1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Doug Gotlie. Welcome in to All of All 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: the All Basketball Podcast, All the Time. Luke Murray assistant 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,119 Speaker 1: coach at Wall and yes he is the son of 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: Bill Murray. He's gonna join me as my guest. We'll 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: talk about his career path that's taken him to Louisville, 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: what's gonna take to get him a head coaching job. Plus, 7 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: does he get people who say, well, you know he's 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: Bill Murray's son, um, pretty fascinating stuff. Plus he was 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: Kemba Walker's a a you coach? Did he know that 10 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: Kemba Walker would be well Kemba Walker. Plus he's a 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: huge Jordan fan And I'm guessing he'll agree with me 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: on this. It's not because because Lebron is not in 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,959 Speaker 1: the playoffs, Like, look, when we contextualize Lebron not being 14 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: the playoffs this late in his career, after the historic 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: run of NBA finals, Like, Okay, I'm fine with it 16 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: as long as you're fair and you're contextualized the fact 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: that when Jordan's swept out of the playoffs, for example, 18 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: by the Boston Celtics, that was a year which he 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: missed most of the year with the foot injury um 20 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: and they were terrible. They were below five team. He 21 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: dropped sixty three in a playoff game against one of 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: the best teams of all time, the Boston Celtics. Everybody 23 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: would have been swept like that. That would have happened 24 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: to Lebron's playoff teams early in his career. I mean, 25 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: he didn't make it the first two years. The thing 26 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: you can't do. And Russell Westbrook being beaten in the 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: playoffs for a third consecutive year in the first round 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: since Kevin Durant leaves, and this despite the fact they've 29 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: they've always had some other star or all star budding 30 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: all star caliber player. One is a sign that their 31 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: roster is flawed. Two is a sign that Russell Westbrooks 32 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: game has flawed. But three, and this is the really 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: important one. Our our, our use and overuse of hisstics 34 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:06,279 Speaker 1: to make somebody's argument in terms of historic greatness is dumb. 35 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: It's it's not usually made by basketball people. If stats 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: were the if that's in basketball or what they were 37 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: in baseball in terms of their the meaningfulness, well then 38 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: Will Chamberlain is the greatest player ever. It's not close, 39 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: but he's not. And the reason was because the game 40 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: was so different. There were there was a lack of size, 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: was a lack of defense. And when he came upon 42 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: like a legit big time defensive player and power forward 43 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: slash center and Bill Russell, he didn't win because sports 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: last time I checked, we played them not to crewe 45 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: the most stats. We play them to win the byproduct 46 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: of of playing his stats for the best players. So 47 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: I think Russell Westbrook getting beaten in the playoffs last 48 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: three years, averaging a triple double all three years, and 49 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: people trying to beat down my throat that he's the 50 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: you know, he's historical greatness. Like now, the stats are 51 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: just inflated. More possessions he dominates the ball more, but 52 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: more shots at both ends is more mrs, more rebounds, 53 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: more possessions means more assists. He's not a great passer 54 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: nothing you can tell me tell he's not a terrible pastor. 55 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: He's not a great passer um and yet he averages 56 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: double figures assist Why because of tempo and usage rating 57 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: and the way in which basketball has played now. And 58 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: I would also say that the thunder are you know, 59 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: Steven Adams is a guy of aforegone era right, like 60 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: he's he's not a scorer as a center, he's not 61 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: a shop blocker. He's a good, not ridiculously great rebounder. 62 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: And oh yeah, by the way, part of his rebounding 63 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: is his numbers are hurt by the fact that Russell 64 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: Westbrook's down there getting rebounds when he should be getting 65 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: outlet passes. I don't know how you fix the thunder. 66 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: I don't, I mean, do I like the idea of 67 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: getting shooters all around, sure, but you're still gonna need 68 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: rim prediction. You know, he can't just go and get 69 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: a bunch of shooters to go around Russ who's who's 70 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: a at times overrated defender, A good defender is tough, 71 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: but he does get beat and he's beaten by Siege 72 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: McCullum several times there late in the game and in 73 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: game five, and Paul George, who looks like he's gonna 74 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 1: need another minor surgery, like how many years, how many 75 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: minor surgeries? That that's what you're building around. You still 76 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: need a guy who can defend the rim, and you 77 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: need guys I can shoot. And you have a couple 78 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: of bad contracts they're starting, which is Russell Westbrook, who 79 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,799 Speaker 1: I don't feel like you're gonna trade, and Steven Adams, 80 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: who will be really really hard to get any sort 81 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: of return on that that investment. But the biggest takeaway 82 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: from Russ versus Damian Lillard on one hand is you 83 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: can't overuse stats. Case in point, Russell Westbrook. If you 84 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: simply went by his stats, you can make the case 85 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: that he's the best player in the NBA the last 86 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: three years, but nobody actually believes that, so let's stop 87 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: going by stats. Then we got Damian Lillard, who this 88 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 1: is the Steph curization of basketball when when Paul George 89 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: said it's a bad shot, he's not wrong. That is 90 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,119 Speaker 1: a lower percentage shot, although guys are shooting from further 91 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: out at a higher percentage than ever before, So it's 92 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: a bad shot, but it's not as bad a shot 93 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: as it was always deemed to be. When I played 94 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: first start playing college, both of my college coaches, John 95 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: McLeod of course just passed away and um and Eddie 96 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: Sutton both thought the corner three was the worst three 97 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: worst shot in the sport, and the reason is the 98 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: guard takes it, there's no defensive balance. And he's not 99 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: wrong still that way in the NBA. It's also considered 100 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: a more difficult shot because of the background that can 101 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: be different as opposed to having the backboard as your background. 102 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: Stats have told us that the corner three, at least 103 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,799 Speaker 1: in the NBA, because it's closer, and I think because 104 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: guys work on it a little bit more, has become 105 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: a more makeable shot. It still lacks the defensive balance. 