Season preview: Xavier SR SG Remy Abell

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

I thought my family was athletic…until I learned that Remy Abell’s aunt is Wilma Rudolph and his cousin is Bo Jackson!  Remy may not be a household name yet himself, but if he can make the Sweet 16 for the 4th time in his career then everyone better start taking notice.  He began his college career at Indiana: as a freshman in the 2012 Sweet 16 he got to face a Kentucky team that ended up winning a national title, then he made it back to the Sweet 16 in 2013 before losing to Syracuse.  After transferring to Xavier he had to sit out the 2014 season, but made it back to the Sweet 16 yet again last March before losing to Arizona.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Remy about why he transferred and preparing for 1 of the most stacked non-conference schedules in the country.  

remy

In December 2011 as a player at Indiana, Christian Watford scored 20 PTS including a 3-PT shot at the buzzer in a 1-PT win over top-ranked Kentucky: where does that rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? It is probably #1 and was definitely an amazing shot: I was just happy to be a part of it.

In the 2012 NCAA tourney you scored 6 PTS in a loss to eventual champion Kentucky: where does that Wildcat team rank among the best that you have ever seen, and do you think that they were out for revenge after the earlier loss? That was 1 of the best teams that Kentucky has ever had: a great starting 5 led by Anthony Davis and a solid bench as well. It was a big win for us in December so I assume they wanted some revenge.

After your sophomore year you decided to transfer: why did you want to switch schools, and what made you choose the Musketeers? I just wanted some new scenery and a new feel. The Indiana coaching staff and teammates were great and very supportive of my decision. I really love Xavier: it is a family environment and has a great program with great academics.

You play for Coach Chris Mack: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He just wants everyone to get better and he cares about winning. He is always willing to both teach us and learn himself. He taught me that I can be an energy-giver or an energy-taker: I try to keep getting better than I was yesterday and come ready to work hard.

In the 2015 Big East tourney you scored 10 PTS in a 2-PT win over Georgetown: how were you able to pull out the win after the Hoyas almost overcame a 21-PT 2nd half deficit? We just stuck together as a team. College basketball is a game of runs so we just rallied around each other when the going got tough.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 5 PTS in an 8-PT loss to Arizona: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? Most people did not expect us to play the Wildcats that close. We did a great job of being ready to play and 1 thing we will take away is that every possession counts. Everyone is hungry to make it back to that point and go even further this year.

Your non-conference schedule is loaded with games against Missouri/Michigan/Alabama/Cincinnati/Auburn/Wake Forest: how are you going to be able to survive such a gauntlet? There are great teams all over the nation and it will be a great test for us. We will be ready to play and we will take the good and the bad to help get prepared for conference play.

You are 1 of 4 seniors on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? This is my final year and I want to go out with a bang. My teammates will rally behind me and help me out because we all want to win and be a part of something special. I want to take my experience and apply it on the court to help us in both practice and games.

Your aunt is Wilma Rudolph and your cousin is Bo Jackson: what is it like to be part of such an amazingly athletic family, and do you credit at least some of your success to genetics? It is good to know that you have famous athletes in your family. I give some credit to genetics, but I think everything else is a gift from God and I use that gift to the best of my ability.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our main goal is to win a Big East championship. We were in the middle of the pack last year before making the title game and we want to get back there and win it because it was not a good feeling after the game in our locker room. The main thing every day is to just be better than yesterday, which is something that I will preach to the team as a senior leader.

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Season preview: South Dakota State SR SG Jake Bittle

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

South Dakota may not be known as a basketball hotbed but the Jackrabbits have made the postseason during each of the past 4 years.  Jake Bittle will try to keep the streak alive this year as 1 of 4 returning starters under Coach Scott Nagy.  He has already faced Michigan in the NCAA tourney and Vanderbilt in the NIT and was the best shooter on his team last year, so high-major teams will not strike fear in his heart.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jake about being a great shooter and his team’s upcoming trip south of the border.

bittle

You grew up in Oklahoma: how did you choose South Dakota State? They were the 1st school to offer me a scholarship and I wanted to go to a D-1 school where I could be successful.

