NCAA Tournament First Round Rundown: Thursday March 17th

Posted on March 17, 2016 by David Griggs

Click here for Jon Teitel’s latest interview with Colorado PG Dominique Collier

Also click here for John Stalica’s recap and preview of last night’s other postseason games – including Grand Canyon’s game tonight!

Here it is folks – the NCAA Tournament finally begins in earnest today. We have all the game times and networks listed below; you can also click here to view live streams of all the games throughout the day. I haven’t seen this year’s Boss Button yet, but I’m sure that it will be able to fool simpletons like Chad and John into thinking that their employees are actually working today instead of watching these thrilling matchups.

Not too many great games were offered in Dayton, but we did get one decent appetizer between Tulsa and Michigan. Despite facing a pro-Buckeye crowd in Dayton last night, Zak Irvin hit a go-ahead 3 pointer that finally pushed Michigan ahead for good and ensures that they will play Notre Dame in the first round in Brooklyn on Friday.

#13 UNC WILMINGTON VS #4 DUKE (12:15 PM, CBS).  UNC Wilmington is below the sightline of most of the nation, but they are a very good team who won multiple games that, while not against tournament teams, were still tough to win.  At the same time, Duke has not always been the strongest team away from home.  They had one big road win at UNC, but outside of that they really haven’t won many games away from Cameron against teams that are as good as I think this UNCW team is.

#9 BUTLER VS #8 TEXAS TECH (12:40 PM, TruTV).  Both teams had good seasons, and both should be even better in the years to come.  It’s an evenly matched game between two very battle tested teams that I think could go either way.

#9 CONNECTICUT VS #8 COLORADO (1:30 PM, TNT).  I really like how UConn was playing at the end of the year.  They’ve had some big ups and downs, but at the end they appeared to be pretty solid.  Colorado is strong as well, but struggled away from home.  Granted the games they played away form home were typically against very good teams.

#13 IONA VS #4 IOWA STATE (2:00 PM, TBS).  Iona loves to push the pace and they can be very frustrating and build big leads in a hurry with their transition game.  Iowa State better be prepared for that and not overlook them.

#12 YALE VS #5 BAYLOR (app. 2:45 PM, CBS).  I like both these teams and a Yale upset wouldn’t shock me, but Baylor looked good throughout most of conference play in an absolutely brutal conference.  I know they ended the season losing three of four, but all of three losses were close games to top ten teams.

#16 HAMPTON VS #1 VIRGINIA (app. 3:10 PM, TruTV).  I guess this is as intriguing as a 1 v 16 game can get, but it still appears to be a huge mismatch.  Virginia is a legit contender to win it all and they should roll in this game.

#16 AUSTIN PEAY VS #1 KANSAS (app. 4:00 PM, TNT).  Austin Peay had an exciting run through their conference tournament, whereas Kansas pretty much stomped all over their conference.  The Govs weren’t even close to being the best team in their league for most of the season, which is why they’re on the #16 line.  Kansas should roll.

#12 LITTLE ROCK VS #5 PURDUE (app. 4:30 PM, TBS).  I really like this Little Rock team.  They’re below the sightline, but they’re really good.  They’re not as good as Purdue, but they’re certainly good enough to beat Purdue if the Boilers overlook them and/or don’t take them seriously.  Now, having said that, I thought Purdue played really well all throughout the Big Ten Tournament.  Prior to that I had questions about them not as a tournament team, but as a team that could do well in the tournament.  I now think that htey can.

#14 BUFFALO VS #3 MIAMI FL (6:50 PM, TNT).  Miami has had a really good year, but they’ve been known to take a nap every now and then.  Buffalo is good enough to beat Miami if Miami is asleep, but other than that the Canes should get this one.

#12 CHATTANOOGA VS #5 INDIANA (7:10 PM, CBS).  Indiana went out early in their conference tournament and most would take that as an indicator that they’re not going to do well in the NCAAs, but prior to that they had been playing really well.  I’ve liked this Chattanooga team all year, and I still think they’re good enough to pull the upset, but I’m not going to go so far as to predict it.  The Mocs are a deep team that likes to run, and IU has been known to struggle defensively, though, so it’s not an impossibility.

#16 FLORIDA GULF COAST VS #1 NORTH CAROLINA (7:20 PM, TBS).  UNC had their struggles away from home during the year, but considering that they just won the ACC Tournament, I no longer think of them as a team that’s vulnerable away from home.  FGCU won their First Four game in a blowout.  Today, they will likely be on the receiving end of a blowout.

