Season preview: Eastern Washington assistant coach Shantay Legans

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For the rest of Jon’s interviews – CLICK HERE

Players and head coaches are very important to a team’s success, but do not sleep on those invaluable assistant coaches as well.  Eastern Washington made the NCAA tourney last year for the 1st time in more than a decade, and a big reason they have improved from 10 wins in 2013 to 26 wins last year is assistant coach Shantay Legans.  If his name rings a bell, that is because he played at Cal and Fresno State, where he was 1 of the top PGs in both the Pac-10 and WAC.  HoospHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Legans about playing pro basketball and helping to turn Tyler Harvey from a walk-on into the best scorer in the country.

legans

In the 2001 NCAA tourney as a player at Cal you scored a team-high 15 PTS in a loss to Fresno State: could you have ever imagined at the time that you would end up transferring to Fresno State for your senior year? I could not have imagined playing for the team that put us out of the tourney: it was a very hard loss at the time. However, when my “big brother” (from the Big Brother Big Sister program) got the job at Fresno State, it was a dream come true to play for him.

In 2004 you led the WAC with 5.6 APG and finished in the top-10 in the conference in PPG/3P%/FT%: what is the key to being a good PG? Having an understanding of what your coaches want from both you and the team. Once you understand that, then you have to be able get yourself and the guys to execute the plan. You need to be a coach on the floor and also put in a lot of work!

You later played pro basketball in Europe: what is the biggest difference between college basketball and pro basketball? Having a 24-second shot clock and not being able to understand all of your teammates (or even your coach) at times!

Several years ago you became an assistant at Eastern Washington: why did you take the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? I took this job because it was a dream of mine to become a coach. I love the game of basketball and it has opened so many doors for me. Being able to help kids who get to live their dreams of playing college basketball and earning a degree is very meaningful to me. One of my goals for the future is to become a head coach.

In the 2015 Big Sky tourney title game you had a 4-PT win over Montana: what did it mean to you to win the conference title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? It was a great feeling: being able to sit back and look at all the hard work that we put into the season and say we are Big Sky champs is something special. Our Eastern Washington community is great and they gave the guys a championship welcome!

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had a 10-PT loss to Georgetown: what did your team learn from that game that you think can help you this year? The coaches/players all had the experience of playing in our sport’s preeminent tournament, which is the goal of every team in D-1. The team learned that we can compete with the best, and by playing our best we can make our fans and ourselves proud. Most importantly we learned not to be nervous: if we just play our game then we will be winners.

You helped Tyler Harvey develop from a walk-on to the nation’s leading scorer to an NBA draft pick: how did you do it, and how are you going to try to replace all of his offense? It was a lot of fun: Tyler works extremely hard and makes the job fun! He is a kid who loved to work hard every day and did not mind working on the things that he needed to get better at. It will be a team effort to replace his 23 PPG but our team will be up for the challenge. We have some dynamic scorers and 1 of the best offensive minds in college basketball at the helm.

In April PG Austin McBroom announced that he was transferring from St. Louis: what is the key to integrating players from other schools into your own high-scoring offense? It has to be the right fit: he has to be our type of player and have a very high character. One of the most important things is that our current players have to like the kid who will be coming in. Austin fit right in so it was a no-brainer.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games against Mississippi State/Davidson/Pitt: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? It is hard to pick 1 since all of those teams are well-coached and very talented. I am excited that our program gets to go out and challenge some of the top teams in the country.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our team goal has always been the same even since Coach Hayford took the job: win the Big Sky and go to the NCAA tourney. During that process we also want to create a great environment for our guys to flourish as young men. I expect that our team will give it all they have this year and make another great run!

