Season preview: UMass assistant director of operations Lou Roe

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

The good news is that UMass head coach Derek Kellogg has a remarkable rebounder on his bench; the bad news is that he will be wearing a suit all season.  Lou Roe is the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations for his alma mater, where his name is still prominent in the Minutemen’s record book.  His 1905 career PTS remains #4 all-time, his 1070 REB is still the best in school history, and in 1995 he was named A-10 POY.  After playing pro basketball for 17 years, he is back on campus to help his team try to make the NCAA tourney for only the 2nd time this millennium.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Lou about playing for John Calipari and working for his former teammate.

lou

You played for Coach John Calipari at UMass: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? It is hard to deal with 18-23 year olds who have different personalities, but he learns what makes them tick and knows how to bring the best out of them. He is a very personable guy and makes everyone feel like they are part of the process. The best thing I learned from him is that nothing bad comes from giving 100%. I was successful as a college player because he unlocked my talent and brought it to the surface.

Take me through the 1992 NCAA tourney (the 1st for UMass in 3 decades):
Center Harper Williams had 18 PTS/15 REB and made a 3-PT shot with 30 seconds left (only his 2nd of the season) in a 6-PT OT win over Syracuse: did you think the shot was going in, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? I was a freshman back then so I did not really understand what that shot meant at the time, but I soon learned that it was a great era for UMass basketball. People yearned for the program to do better and that win really put us in the national spotlight.

You scored 9 PTS in a 10-PT loss to Kentuky despite a 70-foot shot by Jim McCoy at the end of the 1st half (Jamal Mashburn scored 30 PTS): where does that shot rank among the amazing you have ever seen? That has to be up there. I was actually on the floor when he did it: it was a pretty long shot! We practiced half-court shots after our normal shoot-around and McCoy just felt comfortable in that situation.

In November of 1993 you scored a game-high 28 PTS in your school’s 1st-ever game against a #1-ranked team (a 5-PT OT win over North Carolina at Madison Square Garden): what was it like to play at the Garden, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I grew up watching Dean Smith because Michael Jordan/James Worthy played there and my stepfather was a huge fan of the Tar Heels. I was a little bit in awe during the pre-game banquet but then I realized I had to re-focus and just go out and play. Nobody expected us to win: I remember getting off the bus and hearing a fan say that we looked like we were going to lose. We started out down 10 PTS early and Calipari called a timeout: he said that we had to give it all we could or else we would lose on national TV by 100 PTS! I remember seeing Spike Lee and some other celebrities. We went out and won the game and when we got back to campus we were embraced by the whole community. They had been waiting for that kind of success for a long time.

Take me through the 1994 Goodwill Games in Russia as a member of team USA:
Which of your teammates impressed you the most (Michael Finley/Tim Duncan/Damon Stoudamire/other)? I would have to say Stoudamire. He was my roommate on the road and a very smart PG who understood the game. He was an incredible scorer and a better teammate.

After a follow-dunk by Finley caused a 45-minutes delay to install a new rim, your team was able to stay focused and win the rematch against Russia to take home the bronze medal: was your team out for revenge after a 2-PT loss to the host team in the opening round? Absolutely. We were kids and the Russians were grown men so we did not understand the gravity of what we were up against. We were up for any challenge and we understood that we could win the rematch. We were so fearless that we really thought we would bring home the gold.

In November of 1994 you had a career-high 34 PTS (12-20 FG/10-11 FT) and 13 REB in a win over defending national champion Arkansas: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? It was a very exciting game for so many reasons, 1 of which was that they were the defending champs. I heard that Corliss Williamson told his local press that their 2nd team could beat our starting team, which really pissed me off. I made copies of that quote and put it in everyone’s locker. I had a brief conversation with Dick Vitale the night before our game and he said that he thought Corliss was a better player.  He also said that if we won then he would say that I was the best player in the country! I had many motivations that night but our top priority was to win the game.

In March 1995 you were named conference POY/tourney MVP and became the 1st consensus All-American in school history: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It just showed that people had an appreciation for all the work I had put in to transforming my game and building my body. I can look back and say that I took full advantage of every moment that I had on the floor.