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 have ever learned from him? He is a true competitor and believes that we can win every single game that we play. His beliefs/values trickle down to the rest of the team and he has helped me grow as a young man.

You played 24 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? We had a lot of upperclassmen on that team including Nate Wolters, who is 1 of the greatest players in school history. I just tried to play good defense and not make mistakes.

1 of the games you played in that year was a loss to Michigan in the NCAA tourney: how much of a home-court advantage did the Wolverines have while playing in Auburn Hills? They had probably 30,000 fans compared to 500 of our own fans, so they had a big advantage.

Last year you led the team by shooting 53.4 FG%: what is your secret for being a good shooter? I just try to get in the gym and take some extra shots. My teammates do a good job of getting the ball to me in good situations, and you also have to be confident in your shot.

In the 2015 Summit League tourney title game you scored 6 PTS in a 1-PT loss to North Dakota State: how big is the rivalry, and where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? The rivalry is huge: I found that out during my freshman year. The title game was 1 of the toughest losses I have ever had. We clawed our way back and had a chance to win it at the end before it fell apart.

In the 2015 NIT you scored 14 PTS in a loss to Vanderbilt: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? We did have the silver lining of getting to the NIT and beating Colorado State, which was a huge victory for our team. On an individual level I felt more confident and aggressive, which I think is what the team will look for from me this year. It also gave our young guys some good experience.

Your team will be playing in the Cancun Challenge in November: how excited are you to check out Mexico? I am really excited to get out of the negative-30 degree weather during the wintertime!

You return 4 starters from last year: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success? Last year was the 1st season for a couple of our guys, and even that 1 year of experience will help everyone’s confidence.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Expectation are high every year but we want to win the Summit League title and make it to the NCAA tourney. I have not felt that since my freshman year so I am just chasing that feeling.

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Season preview: Belmont SR SG Craig Bradshaw

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

Some players do their best work in the regular season when the lights are low, while others prefer to shine in the postseason when the spotlight is brightest.  Craig Bradshaw is a member of the latter group and his magic number is 25: 25 PTS against Green Bay in the 2014 NIT, 25 PTS against Murray State in the 2015 OVC tourney title game, and 25 PTS against Virginia in the 2015 NCAA tourney (the most that anyone scored against the Cavaliers last season).  If you think he only cares about basketball, think again: he was named NACDA Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Craig about how he celebrated his birthday and what it felt like to score 42 PTS in a game.

craig

You turned 22 last month: what did you do for the big day? On my actual birthday I did not really do much besides hanging out with some close friends, but the week before I went to a Shania Twain concert with my best friend.

You play for Coach Rick Byrd: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? What makes him great is how competitive he is: he hates to lose more than anyone I have ever met. The most important thing I learned from him is that basketball is not the most important part of your life.

You played in 33 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It is not easy to get playing time when you are behind people like Ian Clark/JJ Mann. I think the biggest thing that I did was just play as hard as I could during every possession when I was in the game.

Last November you scored a career-high 42 PTS (8-12 3PM) including a floater at the buzzer to beat Ohio: 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 not that I was in any type of zone: it was more that my teammates and Coach Byrd all had a lot of confidence in me. It also helped that I had a great shoot-around, which gave me a ton of confidence. I remember telling Holden Mobley that I had not missed 1 shot during the entire shoot-around and that it was going to be a good night!

You were 2nd in the OVC last year with 42.3 3P%: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? There is no secret at all: you just have to get in the gym and put up shots. If you prepare and get some reps in, then it should be second nature when you get into the game.

In the 2015 conference tourney title game you scored 25 PTS and tourney MVP Taylor Barnette made a 3-PT shot in the final seconds to beat Murray State: did you think the shot was going in, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I definitely thought the shot was going in because Taylor is so good at shooting the ball even when he is off-balance. The reaction on campus was incredible: everyone was congratulating us when we walked to class. It was 1 of my favorite weeks at Belmont.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 25 PTS (10-19 FG) in a loss to Virginia, which was the most points scored against the Cavaliers during the entire season: how amazing is their defense, and how were you able to pick it apart? Their defense was really good but they changed so many things about it in order to guard the way we play on offense: I think that is what made it easier for me. It also helps that our plays confused them at times: they are so aggressive that we were able to back-cut.