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Eastern Washington assistant coach Shantay Legans

Season preview: Eastern Washington SO SF Bogdan Bliznyuk

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Jon Teitel

To see all of Jon’s other interviews – CLICK HERE

Eastern Washington basketball got some nice pub last year for having the leading scorer in the nation, but now that Tyler Harvey is off to the NBA the Eagles will need someone else to pick up the scoring slack.  Australian PF Venky Jois is the leading candidate, but Ukranian SF Bogdan Bliznyuk is also going to help the cause.  He made a nice first impression as a freshman last year, scoring 8.7 PPG en route to being named Big Sky ROY.  He is also a legitimately ridiculous long-range shooter, as he nailed over 55% of his 3-PT shots.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Bogdan about winning a conference title and trying to get back to the NCAA tourney.

bogdan

You were born in Ukraine: how did you 1st get into the sport of basketball? When I first moved to the United States I lived in an apartment complex and everybody there played basketball. I just fell in love with the game and played every day.

What made you choose Eastern Washington? I chose Eastern because it was a great fit for my game and is pretty close to home. I also loved my coaches/teammates.

As a freshman last year you played 35 games and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was able to contribute right away because I put the work in to make sure it was possible, and when my opportunity came around I tried to do the most with it.

In January you scored a career-high 25 PTS in a win over North Dakota: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I did feel like I had the “hot hand” but the credit goes to my teammates. They made it easy for me by giving me great looks so all I had to do was make the shots. The coaching staff also had confidence in me.

You shot an amazing 55.8 3P% despite your unorthodox form: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? There really is no secret to making shots. If you put in the work in at the gym then it does not matter how different or unorthodox your shot is because it will go in. Again, my coaches/teammates put me in a place where I could succeed by having a great system and getting me open looks. Good shot selection is also a key: if you do not take bad shots, then you will probably make more shots.

In the 2015 Big Sky tourney title game you scored 13 PTS in a 4-PT win at Montana: what did it mean to you to win the conference title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? Winning the Big Sky title over Montana was probably the best moment of my basketball career. I was thrilled that we were Big Sky champs: we worked so hard to accomplish that goal and we finally were able to make it happen. When we got back to campus everyone knew that we won so wherever we went there was someone congratulating us and talking about the game.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS in a 10-PT loss to Georgetown: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? I learned plenty of things: it was a good experience just being able to get there. I learned that the team (including myself) needs to be tougher. We need to win the boards and have a lots of determination to play defense at a high level.

Last year Tyler Harvey led the nation in PPG/3PM before deciding to enter the NBA draft: how are you going to try to replace all of his offense? Our team has guys who are ready to step into bigger roles and take on some of that burden. There will not be 1 guy who will pick up the slack: there will be a few who are ready to take that burden.

Your non-conference schedule includes road games against Mississippi State/Davidson/Pitt: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I feel like all 3 of them will be big tests and make us a better team. I am looking forward to the game against Pitt the most because I grew up watching a lot of Big East basketball and Pitt was always pretty good.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I want our team to win our conference, win the conference tournament, and go as far as we can in the NCAA tourney. I think those things are possible and should be expected.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Eastern Washington SO SF Bogdan Bliznyuk

Season preview: Georgia State SR SF Markus Crider

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Jon Teitel

For Jon Teitel’s other Season Previews – CLICK HERE

Georgia State got to try on Cinderella’s slipper last March after their 1-PT upset of #3-seed Baylor in the NCAA tourney, but it will not be easy to secure another invitation to the dance after losing their starting backcourt of RJ Hunter/Ryan Harrow.  1 man who showed that he is capable of shining in the spotlight is Markus Crider, who almost averaged a double-double while being named to the Sun Belt All-tourney team last year and then scored 10 PTS in each of the Panthers’ 2 NCAA tourney games.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Markus about being 1 of the best shooters in the Sun Belt and how he plans to celebrate his “Jordan” birthday next month.

crider

In 2011 you played in the Ohio-Kentucky All-Star game: which of your teammates impressed you the most (Trey Burke/Travis Trice/Aaron White/other)? I cannot say that any 1 guy particularly impressed me more than any other. I grew up playing with those guys for years so I knew what they are capable of every day. I will say that my team impressed me because we were undersized compared to the Kentucky team. We started slowly but came together and found a way to win the game and represent for Ohio.