106 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: The point is, though the game has changed. We've embraced 107 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: the three point shot, and we've embraced a deep three 108 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: point shot. Guys that are shooting NBA three's in college, 109 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: of course, you're shooting beyond NBA three's in the pros. 110 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: And that all started with Steph Curry. Like Steph Curry 111 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: is a breakthrough player as a guy who's not really 112 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: a point guard, um has become a decent defender, but 113 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: super super clever. There's a high turnover guy, but a 114 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: high reward assist guy. But more than anything, his shots. 115 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: Because he shoots so many shots from such incredible range, 116 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: He's changed the perception of what's a bad shot and 117 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: what's a what's a good shot? It almost is any 118 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: shot step takes is in fact a good shot because 119 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: he seems to shoot such a remarkable percentage from so 120 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: the odd angles, under such durests and from such distance. UM. 121 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: I still like the Warriors to advance past the Rockets. 122 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: At the time of this recording, they were just beaten 123 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: by the Clippers. Should be pointed out, KD had forty 124 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: five points and looked like the best player in sport. 125 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: The Rockets survived the Utah Jazz. Ricky Rubio shot a 126 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: big airball in the corner, and then Donov Mitchell had 127 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: a miserable game, turn the ball over twice down the 128 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: stretch and they lose. I think the Rockets will give 129 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: the Warriors a very good series. I still think the 130 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: Warriors have three shot makers as opposed to as opposed 131 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: to the Rockets. Although how about the defensive style by 132 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: which the Utah Jazz force force James Hardening into the 133 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: lane just put him playing on the back side of 134 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: his left shoulder. I've never seen, literally never seen that before, 135 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 1: but that's exactly what they do. I don't know how 136 00:07:52,120 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: how the Warriors could in fact employ that defensive strategy. UM. 137 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: As for the Lakers and Magic Johnson still being involved, 138 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: I don't think this is a Kelly and Conway. I 139 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: don't think that that Magic leaving because he was mad 140 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: because they were talking ship behind his back. I don't 141 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: think that's that's a lie. I think that's reality. I 142 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: think Magic wants to be He still wants to be 143 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: the most popular former player in the NBA, whereas Jordan's 144 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: an owner Jordans can be quiet and aloof Magic wants 145 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: to be the center of attention and wants to still 146 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: be the guy that gets the credit when the Lakers 147 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: get reinvented. But I would tell you that the while 148 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: the release, while while the story that Rick Buker had 149 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: that Rob Polinka and Jennie Buss were emailing each other 150 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: back and forth and they forgot that Magic was blind 151 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: Sea Seed on those emails, and by talking ship behind 152 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 1: their back, they exposed the that that's exactly what happened 153 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: to him. On the other hand, the fact that they 154 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: could in fact talk ship and that there us no hey, 155 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: no Magic is actually doing a great job only shows 156 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: how inept he was at his job. Right and then 157 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: as for the uh, the Christian Dawkins trial which continues 158 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: to take place, I think it's fascinating. Christian Dawkins is 159 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: a guy who is a convicted liar, and he has 160 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: wire tapes of other people saying things as well as 161 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,839 Speaker 1: wire taps of him saying things. Um, I think we're 162 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: getting closer and closer to the truth. I believe that 163 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: some of the people that that America wants you to 164 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: believe has their hands clean might have their hands dirty, 165 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: because why would a player go I've said this about 166 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: Cam Newton, right. Cam Newton was reportedly offered a crazy 167 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: sum of money. All right, he wants or he asked 168 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: for a crazy someone was a hundred fifty dollars from 169 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: Mississippi State and they balked at it if he wanted money, 170 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: and they would and he went to a different school. 171 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: Doesn't stand a reason that he got money from out 172 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: of the school? Well doesn't. Isn't that the case with 173 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: all of these other names that are being banded about 174 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: in college basketball? I don't know, fascinating world. I think 175 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: the Celtics beat the Bucks. I do think that the 176 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: Bucks are are tailor made to beat this kind of 177 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: Celtics are tailor made kind of beat the Bucks system. Um. 178 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: I'm not as down on the seventies as others are, 179 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: but I think Kawhi Leonard is nasty, and I think 180 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: this is I think we're gonna have Raptors Celtics in 181 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: the Eastern Conference finals, and I think we'll have Warriors 182 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: versus Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Let me get 183 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: you to Luke Murray. Luke's a friend, Luke's assistant coach 184 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: at Louisville. Luke's had quite the journey. Of course, Luca 185 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,559 Speaker 1: is also the son of Phil Murray. So, uh, where 186 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: do we start? I mean, like, um, here's what I 187 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: like to do, Luke is I like to start at 188 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: the very very beginning, like of your kind of basketball journey. 189 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 1: And it's interesting that when you finally said, like, okay, 190 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:06,839 Speaker 1: I'll do it, like I brought you a long kicking 191 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: and screaming. Um. I like, I didn't realize how young 192 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: you are. I had no idea. I just I thought 193 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: of you as like exactly my age. It's not the 194 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: hair thing. Don't take a personal mind's not good either. UM. 195 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: I just feel like you've been in this thing since uh, 196 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: you know, since you got out of school. So maybe 197 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: it see makes you seem older. Um, all right, you 198 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. I actually grew up in 199 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: New York. I grew up in Manhattan and then moved 200 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: out to Westchester County and uh then for high school, 201 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: moved to Connecticut. My my parents split up, so I 202 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: moved to Connecticut um for high school and ended up 203 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: going to Fairfield University for college. Alright, so let's let's 204 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: let's get to your in New York. And like my 205 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 1: vision of New York is is it's like two different phases. 206 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: When I was a kid, my dad was in New 207 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,080 Speaker 1: York and mdash in the Bronx. They moved out to 208 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: Long Island when he's like thirteen, and um, he used 209 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: taking back every summer and he throw me in pickup 210 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: games and I used to toay, I used to hate 211 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: New York pickup games. No nets on the rims. I'll 212 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: playing on asphalt like everybody did, dribble dribble, dribble dribble. 