In the 1995 NCAA tourney you scored 8 PTS in a win over Tulsa at the Meadowlands: how exciting was it to play in your home state of New Jersey? It is tough for a young guy at the end of the season after getting used to the routine of conference play. The NCAA tourney has a spectacular atmosphere so it was fun to play in front of my home crowd.

In the summer of 1995 you were drafted in the 2nd round by Detroit (9 spots behind your Goodwill Games teammate Finley): were you thrilled to realize your dream of making it to the NBA, or disappointed that you did not get selected in the 1st round, or other? I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. There were a few teams who thought that I would not be around at the end of the 1st round, so after I did not get picked in the top-15 I started to get a little worried. After Joe Dumars/Grant Hill called me on draft day it helped give me some more confidence: I know that my mother was elated.

You played a total of 66 games during your 2-year NBA career and later played professionally for over a decade in a number of foreign countries: what did you learn from your experience abroad, and how did it compare to the NBA? I played in a bunch of countries that each have their own rich traditions. America is like go-go-go while people in Spain taught me to just take my time and enjoy what life is all about.

You are currently back at your alma mater assisting head coach Derek Kellogg: how do you like working for your former teammate, and what do you hope to do in the future? I love working with Derek because I have always wanted to teach. My final year in Argentina I would teach my 21-year old teammates as a 37-year old player. I like giving kids the tools to help them throughout their lives, and basketball gives me the opportunity to give back to a sport that gave me so many things.

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Video Conference Preview: Big Ten

Posted on November 3, 2015 by David Griggs

Very Important Links!!

-For Chad Sherwood’s latest conference previews, CLICK HERE FOR THE WAC, and HERE FOR THE AMERICAN

-For Jon Teitel’s latest interviews, CLICK HERE FOR VIRGINIA COACH TONY BENNETT and HERE FOR UTAH COACH LARRY KRYSTKOWIAK

-For all the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage, including interviews with players and coaches, conference previews, and video podcasts – CLICK HERE

 

BIG TEN

Chad is joined by John, Jon, Joby, and David as they preview this year’s Big Ten.  There are an impressive six teams that are ranked in the preseason top 25, with Maryland checking in at #3.  While we think Maryland is very good, we’re not sure if they’re so good that they’re better than all but just two teams.  Indiana is another team that is starting off highly ranked who we feel will likely contend for a protected seed.  We discuss Wisconsin who is very well coached, but who lost a lot of key players.   Chad and David think this may be the year Northwestern can break through and make the NCAA Tournament.  It seems as though at least one person from Hoops HD predicts that Northwestern will make the Tournament at the beginning of each season and it hasn’t happened yet, so we will once again see how that plays out.  We also discuss Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa’s chances.  And, of course, David discusses Nebraska and his hero, Tim Miles.

For all of you radio lovers, below is an mp3 version of the show

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Conference Preview: American

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

AMERICAN

In its first season, 2013-14, the American Athletic Conference featured the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals.  In its second season, last year, the AAC again was the conference of the defending champions, this time the UConn Huskies.  That makes this the very first season in AAC history that the conference has not been able to make such a claim.  To make matters worse, the AAC only put two teams in the Big Dance last year, SMU and Cincinnati, with neither team advancing past the first weekend of play.

The good news for the American is that it would be a complete shock if the conference did not better last season’s performance this year, even with SMU ineligible for postseason play.  After a home loss on Selection Sunday to SMU in the American championship game sent them to the NIT, the UConn Huskies will be looking to bounce back and are the preseason pick to take the conference title.  Cincinnati will be in the tournament discussion this year again, as could a Tulsa team that found itself in the NIT last year.  The conference’s two other returning postseason participants (Temple and Memphis, both in the NIT, with Temple having advanced to the semifinals) are probably not strong enough to make a serious NCAA push this year.  However, the surprise team we are keeping an eye on is Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars.  Don’t be surprised if they are in the tournament bubble discussion when the calendar turns to March.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Connecticut – The Huskies return Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah, all of whom have the ability to take over a game.  Seton Hall transfer Sterling Gibbs and Cornell transfer Shonn Miller should both make huge impacts as well.  If Kevin Ollie can get them to gel, the Huskies might win the conference despite having lost Ryan Boatright.

