WEBVTT - Coat Check | Assistant Coach Xavier Silas 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:18.160 search seventy sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. Who 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:31.800 welcome into Coach Check, the official podcast of the Delaware Bluecoats, 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.559 the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia seventy six Ers. 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:39.960 Matt Murphy back with another episode and really excited about 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:43.599 today's guest. We shift to the coaching staff and we'll 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:47.280 get there shortly. But just a quick reminder that coat 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:51.080 Check the podcast appears every other Thursday. That is our 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:54.720 rotation at this point in time in the feeds the 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:58.440 podcast feeds of both the Delaware Bluecoats on your podcast 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:02.240 platforms and also very exciting it also appears in the 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:06.319 seventy six Ers podcast network feeds on all of the 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:11.320 podcast platforms as well. But without further ado, let's introduced 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:16.600 the guest for this episode, Bluecoats Assistant coach Xavier Silas. 0:01:16.600 --> 0:01:19.480 Coach Silas, I know we were just catching up a 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:22.520 little bit. You've got young kids, a young family, and 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:26.360 it's obviously an unprecedented time right now that the world 0:01:26.480 --> 0:01:29.040 is facing. How are you doing and your family, how 0:01:29.080 --> 0:01:32.240 are you all doing during this time? We're all good. 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:36.160 My parents are actually with me now. We're all hunerd 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:40.160 down in my spot in Colorado. So it's as good 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:45.440 as it can be when you have two toddlers running around. Absolutely, 0:01:45.520 --> 0:01:49.480 we are recording this on April fifteenth. Just for some 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:52.400 context for the listeners out there, we are going to 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:57.760 dive into coach Silas's background, his career as a player 0:01:57.880 --> 0:02:01.800 high school, college, and into his pro career. We will 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:06.040 get to our healthy lifestyle segment presented by our friends 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:10.160 at Christiana Care of course as doctors, nurses, and caregivers, 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:13.480 and as neighbors and friends Christiana Care as a partner 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:17.040 in everyone's journey to greater health and well being? Why 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:20.000 do they do it for the love of health? Visit 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:24.720 Christianacare dot org. Will shift Gears to his career as 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:28.639 a coach, obviously with the Delaware Bluecoats this season as 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.720 an assistant for Connor Johnson, and then we will have 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:35.079 some fun with our at the buzzer questions towards the 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:38.960 very end. But let's jump in with your hometown. You're 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:43.440 a Texas guy, Austin, Texas. How would you describe growing 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:48.359 up out there? You know, it was definitely not as 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:52.000 popular as it is now. Back then. It's blown up 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:56.000 in the last ten fifteen years. You know, our slogan 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:59.040 and austiness keep Austin weird, and so it's a lot 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.640 of weird stuff going on Sixth Street and down on 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:05.400 the Dragnare. The University of Texas has always been a 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:09.320 weird kind of kookie spot. But you know, the food 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:13.480 is amazing. Of course, tex mex and Barbeque kind of 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:17.679 take the Take the King spot out there, and it's 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:20.480 just a really nice spot. You know, it's really hot, 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:26.200 um not really a winter but really cool spot to 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:28.920 grow up in. You know, Austin is definitely the best 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:32.519 city in Texas for sure. And I've got the sense 0:03:32.760 --> 0:03:34.960 just from being around you for this season that you're 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:36.680 a big food guy. So I think I want to 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:40.280 talk more about that towards the end, at least relatively 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:43.640 speaking to the NBA and the NBA G League circuits 0:03:43.640 --> 0:03:45.920 in the different cities, you're you're a well traveled man, 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.480 and I think that carries over into the food scene 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.280 a little bit as well. But speaking of Austin, you're 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.520 high school Stephen F. Austin High School, and then you 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:57.680 ended up at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. I know 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:01.320 you've talked talked about that transition before, and all it 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:04.400 takes is really a Wikipedia search to see the history 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:08.200 of Brewster Academy basketball, a very well known program. And 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:12.000 you you mentioned recently that you picked up a lot 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:16.680 more scholarship offers from that prep year. So with the 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:19.880 background of Brewster and all that, explain a little bit 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:22.960 more about your high school and prep experience, maybe even 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:25.600 at both schools. Yeah, you know, I went to Austin 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:30.160 High after attending Saint Stephen's, which was a really good 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:33.280 private school there in Austin. Went over to Austin High. 