Season preview: Iowa coach Fran McCaffery

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Jon Teitel

Fran McCaffery became a D-1 head coach at Lehigh in 1985 and he has not stopped winning for the past 3 decades. He made the NCAA tourney during his final year with the Mountain Hawks, then made it back with UNC-Greensboro in 2001, then 3 straight times with Siena from 2008-2010, followed by back-to-back appearances with Iowa the past 2 years. After destroying Davidson by 31 PTS in their opening tourney game last March, they had a 3rd round loss after running into a Gonzaga team that shot 61.5 FG%.  However, the Hawkeyes return 4 of their starters from that game, which gives them an excellent chance to return to the tourney for the 3rd straight year. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues his season preview series by chatting with Coach McCaffery about playing for Penn and taking so many different schools to the NCAA tourney.

fran

In your playing days you were nicknamed “White Magic”: who gave you the nickname, and how did you like it? I got it from Julius Thompson, who was a sportswriter at the Philadelphia Bulletin. I was playing in the predominantly-Black Sonny Hill League with Lewis Lloyd, who was known as “Black Magic”, so Julius decided to call me “White Magic”.

After transferring from Wake Forest to Penn you were among the Ivy League leaders in STL/AST in 1982 before a 10-PT loss to St. John’s in the NCAA tourney: why did you decide to transfer, and could you tell at the time that Chris Mullin was going to become a star? Penn was my 2nd college choice. As a member of the high school class of 1977 I was ineligible to play as a freshman at Penn, but I had a great experience at Wake Forest and after transferring to Penn I still had the same amount of eligibility. Mullin was only a freshman but you could tell that he was special. He was really difficult to guard and had a big strong body.

You became an assistant coach at Lehigh in 1983, and in 1985 you became the youngest head coach in D-1 at age 26: did you feel that your age was an advantage or a disadvantage? It was both. It was an advantage in that I could relate well to the players and I had tremendous enthusiasm. We also got a lot of publicity for having such a young coach! However, at times we did not always get the respect we deserved or would have had if I was a more established coach. Lehigh and Lafayette have 1 of the biggest rivalries in college sports. I became head coach when Lafayette’s head coach was Butch van Breda Kolff (who had coached Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers to Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals), and we had some great battles.

What are your memories of the 1988 NCAA tourney (Tim Perry/Mark Macon combined for 51 PTS/21 REB in a win by #1-seed/in-state rival Temple)? We played really well and had a number of seniors who were bona-fide D-1 players, but we did not have a deep team. We made 10 threes and defended hard, so it was still close with 3 minutes to go.

Take me through the 1992 NIT Final 4 as an assistant coach at Notre Dame under John MacLeod:
Utah coach Rick Majerus picked up a technical foul in the final 10 seconds of a tie game after Paul Afeaki was called for pushing LaPhonso Ellis, and the resulting FT gave you a 3-PT win over the Utes: how did it feel to win the game on a technical foul? It was ironic. We had a 1-PT loss at DePaul in 1 of our final regular-season games earlier that month on a ridiculous technical foul that was called on Coach MacLeod, and if we had won that game we would have been in the NCAA tourney, so it was justice served!

Elmer Bennett scored 39 PTS including a 3-PT shot with 4 seconds left in regulation to send it into OT, but tourney MVP Bryant Stith had 24 PTS in a 5-PT win by Virginia in the title game: where does Bennett’s performance/clutch shot rank among the best you have ever seen, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards? It was a very interesting game. I got to work with the guards and Elmer was 1 of my favorites. He was just on fire that night: to see him have that kind of performance in that venue was really impressive. I felt we were going to end up winning in OT after his shot went in, but we could not close it.