2.  Cincinnati – Not only do all five starters return from the best defensive team in the conference, but Mick Cronin has a clean bill of health and will be back on the sideline.  Octavius Ellis, Gary Clark and Shaq Thomas should all be forces down low while point guard Troy Caupain is among the best at his position in the conference.

3.  SMU – The big news for SMU came in September, when the NCAA announced major infractions by the program leading to head coach Larry Brown’s 9 game suspension and a postseason ban.  On the court, Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy are two of the best players in the AAC.  Texas Tech transfer Jordan Tolbert should be a solid scorer and rebounder, plus the team welcomes Keith Frazier (the player who was the subject of the investigation) back after missing the second half of last season for academic reasons.  The Mustangs almost definitely would be dancing if they were eligible, but all they can play for is the conference regular season title.

4.  Tulsa – Frank Haith’s squad went 14-4 in AAC play last season and returns all five starters, normally a recipe for success.  The Golden Hurricane are deep in the backcourt with Rashad Smith, Marquel Curtis, James Woodard and Shaquille Harrison.  If they can get better up front, there is no reason their name will not be called on Selection Sunday.

5.  Houston – Kelvin Sampson is beginning to mold this team and it should be significantly improved from last year’s 19 losses despite the decision by Jherrod Stiggers to turn pro.  There is depth down low and the additions of Purdue transfer Ronnie Johnson and Oregon transfer Damyean Dotson, both of whom averaged close to double digits in scoring at their prior schools, will help a lot.

6.  Memphis – Josh Pastner’s team was devastated in the offseason by transfers, most notably when Austin Nichols decided to pack his bags for Virginia.  However, they still have forward Shaq Goodwin who is capable of a double-double on any night, and the addition two promising freshmen brothers in Dedric and K.J. Lawson.  A return to the postseason should be in the cards, but probably not to the tournament the Tigers want to be playing in.

7.  Temple – The Owls were, in our opinion, the biggest snub by the tournament selection committee last season.  Unfortunately, the Owls no longer have Will Cummings and Jesse Morgan around to put the ball through the net and will instead have to rely on Quenton DeCosey to step up as a leader surrounded by a solid recruiting class.

8.  East Carolina – The Pirates have a chance to flirt with the upper half of the conference standings due to the returns of Caleb White and B.J. Tyson plus the addition of JC transfer Clarence Williams.  These three players alone should be enough to have the Pirates exceeding the expectations of some, especially if they can get better on the boards.

9.  UCF – The Golden Knights have a pair of talented guards in B.J. Taylor and Adonys Henriquez, both of whom should average double figures in scoring.  The problems will be down low, though keep an eye out for 7-6, 300 pound monster freshman Tacko Fall.  If he is actually able to play the game, the Knights will be dangerous.

10.  Tulane – Louis Dabney averaged 13.6 points per game last year.  The bad news is that he is the only returning player of note for the Green Wave team that finished 6-12 in AAC play.  Although there are a ton of unknowns on the roster, Ed Conroy has brought in one of the school’s deepest recruiting classes in years, and the future is looking brighter in New Orleans — just not this year.

11.  South Florida – Orlando Antigua is trying to rebuild the Bulls’ program, but it is going to take time.  This year will be another long one in Tampa.

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Conference Preview: WAC

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Chad

For the rest of our Preseason Coverage, CLICK HERE.

WAC

The final of our small/mid-major previews is, of course, the WAC,  and starting tomorrow previews will be posted of the top nine conferences.  There was a day when the WAC was among those top leagues, but much has changed, from the conference’s split with the Mountain West all the way to the most recent round of realignment that saw almost all of their FBS football-playing members finding other homes.  In fact, only one FBS team remains, the New Mexico State Aggies.  Although the Aggies have struggled mightily in football, their basketball team has become the dominant player in the conference, capturing four straight WAC tournament titles in convincing fashion (only one conference tournament victory in that four year span was decided by less than 5 points).  Last year, the Aggies rode their conference tournament championship to a 15 seed, where they lost in the Round of 64 to Kansas.  Grand Canyon received a postseason invite to the CIT, while Seattle played in the CBI, advancing to the semifinals of that event.

