Season preview: Northern Colorado women’s coach Kamie Ethridge

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Jon Teitel

This season marks the 30th anniversary of Kamie Ethridge being named national POY and helping lead her Texas Longhorns to an undefeated record and  the 1986 NCAA title.  Last year she was named head coach at Northern Colorado and proceeded to lead the Bears to a school-record 22 wins and the 3rd round of the WNIT.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Ethridge about winning an Olympic gold medal and being inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

kamie

Your father/sister played college basketball and your mother played high school basketball: who is the best athlete in the family, and do you credit at least some of your success to genetics? I think my dad was a really good athlete. He was only 5’8” but played multiple sports, including basketball at TCU. My mom was a good athlete but did not have an opportunity to play sports beyond high school. My siblings and I were all athletes so I definitely give credit to our genes.

You were a 2-time All-American at Texas and the 1986 national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? Texas was a premier school and just light years ahead of everyone else in terms of their support/marketing of women’s athletics. I give so much credit to the machine: I played on a dominant team that lost only 9 games during my college career! We had tremendous firepower and we had depth that was way before its time. I feel that I was a product of tremendous support and played alongside some of the best athletes in the world.

You also served as team captain as a senior: what is the key to being a good leader? Captains were not really voted on: the seniors just served as captains. I have learned a lot since then: leaders make people better no matter how they do it or who gets the credit. You have to do whatever it takes to give your team a chance to win.

Take me through the magical 1986 NCAA tourney:
During your win over Oklahoma in the Regional Semifinal you jumped in the air/brought the ball in front of your body/took it around your left shoulder/passed behind yourself to Clarissa Davis for a layup: how did you come up with such a move, and did everyone freak out after you pulled it off? There was an old guy at Texas Tech named Kent Williams who showed me that move during a pickup game 1 day. I tried it a number of times in practice and it would often skip away: I had to go run and get it before Coach Jody Conradt saw that the ball went out of bounds! There are very few times when you can use such a move during a game, but it was the perfect time and ended up in the hands of a perfect player. It was a big moment and the crowd kind of went crazy because they were so surprised. Coach Nell Fortner once told me that she would be on the edge of her seat while watching me play, and that was 1 of those moments.

Your 1985 tourney ended in a 2-PT loss to Western Kentucky when Lillie Mason made a turnaround jumper at the buzzer: how devastating was that loss, and how sweet was it to beat them by 25 PTS in the national semifinal in 1986? I think the loss in 1985 spurred our success in 1986. We felt a lot of pressure to get to the Final 4 in Austin the prior year and just could not get it done.  It was a gut-wrenching loss that took us all a long time to get over. We were angry because we had disappointed a lot of people and from that moment on nobody thought we would lose at all the following year. We wanted to make a statement against them in 1986 and we were able to prove that we were the best team in the country.

You beat USC in the title game to complete the 1st–ever undefeated season by an NCAA women’s basketball team: how was your team able to set a Final 4 record by scoring 97 PTS against a Trojan team featuring Cheryl Miller/Cynthia Cooper, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We had a high-powered offense and pressed a lot/ran due to our great athletes. We just had more of a chip on our shoulder and had never won a title before so we were not going to be denied. Getting to the Final 4 was a relief to us: once we got there we just knew that nobody could stop us. Cheryl got in foul trouble and we were able to dominate from start to finish. It was great to win a title with 8 seniors who grew up together. We lost to Louisiana Tech a couple of times in the NCAA tourney earlier in our career and wish that we could have won another title.

You graduated with 776 career AST, which remains the most in school history: what is your secret for being a great PG, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I definitely think that someone will break my record. We did not have the 3-PT line back then so I wonder how my game would translate to the current day. I was good in the open court and created easy baskets for my teammates, which I took a lot of pride in. We just wanted to make it easy for others.