213 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 1: I don't know. I didn't have a great and you know, 214 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: you take me to places that he used to play 215 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: when when he was a kid. Your first basketball memories 216 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: are what my first basketball memories, um? Are going to 217 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: nick games? Honestly, they're they're probably not my own memories. Um. 218 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: Although I used to play um outside a lot when 219 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: I was growing up. Um, it's kind of like the 220 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: Riverside Park area on the Upper West Side, but it's 221 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: really going to to see the Knicks live. At that time, 222 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: my dad had kind of had a little bit of 223 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: a partnership with the NBA. I think there was some 224 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: um commercial that he was running where he was going 225 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: to come back and make it come back to the NBA. 226 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: And uh so around that time we gotten Nick season 227 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: tickets and we used to watch MJ and all the 228 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: great players come through the guarden. So that was kind 229 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 1: of like my first real exposure, um to the game. Okay, 230 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: but that your experience in watching an NBA game is 231 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: not like mine, Like I'm guessing really really good seats 232 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: in backstage access. Like again, I don't want to I 233 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: don't want to paint you as super silver spoon kid, 234 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: but I'm just guessing that you weren't several roads a 235 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: little bit, A little bit. Is that is that unfair? No? 236 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: I mean I think my dad was. You know, my 237 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: dad kind of came from really humble um upbringing. He's 238 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: got pete siblings and um didn't have a ton of 239 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: money growing up, and so I think he's always kind 240 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: of really um challenged us to earn everything that we got. 241 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: So UM, we had some good seats some games with 242 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: other other games we were up in the nosebleeds, and 243 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: I think he wanted us to kind of feel both 244 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: sides of it. What was he like in terms of basketball? 245 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: Like I've I only bring it up because my dad 246 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: was like a former coach and was actually always a coach, 247 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,559 Speaker 1: So he literally coached the entire time watching game and 248 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: then I I have to like balance it out with 249 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: my son, Like I can't be the annoying always point out, 250 00:13:58,520 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: but I do want to point out a thing or 251 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: two that I can show him that I want him 252 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: to watch. Like, what was he like when you're watching 253 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: a game? Um, probably not as analytical, you know, from 254 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: the from the coaching side of things. I think his 255 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: he had more kind of a general understanding of the sport. 256 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: But huge Chicago Bulls fans so loved MJ so really 257 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: had us locked in on watching him and studying those guys. 258 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: But he was a big fan of the role players. 259 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: So it's always trying to emphasize the importance of air Canada. 260 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: Bill Wennington or John Paxson or Steve Kerr and those 261 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: guys coming off the bench making big shots and so um. 262 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: It was kind of more Um fan than than coach. 263 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: But he really introduced us to everything that we knew 264 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: about sports growing up, and taking us to the Cub 265 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: games and met games and Yankee games and trying to 266 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: expose us to us as much as we could. Do 267 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: you have a fare at moment If you close your 268 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: eyes you think about childhood. It can be any sport. 269 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: Do you have one that that that you draw back 270 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: on even now, obviously with your own son, thinking about 271 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: favorite moment um, that's a good question. I would say 272 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: favorite moment growing up was going to the All Star 273 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: Game UH in Baltimore when I was a kid, Baseball 274 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: All Star Game and watching Ken Griffey hit it off 275 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: the warehouse behind I guess it's right field. Um. That 276 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: was pretty cool growing up. And my dad was in 277 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: a little home run derby with Michael Jordan, Tom Selleck 278 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: moder shot Patrick Ewing. It was kind of a crazy 279 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: I think Tom Selleck was the only one who hit 280 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: a homework because he had some Mr. Baseball experience, But 281 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: it was that was pretty fun. Was this all normal 282 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: to you? Like being around these people and their families. 283 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: Did that strike you as normal or did you understand 284 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: at the time that that was not what the rest 285 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: of the world was experiencing. Both? Probably, I mean I 286 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: think I understood that that wasn't what the majority of 287 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: the world was experiencing, but at the same time, it 288 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: was kind of what I knew. Um. But again, it's 289 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: kind of like I said earlier, my dad was always 290 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: on a constant path to keep us as humble as 291 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: possible and make sure that we didn't start to, you know, 292 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: take on any sort of arrogance or you know, and 293 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: understanding that that there was a bigger world out there 294 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: for sure when you move out to west Chester. So 295 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: for people, I mean, it is like you like I've 296 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: always so many of my friends that live um in 297 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: Manhattan or on the Island of Manhattan, whatever, they you know, 298 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: they're there. I we just always thought we were back. 299 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: They were like, man, I I'd love to do it, 300 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: but I couldn't because my my son's just a you know, 301 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: he's an energizer bunny and I like playing sports to them. 302 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: And so we moved to Westport, and honestly, what sold 303 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: me on the house was it had like a tennis court, 304 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: and I made him do a basketball court, and we 305 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: had like a backyard and we made into like a 306 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: baseball field. Like all right, we're just gonna when the 307 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: weather is okay, we're gonna play outside every day. What 308 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: was was that your when you moved out to west Chester? 309 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: Was that what happened that you all of a sudden 310 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: you had Yeah, it was totally different. You know, growing 311 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: up in the city, you didn't really know any better, 312 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: and so there weren't a ton of fields. You you 313 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: were just kind of playing on asphalt or going to 314 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: the park or something like that. And so that's just 315 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: kind of the experience that kids have grown up in 316 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: New York. Um, no matter where you are in the city, 317 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: whether your Manhattan or in any of the outer boroughs. Um. 318 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: But moving to Westchester was different, you know, and spent 319 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: some time in Rockland County too, so it just kind 320 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 1: of all throughout suburban New York and just having more 321 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: of an opportunity to play on a real little league 322 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: team and not playing you know, Joe Espinosa Dikemand Park, 323 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: but like playing on a real field with a lot 324 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: of um, you know, a lot of other kids and 325 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: being exposed to being able to be outside and playing 326 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: football and basketball and baseball, um all the time, and 327 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: having a little bit more room to kind of uh 328 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: grow up and have a little bit more traditional childhood. 