This year, New Mexico State is the pick to again win the conference’s automatic bid — though in an unusual twist, they are not the pick to win the regular season title.  That honor goes to Thunder Dan Majerle’s Grand Canyon Antelopes.  The ‘Lopes are in their third of four transitional years to the Division I level and as such are ineligible for the WAC and NCAA tournaments.  The job that has been done building this team into a Division I program has been remarkable, as they received invites to the CIT in each of their first two transitional years and appear likely to be headed back to that event again this season.  The pieces appear to be in place this season to make a run at the conference regular season title as well.  It will not be easy as New Mexico State, UMKC, Cal State-Bakersfield and Seattle could all be in contention for the top spot in the conference as well.  One team that will likely not be contending for the league crown, but is worth mentioning, is Texas Rio Grande Valley.  The Vaqueros are the newly branded incarnation of the school formerly known as Texas-Pan American.  UTPA merged campuses with neighboring Texas-Brownsville, but given that Brownsville was an NAIA program, UTRGV (for NCAA purposes at least) simply counts s a new name from the former UTPA, and will not have to undergo a transition to the D1 level.

Predicted Order of Finish

1.  Grand Canyon – DeWayne Russell and Joshua Braun form a solid backcourt as each averaged double-digits in scoring last season.  Up front, the ‘Lopes will rely on a pair of transfers, Grandy Glaze from Saint Louis and Uros Ljeskovic from Coastal Carolina.  The pieces appear to be here to capture the regular season crown, even if they are not eligible for the conference tournament.

2.  New Mexico State – Despite losing three starters from last year’s team, the Aggies still have Pascal Siakam and Ian Baker to lead a young, talented team that is good enough to win, especially if 7-3 Tanveer Bhullar is able to make an impact.

3.  UMKC – Martez Harrison may be the best guard, or possibly even the best overall player, in the WAC.  If Shayok Shayok proves to be healthy down low, the ‘Roos could challenge for the league title.

4.  Cal State-Bakersfield – The Roadrunners have Aly Ahmed and Kevin Mays down low, plus Damiyne Durham in the backcourt.  Those three players alone could make them a dangerous team.

5.  Seattle – The Redhawks have a ton of size down low led by 6-11 Jack Crook and 7-3 Aaron Menzies.  If they can find the scoring options to make up for the losses of Isiah Umipig and Jarell Flora, the rest of the league better watch out.

6.  Texas-Rio Grande Valley – The Vaqueros will need significant production from freshmen and transfers if they want to avoid the same type of long season that they suffered as UTPA last year.

7.  Utah Valley – New head coach Mark Pope could be in for a long first season as he begins rebuilding the Wolverines.  The good news is that he brought in a handful of talented transfers.  The bad news is that they are all required to sit out this year.

8.  Chicago State – Seven players transferred after last season and only one starter, Trayvon Palmer, returns.  The Cougars only won eight games last year and may be hard-pressed to just equal that number this time around.

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Season preview: Virginia coach Tony Bennett

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Tony Bennett is such an amazing coach that he has been named national COY at 2 different schools (Washington State and Virginia)!  He is even getting better with age, and his past 2 years with the Cavaliers have featured back-to-back 30-win seasons, a pair of ACC regular season titles, and the program’s highest ranking in more than 3 decades.  He is 1 of only 15 D-1 coaches who took less than 9 seasons to win 200 games, and the only current D-1 coach who has wins over all 5 active Hall of Fame coaches (Jim Boeheim/Larry Brown/Mike Krzyzewski/Rick Pitino/Roy Williams).  You will not find a better defensive coach in the nation…literally, as last year’s team finished #1 by allowing only 51.5 PPG.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Bennett about being the Academic All-American of the Year and being part of a famous coaching family.

tony

You played for your father Dick at Wisconsin–Green Bay, your sister Kathi won a national title as coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and your uncle Jack won national titles in 2004/2005 as head coach at Wisconsin–Stevens Point: do you think coaching is just in your genes, and who is the best coach in the family? My cousin Nick won a D-3 national title as an assistant at Wisconsin-Whitewater, so I guess it is in our blood. When I was in school I wanted to have a long playing career: watching all my relatives go up and down on the coaching roller coaster did not appeal to me. After getting hurt I became a player-coach and got bit by the coaching bug. It was unfair that my 1st experience at the coaching level was going to the Final 4. My sister Kathi is probably the best coach in the family.