You played for team USA at the 1988 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It was an amazing experience: as an individual it was the greatest accomplishment that I was ever a part of. When you have the gold medal around your neck and hear the anthem being played, it is pretty unbelievable. Coach Kay Yow showed a lot of loyalty in even selecting me for the team and it was 1 of the best moments in my career.

In 2002 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? When I look at that honor, I think the only reason I got it was due to the coaches I had and the fact that as the PG I was the face of an undefeated team. It is unbelievable to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at any level and I do not think that it is something that I am really worthy of. I am proud to represent my school and that undefeated team in particular.

In 2014 you were named head coach at the University of Northern Colorado: how do you like the job, and how long do you plan on sticking around for? I will stay as long as they have me! I love my job and waited a long time for the opportunity, but I also love the chance to build a culture and find people who are committed to the same vision. It is exciting to be a part of a program, lead some young women, and give them some lifelong lessons both on and off the court.

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Video Conference Previews: American, Atlantic Ten, and Mountain West

Posted on November 7, 2015 by David Griggs

Links

For Chad Sherwood’s most recent Conference Preview on the Big East – CLICK HERE

For Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the American Athletic Conference – CLICK HERE

For Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the Atlantic Ten – CLICK HERE

Chad Sherwood’s written preview of the Mountain West is coming soon.  For all the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage, including interviews with players and coaches, conference previews, and video podcast previews – CLICK HERE

Chad is joined by Jon, John and David as they take a look at the American, Atlantic Ten, and Mountain West Conferences.

 

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Up first is the American, where they discuss the off the court issues with SMU, and how it has resulted in them not being eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year.  They also look at UConn as the favorite to win the league, and feel that Cincinnati, like in so many previous seasons, is once again underrated to start the year.  Tulsa, and believe it or not Houston, are two other teams that are picked to have big years.  Well, only Chad likes Houston, but he’s been out on a limb before, and he’s been right before…

 

ATLANTIC TEN

Up next is the Atlantic Ten, where Dayton, Rhode Island, and Davidson are among the favorites.  David thinks that Davidson can not only make the NCAA Tournament, but once again finish high in the standings and be safely inside the bubble.  George Washington and VCU are other teams that are discussed, particularly with the coaching change at VCU.  We think losing Shaka is a loss, but we also like Will Wade a lot and expect that VCU will continue to be strong…

 

MOUNTAIN WEST

Last on the agenda for the day is the Mountain West, who has a rich history, but who we feel isn’t quite as strong top to bottom this year, and is probably the weakest out of the nine regular multi-bid leagues.  San Diego State and Boise State are the two teams we like the most, and feel that they will be inside the bubble come Selection Sunday.  UNLV is extremely talented, but they’ve been talented before in recent seasons and that hasn’t resulted in success.  We don’t think it’ll be any different this year.  Utah State and Fresno State are picked as dark horses.

 

And for all you radio lovers out there, below are mp3 versions of all three shows…

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Conference Preview: Big East

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

For our Big East Video Podcast Preview – CLICK HERE

BIG EAST

If there were any questions about how the non-FBS football playing Big East conference would fare after its breakup from the American teams, that was answered last season when 60% of the conference found itself playing in the NCAA tournament, and all of them with single digit seeds.  Villanova led the way with a 1 seed, followed by 4th seeded Georgetown and three 6 seeds, Butler, Xavier and Providence.  St John’s rounded out the postseason teams with a 9 seed.  Of course, things did not go as well once the Big Dance started, as only Xavier made it to the second weekend, losing in the Sweet 16 to Arizona.

Placing six teams in the NCAA tournament again this year may be a stretch, but at least four teams (and maybe five) appear to be solid tournament candidates.  Of course, it all starts with Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats, the pick to repeat atop the Big East.  Butler, Xavier and Georgetown all return solid rosters as well.  And keep an eye on Seton Hall, which should be a lot better assuming the team chemistry problems they had last year have now been cleared up.  One team that will likely not be dancing again this year is St. John’s, as new head coach Chris Mullin will have to rebuild a decimated roster from the bottom up.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Villanova – Despite losing three of their top players, Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart and Daniel Ochefu all return.  The Wildcats add in a strong group of recruits as well, led by guard Jalen Brunson.  Every sign is that the ‘cats will be on top of the conference again.