You finished last season by being named NACDA Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I just try to make sure that I do a lot of my work on the days that we do not have practice, which makes life a lot easier. Sometimes I have to work ahead in a class but it is definitely worth it.

Evan Bradds led the nation with 70.3 FG% last year: what makes him such a great shooter? I do not know how good a “shooter” he is but he is very good around the basket. He uses the rim very well to shield bigger defenders inside and then uses the pump fake to his complete advantage. He is such a good finisher and is able to get past the bigger players who usually guard him.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goals are to win the OVC championship and then win an NCAA tourney game. Our expectations remain high based on what Coach Byrd and his past teams have accomplished.

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Season preview: Montana assistant coach Jonathan Metzger-Jones

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

You have to love a college basketball coach named Jonathan!  Jonathan Metzger-Jones has 4 years under his belt as an assistant at Montana, and he has made the postseason in 3 of those years.  He does a little of everything: recruiting, scheduling, summer camps, etc.  After playing college basketball at Pacific, he later played pro basketball in Europe before getting into coaching.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with “Jono” about surviving multiple overtimes and having Gonzaga/Kansas on this year’s schedule.

jmj

You played for Coach Bob Thomason at Pacific: what made him such a good coach? He is and was a coach with an unbelievable offensive mind: he just knew how to pick apart defenses. He never had the best players in the league (besides Michael Olowokandi) but was still able to field teams who could score a lot of points.

You made more than 100 threes in your career: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? You need the ability to communicate and relate to your teammates. You also need to be accountable/responsible so they know that your actions are for the betterment of the team: actions speak louder than words.

After graduating you played pro basketball in Europe: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? The shot clock: dropping down to 24 seconds was a big adjustment. In Europe there is more emphasis on skill as opposed to athleticism/brute force. A lot of players have a hard time adjusting to that but it was easier for me because I was not the strongest guy. You have to be willing to adjust to a new culture and fit in with your new team.

You were an assistant at Montana for a few years under Coach Wayne Tinkle before being retained by head coach Travis DeCuire when he took over last year: how does it usually work for an assistant when his old boss takes a new job, and how did it work for you? It is different everywhere you go. I know of a head coach who took a Power 5 job and did not take a single assistant with him, and I know other coaches who got a new job and brought their entire staff with them. It worked out great for me and my family because we love the city of Missoula and the program. We have done some good things in the past and we have a bright future as well.

Last year you had 4 separate multiple-overtime games: I assume that overtime games are exhausting for players, but how tired do you get as a coach? Yes…but it is a different kind of exhaustion for coaches. When a game goes into multiple overtimes there is pressure and excitement flowing through you and it is hard for your brain to hold onto everything. It definitely takes a toll on the coaches but we would not trade it for anything.

In the 2015 NIT you lost to Texas A&M: what did your team learn from that game that you think can help you this year? I think it was pretty evident that we need to have the mentality of never giving up. We were down by more than 20 PTS and we could have given up, but we took the lead in the 2nd half and the crowd got behind us. It showed our guys that we can compete with “bigger name” schools and can come back against any adversity.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Boise State/Gonzaga/Washington/Kansas: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I would say the Kansas game: it is an environment unlike any other in college basketball and most of our guys have never seen anything like it. Gonzaga also has a terrific program and returns their entire frontcourt so that will definitely be a tough game as well.

Your team returns 4 of its top-5 scorers from last year: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? It is going to be a big help. The scoring is nice but it is even more important to have guys with the experience of competing for a conference title. Our biggest thing is that we have been through the fire so now we have to take 1 more step and get to the next level.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our expectatios are to play Griz basketball for 40 minutes/night. Our goal is to win the conference title and get back to the NCAA tourney.