329 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: Was was fun for sure. Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's 330 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: it's definitely a it's definitely a trip. I don't know, 331 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: I don't know if you ever heard this story. So 332 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: Tim hasselback. They lived in the city with you know, 333 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: Elizabeth and he, you know, they got a couple of 334 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: kids and he wanted to get out of the city. 335 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 1: They wanted to go, so they rented a house I 336 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: think in Henwich one uh uh one summer and the 337 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: first day they come downstairs and uh, you know, they 338 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: just want to try it, right, and the their kids 339 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: are like, hey, dad, dad, can we go to the park? 340 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: And he's like, guys, it's seven thirty in the morning, 341 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 1: Like I just can we just have breakfast? And like no, no, Dad, 342 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: it's right there. Can we go to the park? It's 343 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: right there? Like, guys, that's the backyard, go go outside 344 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: and play, right, Like, just the whole idea of that's 345 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: got to be a park because you know, there's a 346 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: swing set and there's a jungle gym, and there's room 347 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: to to run run around. When did you when did 348 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: you know that you loved basketball? You know, probably when 349 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: I was when I was a kid, probably ten or 350 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: eleven years old, I think is the first time that 351 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: I went to the abc D camp. UM. And that 352 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: to me, it wasn't so much for my love of basketball. 353 00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: I think growing up for me at least, it was 354 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: all like a seasonal thing. Like I was the biggest 355 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: baseball fan in the world in the spring, I was 356 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: a huge basketball fan in the winter. I like football 357 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: in the fall, and so whatever season it was, that 358 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 1: was kind of what I was into. UM. But going 359 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: there and really having first of all, like the biggest 360 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's fan in the world to this day, like 361 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: that's all I want to talk about to anybody. UM. 362 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: So that kind of always stayed with me. UM, and 363 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: that probably made me a fan of basketball more than anything. 364 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: But then like in terms of like actually seeing a 365 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: path and what that meant, I really thought it was 366 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: gonna be like a front office NBA guy, Like I 367 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: would walk around, you know, apartment, I grew up in 368 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: the house later on like in a suit, thinking that 369 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: I was the general manager of the knicks, and I 370 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: had like a notepad and my mom got me like 371 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: a soccer like play you know, like almost like a 372 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: white board, you using basketball. He thought it was basketball 373 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: to the soccer, and so like I would draw plays 374 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: on there and then somehow like I would also transition 375 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 1: into the role of general manager later on in the day. 376 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: And that was kind of like what I thought it 377 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: was gonna be, because I was pretty clear that the 378 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: whole basketball playing thing was going stopped for me relatively soon. Um. 379 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: And so that that that thing, and then the whole 380 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: abc D camp and watching Tracy McGrady and all like 381 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: the young great players come in there. Even though I was, 382 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 1: you know, just a kid myself, I think that really 383 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: kind of sparked something, um that wanted me to be 384 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: around college basketball and coaching and just kind of took 385 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 1: it from there. All right, here's mine. So I grew 386 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: up in Orange. We moved to Orange, California, and one 387 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: my dad was insistent or text winner at LUMS. That 388 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: was that's my bulls connection was was Tex And every 389 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: time they'd come to town. We go from Marina del Rey, 390 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: and we'd hang out with Tex and they would talk 391 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: basketball and I would hope to run into Michael Jordan's lobby. 392 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:43,400 Speaker 1: Um and uh um, And I used to walk down 393 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: the street. My driveway was not flat, it was like 394 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: an incline. And so later on when they had those 395 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: wheel it out hoops mina high school, I I had 396 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: a hoop on my on my on my my street, 397 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: which I used a bunch, but you know, um, so 398 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: I used to walk down This kid at Phips house. 399 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: He had like the perfect long driveway and it was flat, 400 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: and he had a hoop in the garage and was 401 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: ten ft, like it was perfect, and he never played on. 402 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: His parents were like, you can play on whenever you want. Garrett, 403 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 1: never play on. Garrett was my brother's age, and they 404 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: would like ride bikes and taunt me and ride in 405 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: the garage and close the garage door. And there was 406 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: like takati posters. I remember up on the route on 407 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 1: the top of the ceiling where it's like girls basically 408 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 1: their boobs hanging out or whatever, and I'm out there 409 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: shooting hoops, completely lost on what they're doing inside the garage. 410 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: But I used to I used to announce the games 411 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: I used to play. I used to imagine myself playing 412 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: all these games I saw on TV, and I'd announced 413 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: it either in Brett Musburger's voice or this is how 414 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: would coach Sell will live here in Orange, California. And 415 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: then when I would hit the game winner, I would 416 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: run home and my mom had these plants called birds 417 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: of Paradise, and the flowers looks like a bird, but 418 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: the leaves are these big, long, flat like tropical leaves. 419 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: And I'd smack fives with I pretend like it was introductions. 