You play for Coach Ron Hunter: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? His will to win: he puts us in the best possible position to come out with a victory. The most important thing that I have learned from him has nothing to do with basketball: he taught me about Samaritan’s Feet (which helps provide shoes to children in poverty) and helping others.

In the 2014 Sun Belt tourney title game you scored 4 PTS in a 1-PT OT loss to LA-Lafayette: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? I do not consider it a devastating loss per se, but it was a crucial loss to me. It not only fueled me but also caused our entire team to work harder.

In the 2015 Sun Belt tourney title game you scored 8 PTS in a 38-36 win over Georgia Southern (who shot 22.9 FG%): did your team just play amazing defense, or were the Eagles ice-cold, or both? Both teams failed to shoot the ball well. You can say that we played better defense because we ended up getting stops when we needed to, along with rebounds and extra opportunities when they were needed, which turned into a victory.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 10 PTS in an 8-PT loss to Xavier: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? The loss did not teach me much but rather showed me that in this game you truly need size. I played that game injured while needing surgery, and my team played their hearts out until the final second.

You lost your top-2 scorers from last year (RJ Hunter/Ryan Harrow): how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? Losing our top-2 scorers does not mean too much: we know that there will just be some new leading scorers this season. There is more leadership on my shoulders but I do not feel as if there is any more pressure than last year: I lead by example at all times, both on and off the court.

You have several good transfer players on your roster (including Willie Clayton/Isaiah Williams/Kevin Ware): how have you been able to integrate guys who enter your program after beginning their college careers elsewhere? Getting guys integrated to our system is not the easiest process, but it becomes easier over time. I remember how hard it was for me to learn our system, so as a senior I can help those guys leave their past accomplishments in the past and focus on our team’s goals.

Your 60 FG% was #2 in the conference last year: what is the key to being a great shooter? Being efficient is something that I have always done since I first started playing basketball. Being a good shooter is simply a matter of taking good shots and finding ways to get easy looks: that is how to shoot a high percentage.

You turn 23 next month: what are you doing for the big day? I will not do too much for my “Jordan or LeBron” year (due to their jersey #) because I will be focusing on getting in tip-top shape to start the season. I may decide to have some fried food or red meat for my birthday since I do not usually eat those things, but after that it will be back to preparing to win another championship!

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My individual goals are to earn All-Sun Belt 1st-Team honors and be named conference POY. For the team, my expectations are to win the conference outright to earn a 3rd-straight regular season title, go back to the NCAA tourney, and win more than 1 game.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Georgia State SR SF Markus Crider

Season preview: Dayton JR PG Scoochie Smith

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Jon Teitel

There are a lot of great nicknames in college basketball, but “Scoochie” Smith has to be 1 of the best.  He finished his high school career with a double-double in the Jordan Brand Regional All-Star Game, and began his college career at Dayton by helping them reach 2 straight NCAA tourneys.  After leading the team in assists during the regular season last year, he played 117 of a possible 120 minutes in the NCAA tourney.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Scoochie about the Flyers’ SEC-heavy non-conference schedule and the story behind his nifty nickname.

scoochie

Your nickname is “Scoochie”: who gave it to you, and how do you like it? My grandfather gave it to me. I did not think it would still be around now that I am grown up, but I like it.

You grew up in the Bronx: what made you choose Dayton? I wanted the opportunity to come in a freshman and get a lot of playing time. The campus is great and it is very family-oriented. It is a good mix of academics and athletics.

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? I like his drive and his will to win. We are kind of on the same page at being successful at whatever we do.

You played in all 37 games as a freshman and had the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just prepared myself for success and worked hard at practice.

In the 2014 NCAA tourney you had 2 STL and Vee Sanford made a layup with 3.8 seconds left in a 1-PT win over your in-state rival Ohio State: did you think Aaron Craft’s 10-footer at the buzzer was going in, and what was the reaction like in the locker room afterward? I knew that Vee was going to win the game because Coach drew up the play for him: I have seen him make that shot all the time. I was not too nervous about Aaron’s shot but it was close to going in. It was a great win for the Flyer faithful and boosted our confidence for a deep tourney run that year.