2.  Butler – If a team is going to dethrone Villanova, Butler may have the weapons needed to do so.  Roosevelt Jones, Andrew Chrabascz and Kellen Dunham all return from last season’s 23-win squad.  They will be joined by a pair of talented transfers in Tyler Lewis (NC State) and Jordan Gathers (St. Bonaventure).

3.  Xavier – Matt Stainbrook is gone, but the cupboard is certainly not bare in Cincinnati.  Trevon Bluiett and Jalen Reynolds both have a chance to star for the Musketeers, while the additions of freshmen standouts Edmond Sumner and Makinde London should have an immediate impact.

4.  Georgetown – D’Vanutes Smith-Rivera may be the best player in the entire conference, and his presence alone could be enough to carry most teams.  If the likes of L.J. Peak, Tre Campbell, Isaac Copeland, or some of the newcomers can step up their games, the Hoyas could contend for the league title.

5.  Seton Hall – The Pirates may benefit from addition by subtraction as last year’s team had almost no chemistry at all.  Khadeen Carrington and Isaiah Whitehead will be looked upon to lead the team despite only being sophomores.  They will have help as UMass transfer Derrick Gordon joins the roster.  The biggest question will be in the low post where Angel Delgado will need help if the Pirates want a shot at the Dance.

6.  Providence – If Georgetown’s Smith-Rivera is not the best player in the conference, then that award will go to Providence’s Kris Dunn.  With LaDontae Henton gone, expect Dunn to average more than 20 points per game this season.  The Friars biggest problem is that they do not seem to have enough other pieces to complement him.  Unless their young players step up, a return to the NCAA tournament will probably not be in the cards.

7.  Marquette – Wojo is already proving his skills as a recruiter, especially with the addition of standout recruit Henry Ellenson this season.  As he and the other youth on the roster (no seniors at all!) gain experience, the Golden Eagles will turn dangerous.  They may not Dance this season, but watch out next year.

8.  Creighton – The rebuild continues in Omaha, but transfers Maurice Watson, Jr. (Boston U) and Cole Huff (Nevada) should give some immediate help.

9.  DePaul – Dave Leitao is head coach at DePaul…again.  This year’s team will be led by Myke Henry and Billy Garrett, Jr., but does not have enough pieces for any serious improvement.  That being said, Leitao has already signed a some good players and the program may be on the rise in a few years.

10.  St. John’s – Virtually no one returns from last season’s NCAA tournament team, making this a true ground-up rebuild project for Chris Mullin.  To put things in perspective, the top returning scorer is Amar Alibegovic.  He averaged 1.5 points per game.

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Season preview: South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

There are about a dozen D-1 coaches who have been at their current school for 20+ years, and Scott Nagy is 1 of them.  This year he will try to guide South Dakota State to its 5th straight postseason appearance and its 3rd NCAA tourney since 2012. Having guided the Jackrabbits during their leap from D-2 to D-1, he is on pace to win his 400th career game this season as he tries to win the Summit League regular season title for the 3rd time in 4 years.  He was only 29 years old when he took over the program in the 1990s, and he seems to be getting better with age.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Nagy about setting school records working for Lou Henson.

nagy

You played basketball at Delta State, where you were named Gulf South Freshman of the Year, and as a senior you were named Gulf South Athlete of the Year: how were you able to come in and contribute so quickly, and how were you able to continue to dominate during your career? I was fortunate to walk into a situation with really good players so all I had to do was take care of the basketball and pass it to our scorers. I was not really dominant but I did break the record for most games started and had a good GPA.