What are your memories of the 2001 SoCon tourney final as head coach at UNC-Greensboro (Jay Joseph threw a 75-foot pass to David Schuck who made a lay-up off the glass at the buzzer for a 1-PT win over Chattanooga that clinched the 1st SoCon title in school history)? We had repeatedly worked on that play in practice, including earlier that morning. There was confusion on our bench regarding whether we had a timeout left, but once we realized that we were out of timeouts we switched the call to run that play. The key to that play is always the guy who throws the pass. We missed some FTs at the end and Chattanooga took the lead with 2.9 seconds left, so there were people standing by the court getting ready to celebrate before David made that shot.

As coach at Siena you maintained a near-100% graduation rate for your players who completed their NCAA eligibility: how much importance do you place on academics? There is 1 guy who was 3 credits short because he listened to his agent and decided to go pro, but he eventually graduated. I have placed great importance on academics everywhere that I have been. A lot of coaches only want to take credit for their team graduation rate when it is very high and blame someone else if it is very low, but it was 1 of the reasons that I got hired.

In 2008 you became the 1st coach to take 3 different programs to the NCAA tourney from a 1-bid league: how have you been able to have so much success at so many different schools? You have to be at institutions where you work for great athletic directors and can sell the experience to kids who want to go to school there. I have also surrounded myself with great assistant coaches who recruit student-athletes of great character. My greatest strength is giving my players enough structure to be successful and then letting them play. When you are in a 1-bid league you know that you are going to have to win 3 games in early-March just to get into the NCAA tourney. When there is that much at stake you need to keep your guys relaxed and feeling good about who they are.

In the 2009 NCAA tourney Ronald Moore made a 3-PT shot with 4 seconds left in the 2nd OT after making a three from the same spot in the 1st OT for a 2-PT 2-OT win over Ohio State (who was led by Evan Turner with 25 PTS/9 REB/8 AST): where does that rank among the greatest wins of your career? That is probably the most enjoyable game for me personally. We lost the 2007 conference title game when Ronald was a freshman. He missed 2 shots late in that game and I got a lot of criticism for letting him take those shots, but he did so in the flow of the offense so I had confidence in him. Fast-forward 2 years later and he makes 2 of the biggest shots in Siena basketball history. We thought that we had a good game plan but just could not simulate the Buckeyes’ length/quickness in practice. Once we got back into the game without panicking you could sense the entire momentum shifting, and I knew it would go down to the wire.

What are your goals for next season knowing that you are returning 5 of your top-7 scorers? We are very optimistic…but at the same time we are realistic because of the conference we are in. There are so many good teams in this league. You hear coaches complain that their league does not get enough respect, but the Big 10 gets plenty of respect as 1 of the best conference in the country. We have to temper our enthusiasm with some realism, but I think we have made progress and I think we have a legitimate chance to get back to the tourney next year.

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Jon Teitel’s Interview with Kennesaw State Head Coach Al Skinner

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Chad

North Florida coach Matthew Driscoll was named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year last March after leading the Ospreys to their 1st NCAA tourney in school history.  However, he will have some new competition in the conference this year because Kennesaw State has brought in Boston College legend Al Skinner to try and lead the Owls to the postseason for the 1st time in their own history.  It will not be easy due to a brutal schedule, including a trio of road games to start the year against Alabama, LSU, and ASU.  Then again, if anyone knows what it takes to succeed on the basketball court, it is a guy who was an All-American player at UMass, a member of the 1976 ABA champion New York Nets, and the 2001 national COY at BC.  Brand-new HoopsHD writer Jon Teitel begins our 2015 NCAA season preview coverage by chatting with Coach Skinner about playing with Dr. J and winning a tourney game in double-OT.

 

skinner

1. In 1971 you were a freshman at UMass while the varsity was led by Julius Erving (who had 32.5 PPG/20.2 RPG during his 2 varsity seasons): was he just unstoppable during scrimmages?  He was a pretty dominating player, to the point that we would play better than the varsity when he was on the bench.  It was great to play against him: he taught me what it took to be a great player.