#14 FRESNO STATE VS #3 UTAH (7:27 PM, TruTV).  I really like this Fresno State team and I think they have a lot of momentum coming into this and that their program is on the right track.  I just don’t think they have quite enough to knock off what I believe is a very good Utah team.  I wouldn’t call an upset an impossibility, but it isn’t likely.

#11 WICHITA STATE VS #6 ARIZONA (app. 9:20 PM, TNT).  I think both teams are capable of playing better than what their paper indicates.  This is a Wichita team that was in the Sweet Sixteen just a year ago and has most of that team back, so they are very experienced.  If they were to knock off Arizona most would call it an upset, but in reality both teams are very evenly matched.

#13 STONY BROOK VS #4 KENTUCKY (app. 9:40 PM, CBS).  Stony Brook is finally in the NCAA Tournament.  They’re a good team that I think is capable of pulling the upset in a game like this if the match up was right.  Unfortunately for them, I don’t think this match up is right.  Kentucky has struggled on the road against some really bad teams throughout the season, but they just won the SEC Tournament and beat some good teams along the way.  Stony Brook may put up more of a fight than many are expecting, but I don’t think they go full throttle and pull the upset.

#9 PROVIDENCE VS #8 USC (app. 9:50 PM, TBS).  USC has mostly been a home court hero, but they’ve had a very good season overall.  Providence has been up and down all year, but their big wins have shown that their ceiling is extremely high.  Like most 8v9 games, this one is a bit of a wild card.

#11 GONZAGA VS #6 SETON HALL (app. 9:57 PM, TruTV).  I don’t understand how a team can beat two top ten teams away from home in the final week of the season, yet still end up on the #6 line.  But, that’s what happened to Seton Hall.  I think Gonzaga isn’t good enough to be in without the automatic bid, and I don’t see them stepping up on a team that’s looking like a protected seed right now.

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Under The Radar Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Thursday, March 17

Posted on March 17, 2016 by John Stalica

Before we get to the main course of NCAA Tournament action, let’s take a look at the other three postseason tournaments that are underway:

– Last night’s stunner took place in Olean between St. Bonaventure and Wagner – the Seahawks began the game by taking a 26-10 lead on the road. The Bonnies were able to cut the lead to 2 late in the 2nd half, but Romone Saunders hit a crushing 3 on the next possession for Wagner and they were able to pull off the biggest upset of the NIT this season. Wagner’s reward will be a road trip to Creighton on Saturday at noon (EDT).

– There were a pair of other close games in the NIT last night – after Hofstra tied their game at GW with 13 seconds remaining in regulation, Alex Mitola would hit a game-winner 9 seconds later to give the Colonials an 82-80 victory. Princeton also had a 2-point lead in regulation against Virginia Tech, but the Hokies’ Seth Allen hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining to tie the game and force OT after Princeton was unable to cash in on their final possession of regulation. Jalen Hudson had a decisive 3-point play to give Virginia Tech an 86-81 overtime victory.

– The misery continues for North Dakota – despite a CIT-high 5 appearances in the tournament, they are still winless thanks to UC-Irvine’s 89-86 win in OT last night. The other thrilling game of the night came between UT-Martin and Central Michigan; the Skyhawks were able to keep Central Michigan scoreless for the final 2:57 of this game. Alex-Anderson hit the go-ahead 3-pointer for UT-Martin; they would go on to win 76-73.

– Last night was a very exciting game if you love offense between Nebraska-Omaha and Duquesne. It was a rarity indeed for the Mavericks – they ended up scoring 80 points in the 2nd half against Duquesne, yet they still lost 120-112 to the Dukes. Both teams exceeded the previous CBI record of 102 points that Creighton posted in 2011 in a win against Davidson. Another exciting finish came between Albany and Ohio – after Albany’s Evan Singletary hit a 3 near the end of regulation to send the game to OT, Treg Setty scored 9 of his game-high 30 points to ensure that Ohio would move on to the 2nd round of the CBI.

– Despite being down by 6 at the half, UNC-Greensboro managed to secure their first-ever postseason victory with a 69-65 victory over Houston Baptist. In another game where one set of Catamounts was assured to win, Vermont defeated Western Carolina 79-74.