Last year you led the team in AST: what is the key to being a good PG? I just try to lead the team and improve at everything I do on a daily basis: I try to be a pro every day.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS in a 6-PT loss to Oklahoma: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? We cannot have scoring breakdowns like we did last year if we want to win games.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Alabama/Vandy/Arkansas: when did you decide to join the SEC, and which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test?! It is always fun to play against the SEC but it is also tough. It will be good preparation for conference play but you just have to be ready because you can lose on any given night.

Your leading scorer from last year (Jordan Sibert) graduated but your other 4 starters all return: how do you hope to replace Jordan’s offense, and how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success? We have a lot of guys who know how to win and a bunch of newcomers who are willing to learn, which makes things a lot easier. Everyone will just step up when their number is called, so I do not think that scoring will be a problem.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I have very high goals for myself and we want to win as many games as possible and try to win a conference championship. I want to help my teammates improve every day and be a good leader.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Dayton JR PG Scoochie Smith

Season preview: Dayton JR SF Kendall Pollard

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Jon Teitel

If you want to know how to go far in the postseason, Kendall Pollard is a good person to ask.  As a high school player at Simeon Career Academy, he teamed with Jabari Parker to win 3 straight Illinois 4A state titles.  As a freshman at Dayton he helped his team reach the Elite 8, then followed that up last March by scoring a team-high 17 PTS in a 1-PT win over Boise State in the 1st 4.  The Flyers return 4 of their starters from last year, so do not bet against them returning to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd year in a row.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kendall about being the most improved player in the conference and having a 7′ wingspan. 

kp

You grew up in Chicago where you won a trio of 4A state titles at Simeon Career Academy as a teammate of Jabari Parker: could you tell even back then that Jabari was going to become a star, and what made you choose Dayton? I knew that Jabari was going to be a star from the time I played against him back in the 7th grade: we teamed up at Simeon and won a bunch of championships. I picked Dayton because it gave me the best opportunity to win and it was not that far away from home.

You are 6’6” but have a wingspan of nearly 7’: how much of an advantage is your length on the court? It is an advantage because it allows me to get in passing lanes and block shots.

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 knows what he is talking about and has the blueprint for success, so all we have to do is listen. He taught me to handle my business and control only what I can control.

You played in all 37 games as a freshman and shot almost 55 FG%: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just found my niche on the team as someone who would just play hard every day. I did whatever the team needed me to do.

In the 2014 NCAA tourney you had 2 STL and Vee Sanford made a layup with 3.8 seconds left in a 1-PT win over your in-state rival Ohio State: did you think Aaron Craft’s 10-footer at the buzzer was going in, and what was the reaction like in the locker room afterward? I really did think Craft’s shot was going in: I was surprised that he was able to get that close to the rim. I was amazed when Vee hit the game-winning shot and I was just begging everyone to get back on defense. It was crazy in the locker room because it was our school’s 1st tourney win in a long time. Everyone thought the Buckeyes were the best team in the state…but we took them down.

Last year you were named the A-10 Most Improved Player: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means a lot to me. I was striving to make the All-Conference team, but winning the award I got helped make up for it. I am still trying to improve and want to win it again next year.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 13 PTS in a 6-PT loss to Oklahoma: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? We need to come out of the gate playing hard. We fell behind very early in that game and once reality set in that our season was going to end, we all finally played hard at the end of the game.

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Alabama/Vandy/Arkansas: when did you decide to join the SEC, and which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test?! I have not really watched any of those teams, but I know they each lost some good players from last year.