2. 2 of your teammates on the freshman team were future NCAA championship coach Rick Pitino and future AL Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan: could you tell back then that either of them would become so successful in the future?  Not at all.  I knew that Mike was a good pitcher, but not as good as he actually was.  Rick always had the drive to become a coach because he loved the game.  He has been able to put it all together and have a Hall of Fame career.

3. In December 1973 you recorded the 1st triple-double in school history (28 PTS/18 REB/10 AST in a win over St. Peter’s): where does that rank among the greatest performances of your career?  I never knew about that until you mentioned it.  The most important thing is that we won the game: I never cared about stats.

4. As a senior you averaged 18.8 PPG/11 RPG, led the Yankee Conference in scoring, and were named an All-American: did you feel like you were 1 of the best players in the country?  I was proudest of my shooting percentage: I had the highest FG% in school history at the time.  Any good player can score, but I was also happy about my rebounding.

5. In the summer of 1974 you were drafted in the 9th round by the NBA’s Boston Celtics, but decided to join the ABA’s New York Nets: how much of a factor was the chance to join your former classmate Erving?  It was a big factor because he showed me the way to be successful in the ABA, just like he did in college.  I also thought it would give me the best chance to be a pro athlete.

6. Despite 42 PTS from David Thompson in Game 6 of the 1976 Finals, your team was able to overcome a 22-PT deficit in the 2nd half to pull out a 6-PT win over Denver and clinch the title: how were you able to come all the way back, and what did it mean to you to win the title?  That is probably 1 of my biggest accomplishments.  I had to guard David in the 2nd half and I was embarrassed so I just stood in front of him and face-guarded him to keep him from getting the ball.  We said during 1 timeout that we did not want to go back to Denver, so we were fortunate to win the game.

7. What are your memories of Game 7 of the 1979 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the 76ers (Erving had 34 PTS/8 AST but George Gervin had 33 PTS/12 REB in a 3-PT win by the Spurs)?  There was 1 game in San Antonio where I was guarding George, who is 1 of the best offensive players to ever play the game.  It was 1 of the biggest challenges I ever had trying to guard someone.  Unfortunately, we came out on the short end.

8. In the 1992 NIT as coach at Rhode Island, Jason Alexander made a 3-PT shot with 34 seconds left in a 1-PT 2-OT win over BC: how does your coaching style change in regulation vs. overtime?  In OT I just try to figure out what was successful in the 1st 40 minutes and focus on that.  That was probably 1 of my finest wins as a coach.

9. What are your memories of the 1997 NCAA tourney (Brad Miller scored a career-high 31 PTS in a 7-PT OT win by Purdue)?  We previously beat Purdue by 6 PTS in the 1993 tourney.  I remember that it should have never gone to OT.  We were up 3 at the end of regulation, but did not stay home on the perimeter and Brian Cardinal made a 3-PT shot to send it to OT.  We felt a little deflated going into OT and did not have the same drive that we had during regulation.

10. In 2001 you won the Big East regular season title as coach at BC and were named national COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor?  It was great recognition for the way I did my job, but it just showed that I was able to communicate to my players, as they are the ones who executed on the floor.

11. Take me through the 2001 NCAA tourney:

11A:  Jeff Monaco scored 26 PTS and Justin Sant’s 3-PT shot at the buzzer hit the front of the rim in a 3-PT loss by Southern Utah: did you think the shot was going in?  When it is on-line like that you think is going in.

11B:  Troy Bell scored a career-high 32 PTS in a 3-PT loss to USC: what made Bell such a great player?  Troy is 1 of the finest offensive players that I have ever coached.  He had great quickness and great elevation on his jump shot, which is rare for a jump shooter.  He had tremendous concentration: he must have made more 4-PT plays than anyone else in school history, and graduated as the #2 scorer in Big East history.