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:36.440 Played Mount junior and senior year there, and when I 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.080 got there, we hadn't won the district in thirty years, 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:41.279 and so we were able to win the district and 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.240 go and defeated in my senior year. After that, I 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.720 had about three offers. Coach Smith at Brewster recruited me 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:53.640 to go to Brewster Academy for my fifth year. My dad, 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:56.840 you know, it was two things. My dad didn't want 0:04:56.839 --> 0:05:01.920 me to go to school to college too early, right, 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:07.680 So I was I turned seventeen in January of my 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:11.280 senior year, and so I was really young. I was sixteen, 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:15.240 half of my my senior year, and so he just 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.080 thought it was too young for me to go to college, 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:19.560 which looking back, he was he was right. I went 0:05:19.600 --> 0:05:22.880 to Brewster Academy, had three offers when I got there, 0:05:23.000 --> 0:05:26.359 left with over forty and so it was a huge 0:05:26.640 --> 0:05:30.040 kind of boost in my career in the first kind 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:33.560 of stepping stone of getting on the map and getting known. 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:38.640 It was a really good experienced. The exposure, the difference 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.240 in exposure between prep school and just a normal public 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:44.720 school is just it's night and day, and so being 0:05:44.760 --> 0:05:46.440 able to do that really changed a lot of things 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:50.040 for me in my career. Before we quickly touch on 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:54.920 your college career, what are your relationships like with fellow 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:59.560 Brewster products that are in the NBA or around the NBA. 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:04.920 You know, Um, It's funny I was when when I 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.919 got called up to the seventy six ers, Craig Brackens 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:12.080 was there, and Craig was a Brewster guy, you know, 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:15.800 when I was with UM. When I was with the 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.520 Nuggets for their preseason a few years ago, of course, 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:23.200 Will Barton is a Brewster guy, and so you know, 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.520 it's a it's we have a long list of guys 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:30.920 in the pros UH, from Thomas Robinson to Donovan Mitchell 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:35.000 to you know, even the kid coming out now Terrence 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:38.720 clark Um going to Kentucky UH and and last year 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.440 Jalen LQ. So I mean it goes on and on 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:45.080 like literally, and so you know, our relationship is that 0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:48.760 of just we're all alumni and we all have that connection. Um. 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:52.680 You know, I've played with Chris McCullough who who went 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:57.320 to UH Brewster UM and so the literally the list 0:06:57.360 --> 0:06:58.839 goes on and on, and I've been able to play 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:01.400 with the few guys that went to Brewster and actually 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:04.760 stayed in my same room, which is funny. Wow. Yeah, 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:07.239 I see you interact with those guys on social media 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:11.000 from time to time. Certainly a good fraternity of players 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.560 that have come through that program. And talking about your 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:17.600 college programs, Now, a couple of years at Colorado two 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:19.640 thousand and six to two thousand and eight, and then 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:23.600 you finished at Northern Illinois. So what are your fondest 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:27.880 memories at each school? Was it perhaps going back and 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.840 forth in the scoring title race with Jim or Fredette 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.040 towards the end of your career in Northern Illinois just 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:36.200 touch on your experience at both places. All that stuff 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:40.240 was fun. Man. You know, Colorado is a beautiful, beautiful campus, 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:43.640 great people. I met my wife there. I met one 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:45.840 of my best friends there, or two of my best 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:50.040 friends actually, Sundance Wicks and Bianca Smith both coaches now, 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:53.200 and Sundance of course, was a coach when I was there. 