing them.