What are your memories of the 1991 NCAA tourney (All-American Steve Smith hit a buzzer-beating fall-away jump shot to clinch a 2-PT win for Michigan State)? My dad is known for his defense, but I remember that every time we switched to a 1-3-1 zone (which was out of character for us) Smith would just hit a 3 from NBA range. I had an awful 2nd half and felt that I let our whole team down.

Take me through the 1991 Pan Am Games in Cuba as a member of team USA:
Your coach was Gene Keady and you had several teammates who went on to become NBA stars (Grant Hill/Jimmy Jackson/Christian Laettner): what was it like to play for Coach Keady, and which of your teammates impressed you the most? Whenever you are around a coach of Keady’s caliber you cannot help but learn a lot. He was tough but fair and a good person who challenged us: I regret that we could not get a gold medal for him. You could tell that Grant Hill was going to be special and Laettner was a complete player. We had a lot of great players: Walt Williams, Adam Keefe, Clarence Weatherspoon, etc. It was quite an experience for me to come from Green Bay and end up as the starting PG on that team.

Thomas Hill shattered a backboard with a pre-game dunk before you even tipped off against Cuba: what do you remember about the dunk, and how did the crowd react to it? I believe that Fidel Castro was in attendance so there was an air of electricity. I assumed that Weatherspoon broke the backboard because he was so powerful. In the US they would have just rolled out another basket, but in Cuba it ended up being a delay of almost an hour.

You lost to Puerto Rico with Jackson sitting out due to a stress fracture, but you ended up winning a bronze medal while racking up 15 STL in 7 games: what did it mean to you to win a bronze medal? Jackson was our leading scorer at the time so his injury greatly affected us. It was great to participate and win a medal…but we were capable of winning a gold medal. That was the last year that amateurs played for USA basketball before the Dream Team came along in 1992. When you are with that many good players you just find ways to do whatever it takes to help the team.

You were a 2-time conference POY, an All-American, and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner (for the most outstanding senior under 6’ tall): what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? Anytime you get an athletic achievement you feel fortunate because there are so many talented players out there. It is so much more fun to win conference titles and tourney games, as that is evidence of the team’s success. I am thankful for the gifts I have. Virginia is an unbelievable combination of athletics (since we play in the ACC) and academics (as we are the #1-ranked public university in the country).

You were also named GTE Academic All-American of the Year: how much importance do you place on academics? After all of my injuries I came to realize that when the lights in the gym finally get turned off, you better be well prepared for life, which is why you have to perform in the classroom as well.

You finished your career as the MCC’s all-time leader in PTS/AST, and you are still the NCAA’s all-time career leader with 49.7 3P%: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and what was your secret for 3-PT shooting? I played for my dad and my mom took care of the stats, so it was a family affair! I am a lefty, so the other lefties out there know that they are better shooters. I loved the game and was taught to play as efficiently as possible on both ends of the floor. I modeled my game after guys like Mark Price, Isiah Thomas, and Gail Goodrich (a lefty who wore #25 just like me). I also learned a lot from my older sister: I would play pickup games with her and some of her friends. If you make a lot of turnovers and jack up a lot of bad shots, you will not last long on the court.

In the summer of 1992 you were drafted 35th overall by the Charlotte Hornets (6 spots behind PJ Brown): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or both? A little bit of both: what kid does not dream of that? When I went to play for my dad at Green Bay, I told him that I had 2 goals: I wanted to help turn the program around to get into the tourney, and I also wanted to make it to the NBA. I told him to push me as hard as he wanted to in order to make those things happen, and he did. I played in the Olympic festival after my freshman year for Coach Jud Heathcote, facing guys like Bobby Hurley/Kenny Anderson, and that is when I realized that I had a chance to make the NBA. I was hoping to get picked in the 1st round but still had 3 real good years with the Hornets. It was absolutely a dream come true, but also validation for those people that thought a kid from Green Bay could not make it. I remember going to an elite basketball camp after high school (where Shawn Kemp won the slam dunk contest) and thought that I played well, but I did not even make the top-80. I was ticked that I was not as good as a lot of the guys there so I used that as motivation.

What are your memories of Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference 1st round series vs. Boston (Alonzo Mourning made a 20-foot buzzer-beater to win the series for Charlotte)? If I had to pick my greatest moment in the NBA, it would be “the shot”. Someone sent me the photo and I framed it. I was on the floor boxing out Dee Brown, and then we all piled on Alonzo like little kids!