NIT

(4) FLORIDA STATE AT (1) VALPARAISO – Both teams are on a quick turnaround after a pair of wins on Tuesday night. Valpo had a close game with Texas Southern for about a half, but Alec Peters and Keith Carter led the Crusaders to an 11-point win at home. Florida State gradually pulled away from Davidson after dominating the Wildcats in the paint (48 points to 24) and on the boards (44-28). The winner will play either Georgia or St. Mary’s for the right to advance to Madison Square Garden.

CIT (click on the CIT link for a live stream)

JACKSON STATE AT GRAND CANYON (10:00 PM) – Both the Tigers and the Lopes won a pair of close games on Monday night, and there will be a quick turnaround for this 2nd round game between Jackson State and the Team of the People. Don’t forget to stream this game along with the other 4 NCAA Tournament games going on tonight as well!

 

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Colorado SO PG Dominique Collier

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Colorado trailed Arizona by 20 PTS early in the 2nd half of last Thursday’s Pac-12 tourney quarterfinals and most Wildcat fans were already looking ahead to facing Oregon in the semifinals…until George King made a 3-PT shot with 2 seconds left that almost capped off an improbable comeback, but Arizona held on for the 4-PT win.  The Buffaloes’ 22-11 record and several quality wins were enough for them to receive an at-large bid and a #8-seed to this week’s NCAA tournament, where they will face Connecticut in Des Moines on Thursday.  Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Dominique Collier about the quality of the Pac-12 and his ability to make shots from behind the arc.

collier

You grew up in Denver: what made you choose the Buffaloes? The environment of Boulder and the coaches. When I came on my visit I also bonded with the team really well.

You played in 30 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I tried to be aggressive and do what the coaches asked me to do when I was out there. I tried to be confident and play my game.

Last March you made it to the CBI quarterfinals before scoring 11 PTS in a loss to Seattle: what did you learn from that experience that you think will help you in the postseason this year? We learned that every team is good this time of year and the level of play increases a lot because it is win or go home. Our leader last year (Askia Booker) did not play so we needed a lot of other guys to step up in his absence.

You play for Coach Tad Boyle: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He pays attention to detail and tells us to believe in our game. All of the coaches believe in us but to hear that from Coach Boyle in meetings really helps.

You beat several good teams in conference play this season including Oregon/Cal/Arizona: how good is your conference, and which of these teams impressed you the most? Everyone in the conference is really good, even last-place Washington State (the Cougars’ 2 losses to Colorado this year were by a combined 12 PTS). I think that our conference is really underrated nationally but having so many teams in the NCAA tourney will open people’s eyes.

You shot 45.5 3P% this season: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? I worked a lot in the off-season on my shooting and changed my technique to keep my elbow up and tweak my wrist.

Your team is #3 in the nation in REB: how are you able to dominate on the boards? We emphasize that a lot in practice. We have a rule that if you do not box out then you have to run so we take a lot of pride in it. We have big guys in the post and big guys on the wing who all like to rebound.

Josh Scott is the only senior among your top-7 scorers: do you feel that your team is built to win right now or that you are going to be even better next year? I feel that we are built to win right now. Josh is our best player and we look to get him touches every possession, but I think we will be good next year even though Josh is gone. He is as good a player as we have ever had here.

1 of your AAU teammates was Conner Frankamp, who scored 8 PTS for Wichita State on Tuesday in their 20-PT win over Vanderbilt in the 1st Four: how good a player was he back in the day, and what advice do you have for him when the Shockers face Arizona on Thursday? He can really shoot the ball, which made my job a whole lot easier as a PG because I got a lot of assists by passing him the ball. I would tell him to box out and be tough on the boards because Arizona is 1 of the best rebounding teams in our league.

You ended up with a #8-seed and will play UConn on Thursday in Des Moines: do you think you deserved a higher seed, and how are you preparing to face the Huskies? I did not mind the seeding. We have spent the past couple of days preparing for UConn and are looking forward to the matchup and the challenge.