420 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: When I would run out to the court, I would 421 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: slap fives. And then when I hit the game when 422 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: he shout, I'd slap fives. As I was going into 423 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: the locker room. That's that's like you're adoring fans. Yeah, 424 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: you're going to the locker room. Yes, yes, that was 425 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: that's essentially I've I've fully even embarrassed myself. Okay, So, um, 426 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: so now was there was there? Ever? You always knew 427 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: it was going to be sports. Why did you go 428 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: to Fairfield? Well? I think, you know, with the thought 429 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: of being a coach in mind. You know, Um, I 430 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: was actually a better football player than basketball player in 431 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: high school, and I didn't really care for football. It 432 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: just kind of came a little bit more natural and 433 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: easier to me. And so as much as I worked 434 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: on being a good basketball player, really wasn't um work 435 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: in the same way. And so I got retruated by 436 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: a lot of schools to play football, and so that 437 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: was kind of where my thought is, like, Okay, I 438 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: guess I'm gonna play football even though I don't want to. UM. 439 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:54,959 Speaker 1: And at the last second, you know, I just kind 440 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: of decided that I really wanted to try to invest 441 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: in and being a coach and and commit my time 442 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: and energy to trying to coach high school teams. So 443 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: I coached in the high school, and I went to 444 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: and I started coaching some AU club ball, and um, 445 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: you know, being in Fairfield allowed me to be around, 446 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: you know, be around the action and kind of be 447 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: around where I was from and where my relationships were 448 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: within high school basketball and AU and UM, so that 449 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: was kind of it. And so I became closer Tim O'Toole, 450 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: who was the head coach at Fairfield at the time, 451 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: and kind of started to build, um, some of the 452 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: network of college coaches that I knew, and um, you know, 453 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: at the end of my my time at Fairfield, when 454 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: I graduated in two thousand and seven, I had made 455 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: so many different relationships and connections with college coaches that 456 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: Tom Moore, who had just become the head coach at Quinnipiac, 457 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: offered me the job to be the director of operations there. Yeah, 458 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: those are two guys I know really really well. Let 459 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: me ask you about Tim because now he's become he's 460 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: bounced kind of uh UM program and program program is 461 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: kind of like one of those old head savants a 462 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: little bit. You know, he spent time at Syracuse, you 463 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: spend time at Duke UM, and he's one of the 464 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: guy is actually that I think help implement uh Duke's 465 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: two three zone. He's done the same thing at Stanford 466 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: and another place. What was he like this year? Yeah? 467 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: So what was what was he like as a coach? Like? 468 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: What what can you take from him that others should 469 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 1: know or you could you could learn about? Well, he's 470 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: like my spiritual advisor. You know. He is up every 471 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: morning at like five, and he usually leaves me a 472 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: voicemail referencing like yoga, nandi and all kinds of different 473 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: things that he's reading. He's constantly reading. He's like a 474 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: voracious study or of all different types of religions and 475 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: um philosophies, and so he's he's a really smart guy, 476 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: and so I just try to talk to him a 477 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: little bit about life outside of basketball. Um. But he 478 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: he just he has a real passion and energy and 479 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: an enthusiasm about him which I think is contagious. You know. 480 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 1: I remember when I was at Rhode Island, we played 481 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: an n i T game against Stanford, and it was 482 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 1: two and a half hours before the game, and he 483 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: was just drenched in a full sweat working out the 484 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: big guys, and he just had the same sort of 485 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: energy as a twenty two or twenty three year old 486 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: coach would. And he's carried that with him throughout, you know. 487 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 1: And I think when we first connected, when he was 488 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: at Fairfield, UM, he just had a lot of pride 489 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: to the university, you know, having played there and was 490 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: a captain I think three or four times during his career. Um, 491 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: you could tell that it really meant something to him. 492 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: And so I guess, more than anything, um XS and 493 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: ose wise, I just try to take a little bit 494 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: of his spirit. Um, all right, let's let's we're gonna work. Well, 495 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: let's keep working in chronological order, because I do want 496 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: to get to the Fairfield thing. Um okay, So from 497 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: there you go to Quinnipiac. Now here's my do you 498 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: know my quinnipiach story. Your dad was a coach at Quinnipiach. 499 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: Burt Con was the Burt Con was the head coach. 500 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: So my dad was a high school coach and he 501 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: kind of bounced all around. He started at fair His 502 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 1: first job was at fair Lawn High School in New 503 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,199 Speaker 1: or fair Law, New Jersey. And you replaced QB. Brown here. 504 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: Brown was the previous coach. So some yeah, I mean 505 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: some unbelievable stuff. And he had coached in uh Dylan Vale, Ohio. 506 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: My dad was actually the coach one year at Death 507 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: Valley High School. He drove the bus. I swear to god, 508 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: I have the the yearbook and everything, like the head 509 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,439 Speaker 1: coach at Death Valley High School. It's like and then 510 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: he's in Colorado Springs one year. Like he was just 511 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: and and obviously his dad wasn't what your dad was, 512 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: but in in his own field, he was very successful 513 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: and he my my grandpa was an accountant, put himself 514 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: through school, working a couple of jobs, became a very 515 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: successful accountant and then later in life. You know what 516 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 1: he would do as an accountant, would you know? He 517 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: looked at people's books and think, I can fix this. 518 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: And he actually started taking over car dealerships and became 519 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: like the biggest, I think the biggest independent car dealer 520 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: on Long Island. And he was a FOURD dealer and 521 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: so anyway, but he never really got why my dad 522 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: was doing this. Like my dad went to Syracuse for 523 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: a year. It was a walk on that Ohio state 524 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: he graduated from, was like a j V player and 525 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: a walk on when they went to when they had 526 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: they're great teams, and Bob Knight was there and and 527 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: John havil Check and Jerry Lucas was there. Um. And 528 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: then he goes to Colombia and gets his masters and 529 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: instead of going to business or to go in my 530 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: grandpa's business, he goes into basketball. I so, his his 531 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 1: first college job was at Quinnipiac. Burt com was the coach, 532 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: my dad was the freshman coach, the JV coach, and 533 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: the soccer and the golf coach. And I was like, 534 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 1: and I never remember, never forget the story. I was like, 535 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: how did you know how to coach? Did you ever 536 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: play golf? He's like, no Jr. Play soccer? Said, No, 537 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 1: I played at camp. It's like, so, how do you 538 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: know how to coach? He's like, I bought a book. 539 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: I bought Like I bought a book. We used to 540 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: have to line the fields, you know, like all that stuff. 