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.440 He's now at Wyoming just got a job. Congratulations to 0:07:56.520 --> 0:08:02.640 him there. You know, it's honestly, Um, it's a lot 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:06.080 of good memories in both spots. Um, you know, the 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.280 people there. You know. Being able to be the fourth 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:14.720 leading scorer my freshman year behind kd Um and Wesley 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:18.120 Johnson and DJ Augustine uh in the Big twelve was 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:20.960 was huge for me. Being able to average thirteen as 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:23.119 a freshman was like, I was one of my goals 0:08:23.120 --> 0:08:25.000 to come in and really show that I can play 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.360 as a freshman. Then going you know, all the way 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:30.200 until the end where where I was with Ricardo Patton, 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:33.520 who was at Colorado and recruiting me at Colorado. Uh 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:36.559 he changed and took a job in northern Illinois and 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:38.960 I ended up following him, And yeah, you're right, going 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:41.319 back and forth with Jimmer and all those guys, that's 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:46.959 my senior year. Um, you know, understanding and learning how 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.680 to how to carry a team and and and score 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:51.679 a whole bunch of points like that when people are 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:54.200 gearing up to stop it. Um, it is a whole 0:08:54.240 --> 0:08:57.720 and and then you know, honestly, the best I think 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:02.440 the best um piece that I love the most is 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.679 just really getting in the gym in Northern Illinois and 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:09.400 working on my game with Sun Dance and Jeff Becker 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:13.199 and all those guys that were there. Coach Smith. You know, 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:16.440 we spend a lot of time, a lot of dark 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:18.599 hours in those gyms, so that probably will be the 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:23.440 most memorable piece of it, all right. And anybody who 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.520 knows your career knows that you have a reputation as 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.200 having a great work ethic, and I think that definitely 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:31.720 carries into your pro career, which we will get to now. 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:35.640 You spent time various points in your career with a 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.480 handful of NBA teams. You've mentioned some of them already, 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:40.920 and one of them obviously hitting close to home with 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:44.920 the Blue Courts Blue Coats organization being the Philadelphia seventy sixers, 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:49.280 also the Washington Wizard's Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets. Let's 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:53.720 talk about two twelve with the Sixers. A couple games 0:09:53.720 --> 0:09:57.480 of NBA Playoff experience for you in the second round 0:09:57.520 --> 0:10:01.920 against Boston. I know recently BC Sports Philadelphia air at 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:05.240 that first round series against the Chicago Bulls, and I 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.720 caught some of that, and obviously that was bringing back 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:10.880 some memories for Sixers fans, a lot of whom uh 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:13.679 might be tuned into this podcast. So what memories do 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:17.719 you take away from that experience with the seventy six ers. 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:20.240 I mean, it was a great experience. You know, if 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.280 you remember that team, it's Drew Holliday, It's Iggy, It's 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:27.160 it's Evan Turner, it's uh, It's it's Elton Brand, it's uh, 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:30.240 Lou Will, it's you know that that team was stacked 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.040 and it was like right before the process kind of started, 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.319 right and so um, you know, as a as a 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:38.600 as a as a rookie being able to come in 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:43.640 and and like you mentioned in that Bulls series, UM, 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:46.560 I didn't dress, right, I didn't dress, but I worked 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:51.079 so hard uh in shoot around, in practice, I mean 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.080 I I just went full speed, one hundred percent the 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:57.800 whole time and ended up earning a spot uh with 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:03.000 with the in the Celtics series. They dressed me um 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:06.320 and and had someone else sit so or sitting in 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:08.960 the suit. So it was cool to kind of to 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:13.560 kind of be there and fight for that. UM. Playoff 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:17.840 basketball is amazing. Uh, going to I think it was 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:21.240 Game six UM with the Bulls and then going to 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:25.720 Game seven with the Celtics. Just that whole experience was amazing. 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.920 And I learned so much from coach Collins and and 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:32.679 that coaching staff. UM, you know, it was it was. 