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Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Wednesday, March 16

Posted on March 16, 2016 by John Stalica

Click here for David Griggs’ preview of the First Four

Click below for Jon Teitel’s postseason preview interviews:

South Dakota State – PG Deondre Parks
Dayton – SG Charles Cooke
Saint Joseph’s – SG/SF Aaron Brown
Stephen F. Austin – SG/SF Thomas Walkup
Saint Joseph’s – SF Isaiah Miles
Middle Tennessee State – Assistant Coach Win Case
Texas A&M – Assistant Coach Rick Stansbury
Fresno State – Assistant Coach Jerry Wainwright
UNC-Wilmington – G Craig Ponder
Holy Cross – SG/SF Eric Green
UNC-Asheville – Head Coach Nick McDevitt
Florida Gulf Coast – SF Marc-Eddy Norelia
Northern Iowa – Head Coach Ben Jacobson

Judging by some of the emails that we received yesterday, Florida really couldn’t wait to start renovations at the O’Connell Athletic Center (more affectionately known as the O-Dome). Their first-round game was actually played at North Florida, although that did little to change the result of last night’s game, a decisive 97-68 win for the Gators. Their next opponent will be Ohio State up in Columbus; the Buckeyes survived an overtime thriller at home against in-state foe Akron by a 72-63 final.

The toughest loss of the night and the best chance for an upset fell by the wayside when New Mexico State’s Tanveer Bhullar had actually tied the game for the Aggies with just under 2 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, New Mexico State fouled the Gaels shortly after the ball was inbounded, and Joe Rahon hit a pair of free throws to give St. Mary’s a 58-56 win.

South Carolina had suspended 5 of their players just minutes before the start of their game against High Point – the game was close at halftime, but the Gamecocks shifted gears in the 2nd half and pulled away with a decisive 88-66 victory. In all, there were no upsets in the NIT last night.

The game of the night took place in the CIT; despite falling behind 20-3 early in the game and on the road, Ball State was able to overcome 31 turnovers and defeated Tennessee State 78-73 in double overtime. This was the first time since 2002 that the Cards were able to win a postseason game and reach the 20-win mark.  (CHAD’S NOTE: That was nice,  John — bit this buzzer beater was nicer: http://www.collegeinsider.com/pvideo/221/Furman-Buzzer-Beater-2016-CIT)

NIT

(8) WAGNER AT (1) ST. BONAVENTURE (7:00 PM, ESPN3) – Technically, these are both in-state foes, although they are separated by over 300 miles. The Bonnies were one of the main snubs of the NCAA Tournament and will be playing for their own pride as well as the pride of the Atlantic 10. Wagner’s goal will simply be for a better outing than their conference partners at Fairleigh Dickinson last night.

(6) BELMONT AT (3) GEORGIA (7:00 PM, ESPN2) – This may well be the game of the night from a competitive standpoint in the NIT. The Bruins had a stunning loss in the OVC semifinals to Austin Peay, but nonetheless had another decent (albeit not dominant) season in the Ohio Valley. Georgia was able to land a plum seed in the NIT thanks to a 3-game sweep over South Carolina, but they’re going to need their first 4 NIT games if they want to beat South Carolina for a 4th time this season.

(8) BUCKNELL AT (1) MONMOUTH (7:30 PM, ESPN3) – This would be a plum Under The Radar Game of the Day in the regular season, but still has a lot of intrigue for a team many consider to be the biggest exclusion from the NCAA Tournament field this season. Bucknell had an equally stunning loss at home against Holy Cross to end their NCAA Tournament hopes, but they get entry into the NIT thanks to their Patriot League regular season title.

(6) PRINCETON AT (3) VIRGINIA TECH (8:00 PM, ESPNU) – Cassell Coliseum has quietly become one of the formidable home courts in the country this season – the few notable teams that did win there were at West Virginia and North Carolina. Even Virginia and Miami could not escape the Cassell, but Princeton has always posed a unique challenge for teams in any level of postseason.

(5) HOFSTRA AT (4) GEORGE WASHINGTON (8:00 PM, ESPN3) – While Hofstra did earn an automatic bid into the NIT with a share of the Colonial and the #1 seed, their merits would have also netted them an at-large NIT bid if needed. While not invincible at home, GW has nonetheless been a difficult place to play at home. However, will a 2nd straight NIT bid be met with apathy by the Colonial Army?

(5) HOUSTON AT (4) GEORGIA TECH (9:00 PM, ESPN2) – This has been a year of nice progress for Houston under Kelvin Sampson; highlights include wins at Temple and UConn and big home wins over Cincinnati, Tulsa and SMU. Georgia Tech is also taking a little longer to right the ship under Brian Gregory, but they’ve pulled off a few nice wins at home against Notre Dame and Virginia and even managed a decent road win at Florida State. This should be the most evenly matched game tonight.