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Season preview: Wyoming assistant coach Allen Edwards

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For all of Jon’s other Season Preview Interviews – CLICK HERE

Many players like a coach who previously played college basketball because the coach knows what the player is going though.  However, until a Wyoming player wins a pair of NCAA titles, they will never know exactly what their assistant coach Allen Edwards has been through before.  Edwards is ready to begin year #5 with the Cowboys as an assistant to head coach Larry Shyatt, and he does so with quite the impressive basketball pedigree: Florida’s Mr. Basketball at Miami Senior High School, a 2-1 record in 3 NCAA title games as a player at Kentucky (the loss was in OT), a pair of NCAA tourneys as an assistant coach at VCU, and Wyoming’s 1st NCAA tourney berth in 13 years last March.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Edwards about winning a title, losing a title, and having not 1 but TWO(!) brothers who were McDonald’s All-Americans.

edwards

You played for a pair of great coaches at Kentucky (Rick Pitino/Tubby Smith): what is the most important thing that you ever learned from either of them? 1 of the things they both hit on that I took away was that basketball had a direct correlation to life. You get out of life what you put into it, just like basketball.

You won a pair of NCAA titles in 1996 and 1998 and lost the 1997 title game in OT to Arizona: what did it mean to you to win 2 titles, and do you ever have any regrets about not winning 3 in a row? It was unbelievable to win 2 titles: it is hard to explain but that was our goal every year. We put in the necessary work to reach that point and after doing it once we wanted to do it all over again. The experience we learned as sophomores helped us as seniors. Arizona was a really good team so my only regret is that I was dealing with an ankle injury and was not able to give the team 100%. I did not feel that I let the team down, but felt bad that I could not help them at the end of that game.

In 2011 you were hired as an assistant to Larry Shyatt at Wyoming: why did you take the job, and how do you like working for Larry? I had been in the business for a while at that time and I got to know Larry through his son Jeremy, who I worked with at VCU. Larry is part of the Rick Pitino/Billy Donovan coaching tree so I had heard a lot about him, and everyone I talked to had tremendous things to say about him. It almost felt like I was being recruited again because he had done his research on me! He felt that I was the guy for him, which made me feel very comfortable. He has been nothing but great to me: I have learned from him and have received a lot of responsibility as well.

In the 2013 CBI Nathan Sobey made a corner 3 at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over Lehigh, then David Brown made a 3 at the end of regulation in an OT loss to Western Michigan: how was your blood pressure doing by the end of that week?! It was part of the process for us. The CBI is nice…but it helped build our team and allowed us to win the MWC title in 2015.

Last January you had a 5-PT 3-OT win at Fresno State: I assume that overtime games are exhausting for players, but how tired were you as a coach by the end of that game? It was exciting and showed that our guys could win on the road against a tough team. It showed their fight because they were not willing to give up: those situations help you as the season goes on when you have to deal with illnesses/losses.

Your 56.4 PPG allowed was #7 in the nation last year: what is the key to having a great defense? We had a veteran group of guys who have been through our system and understand what we want from them on both ends of the floor. We had good ball control, which allowed fewer possessions for our opponent.  When you have length in the post and intelligence on the perimeter, you know that you have the defensive presence necessary to win games.

In the 2015 MWC tourney title game Josh Adams scored 10 PTS including the go-ahead 3 with in the final minute of a 2-PT win over San Diego State: what did it mean to clinch your school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid in 13 years, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I wanted it more for our guys. At the start of the year I thought they had a chance to do it, so I tried to get them to understand what it takes to win championships. I was happy for the guys because they understood what we were talking about all season long. It was not just ridiculous on our campus: the whole state embraced us during our entire conference tourney run at the Thomas & Mack Center. The state really represented us in Vegas: it got pretty loud in there and they were able to drown out the Aztec fans. I remember looking up and thinking that it was amazing how much they supported us.