During your junior year you went 24-9 and made it to the Final 4: did you think you would win the title, and how close did you come to winning it all? We won 8 of those games in OT but were not a great team: we did not even win our conference. Had we not won those 8 games then we would have been a sub-.500 team. We ran into Kentucky Wesleyan in the tourney who was a great team that killed us.

You still hold the school record for career AST with 549: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and did you ever think about playing pro basketball? I kind of knew that college was where my playing career would end and I had planned on going into coaching. The 549 AST are due to my longevity: I played about 120 straight games.

You also earned Gulf South All-Academic honors for 3 straight years: how important are academics to you, and how did your intelligence help you on the court? I think that academics and athletics go hand-in-hand: kids who are good in the classroom are generally easier to teach on the floor. It was important for me to do well in school because I was a business major so I just tried to do my best.

You became a graduate assistant at Illinois under Lou Henson, and made it to the Final Four in 1989 alongside your fellow assistant/dad Dick: what made Henson such a great coach, and what was it like to be coaching with your dad? Coach Henson probably knew more about X’s and O’s then anyone who I have ever been around and his focus on defense and rebounding was key. It was fun to coach next to my dad because I learned a lot from him.

Despite being just 29 years old when you became head coach at South Dakota State, your team went 24-5 and won the NCC title: how were you able to come in as a young coach and be so successful so quickly? 1 of the things that helped me during my 1st year was the 3 seniors that I had recruited as an assistant coach, so they knew me and bought into what we were selling. We dominated the league behind a pair of great guards.

What are your memories of the 1997 NCAA Regional tourney (when your team made it all the way to the Elite 8)? My best memory was playing our regional championship game at home and beating #2-seed Fort Hays State in our gym. It was 1 of the best atmospheres that I have ever seen on our campus.

In 1998 you started 21-0 and were ranked #1 in the country, finished with a school-record-tying 26 wins: what did it mean to be the best team in the nation, and did it reach a point where your team just expected to win every single game they played? When you have a streak like that you win some games that you probably should not have won. To be #1 for the 1st time in school history was fun but it also carried a lot of pressure with it. We put a lot of good teams together throughout the years and that team was the recipient of our past success.

You won 3 straight NCC titles from 1996-1998 and were named NCC COY 5 times in an 8-year span (1996-1998, 2002-2003): what makes you such a great coach, and did you ever consider coaching elsewhere ? What makes anyone a great coach is having good players: that is just all there is to it. You have to organize them and remain consistent, but any coach who thinks they are great because of what they teach is ridiculous! In all my years here I only applied for 1 other job, but I like it here and my kids have grown up here so I do not want to move my family.

In the past you coached barefoot to raise money and awareness about the earthquake disaster in Haiti (where your adopted daughter is from): why did you choose to do that, and what were you able to accomplish? I chose to do it because I am tied to Haiti through my daughter. I had been in Haiti before the earthquake so I cannot imagine how bad it is now. Anything simple like not wearing shoes to help raise some money for people who need help is always worth it.

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Video Conference Preview: SEC

Posted on November 6, 2015 by David Griggs

Links

-For Chad Sherwood’s Big Twelve Conference Preview – CLICK HERE

-For Jon Teitel’s latest interview with Charlotte coach Mark Price – CLICK HERE

-For ALL of our extensive Preseason Coverage, including player and coach interviews, conference previews, and conference video podcasts – CLICK HERE

 

SEC

Chad is once again joined by John, Jon, Joby, and David as the group looks at the SEC.  Kentucky is expected to dominate the league again, but the consensus is that the league as a whole is better than last year, and a lot better than it was two years ago.  Vanderbilt is starting off in the rankings, and the panel agrees that the ranking is warranted.  Florida has talent, but they also have a new coach and it will be interesting to see whether or not they can bounce back.  Texas A&M, LSU, and Georgia are other teams that will contend for spots in the SEC Tournament, and Chad and David even feel that Auburn could be a sleeper team.  All that, and more…

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

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Conference Preview: Big 12

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason coverage, CLICK HERE.