541 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: Obviously it's a time long ago. So Tommy comes over 542 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: from Yukon and what was what was that? What was 543 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 1: your Quinnipiac experience? Like it was great? You know, I 544 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: think for me, UM, I was probably uh in a 545 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: role that I prepared to fill, a director of operations. 546 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: And I was twenty one or twenty two years old, 547 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: and I really didn't know what that meant. Um. As 548 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 1: much as I had kind of been around high school basketball, 549 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: UM and club basketball, I had no understanding of like 550 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: scheduling busses, booking hotels. You know. At that point, it 551 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 1: was all the tape exchange, so sending out all the 552 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: video tapes and trying to get them back in time 553 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: for the games. And UM. I remember I requested a 554 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: bunch of games from conference opponents, and I got back 555 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: all these letters like, hey, they're in our conference, dummy, 556 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: I'm not sending you their videos. You know, all those 557 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: kinds of things that I just had no understanding of 558 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,719 Speaker 1: on the front end trying to run the camp, UM, 559 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: and so it was a really uh, it was a 560 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: good year for me, UM, just from a learning perspective. UM. 561 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: Coach Moore as somebody I stayed in touch with two 562 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: to this day and we have a really good relationship. UM. 563 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: But I think it was clear to me that UM, 564 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: the operation side of things probably wasn't in my future. 565 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: So I really wanted to kind of get started with UM, 566 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: with being a coach and being on the floor and 567 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: being involved in recruiting what what as you kind of 568 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: start to form your basketball mind right like you've gone 569 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: from okay, now you're you got now you've got two 570 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: programs in it? Where were you? Where were you in 571 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: terms of Okay? This is how I think I would 572 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: do it, How I would play what I think the 573 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: right way is because what I found is, UM, Look, 574 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,239 Speaker 1: there there's no one right way or one wrong way 575 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: to play. I think it's different. I do think it's 576 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: different if you played or haven't played. I do think 577 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: it's different. If you've been in multiple system. Its supposed 578 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: to one system, UM, And I think they're always you know, 579 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: as you look down the bench, like everybody kind of 580 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: has that. You know, if I was doing this, this 581 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: is what we would do. UM. So at that point 582 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: your career, UM, were you were you play like Yukon guy? 583 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: Were you play like tim otool guy? Or did you 584 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: always have kind of your own way that you want 585 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: to play Going back to when you're when your mom 586 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: gave you the whiteboard, I think that UM, you know, 587 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: a couple of times along the way, when I was 588 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: coaching in high school and coaching and au UM, people 589 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: that I respected gave me UM the advice to to 590 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: try to look at the game more from the offensive 591 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,719 Speaker 1: side of things. And I think that that's probably been 592 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: really good advice for me moving on in my coaching career. 593 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people, UM have an understanding 594 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: for kind of how to coach positional defense. UM, and 595 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: the slides and the rotations are kind of the same, 596 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: the drills are, you know, pretty similar. I think trying 597 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: to have an involved mind in terms of how to 598 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: coach offense and understanding spacing and how to get guys 599 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: shots and um, you know, how to be hard to 600 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: guard is something that I was always trying to think about, 601 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: even as a young coach. UM. So I think, you know, defensively, um, 602 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: the styles were pretty similar from Fairfield to Quinnipiac and honestly, 603 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: throughout my entire career, I've always been with coaches who 604 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: have believed in in tough half court man demand um 605 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: and and really you know, pride themselves on being good 606 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: defensive rebounding teams and keeping the ball out of the lane. 607 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: But I think offensively, it's just kind of tried to 608 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: try to grow every single chance I could, you know, 609 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: and watch and a lot of international basketball and studying 610 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: you know, NBA teams because I think they're always kind 611 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: of a step ahead college in terms of what they're 612 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: doing on the offensive end. Yeah, it's it's really interesting. 613 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 1: Um My. My experiences are the same in terms of 614 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: the international stuff in the NBA stuff, And I do 615 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: think that college have been slow kind of too evolve 616 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: when when you were coaching and au what what what 617 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: are you program? With coaching? I coached the New York 618 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: out shows, um and and that was kind of my 619 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: connection to Tom initially because we had Kemba Walker and 620 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: Durant Scott who played at Miami and so there are 621 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: different guys that Yukon was recruiting and so it was 622 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: a kind of the initial relationships that will form there. 623 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 1: What did you think of what was it like to 624 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: coach Kemba at that point in time of his life. Well, 625 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: we and with all due respect to a mere Brown, 626 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: and I'm going to reference here in a second, we 627 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: started a mere Brown at the two. Our starting point 628 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 1: guard was Jordan Theodore, who played a seat in Hall 629 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: and is having a great career overseas. UM A mere 630 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: Brown who went on to play at Wesleyan College Division 631 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: three was our starting shooting guard. Rant Scott started at 632 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: the three, played at Miami. Kid named Curtis Loving was 633 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: the four man, and we alternated through a couple of 634 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: different five men. Um, but we brought Kemba off the 635 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: bench and going into well this is going and going 636 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: into his junior year. So he just finished the sophomore 637 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: year at Rice. I think he was like the sixth 638 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: and seventh ban at Rice, and his identity was like, 639 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: he's an unbelievable defender, hard nosed kid, um, great athlete, 640 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 1: great speed, but like wasn't it wasn't. Yeah, it wasn't 641 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: really there yet as an offensive player. So we had 642 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: truck Bryan as well, who played a lot for us, 643 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: who went to West Virginia, and so like those were 644 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: kind of the feature guys. Chris Spouch who was a 645 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: shooter off the bench who played at Drexel Um. But 646 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: Kembo was kind of the the guy who would come 647 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: in and change the game with his energy. Um, get 648 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: stops for us, get us out in the open floor, 649 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: and finish at the rim. And uh, it wasn't clear 650 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: until like later on in May and June and as 651 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 1: we headed towards July that he was really emerging as 652 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: as the top guy. But always incredibly humble, UM, great kid. 653 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: His teammates loved him, really easy to coach, um and 654 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: totally driven by winning, which I think has kind of 655 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 1: remained a constant for him. Yeah, okay, so this is 656 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: and everyone always says, oh I knew, guys that coached him, 657 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 1: Oh I knew, But did you have any idea like this? 658 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: No idea, no idea. I remember he made two big 659 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: free throws against the Metro Hawks to win a big 660 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: tournament in April, and I was like, man, that was 661 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: that was tough. You know, That's that showed some fortitude. 