Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews South Carolina band member Brayden Russell

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Friday South Carolina lost to Auburn 86-55 in the SEC tourney quarterfinals but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks only won 11 games last year but have 26 wins so far this year as they are heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2017. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with South Carolina band member Brayden Russell about his team’s remarkable run.

You are from Blythewood, SC: what made you choose South Carolina? Growing up so close to Columbia, I have always been a Gamecock fan and around the University my entire life. Attending South Carolina and being a part of the Carolina Band has always been a dream of mine after watching the Band and SC’s athletic teams while growing up. It did not matter that I was going to be just 30 minutes from my house: South Carolina was and is home for me.

You are majoring in Chemical Engineering: why did you choose that subject? I chose to major in chemical engineering due to my interest in math/science-based subjects. I had a phenomenal high school chemistry teacher, which led me down the path of connecting chemistry to more advanced math and science classes, which led me to select chemical engineering. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I hope to study Patent Law in the Law School here at the University of South Carolina.

You are in the Honors College: how do you balance your work in the band with your work in the classroom? Managing work between the classroom and the Carolina Band can be a challenge at times. Most of my semesters are 18 credit hours’ worth of classes (the maximum amount per semester) along with a 4-day rehearsal week and a full-day commitment for home football games in the fall (away games are entire-weekend trips). While this can be a lot at times, I have been able to stay disciplined and able to make hard decisions to study rather than relax at times. It can lead to late nights and busy days, but I would not change anything. I am beyond happy to be where I am at right now academically while also balancing band commitments.

You are a trumpet section leader: how long have you played trumpet for, and what is your favorite song to play? I have played trumpet for the last 9 years, beginning in middle school. As far as my favorite song to play, nothing really beats South Carolina’s fight song called “Step to the Rear”…especially in high-stake moments like when our football team beat Clemson in Death Valley in 2022!

What is the best part of being in the Carolina Band? The best part of being in the Carolina Band is the family community that everyone is immediately a part of when they join. The members of the Carolina Band are some of my closest friends and the positive atmosphere is unmatched by other bands. I was welcomed to the Carolina Band with open arms as a freshman and fell right into the swing of things from Day 1. While there are plenty of other benefits (like being able to travel with pep bands or witnessing some of the greatest Gamecock games in history), at the end of the day it is the people here that you make those memories with which makes my time in this band so enjoyable.

The Gamecocks went 11-21 last year: how on earth were they able to go 26-7 this year? The jump from 11-21 to 26-7 cannot be emphasized enough; Lamont Paris won SEC Coach of the Year for a reason! His ability to attack the transfer portal and bring in immediate impact veteran players like BJ Mack/Ta’Lon Cooper/Stephen Clark/Myles Stute significantly elevated this team’s floor and ceiling prior to the season starting. Coach Paris also has a great staff with the ability to develop talent, as evidenced by the improved play of guys such as Zach Davis/Josh Gray/Jacobi Wright. Combined with the star power of Meechie Johnson and freshman Collin Murray-Boyles, Coach Paris has built an intense brand of basketball and winning culture here in Columbia. I hope to see a similar approach in his upcoming seasons as head coach of the Gamecocks, but thanks to his elite coaching/recruiting methods he has put the Gamecocks back in the national spotlight.

What is your favorite memory from this season: going 12-1 in non-conference play, beating Kentucky/Tennessee last month, other? My favorite memory is the home upset over Kentucky. I was in attendance for the game as a fan and it was scheduled to be our “blackout game” this season. I remember sitting in the upper-deck with my friends and beginning to discuss if we needed to go down to the lower levels in the event of a court-storming. Luckily, we chose to go down with 4 minutes remaining and were able to storm the court with the rest of the Cockpit. Aside from the court-storming, the main reason this game stood out to me was because of the statement this game made. It was the first of many high-quality wins for the Gamecocks, which helped propel them to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Last fall you learned that your band will be a featured performer in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: what was your reaction when you heard the news? Pure disbelief, at first. Eventually it set in as a reality…but it is still impossible to truly capture the excitement of everyone in the band (myself included). To be a part of such a highly commended parade as one of the feature bands in the nation is a huge honor. Not only is this a huge landmark in the Carolina Band’s legacy, but it is a massive opportunity as well. Being fortunate enough to be selected to play the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a huge recruitment opportunity on a national scale. This is the largest recruiting opportunity not only in the history of the band but also the university. We have a chance to share Gamecock culture with the world and hopefully we can put the nation on notice that the Carolina Band and South Carolina is the place to be!