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.440 It was great jumping in there, you know, playing in 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:38.760 those in those two games against the Celtics in the 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:42.640 playoffs as a rookie was was huge. UM. And I 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:45.079 was able to kind of build off of that and 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:47.960 and have a certain type of confidence for the rest 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:51.800 of my career. Absolutely, and certainly some things that I think, 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:54.360 UM makes sense that you'd be able to carry over 0:11:54.440 --> 0:11:58.160 into your coaching career, which will get to shortly, but 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:01.280 unfortunately kind of had some in along the way. One 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.760 with the sixers at Summer League that you've recently touched 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:08.160 on as well, but not on this podcast, But what 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:13.000 did you learn about yourself when battling certain setbacks in 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:16.800 your playing career. Yeah, you know, coming off a great 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.679 rookie year, fighting for that playoff spot. You know, clearly 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:24.680 the organization, you know, they were fond of me at 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:28.600 that point. But Summer league, last game, even the last 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:33.480 quarter of that of the Summer League, I fractured my skull. 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:38.480 It was a gruesome injury. Had to have surgery like 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:45.160 the next morning, and after that, you know, everything kind 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:47.360 of went on hold. Of course, I tried to rush 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:49.839 back and come back to training camp with the Sixers, 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:52.880 tried to jump in there without even touching the ball, 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.040 just because that's the kind of guy I am. But 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.520 clearly I wasn't ready to return, so had to take 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:01.800 some more time. Jumped back in the G League, ended 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:04.960 up hurting my shoulder that year, and so it kind 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:09.560 of got plagued with with injuries. Um and that you know, 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:12.640 right after that next twelve months, after the playoffs with 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:15.560 the Sixers, it kind of really got serious with the 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:18.600 whole injury piece, and I had like three surgeries within 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:23.160 eight months. And so learning that, you know, you gotta 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:26.240 be patient with everything, and with me, I was always 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:28.920 trying to fix everything with with work and hard work 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:33.720 and gotta work and go crazy, and um, you know, 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.440 when you have a head injury and you're you're you 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:40.719 have a um shoulder injury and an elbow injury and 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:43.720 you have surgery within a week of a week apart, 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:45.160 and you just kind of have to be a couch. 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:52.680 Potato really helped me grow kind of internally, you know, mentally, spiritually, 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:55.240 did a lot of reading and and that kind of 0:13:55.280 --> 0:13:58.320 helped me be centered for the rest of my career. 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.480 And I'm sure it'll it heads well. It already has 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.320 carried over into coaching and being able to really well now, 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:08.880 you know, it's funny I'm making this connection now. Being 0:14:08.920 --> 0:14:11.960 injured and not really being able to play and coaching 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.400 are a lot of light. You know, you don't really 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:20.760 have control over what happens as a coach, and of 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:24.160 course when you're injured, you can't really do anything about it. 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.240 And so that kind of prepped me for being able 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:31.600 to be a coach and understand that, you know, you 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.440 kind of have to let things happen and do what 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.160 you can, but but not try to be overbearing and 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:39.800 go crazy with things how I used to be when 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:43.640 I was young. So we'll delve further into that transition 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:46.880 from player to coach here in a second. But let's 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:50.480 mix it up right now with our Healthy Lifestyle segment 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.600 presented by Christianic Care. And I meant to do this 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:55.920 on the last episode with Heywood Highsmith, but just want 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:58.360 to give a quick shout out to all the healthcare 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.880 professionals out there on the front lines doing their thing. 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:06.320 Can't be said enough on social media, podcast, whatever platform 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.880 it is. Thank you to everybody out there who is 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:12.440 helping during this time. And it's a similar situation here 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:15.200 on the Healthy Lifestyle segment as we had with Heywood 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:18.560 on the last episode of Coach Check. It's a quarantine edition, 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.160 so it kind of might change your answer for a 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.360 little bit based on what type of workouts you're able 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:25.800 to do. But the first question is the one that 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:30.040 includes the Christianit Care mantra of for the love of health. 