662 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,719 Speaker 1: But I would have never guessed, um that he would come, 663 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, turn into the player um that he's become. Yeah, 664 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: it's it's it's really amazing. It's like and you and 665 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 1: you were and I would guess you weren't wrong at 666 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: the time to play the guys ahead of and you played. 667 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: He just kept getting It was like, yeah, he just 668 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: kept getting better experience. Yeah, he just got better. You know. 669 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: I think going into Kimba's um that the last summer 670 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 1: he was considered like mid major plus. I remember some 671 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: people had him and he was getting recruited by Memphis 672 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: and St. John's and Cincinnati, and uh then Yukon blew 673 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 1: in a call. I'm sorry, North Carolina blew in a call, 674 00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: and that kind of got Yukon's attention and he had 675 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: always him of going to Yukon, and so Yukon moved 676 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: pretty quickly after they heard that North Carolina had some 677 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: interest and and got him. That's that's one of the 678 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: nastiest and most important crossovers in the history of college. Yeah, 679 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: the end of that. Yeah, And I and I say 680 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: that because there are other there. I don't go crazy 681 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 1: about the crossovers and getting dunked on whatever, unless, of course, 682 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: you use it to hit the game winning shot to 683 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: win the Big East Tournament, like in Madison Square Garden. 684 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: Like that's a little bit different. Uh. And it's kind 685 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: of his signature move right where he has this unbelievable 686 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: kind of stop and go with his right hand and 687 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: then he gets you leaning and he likes that crossover 688 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 1: come back to his left and he's still like to 689 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 1: this day, gets dudes with it. Uh that that was 690 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: Do you remember where you were when that when that 691 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: when he had that move? I do. I remember watching it. Um. 692 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: I was at a little restaurant in New York and 693 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: I was watching him with a friend of mine, and uh, 694 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: I was, I was blown away. I mean it just 695 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,160 Speaker 1: it was so so much of what Kema had become. Um, 696 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: you know at Yukon was just you know, a clutch 697 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: player and obviously led him to a national championship and 698 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: kind of carried that momentum through. But I remember when 699 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,439 Speaker 1: I worked at Colston, Pat Scarry was the head coach 700 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: and he was an assistant on that pitch coaching staff, 701 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: and uh, he likes to say that he tried to 702 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 1: get him to pre switch in the time out, said Hey, 703 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: they're going to set this ball screen, let's try to 704 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: get a better defender on Kimba um. So let's put 705 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,760 Speaker 1: a different guy on their five man. But they decided 706 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: to go with with with McGee and so he switched 707 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,319 Speaker 1: the ball screen, and Kemba obviously made him pay. Yeah, 708 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: that was bad. That's a that's what was known as 709 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,400 Speaker 1: a bad switch. It is fascinating how how even college 710 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: basketball has changed. Like now you would go, you would 711 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: go with a smaller line of you would switch five, 712 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 1: like all of basketball has gon, you know, switching five 713 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,879 Speaker 1: and and sub you know, you're subbing for defense, even 714 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: though you're subbing smaller guys, you know, right right. I 715 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,280 Speaker 1: don't remember who said the ball screen. Maybe Hilting Armstrong, 716 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: I can't remember, but it was it was that was 717 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: she was before Keimba. But whoever it was, they were saying, hey, 718 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 1: let's put you know, Gilbert Brown or whoever you know, 719 00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 1: maybe he was gonna see Robinson. Let's let's put him 720 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: on the big and so when they switched it, we 721 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,359 Speaker 1: got a better matchup. But it wasn't it wasn't meant 722 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: to be. Um okay. So then you go from you 723 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,760 Speaker 1: go from Quinnipiac to uh it was that was Wagner. 724 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 1: Next yep, Well I was at Arizona as a graduate assistant, 725 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,759 Speaker 1: then went to Wagner. Okay, well let's let's slow down down. 726 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 1: So you go so your East Coast Dude Gauchos, Quinnipiac, Fairfield, 727 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,400 Speaker 1: Uh and all of a sudden you're out in Tucson, Arizona, 728 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: and um, how did how did that come to be? 729 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:32,960 Speaker 1: How did you come to get out there as a 730 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: grad assistant through the same sort of stuff you know, um, 731 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: with recruiting and just kind of getting to know the 732 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: coaches out there. Um, and that just kind of when 733 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: when they were at Xavier, one of the guys that 734 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 1: we had coached with the Gauchos was to Holloway and 735 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: so they recruited to to to Xavier and so I 736 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: got to know the coaches and uh that kind of 737 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: led to me going out to uh to Tucson to 738 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: b g A. So uh, so you land, you lay 739 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 1: it out there and what was that? What was that? 740 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: What's that you're like? For you? That was I opening? 741 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 1: Just being in the desert. Um. I had been there 742 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: once before. My mom took us to the lu Gay 743 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,799 Speaker 1: Dude Ranch when we were kids. My mom and dad 744 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: had just split up, and she took me and my 745 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,800 Speaker 1: older brother out there, and so we went to Tucson 746 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 1: for three or four days, and that's really all I knew. 747 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 1: I was a big fan uh Damon Stodemeyer and calyd 748 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: Reeves and those guys when I was growing up, and 749 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 1: so I had an affinity for the school and the 750 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: program um, their teams and lud olsen Um, but I 751 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: really didn't know much about it. So it was it 752 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: was eye open. It was obviously different being from the 753 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: East Coast and and going out there. I think Tucson 754 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 1: is an unbelievable UM college town and then obviously a 755 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: great place for people you know, in their fifties and 756 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: sixteis and they're a little bit older, but when you're 757 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: kind of in that in between stage and