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your band doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? The Carolina Basketball Band is divided into three pep-bands: Sumter, Greene, and Assembly Band (named after streets on campus). During the regular season, two of these bands are called up to play at men’s and women’s basketball home games while the third has the night off. The three bands rotate each game to help put together a complete band for home games. Each individual pep band is assigned to specific tournaments at the beginning of the year for when tournament season rolls around. That individual pep band will travel to that tournament they are assigned to for the duration of the tournament in that city. Basketball band members can also sub in for multiple tournament trips to fill open spots as they arise due to work or school-related conflicts.

How do you feel about being a 6-seed in Pittsburgh, and what do you know about Oregon? I feel like a 6-seed is fair for the Gamecocks based on their season, and I feel it gives us the best shot to make a run than any other seed could. I know Oregon is no joke: an 11-seed for them is honestly too low to accurately depict their ability to win. The Pac-12 champions were able to take down both Arizona/Colorado, both of whom are also in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon is finally getting back to full strength at the right time with the recent return of N’Faly Dante. This team is legit, and now Jermaine Couisnard has a shot to get revenge on his former squad with a talented Ducks team. This first-round matchup is guaranteed to live up to all the hype due to the talent and storylines surrounding the game.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Kent State SR G Katie Shumate

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Kent State beat Buffalo 78-60 in the MAC tourney women’s title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Golden Flashes won 21 games last year and have 21 wins so far this year as they are heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2002. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Kent State SR G Katie Shumate about her team’s remarkable run.

You were born/raised in Ohio: what made you choose Kent State? It was close to home so I could go visit my family a lot, and my brother was playing nearby at Walsh University at the time. I have also known Coach Todd Starkey for a long time.

Your father JR was your high school coach: what was the best part of having your father as your coach, and what was the not-so-best part (if any)? I was getting constant advice/correction, which is both the good part and the bad part. My dad is the reason that my siblings and I are having so much success.

What makes Coach Starkey such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He really cares a lot about all of us. He is not a big yeller…unless it comes to the refs! He gets what he needs out of us due to his trust in us.

As a freshman in 2020 you started 27 games and were named to the MAC All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? The coaching staff believed in me a lot and gave me the opportunity to do that. They girls I was playing behind set a good example, and when I arrived in college the game was faster but I was able to adjust to it.

In 2021 you were named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? School comes 1st and we have a life that will continue outside this sport so we all take our academics very seriously.

Last year you led your team in PPG/RPG/STL: how do you balance all the different aspects of your game? I have always played a versatile game. I am not the best at 1 single thing but try to have energy on both ends of the floor.

Last month Corynne Hauser suffered an injury against Western Michigan: how was your team able to overcome the loss of your starting PG, and any chance that we will see her back on the court‎ this week? Losing Corynne was hard for the team both emotionally/physically. All the credit goes to Dionna Gray for stepping up in a big way. Dionna not only made us a faster team but played steady and took care of the ball. Corynne will not be playing this week.

In the MAC tourney title game on Saturday you scored 18 PTS in a win over Buffalo en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? I have been here 5 years and had never won a tourney title so it meant the world to me. We have a special group that played together, which was very important to me.

Your sister Emma plays basketball at Ohio State and your brother JT plays pro basketball in Romania: who is the best athlete in the family? No comment!

How do you feel about being a 15-seed, and what do you know about Notre Dame? I know the Irish have some great players/tradition but I am excited going into our game.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Vermont JR G TJ Long

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Vermont beat UMass Lowell 66-61 in the America East tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Catamounts have now won 23+ games for the 3rd straight year and are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd straight year. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Vermont JR G TJ Long about his team’s remarkable run.

You began your college career at Fairfield, where you scored a career-high 25 PTS in 24 minutes in a win over Marist: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Yeah. I think I struggled a bit in the 1st half but in the 2nd half I felt that everything was going in.

Last year you were named conference 6th Man of the Year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was nice to be recognized but it was not my main goal. It was a tough year but it helped me during the transfer process.

Why did you decide to transfer? I was looking for a change of scenery to get my mind right and wanted to go to a winning program.

You were born/raised in New York: what made you choose Vermont? I always watched them on Saturday mornings growing up. They had a winning culture so when I came up for my visit it seemed like it would provide a great chance to win.

You play for Coach John Becker: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He holds everyone accountable and treats everyone the same. He is great off the court as well: you can have tough conversations with him and he just wants the best for everyone.

You started this season 9-5 but have won 19 of your past 20 with just a 2-PT loss at NJIT on February 8th: has it reached a point where you just expect to win every time that you step onto the court? Yeah. We take pride in wearing that Vermont jersey and when we take the court we feel that we can beat anyone.