For our Big Twelve Video Podcast Preview – CLICK HERE

BIG 12

Of the ten teams in the Big 12 Conference, seven qualified for the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season last year, a truly amazing 70%!  Their participants included a 2 seed (Kansas), three 3 seeds (Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor), a 5 seed (West Virginia), a 9 seed (Oklahoma State) and an 11 seed (Texas).  Those numbers alone made the Big 12 appear to be the best conference in the country.  The results in the Big Dance, however, were not as good as only Oklahoma and West Virginia advanced to the second weekend, and the entire conference was done before the Elite Eight.

Although returning seven teams to the Big Dance this year would be a stretch to imagine, the Big 12 is once again loaded to bear, highlighted by a pair of legitimate national championship contenders at the top in Kansas and Iowa State.  On top of that, the Shaka Smart era is beginning at Texas, while Oklahoma, West Virginia and Baylor all return teams capable of advancing to the tournament.  At the bottom of the conference, both Texas Tech and TCU may make some strides this season, though probably not enough for postseason consideration.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Kansas – Who else?  The Jayhawks have won or shared an amazing 11 consecutive Big 12 regular season titles and there is no reason that streak won’t reach 12 this year.  They are loaded with the likes of Perry Ellis, Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden, Jr. and a couple of standout recruits such as Cheick Diallo (assuming he clears up his eligibility issue) and Carlton Bragg, Jr.  It would not be a shock at all to see this team still playing basketball in April.

2.  Iowa State – Fred Hoiberg left for the NBA, but new head coach Steve Prohm has a strong roster ready and waiting for his first season in Ames.  The veteran team includes Monte Morris, Jameel McKay, Georges Niang and Nazareth Mitrou-Long (f/k/a Naz Long).  To these players, the Cyclones have added Marquette transfer Deonte Burton and Oregon State transfer Hallice Cooke to form a very deep squad capable of winning multiple NCAA tournament games.

3.  Texas – Longhorn fans should be as excited as ever for the start of the Shaka Smart era in Texas.  Isaiah Taylor is the leader of a strong core of returning players while a solid recruiting class featuring guard Eric Davis, Jr. gets added into the mix as well.  Or maybe we should say gets added into the Mayhem.  There is no reason not to expect big things this year and in the future.

4.  Oklahoma – The Sooners’ backcourt of Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard should be among the best in the conference.  Down low, Ryan Spangler will need to get help from the likes of JC transfer Akolda Manyang to help make up for the loss of TaShawn Thomas.

5.  West Virginia – Juwan Staten may be gone, but almost everyone else of note returns and freshman Esa Ahmad has the tools to be a standout.  Bob Huggins’ “Press Virginia” defense should benefit from the shorter shot clock and put the Mountaineers back in the dance.

6.  Baylor – The Bears return a solid frontcourt with the likes of Rico Gathers and Taurean Prince.  However, there are some questions in the backcourt beyond Lester Medford that need to be answered if they want to be in the NCAA tournament again this year.

7.  Oklahoma State – Phil Forte III should continue to shine and will get backcourt help from freshman Jawun Evans.  The problems are down low where there do not appear to be enough pieces to make up for the loss of Le’Bryan Nash.

8.  Texas Tech – Tubby Smith’s squad is still young, but got a lot of playing time and experience last season.  With two senior guards to help stabilize things this year and the expected growth of young talent down low, there is no reason why they will not rise in the standings.

9.  TCU – The Horned Frogs’ inside trio of Karviar Shepherd, Chris Washburn and Kenrich Williams, plus the addition of newcomer Jalon Miller, should give TCU an advantage on the boards in almost every game they play.  The problem will be finding the scoring to go along with it.

10.  Kansas State – The top players from a losing team are all gone, and that is not a combination that leads to success.  If things don’t start improving in Manhattan, coach Bruce Weber could end up on the hot seat.

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