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:33.280 So what are you doing for the love of health 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:38.320 given the current circumstances, whether it's running bike workouts, whatever 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:43.880 it might be. I have a peloton. I've been going 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:47.440 crazy on the peloton a lot more than I was 0:15:47.480 --> 0:15:51.800 able to do during the season, and so that's it, man, 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:53.640 that's it. I've been doing a lot of research on 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:55.640 what to do, and one of the things that I 0:15:55.720 --> 0:16:00.160 kind of want to do or get as a mini trampoline. Okay, 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:04.040 they said that, you know, jumping rope and doing the 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:06.760 mini trampoline or like one of the things that will 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:11.640 burn the most calories. I can't really jump rope that much, 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:15.560 just because it's just too much impact, you know, But 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:20.080 on the trampoline, I'll be able to, and so I'm 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:22.160 thinking about doing that. I might order it right when 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:24.600 we get off. I feel like the mini trampoline might 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.240 be something for your kids as well. Maybe that's the 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:29.400 only thing. I don't want them to be jumping on 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:32.520 it and banging their heads off the wall. So I 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.440 have to like hide it and use it when I 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:37.120 when I use them, and hide it when I'm not 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:41.720 using it. How about when it comes to diet or nutrition, Um, 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:44.720 I've heard you say things along those lines throughout the season. 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:48.560 Any tips for the listeners on things that they can 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:52.000 feel good about cooking or eating or things you're cooking 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:55.200 and eating during this time. I use the outside of 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:58.320 the grocery store rule, and so if it's on the 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:00.720 outside of the grocery store or like when you walk 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:03.160 into grocery store, if you stay on the outside of it, 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:06.399 you're generally good. That's where all the produce is. You know, 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:08.440 you have your meat, your cheese, your milk, you know, 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.960 all the things that are from the earth. When you 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:15.000 get into those aisles in the middle, that's where it 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:17.560 gets tricky and things are just made in factories and 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:20.879 kind of man made stuff, and so during this time 0:17:20.920 --> 0:17:23.679 it's easy to kind of start snacking and going a 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.440 little crazy on your diet. But if it's stuff from 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:28.359 the earth, if it's stuff that you get on the 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:32.320 outside of the grocery store, then or you know, the 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:35.320 outside kind of that loop on the in the grocery store, 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:38.359 you're you're generally good. And that's a good way to 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.000 kind of stay healthy. Wow, I like that a lot. 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.080 I haven't heard that outside of the grocery store. I'm 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:45.080 going to keep that in mind all right. Now to 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.760 your coaching career. First year as a coach. An assistant 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:52.680 coach for the Delaware Blue Coats describe the transition from 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:57.880 player to coach, but specifically within the NBA's assistant coaches 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.879 program and how that impacted things. Yeah, you know, the 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:07.199 that coaching program really really helped a lot on getting 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:11.439 prepared for what I was going to be doing this year. Um, 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:14.680 you know, they they got us. They do a really 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:18.280 good job in preparing you for synergy and and all 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.960 these different things that we use as coaches, UH sport 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:25.000 code and you know, UM, a lot of different a 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:27.680 lot of analytics and film related at a lot of 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:33.119 different film film related, analytic related, UM and just scout 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.879 related stuff. And so we had intensives on that stuff 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:40.800 all through the summer. So when I got to to 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:44.560 Philly and and to UH to Delaware, I was prepared 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.439 and I had seen it all right, and so UM 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:51.080 that that was That was helpful as far as the 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:55.240 transition goes. You know, I didn't I didn't miss playing 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:57.639 as much as I thought I would. UM, And I 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:00.200 liked coaching more than I thought I would. I thought 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:03.400 it'd be opposite. I thought I'd missed playing. I wish 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.120 I was playing, And I thought that I would think 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:09.320 that coaching was kind of you know, lame, I guess. 