In the America East tourney title game on Saturday you scored 14 PTS/4-10 3PM in a 5-PT win over UMass-Lowell: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the reaction like in your locker room afterward? It meant everything! That is what we have spent the past 6-7 months working for. In the locker room everyone was super-happy/relieved that we finally accomplished our main goal.

You are a career 82.4% FT shooter: what is the secret to making FTs? Just keep your reps the same and do not over-think it. Take a deep breath and knock it in.

You played several fellow tourney teams in non-conference play including Charleston/Colgate/Yale: which of them impressed you the most? They are all great teams but I would probably choose Yale due to the way they play. They are a really smart team, are really-well coached, and know how to play together.

How do you feel about being a 13-seed in Brooklyn, and what do you know about Duke? It is great: being from New York I know that I will have a lot of family/friends at the Barclays Center. To play a big-name school is what you want in March. We will go out, play hard, and see what happens.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Middle Tennessee SO G Ta’Mia Scott

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Middle Tennessee beat Liberty 65-51 in the CUSA women’s tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Raiders won 28 games last year and somehow took it up a notch with 29 wins so far this year as they are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd time in the past 4 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Middle Tennessee SO G Ta’Mia Scott about her team’s remarkable run.

What makes Nina Davis such a great assistant coach? Her experience playing at high levels: she knows exactly what to say. She works with our post players a lot but also know about the guards as well.

You went 28-5 last year and this year you are 29-4 and have won 19 in a row including the CUSA tourney title over Liberty on Saturday: has it reached a point where you expect to win every single time that your team steps out onto the court? We do: we know that we will come out with a win no matter what happens during the game. The motto has been to not get too high/not get too low. It is a matter of how hard we want it and how hard we work for it.

Your team is top-10 in the nation with 34.9 FG% allowed/54.3 PPG allowed: what is the secret to playing great defense? Assistant coach Matt Insell puts an emphasis on our defensive principles. 1 of our main weaknesses is when defenses try to drive down the middle of the lane so we focus a lot on how to prevent that defensively during practices.

How do you feel about being an 11-seed in Albany, and what do you know about Louisville? We feel good regardless of our seed: it is special to play in the NCAA tourney. We faced Louisville last year so we have some confidence but will get started by putting in the work.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Middle Tennessee assistant women’s coach Nina Davis

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Middle Tennessee beat Liberty 65-51 in the CUSA women’s tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Raiders won 28 games last year and somehow took it up a notch with 29 wins so far this year as they are heading to the NCAA tourney for the 3rd time in the past 4 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Middle Tennessee assistant women’s coach Nina Davis about her team’s remarkable run.

In 2013 you were named a Parade All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Diamond DeShields/Makayla Epps/Kelsey Plum/other)? Probably Diamond. She played on my USA team and we spent time together in both South Korea/Colorado. I have respect for all of them but she is the 1 I bonded with the most.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey at Baylor: what makes her such a great coach, and what on earth will you do if you end up facing LSU in the 2nd round?! The question that everyone wants to know! Her passion and the way she gets her players to believe in her schemes as well as themselves. It was a world I had never known and she pushed me to limits I never knew to get the best out of me. I cannot look ahead too much so we are just taking it 1 game at a time. If we win then it will be excited to try to out-scheme her.

You went 134-15 record during your playing career and made 4 straight Elite 8s: what is the biggest difference between winning games in the regular season vs. winning games in March? In the regular season you have more time for scouting and you know what to expect from your conference opponents after playing them multiple times. The NCAA tourney is a whole other game: you find out who you will play during the Selection Show and then you have to learn as much about them as you can very quickly.

You remain the only player to make the Big 12 All-Tournament team 4-times and you were named Big 12 Championship MVP twice: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? There was just something about March. I took every game seriously and prepared the same way but in the postseason I tried to take my game to another level. I scored about 30 PTS in my 1st tourney game. There are so many great players in Big 12 history so to be the only 1 who made it 4 times is surreal.

In 2014 you were named conference ROY, in 2015 you were named conference POY, and you were a 2-time All-American: what did it mean to you to receive all those outstanding honors? A lot. I am blessed and have the faith of my family/friends who believe in me. A lot of people said that I would never play at Baylor and that I should go to a smaller school…but to accomplish all those things after starting out as the 14th person on the roster was tremendous. I was meant to go to Baylor and worked my butt off every single night.