12. What are your memories of the 2004 NCAA tourney (Jarrett Jack had a steal/breakaway dunk with 5 seconds left to clinch a 3-PT win by eventual national runner-up Georgia Tech)?  That was a well-played game but we just did not execute at the end as well as we should have.  Jack played an excellent game: I did not realize how good he was when we scouted him.  We took pride in winning close games.

13. In 2005 the Eagles became the 1st Big East team to start a season 20-0: how do you keep your team focused for 20 games in a row?  That was going to be our last year in the league.  We mentally understood what we were trying to do and had discipline throughout our team.  We had all the ingredients: leadership in the locker room, the desire to win, etc.

14. Take me through the 2006 NCAA tourney:

14A:  Craig Smith had 25 PTS/13 REB and made a pair of FT with 4.3 seconds left in the 1st OT en route to a 2-OT win over Pacific: where does that rank among the most exciting games you have ever been a part of?  Pacific was 1 of the better-coached teams we played that year so I knew that they presented a big challenge.  It was clearly pleasing to me to win: we did not deviate from the game plan or get distracted.  Pacific did not play like a mid-major: they upset Providence in the 2004 tourney as a #12 seed.

14B:   Sean Williams blocked Kyle Lowry’s jumper at the end of regulation, but was called for goaltending with 3 seconds left in a 1-PT OT loss to Villanova: how was Will Sheridan able to slip behind the defense on an inbounds pass for the game-winning shot under the basket?  It was just a mental mistake and we just did not execute well.  Guys were disappointed in the locker room, but more about how we lost than the fact that we lost.

15. You remain the all-time winningest coach in BC history: do you think that anyone will ever break your record, and what do you hope to do in the future?  I would like to think the record will be there for a while.  I would like to get back into coaching and have it end on a high note, but it will take quite an effort to pass me.  I served on the D-1 Coaches Ethics Committee for several years and am very proud of my players’ high graduation rates as well.

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Hoops HD August Session

Posted on August 26, 2015 by David Griggs

On this month’s offseason episode, Kyle goes to the NCAA Library in Indianapolis.  How exciting!!!

David Griggs is absolutely thrilled to hear about all the research he’s been doing.  So, we get an update from Kyle on what he saw and experienced while at the NCAA HQ, and an update on the College Basketball Database that he’s been putting together for the site.  It’s coming!!  We promise!!

In addition to Kyle, Chad is joined by Jon, John and David.  The panel discusses the NLRB ruling and how that impacts not just college basketball, but all college sports.  They also talk about the two new selection committee members this year, and whether or not the imbalance of FBS representatives vs non-FBS representatives will matter.  They also touch on what’s happening at North Carolina, and how the NCAA’s thinly spread enforcement staff could be contributing to why they’ve been so slow to act.

Last but not least, they go over the rules changes and discuss what impacts they feel it will have on the game this upcoming season

 

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

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Hoops HD July Session: News & Notes, Coaching Changes, and Transfer Banter

Posted on July 17, 2015 by David Griggs

Joby hosts this month’s offseason session and is joined by regulars David, John and Chad (sort of).  They begin with hitting the news and notes from the past few summer weeks, including Fred Hoiberg’s departure from Iowa State, Shaka Smart’s move to Texas, and Rick Barnes’s move to Tennessee.

The main topic of the evening is the transfer rules, and how the panel basically feels it is unfair that so much is working against the players.  They discuss what changes they think they should be made, and how coaches having less control over the players would actually lower the transfer rate rather than raise it.

The final topic that’s discussed is the removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from South Carolina’s state house, and how doing so now allows the state of South Carolina to host men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament games.

 

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

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Hoops HD June Session: News & Notes, Restarting the Border War, and More

Posted on June 17, 2015 by David Griggs

Chad is joined by David, John and Joby as they delve into the News and Notes of college basketball.  They talk about how NKU has moved from the Atlantic Sun to the Horizon League, and how NJIT was able to join a conference.  They also look at the different rules changes that have been passed and discuss what impacts they think they’ll have on the game, the two most notable being the shot clock and the possibility that the graduation transfer rule may change.