Josh is the only senior on the team and the only returning starter: how much pressure is there on him to be a leader this year? 1 of the things he is great at is dealing with pressure: he has never shied away from that responsibility and has done a tremendous job this year with 8 new guys on the roster. He is the example that we look toward in terms of how to carry yourself and set the tone: he is like a coach on the floor, which is a tremendous step that he has taken. He is the type of leader who holds himself accountable: he will stop practices and make corrections himself, which shows the trust that we have in him, and it encourages our players to get in line and follow him.

Your older brothers Doug and Steve were each McDonald’s All-Americans: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say that Doug was the most talented: he just had a unique gift. All of our styles of play were different: I was more of a facilitator while Steve was more of a scorer. Growing up and watching them in person, I thought Doug stacked up with anyone in the country.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Like any team we just want to be the best we can be every time that we step out on the court for practices and games. If we can do that I think it can be a successful year for us even though we are a young team. We just have to be our best each day and let the chips fall where they may.

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Season preview: Wyoming SR PG Josh Adams

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Jon Teitel

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Wyoming had not made the NCAA tourney for more than a decade…and then Josh Adams showed up and changed all that.  He played in all 34 games as a freshman in 2013 while studying hard enough to be named to the MWC Academic-All Conference team.  In 2014 he started 32 games for the Cowboys and led the team in assists.  In 2015 he took it up a notch by being named conference tourney s MVP and helping Wyoming make its 1st trip to the NCAA tourney since 2002. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Josh about making the shot to win a high school state championship and the pressure of being the Cowboys’ only returning starter.

adams

At Chaparral High School you made the game-winning shot in the 2012 Colorado state title game: what did it mean to you to win a title? At the time it was the biggest achievement I had ever been a part of, but we have been something even greater here at Wyoming.

What made you choose Wyoming? A lot of other coaches would only call me once a month, but Coach Shyatt would call me as often as the NCAA allowed, and it has worked out pretty well for me so far.

Your 26 starts in 2013 were the most by a true freshman at Wyoming since 2006: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just bought into the program.  There were a series of events (injuries/suspensions) that allowed me to have the opportunity, so I took full advantage of it.

Take me through the 2013 CBI:
You found a wide-open Nathan Sobey who made a corner 3 at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over Lehigh: what is the key to making game-winning shots? Confidence. He was actually struggling a bit that year but he never lost his confidence. You just have to know that the ball is going to go in.

You played 41 minutes but David Brown made a 3 at the end of regulation in an OT win by Western Michigan: what is the key to preventing game-winning shots? You have to know where every shooter is on the court. We lost a little focus, gave him a little window, and he took advantage of our mental lapse.

In March of 2014 you scored a career-high 29 PTS (3-6 3PM) in a 9-PT loss to Boise State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? My teammates did a great job of getting me open off of screens, and it was just 1 of those times when my shot was going in.

Last year you finished in the top-10 in the conference in PPG/APG/SPG: what is the key to being a good PG? You have to get the team involved to give them the utmost confidence. You have to keep running things smoothly as far as scoring but you also have to set the tone on the defensive end and have the most intensity.

In the 2015 MWC tourney title game you were named MVP after scoring 10 PTS including the go-ahead 3 in the final minute of a 2-PT win over San Diego State: what did it mean to clinch your school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid in 13 years, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? The reaction was incredible: everybody was supportive. We had thousands of fans at the game in Vegas, which was nice because we had overcome so much to get there. The school and coaching staff has done so much for us that it was just the icing on the cake to do something that the team has not been able to do for a long time.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 6 AST in a loss to Northern Iowa: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? I have to get the guys in the right spot at the right time and make the right decisions. There will be some games where I have an off-night like I did against Northern Iowa, so I need to get everyone involved.

You are the only senior on the team and the only returning starter: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? Coach has helped me a lot with that: it is a lot of pressure so I just need to embrace it. We are coming out with a vengeance and we will not accept anything less than last year, but my teammates will help take some of the pressure off my shoulders.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have the same expectations as last year. We built the program up from 4-5 years ago when we only won 10 games and have brought in some good recruits. We are just going to play our game and we are going to win some games.

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