You played for Team USA at the 2015 World University Games: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? When you play basketball you have a lot of different goals. Playing for my country was right up there and it was something that I always wanted to do. Once I got the call and got invited to 3 days of tryouts with 100 other top players: it was tough. They only took 12 out of 100 so when I heard my name called my heart just dropped: I called my mom and said, “I will be wearing the red and blue!” I am still bonded with those 11 teammates: it was hard to breathe up in elevation at Colorado, and in South Korea we went 6-0. It was something that will always mean a lot to me.

You played pro basketball in Austria: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? Just how physical it is over there: sometimes the refs will swallow their whistles in terms of foul calls, but I would often use a spin move because they do not call traveling as much. I also had a teammate from Iowa who helped make it feel like home. We have a lot of international players here and sometimes they are overly physical.

You went 28-5 last year and this year you are 29-4 (so far) and have won 19 in a row including the CUSA tourney title over Liberty on Saturday: has it reached a point where you expect to win every single time that your team steps out onto the court? Absolutely! We do not care who we are playing, whether it is Liberty or the LA Lakers. Some people might call it arrogance but we think it is confidence. It is not luck and did not come easy: the team put in so many hours and is the reason we won 29 games.

Your team is top-10 in the nation with 34.9 FG% allowed/54.3 PPG allowed: what is the secret to playing great defense? The want/will/passion for it. Anybody can play defense so we built our team with the philosophy that offense sells tickets but defense wins championships. We may miss some shots but if we stop the other team then it will only be a matter of time because we have several players who can score. There is no magic recipe: just putting your mind into it.

How do you feel about being an 11-seed in Albany, and what do you know about Louisville? We are excited to see where we land and our staff is excited about our draw. We will prepare the same way, take it 1 game at a time, and see what happens.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Morehead State cheerleader Lily Baker

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Earlier this month Morehead State beat Little Rock 69-55 in the OVC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Eagles missed out on the NCAA tourney for 9 straight year from 2012-2020 but have now made it twice in the past 4 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Morehead State cheerleader Lily Baker about her team’s remarkable run.

You are from Mississippi and began your college career at Jones County Junior College: how did you end up at Morehead State? Once I got really into cheerleading at Jones, I learned about Morehead through social media and discovered how great/legendary the cheer program is here. I saw videos of people stunting and they were doing all this crazy stuff and made it look so easy. I have wanted to come here ever since, but I did not think that it would be possible to be on a team this good. I had a teammate from Jones that ended up coming up here and that kind of opened a path for me to be able to visit and get to know Coach Mark Coleman and he ended up signing me! I was so happy when I signed: it was literally a dream come true.

You are majoring in in BioMed: why did you choose that subject? In high school I had a great biology teacher who really sparked my interest in that subject, so I decided to major in that. When I did orientation at Morehead, the advisor suggested BioMed for me, so I switched to that. It is a very difficult major, but I am getting through the classes one at a time.

1 of your favorite classes involves making pottery: how hard is it? I ended up taking the ceramics class here at Morehead because I took one in high school and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to enjoy it again and find some new hobbies. I went into my first class and thought that I would not really learn anything since I already have done it, but I was wrong. I had to relearn everything in that class. It was very frustrating at times: you would accidently bump into your piece or drop it on the floor and it would ruin the whole thing and you would have to start over. The feeling of finishing something though is amazing and now every time I use one of the bowls or mugs that I made I think about how I created this object.

What is the post-graduation plan? Once I graduate, I am planning on going back to Mississippi and taking a Rad Tech (Radiology Technologist) program.

What is the best part of being on the cheer team? It is the people! I love how close all the cheerleaders are and it really is like having a second family, which is very nice since I am so far from home.

Last year you won a UCA National Championship: what did it mean to you to win at title? I had won UCA Nationals with my team at Jones, but to win it with Morehead and be a part of something bigger than me was the best feeling ever. It was the peak of my cheer career for sure and I hope that we can do it again next year!

Earlier this month Morehead State beat Little Rock 69-55 in the OVC tourney title game: how excited were you when the buzzer went off, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? I was so excited, especially when the clock was so close to reaching zero because we already knew that they would win, but the boys were staying focused until the very last seconds. Once the buzzer went off everyone went ballistic. It was a surreal experience to be an Eagle that day. I was so happy that the team was able to bring home the championship that they worked so hard for.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? Mark picks the people in the program that have been here the longest and/or who want to go.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA tourney? To my knowledge we do not have anything special planned. We will more than likely be doing our same Morehead gameday routine.

Any predictions for your game vs. Illinois in Omaha on Thursday? It is hard to predict with all the great teams that will be attending, I just know that Morehead will show up and preform their best. I guess we will find out when we get there.

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