You retired from the NBA in 1995 due to a foot injury and spent 4 years as a player and coach in New Zealand: did you feel frustrated that you could not go out on your own terms, and how did New Zealand compare to the NBA? I was a backup PG and not great by any means, but hoping that I would get better over time. I had some unfortunate injuries: every athlete wants to play as long as they can and it is hard to get cut short in your prime. I gave it 1 more chance overseas and realized that it was not going to happen. It was a great experience to be a coach because it was so much more than just working the sideline: I had to sign players, get involved in the community, secure sponsorships, etc. I had also married my wife right before then so it was also like an extended honeymoon for us.

Take me through the magical 2000 NCAA tourney as a member of your dad’s staff at Wisconsin:
You came into the tourney as a #8-seed and beat Fresno State by 10 PTS while holding Courtney Alexander to 11 PTS (5-19 FG): how were you able to bottle up the nation’s leading scorer, or did he just have a cold shooting night? I am sure that he was a little off but our team defense was incredible. Our best individual defender was a guy named Mike Kelley who locked up so many great players that season.

You had a 7-PT upset over #1-seed Arizona with Loren Woods sitting out due to a back injury (the 1st time your school won 2 games in a single tourney since 1941): do you think that you still could have beaten them if Woods was healthy, and what was the reaction like back on campus? It was crazy.  That Arizona team was loaded (Jason Terry/Richard Jefferson/Jason Gardner/etc.). We were up big early and then they cut into our lead in the 2nd half. Woods sitting out helped us a lot but I do not know if anyone was going to beat us that night.

You beat LSU while holding them to 27 PTS below their season average: is it a matter of teaching specific defensive principles, or do you just need a bunch of hard workers who are willing to hustle all over the court? It is a combination: defense is so much about what is inside your players’ hearts but the coach also has to teach sound habits. As you have seen recently, teams who win titles must be borderline great on defense to have a chance.

You got into the Final 4 with a 4-PT win over Purdue and Coach Keady thanks to making 8 FT in the final 90 seconds: how were you able to make such a deep run as a #8-seed, and how good was the Big 10 that year (featuring 3 of the Elite 8 teams)? The conference was great that year. Keady had coached for so long but had never been to the Final 4. We had beaten them 2 out of 3 times that year and it was quite a battle. So much is made of March Madness but to finally get to the Final 4 was impressive. When we flew back and arrived after midnight we went by the football stadium and got off the bus in front of 30,000 people on a cold night in March.

You lost to eventual national champion Michigan State, who also beat you twice in the regular season and once in the Big 10 tourney: did they beat you 4 times that year because they were just a more talented team? That Spartan team was 1 of the best defensive teams that I have ever seen. Baskets were so hard to come by that night: every shot and cut was contested.

After your dad retired you became an assistant to Bo Ryan, and in 2003 you joined your dad’s staff after he came out of retirement to coach Washington State: what is the best lesson you learned from Coach Ryan? Coach Ryan has built a heck of a program. I really like his demeanor during games: he is very competitive but has a sense of poise about him. He knows how to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. I was glad that he kept me on the staff as he built a dynasty.

After your father retired again in 2006 you took over as head coach of the Cougars, and in 2007 you were named Pac-10/national COY: how were you able to step in and be so successful so quickly, and how did being named national COY change your life (if at all)? It did not change my life: I was just fortunate. We brought in a big recruiting class of 6 kids and I told them they were going to help us make the jump. I won the national award because we were picked last in the conference that year and finished 2nd, but it was still humbling. I am still trying to learn as much as I can about the game and was brought up to respect every aspect of the game.

Take me through the 2007 NCAA tourney (the 1st tourney for the Cougars since 1994):
You beat Oral Roberts thanks to 5 BLK by Ivory Clark for the school’s 1st tourney win since 1983: how big a deal was it for the program to finally win a tourney game? It was great to just get into the tourney and crack the ice, but to win a game was even better.