(7) UAB AT (2) BYU (10:00 PM, ESPNU) – UAB was a shocking no-show during their Conference USA tournament in their hometown of Birmingham, but nonetheless are assured of an NIT bid because of their regular season title in C-USA. BYU had some nice wins against St. Mary’s and at Gonzaga earlier in the year, but wound up in the NIT because of a lot of head-scratching losses in the West Coast Conference. They cannot take the Blazers lightly at home.

CIT (click on the CIT link for live streams)

TEXAS-ARLINGTON AT SAVANNAH STATE (7:00 PM) – UT-Arlington was a team that we watched for most of the season because of their early wins over Memphis and Ohio State, but they were unable to sustain that momentum in the Sun Belt conference. They did advance to the Sun Belt semifinals before losing to Louisiana-Monroe. While Savannah State did have a losing record against Division I competition, they did manage a winning record in the MEAC this season.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY AT FORDHAM (7:00 PM) – Normally, our staff at HoopsHD would have lobbied hard for this game to be played at The Roof on Boston U’s campus. But we will gladly make an exception here since this is Fordham’s first postseason appearance in 24 years at the oldest gym in Division I, Rose Hill Gym. It’s been a great turnaround for the Rams since Jeff Neubauer took over as head coach this season.

NORFOLK STATE AT COLUMBIA (7:00 PM) – This year actually breaks a 4-year streak where Norfolk State had played in 4 different postseason tournaments for 4 straight years, but they had wisely chosen the CIT instead of the cluster that’s known as the Vegas 16/Vegas 8. Columbia is actually making their 2nd CIT appearance in 3 years after finishing a very respectable 3rd place in the Ivy League behind Yale and Princeton. Columbia should also be a beneficiary of the Ivy League tournament making its debut next season, but that will have to wait for one more year.

NEW HAMPSHIRE AT FAIRFIELD (7:00 PM) – As hard as it is to believe given their history, New Hampshire is actually making their second consecutive postseason appearance (both of which are in the CIT). While Fairfield hasn’t had a taste of the Big Dance since 1997 and their very close game against North Carolina, the Stags are making their 4th appearance in the CIT.

TENNESSEE-MARTIN AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (7:00 PM) – As impressive as the turnaround at UT-Martin has been the last 2 seasons, there is some disappointment from their inability to stop the Cinderella run of Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley Conference championship. They should be well rested against a Central Michigan team that was upset by Bowling Green in the MAC quarterfinals.

ARMY-WEST POINT AT NJIT (7:30 PM) – The original Team of the People looks to duplicate their Cinderella run in the CIT last year by beginning with a win against an Army team that is making its first postseason appearance since 1978; back then, they were led by a very young coach and former Army Captain (on the court and in the ranks of the United States Army) by the name of Mike Krzyzewski.

UC-IRVINE AT NORTH DAKOTA (8:00 PM) – Despite a CIT-record 5th appearance in the tournament, North Dakota still has not managed to win a game in this tournament since its inception. That is not likely to change against a battle-tested UC-Irvine team that finished runner-up to Hawai’i in the Big West.

TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI AT UL-LAFAYETTE (8:00 PM) – The Islanders of Corpus Christi have to be relieved in one sense that they won’t have to face SFA this year after they were beaten 3 times, including the Southland Conference championship. While Lafayette was originally projected by HoopsHD to win the Sun Belt at the beginning of the season, their path to the NCAA Tournament was derailed by eventual Sun Belt champion Arkansas-Little Rock.

CBI (click on the CBI link for live streams)

OMAHA AT DUQUESNE (7:00 PM) – While Duquesne is no stranger to the CBI (this is their 3rd appearance in this tournament), the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are making their first appearance in the CBI tonight. While Duquesne made most of their headlines for being stranded in a blizzard on the Pennsylvania Turnpike back in January, they’ve quietly put together a nice season in the A-10. Micah Mason and Derrick Colter will lead the Dukes to their first home game in the postseason since their appearance in the 1994 NIT.

ALBANY AT OHIO (7:00 PM) – Albany had put together a solid season in the America East conference (finishing only behind Stony Brook), but they were stunned in the quarterfinal round of their conference tournament at home against Hartford. Ohio University also put together a runner-up finish in the MAC this season, but they lost to Buffalo in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament in Cleveland. While this is the 5th straight year of postseason play for the Great Danes, this is the first postseason appearance for OU since Saul Phillips took over as head coach 2 years ago.