Your leading scorer from last year (Jordan Sibert) graduated but you are 1 of 4 returning starters: how do you hope to replace Jordan’s offense, and how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success? I think our experience will be very crucial because we know what it takes to get to the tourney. I do not know if any 1 player can replace Jordan, but we will try to come together and do it as a team.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I just want to win games and win championships. On a team level, we are trying to accomplish some things that have not been done at Dayton at a long time. On an individual level, I would like to be named 1st-team All-Conference.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Season preview: Dayton JR SF Kendall Pollard

Season preview: Davidson SR PG Brian Sullivan

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Jon Teitel

Brian Sullivan is such a good long-range shooter that he has already put up the best 3-PT stats in not 1 but TWO different conferences…and is not even playing in either of those conferences anymore!  As a freshman at Miami (Ohio) his 45 3P% was tops in the MAC, and after transferring to Davidson he led the SoCon with 38 3P%.  If he can get hot this year to lead the A-10 then we might just have to start inventing new conferences for him to dominate.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Brian about trying to make it back to the NCAA tourney and whether he will end up going into the “family business”.

sully

You began your career at Miami (Ohio): why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Davidson? I really enjoyed my time at Miami, but it was not a great fit for me in a lot of respects. Davidson is about a tenth of the size, and after Miami’s coaching change I wanted a chance to play for a program where guys come back and are still involved. I could not be more pleased with my decision to come here.

You play for Coach Bob McKillop: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is the best coach that I have ever had, and I think he is the best coach in America. He does not let little things get away from him because he knows they can end up becoming big things. He is very detail-oriented and really cares for us. He is like a father-figure who gives us a sense of autonomy by hearing us out and trusting us. Our code here is “TCC”: Trust/Care/Commitment.

In December of 2013 you scored a career-high 33 PTS (7-14 3PM) in 44 minutes in an OT loss at North Carolina: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That was the case to a certain extent and I was in a good rhythm, but I actually feel that I missed a few shots that I should have made. My teammates were getting me good looks and I was fortunate to knock a lot of them down, but I can still recall a couple of missed threes that I should have made.

You led the MAC with 45 3P% in 2012 and led the SoCon with 38 3P% in 2014: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? I have 3 keys: repetition, form, and confidence. I try to get as many reps as I can with the best form, and have a full faith and belief that my shot will go in.

Last January you scored 17 PTS including a 3-PT shot at the end of regulation en route to a 7-PT OT win at George Mason: did you think it was going in, and where does that rank among the most clutch shots of your career? The second I left my hand I knew it was right on-line, so I felt pretty good about it. It is probably my most clutch shot during college: it gave us a lot of momentum that we carried with us while Jack Gibbs was hurt.

In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 8 PTS in a loss to Iowa: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? It was a tremendous learning experience for a lot of our players and should help us a lot this year. We got out-played in a lot of different ways so we have used that as fuel to help us get better. We had a little taste of it last year and now we want to return and win a game: we are not satisfied with just getting to the tourney.

Your school made the switch from the SoCon to the A-10 last year: do you feel much more comfortable now that you have 1 year in the conference under your belt? There is a certain level of comfort that we did not have last year because it was all so new. Now we know our opponents and what to expect.  However, this year we will be more of the hunted than the hunter, which will be more of a challenge.

Your leading scorer from last year (Tyler Kalinoski) graduated, but you return each of the other top-12 scorers on the team: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? We have a great thing going for us. We play a pretty detailed system: the more you play in it, the more it becomes 2nd-nature. We get more confident each time we step on the court and are bringing in some talented freshmen as well.

Your brother Kevin is an assistant basketball coach at Kenyon and your brother Chris is an assistant basketball coach at Dennison: do you guys ever talk about anything other than basketball, and do you think that you will follow their footsteps and eventually end up on the sideline? We occasionally talk about stuff outside of basketball, but they are a great resource for me. You can imagine that they have a lot of questions for me because I play for Coach McKillop: sometimes it feels as if I am the 1 teaching them instead of vice-versa! I credit them for my love of basketball, and it has strengthened our relationship incredibly. I have a hard time seeing myself away from the game: the plan is to keep playing after I graduate.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have pretty high expectations inside the locker room. We do not feel the pressure of outside expectations but we are excited about our roster and the opportunities ahead of us.

Posted in News and Notes | Tagged , | 2 Comments