The main topic tonight is something that David Griggs has not shut up about for over two years, and that is the Border War Rivalry between Kansas and Missouri.  The panel wanted to discuss the history of the rivalry, and how they feel restarting it would be different since it’s not a conference game, but would still be beneficial.

All of that, and more….

 

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

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News, Notes and Puppet Rants (June 5th)

Posted on June 5, 2015 by David Griggs

-We will be doing our June Session podcast within the next week or two.  Be on the lookout for that.  Barring something totally unexpected that deserves immediate attention, it will be our final podcast of the athletic year.  On July 1, we will OFFICIALLY be in the 2015-2016 athletic year, so this year will suddenly be last year and next year will suddenly be this year.

-This is old news, but Northern Kentucky has moved from the Atlantic Sun to the Horizon League.  2015-2016 will be their final year as a transitional program.  The Atlantic Sun is now down to just seven full members, which is the minimum a conference is allowed to have while still being an automatic qualifier.  We’ve said this before, but NJIT would make sense despite being a geographic outlier.  Most A-Sun teams travel in the OOC portion of the season anyway, so this would be just one more trip.  And, NJIT has plans to build a new arena, and would be a formidable basketball program by Atlantic Sun standards.  They advanced to the semifinals of the CIT a year ago, and anyone who can do that would be an asset to a league like the A-Sun.  If this is going to happen, it  needs to happen before July 1st, so let’s take to Twitter and make this happen!!  #NJITtoASun!!!!  #TeamOfThePeople!!

-North Carolina is about to go through the NCAA equivalent of a full body cavity search.  The NCAA has accused UNC of five level 1 violations, which basically means they could be looking at a postseason ban for the sports that were involved.  The violations include lack of institutional control for failing to monitor its academic programs, extra benefits, and not cooperating with the NCAA, The report mentions that 169 student-athletes were involved, and 15 of those were men’s basketball players, so this is no small thing.

-UAB has announced they intend to reinstate their football program, which should allow them to remain in Conference USA.  This is good news for their basketball program seeing as how the three best basketball centric conferences (Big East, Atlantic Ten and Missouri Valley) likely would not have had much interest in adding UAB, which would have likely resulted in them landing in a league like the Sun Belt as a non-football member, or the Atlantic Sun.

-Fred Hoiberg has left Iowa State for the NBA.  He did an unbelievable job with the Cyclones, especially the past two seasons where the team entered the NCAA Tournament as a #3 seed in each of those years, and won two Big Twelve Tournament championships.  Unfortunately they were inflicted with injuries going into the 2014 NCAA Tournament, but still made the Sweet Sixteen, and they were upset in the round of 64 by UAB in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, but despite that the program was having a terrific run.  I for one am kind of sad to see him leave the college game.

 

-And finally, I will close with my rant on the Graduate Transfer Waiver, or more accurately, those who oppose this waiver.  Here’s the thing.  People in college athletics love to claim that these are student-athletes, and that academic are important, and that it’s about getting a free education.  Well, if that’s the case, then what the hell is a “Graduate Transfer??”  There’s no such thing.  In the world of academics, which people in college athletics (falsely) claim to value, graduating and enrolling in another institution to seek an advanced degree, or simply to seek a second undergraduate degree is NOT transferring.  Transferring is when you begin a degree program at one school, and opt to complete that same degree program at another school.

So, I guess what I’m saying is that if college athletics actually does value academics and claims to be tuned in to academics, then they should not refer to college graduates as transfer students when they enroll in another college.  The only thing that should change about the “Graduate Transfer Waiver” is the name.  It should be called the Graduate ENROLLMENT Waiver” since these players aren’t technically transfers…at least as far as the academic side of things is concerned.

….and no, this waiver should NOT go away.  You cannot claim to have the best interest of the student-athletes in mind, and then take away one of the few things that is advantageous to them.

 

Griggs

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