HOUSTON BAPTIST AT UNC-GREENSBORO (7:00 PM) – One need not look any further at the CBI being a pay-for-play tournament than to justify Greensboro getting into the tournament this season (much less hosting a game). Even with a record of 11-18, the Spartans are making their first postseason appearance since 2002 when they played in the NIT. Houston Baptist also comes into the game with a losing record at 13-16, but they at least advanced to the semifinals of the Southland conference tournament before losing to eventual champion SFA.

WESTERN CAROLINA AT VERMONT (7:00 PM) – Vermont is a much more worthy team than the aforementioned two teams; the Catamounts are here after blowing a double-digit lead on the road at Stony Brook on Saturday in the America East championship game. Western Carolina also enters the game with a losing record at 13-17, but they did upset conference champion Chattanooga in the regular season.

PEPPERDINE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON (9:00 PM) – Pepperdine was the best team in the West Coast Conference outside of the Big 3 of Gonzaga, St. Mary’s and BYU. They swept the Gaels in the regular season, but they were unable to beat them a third time in the conference tournament. Eastern Washington was able to finish .500 in a rebuilding year after winning the Big Sky championship a year ago.

MONTANA AT NEVADA (10:00 PM) – Montana had another runner-up finish in the Big Sky tournament – this year, it was Weber State who denied the Grizzlies a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Nevada finished in a tie for fourth place in the Mountain West, which would normally merit an NIT bid or even an NCAA Tournament bid. Given that the Mountain West was way down this year, their prize is a trip to the CBI this season.

IDAHO AT SEATTLE (10:00 PM) – If there were a Team of the People just for the CBI, it would be Idaho as long as our colleague Chad Sherwood suits up for the Vandals. Idaho has a worthy 19-12 record for inclusion into the tournament, unlike a 12-16 Seattle team that only finished .500 in the WAC.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews South Dakota State SR PG Deondre Parks

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Flint, MI has receive a lot of bad press over the past few months, but at least 1 good thing to come out of Flint is Deondre Parks.  Last week he scored 14 PTS to help lead the Jackrabbits to an 8-PT win over North Dakota State in the Summit tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament.  South Dakota State won a game in the 2015 NIT, so we shall see if they can win another postseason game on Friday against Maryland.  Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Deondre about the water in Flint and the rebounding in Brookings.

deondre

You grew up in Flint, MI, where 2 of your younger brothers have tested positive for lead poisoning: how did you feel after learning the truth about the city’s water situation over the past few months? I felt great that the news finally came out so that they will start doing something about it: we need justice to be done for what has happened.

Last year you were named Summit League Newcomer of the Year: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The guys knew how I played and just helped me get comfortable with the system so that I could be a great leader/teammate. I give a lot of credit to them for helping me out.

Last March in the NIT you scored 17 PTS in a win at Colorado State before scoring 10 PTS in a loss at Vandy: what did you learn from that experience that you think will help you in the postseason this year? We learned that anyone can be beat so you cannot take anyone lightly. We will compete at a high level against whoever we play and it gave us a lot of confidence to play free.

You play for Coach Scott Nagy, who is the winningest coach in school history: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He loves his guys: he meets with us individually to see what is going on in our lives and has helped me become a better man.

You played several good teams in non-conference play this season including Weber State/Texas Tech/FGCU: which of these teams impressed you the most? I would say Texas Tech: they have a great coach in Tubby Smith and some great players as well. They are tough and sooner or later they will be among the top teams in the Big 12.

On Tuesday you scored 14 PTS to help clinch an 8-PT win over North Dakota State and ended up being named to the All-Tourney team: were you out for revenge after a 1-PT loss to the Bison in last year’s title game, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I would not call it a revenge game: we got over it and we had some tough games to win the title this year. It is great to go to the NCAA tourney with these guys to end my career.

In the past week PF Mike Daum has been named conference ROY/conference 6th Man of Year/conference tourney MVP: what kind of relationship have you developed with your star freshman as the senior leader? I just tell him to stay aggressive. He is a hell of a player even as a freshman so if he keeps getting better each day he will be unstoppable. He is our main post presence so when I get him the ball he scores down low: he is a great listener.