You had a 2-OT loss to Vanderbilt after Daven Harmeling missed a 3-PT shot at the end of regulation and Taylor Rochestie’s shot at the end of the 1st OT was blocked: do you agree with Vandy coach Kevin Stallings’ assessment that it was 1 of the best games he has ever been involved in, and did you think that you should have won it? It was the best game I was ever a part of…until the end! Games like that are the reason why people are so drawn to March Madness. Each team made a bunch of runs and we had our chances, but they made the plays.

In the 2008 NCAA tourney you lost to North Carolina in Charlotte as Tyler Hansbrough had 18 PTS/9 REB: did it feel like the Tar Heels had a big home-court advantage, and where does Hansbrough rank among the best college players you have ever seen? We had some breakdowns that cost us against Vandy the previous year so I challenged my guys to learn from that. We were right with the Tar Heels for the 1st 10 minutes but then they got going. Hansbrough was 1 of the most relentless guys I have ever seen. We could not keep them out of the lane in transition and they took it to us.

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Season preview: Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of our extensive Preseason Coverage – CLICK HERE

Larry Krystkowiak was a 3-time Big Sky POY, but is turning out to be just as good a coach at Utah as he was a player at Montana.  After playing almost a decade in the NBA, he became head coach at Montana in 2004 and head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007.  In 2011 he was hired as head coach at Utah, and after winning only 21 games combined during his 1st 2 years he has had 21+ wins in each of the past 2 years, including a trip to the Sweet 16 last March.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Krystkowiak about playing for Mike Montgomery and rebuilding the Utes.

larry

You played at Montana for Mike Montgomery (who is now 1 of your fellow Pac-12 coaches): what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him? If you look at the Grizzlies coaching tree you see guys like Jud Heathcote/Jim Brandenburg, so he learned his trade from a good group of guys. He understood every concept on the floor and was a good tactician. He was good for me: it was hard to satisfy him but he kept driving me, which is what I needed.

You tried out for the legendary 1984 US Olympic basketball team as a sophomore: how close did you come to making the team? It is hard to say how close I was. I made the cut from 90 down to 32, but then I got sick: I might have caught chicken pox from Terry Porter.

What are your memories of the 1986 NIT (you had 26 PTS/10 REB in a 7-PT loss to TCU)? I do not have a lot of memories because we were dealing with the disappointment of not making the NCAA tourney. TCU had a good ball club and had good answers for our 2-3 matchup zone.

You were a 3-time All-American and remain the only 3-time Big Sky POY (1984–1986): what did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors? It is more rewarding when you look back at it now, but at the time I was never satisfied. Nobody wants to peak as a sophomore so it was important to keep working as a junior/senior.

You were also a 2-time Academic All-American: how were you able to balance your work in the classroom with your work on the court? The magic word is “work”: there is nothing easy about it. I was not overly bright but I was prepared and never let things sneak up on me.

In the summer of 1986 you were drafted 28th overall by Chicago (1 spot behind Dennis Rodman): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was pretty cool. There were 10 rounds back then so it was not that big a deal to get drafted! It was the culmination of all my hard work, but you have to shift gears pretty quick to stick around a while as an NBA player.

What are your memories of the 2004 CBA championship game as coach of the Idaho Stampede (playoff MVP Maurice Carter scored 36 PTS [14-14 FT] in a 3-PT win by the Dakota Wizards)? Dave Joerger was the Dakota coach, who is now the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. We had some great battles but it was a 1-game championship game so they got to host it. It was a great game with no defense.

What are your memories of the 2005 NCAA tourney as head coach at Montana (Kamarr Davis had 24 PTS/11 REB in a loss to #1-seed Washington)? I remember it being a bad dream because we were a #16-seed and were down by double-digits pretty early. We lost the game during the 1st 4 minutes but it was still a heck of an experience.

In the 2006 NCAA tourney Andrew Strait had 22 PTS/7 AST in an 8-PT upset of Nevada (the school’s 1st tourney win in over 3 decades): where does that rank among the biggest wins of your career? It is 1 of the biggest. Montana had a lot of great teams over the years but it had been a long time since the school had won a game.

In 2011 you became coach of Utah and had to reconstruct a team that had 8 players who ended up transferring: how goes the rebuilding process, and what are your expectations for the future? It is a lot different situation now than it was 4 years ago. We made it though a pretty tough time: as my doctor says, what does not kill you makes you stronger. We want to compete and have figured out how to do that, so now we have an opportunity to start making some noise.

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