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:12.879 And that's just for me last year being a player 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.200 and kind of wondering if I'm really gonna like it. 0:19:15.240 --> 0:19:20.320 But with our coaching staff and just jumping into it. Man, 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:24.720 I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it way more than 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:28.680 I thought I would. So many different things that you 0:19:29.280 --> 0:19:34.760 have to learn and begin to conquer, which is something 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:38.520 that I always liked. I liked identifying weaknesses and then 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:41.159 working on to build them and turn them into strengths, 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.639 and so kind of being able to do that as 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:46.600 a coach and identifying things that I can do better 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:49.040 and how we can be better as a whole, and 0:19:49.119 --> 0:19:52.720 coming up with strategy. It was just a really good 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:57.080 experience and I'm glad I made that move early, which 0:19:57.119 --> 0:19:58.840 a lot of people probably thought I was a little 0:19:58.880 --> 0:20:03.040 crazy retiring that early, but you know, I think I 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.679 made the right move and I really enjoy it. What 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:09.320 were some of the biggest adjustments for you, because I 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:13.479 know I read that maybe it's just not turning it 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:16.320 off as much as you would as a player and 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:19.199 you're in the gym getting your shots up, practicing for 0:20:19.240 --> 0:20:21.080 a few hours, but then you can kind of have 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:22.840 the rest of the day to do whatever you want 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:25.240 to do, whereas when you're a coacher thinking about everything 0:20:25.480 --> 0:20:27.560 pretty much all day every day. So what were some 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:29.959 of the biggest adjustments for you? Yeah, I think the 0:20:30.000 --> 0:20:34.560 biggest adjustment from a player to a coach is the hours. 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:38.800 You know, as a player, you come in, you know, 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:45.040 get tape, go practice, go home. As a coach, we're 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:47.920 there probably three or four hours before the first guy 0:20:47.960 --> 0:20:53.200 even gets there. We're we're talking and and planning and 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.480 like you said, thinking for at least three or four 0:20:56.720 --> 0:20:59.479 hours before they get there. And then we stay and 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:02.920 we after practice and you know, practice is what three 0:21:02.960 --> 0:21:05.760 hours long? And then um, we stay after for a 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.080 while and then talk about practice and talk about what 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:10.560 we're gonna do for the next day and all that stuff. 0:21:10.600 --> 0:21:14.720 And so you know, for a players, maybe a three match, 0:21:14.800 --> 0:21:18.680 four hour day, um, for a coach, it's easily seven 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:21.120 or eight. And so that was the biggest kind of 0:21:21.160 --> 0:21:26.920 difference and adjustment, um for for me, you know, and 0:21:27.200 --> 0:21:30.160 I think for any player it's gonna be that's gonna 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:32.520 be the biggest thing. So I didn't really have this 0:21:32.560 --> 0:21:34.639 one ready to go. And we'll get to our final 0:21:34.680 --> 0:21:37.200 couple questions at the buzzer here in a second. But 0:21:37.320 --> 0:21:38.840 and you might not have a good answer for this 0:21:38.920 --> 0:21:41.720 yet because it's so new to you, and if you don't, 0:21:41.760 --> 0:21:45.280 that's fine, But what what are your goals as a coach. 0:21:47.200 --> 0:21:49.399 I want to be a head coach. Um. You know, 0:21:49.680 --> 0:21:53.600 it's clear for me that that's what I want to do. UM. 0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:58.439 I love being able to learn and be an assistant coach. UM. 0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:01.000 But at the goal, the end goal is to be 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:03.080 able to be a head coach and kind of see 0:22:03.359 --> 0:22:06.760 if I can lead a group of guys in the 0:22:06.880 --> 0:22:12.000 right direction, in the winning direction. And you know, they 0:22:12.040 --> 0:22:14.800 always say that the team takes on the personality of 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:19.120 their head coach, and I would be I'm really interested 0:22:19.160 --> 0:22:23.000 to see if that could be the case with me 0:22:23.520 --> 0:22:27.080 as a head coach. You know, So that that's the 0:22:27.280 --> 0:22:29.960 end goal, but you know, the process is so fun. 0:22:30.040 --> 0:22:32.840 The process of being an assistant and learning has been 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:36.320 so fun that you know at this point it's a 0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:39.600 win win situation for me. We'll have more with Xavier 0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:43.200 Silas in just a second, but first, The Moore's Sports 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:47.160 Medicine believes that highly personalized one on one physical therapy 0:22:47.200 --> 0:22:51.359 for young athletes is paramount to a speedy and complete recovery. 0:22:51.600 --> 0:22:55.240 Learn more at nemours dot org slash PT. So let's 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:57.880 go at the buzzer here. Just a couple of questions 0:22:57.920 --> 0:23:02.040 to round things out, here on coach Check the Colorado Prep, 0:23:02.160 --> 0:23:05.879 Colorado Prep basketball program helping out young players on the 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:10.040 Colorado basketball scene. What's the latest UM with all that, 0:23:10.119 --> 0:23:13.639 and maybe some information for people who might not know. Yeah, 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:16.879 so you know, I founded this prep team. It's gonna 0:23:17.040 --> 0:23:20.280 we're gonna play on the Grind Session UH in the 0:23:20.320 --> 0:23:23.000 West Coast Conference. So a little bit about the Grind Session. 0:23:23.080 --> 0:23:26.680 It's it's been in existence for six years. UM. They've 0:23:26.680 --> 0:23:30.080