Your team is among the top-30 in the nation in REB but Daum leads the team with only 6.1 RPG: how is your team able to dominate on the boards despite not having a single dominant rebounder? We just call it gang-rebounding. We have guys who have a great nose for the ball and we all try to rebound because we know that we are undersized. Coach also emphasizes that at practice.

Your teammate George Marshall played in the 2013 NCAA tourney with Wisconsin before becoming a Jackrabbit and assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft made 4 straight NCAA tourneys as a player for the Badgers from 2006-2009: have either of them given the team any advice about what to expect next week? George has been telling us how much fun it is, as has Coach Krabbenhoft. We are just ready to play and need to keep our heads straight and be ready to compete.

You ended up with a #12-seed and will play Maryland on Friday in Spokane: do you think you deserved a higher seed, and how are you preparing to face the Terps? We do not mind the seed we got: everyone knows that we can play. If we have confidence and play good defense then we can compete with anybody. Maryland is a great team and we are looking forward to playing them.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Dayton JR SG Charles Cooke

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Dayton looked like a lock to make the NCAA tournament on Valentine’s Day with a record of 21-3.  However, after losing 3 of their next 4 and then losing to St. Joe’s in the A-10 tourney semifinals on Saturday, they ended up avoiding heartbreak with an at-large bid and a #7-seed.  The Flyers lost to Oklahoma last March but hope to advance even farther this week . Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Charles Cooke about his senior leader and everyone’s favorite team from West Long Branch, NJ. 

cooke

In the 2013 NCAA tourney as a player at James Madison you scored 15 PTS in a win over LIU-Brooklyn and then scored 18 PTS in a loss to Indiana: what did that experience teach you about what it takes to win in March? It takes a clear mind and some confidence. You need focus/concentration, belief in your teammates and your coach’s game plan, and then go out and give it everything you got.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Dayton? I knew that I had more in me that needed to be pulled out, and Dayton was the top option to help me improve both personally as well as athletically. It has paid off so I feel that I made the right decision.

You play for Coach Archie Miller: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is very persistent and is all about hard work: he has a laser-focus but is also great at seeing the big picture. What really helped me is his determination/will/attitude. I am more of a finesse player but he has helped develop my mental toughness every single day, both on and off the court.

You beat several good teams in non-conference play this season including Iowa/Monmouth/Vandy: which of these teams impressed you the most? To be honest, I would say Monmouth. They are undersized but got up and down the floor and made shots. They used their quickness to beat a lot of teams this year, which surprised me.

Dyshawn Pierre was suspended for the fall semester: how important has his return been to your team’s success over the past few months? It has been huge for him to stretch the floor and be a threat on both ends of the court. He is really versatile and can defend anyone from a 2 to a 5.

Dyshawn is the only senior among your top-11 scorers: do you think that your team is ready to win right now or do you think that you are a year away from being a serious contender? You never worry about next year: we have an opportunity right now and we want to make sure he goes out with a bang by making it really far. We have high hopes but will take it game-by-game.

Your team is among the best in the nation at defensive rebounding: how are you able to dominate the boards despite none of your top-5 scorers being taller than 6’6”? Whenever a shot goes up we just box our man out and try to get the rebound. Most of our losses this year have come when we were out-rebounded so everyone including our guards tries to be scrappy and hit the boards.

The A-10 was 1 of only 2 non-power conferences (along with the AAC) to have at least 3 teams make the NCAA tourney: what advice do you have for Cincy (who plays St. Joe’s on Friday) and Oregon State (who plays VCU on Friday)? St. Joe’s and VCU have a lot of offensive power. VCU will fight to the end and has a lot of talent on their bench. It is important to be playing very well at the end of the season, which is what St. Joe’s is doing right now.

You ended up with a #7-seed and will be playing in St. Louis on Friday: do you think that you deserved a better seed, and do you expect that a lot of your fans will be able to make the 5-hour drive to watch you in person? We have no problems with our seeding. I think St. Louis is a great area so I think we will have a lot of Flyer energy in the building.

You will be facing Syracuse: how do you plan to attack their famous 2-3 zone defense, and what will it be like to play against your former high school teammate Malachi Richardson? We need to move the ball a lot against the zone, make some shots, and try to get some points in the paint. I never thought that I would play Malachi and I just laugh about it now: it is a really cool thing to go against him for the 1st time in college.

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