age, it 758 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: was a little bit different um to kind of get 759 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: acclimated to it. But it was a good year, you know. 760 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: It was the first year out there at the new program, 761 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: and so we took some bumps along the way and 762 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,359 Speaker 1: trying to uh to build it back. I was only 763 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,280 Speaker 1: there for a year and then and went to Wagner 764 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: and got started with let me let me ask you 765 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: about Sean. Having been to Seawan's practices, Um, I feel 766 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: I feel like he runs as good at practice I've 767 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: ever seen run in terms of like that was that 768 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: was what camps were like when I was a kid, 769 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:20,359 Speaker 1: Like I I I've got been in there. I've been 770 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: to probably fifteen Arizona's practices in my broadcasting career, which 771 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 1: since he's been in Arizona, and I've been to some 772 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: Xavier ones as well. And you know you're talking about uh, 773 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 1: improving your angle and feeding the post and you know, 774 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:37,279 Speaker 1: passing and catching and pivoting and just the attention to 775 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: detail like I mean, he talked about having an inventive 776 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 1: offensive mind. I do think that that's probably the thing 777 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: that he lacks, or maybe the desire to be a 778 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: little bit more free offensively. But he's almost from from 779 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: my perspective, And again, I'm not there every day like 780 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:55,839 Speaker 1: you were for a year. He's almost a clinician. Um, 781 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 1: in terms of how he runs practice. What's your takeaway 782 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,839 Speaker 1: from Sean Miller? I got you worked for for a year. Yeah, 783 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:03,440 Speaker 1: that was that was the word I was gonna use. 784 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: I mean, he's really clinical. I mean he has an 785 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:11,399 Speaker 1: unbelievable appreciation for the fundamentals. I think obviously it comes 786 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 1: from his dad and his experience as a coach at 787 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: black Hawk and how they kind of raised both both 788 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: of his boys to teach the game, and so you know, 789 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:25,840 Speaker 1: he really is focused in the details and was passionate 790 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,960 Speaker 1: and committed and had great energy every single day and 791 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: demanded excellence from those guys on the practice floor and 792 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: got the most out of him for sure. So you 793 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:36,880 Speaker 1: moved back to Staten Island right like, you're hitting all 794 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,719 Speaker 1: the garden spots here. Uh, you're going to going to 795 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 1: Tucson as a grad assistant. As you said, you're not 796 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: a college kid, but you're also you're also not an adult, 797 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: and so you're kind of in that. And then you 798 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: go joined Danny at at in Staten Island at Wagner Um. 799 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 1: How how did that? How did that come to be? 800 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,040 Speaker 1: Just kind of had gotten to know Danny Um through 801 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,479 Speaker 1: the high school past football seen in New York, New Jersey, 802 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,319 Speaker 1: tried state area. Uh, he was the coach at St. 803 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: Benedict's Um up until he accepted the job at Wagner Um. 804 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:09,960 Speaker 1: So we kind of crossed paths a little bit, and 805 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: he would come watch sa Marto Samuels and some of 806 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 1: the different guys, Corey Stokes, guys that he had to 807 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: think Bennet's he would watch him on the AU circuit 808 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: or you know, different high school events, and so we 809 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 1: kind of got to know each other a little bit 810 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 1: um through that connection. And you know, I remember going 811 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,240 Speaker 1: out there and interviewing for the job and meeting Bobby 812 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: for the first time and spending some time with Danny, 813 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 1: and I would never been to Staten Island, I don't think, 814 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,359 Speaker 1: um before I stepped foot on Wagner's campus. So, um, 815 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 1: it was different. But I was, you know, obviously incredibly 816 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:41,360 Speaker 1: excited to work for somebody that um, you know, the 817 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: whole country, I think, really respected as a high school coach. 818 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,360 Speaker 1: UM kind of in his first entree into being a 819 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: college coach. And I think I was twenty four years 820 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:51,520 Speaker 1: old to be a Division one assistant coach and recruiting 821 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 1: be on the floor. Um was pretty exciting. Uh. How 822 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: good was your team? Uh? We scrapped, you know, I 823 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 1: don't think we were eight team. Mike Dean was the 824 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 1: coach previously, and he had some really good success um, 825 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 1: but they had fallen on hard times. I guess a 826 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: year or two before coach Arley got there. Um, I 827 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,560 Speaker 1: think we won thirteen games maybe in our first year. Um, 828 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 1: but we were really you know, we battled, we were tough, 829 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:18,160 Speaker 1: We had a really competitive group, and I think we 830 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 1: were probably about as good as we could be. Um. 831 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 1: But uh, moving forward, I mean quickly in the year two, 832 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: I think Danny one games and uh be Pitt that 833 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,879 Speaker 1: year and really set himself up for a great run. 834 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 1: Since then, I got a great Dino, a couple of 835 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 1: good Dino stories because I almost al want to play 836 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 1: for Mike Dean. I visited Marquette when he was there, 837 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 1: and really, oh man, he's amazing. He's so he he 838 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: wrote me this four page uh love letter really after 839 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:48,880 Speaker 1: he had a home visit of and like it was 840 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:51,600 Speaker 1: just I I got it saved somewhere. It was. It 841 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:54,880 Speaker 1: was the most passionate leave I've ever received from a 842 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:57,719 Speaker 1: coach to come play for me. He he had a 843 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: he had had a small guarded seeing a uh Bennerman 844 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 1: Darius something like that, and then there was a little 845 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 1: guard at at Marquette that he wanted me to play alongside. 846 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,320 Speaker 1: You want to move him to the two and so 847 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: he mean he sent me play upon play, here's the set. 848 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:20,839 Speaker 1: We're gonna run this and that. So I visit and um, 849 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:26,320 Speaker 1: uh should I have to think of? Uh? Crawford? Was 850 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:28,880 Speaker 1: Chris Crawford right? They called him? Would he played in 851 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:31,880 Speaker 1: the NBA? Um? He was? He was one of my 852 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 1: two hosts when I was at Marquette. So I go 853 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: up into their their apartment and there's like beer cans 854 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 1: in like a square on the table and um, and 855 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 1: I was like, what's up with the empty beer cans? 856 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: And like, big boy, we're building the pyramid this weekend 857 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 1: and you're you're going to help? And of course, you know, 858 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,320 Speaker 1: I dropped the you know, you know, as Jews, we 859 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,960 Speaker 1: have bad we have bad experiences in terms of pyramid building, 860 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: um and away. So they were like, oh, you're in, 861 00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: You're in. So I mean, like all we did was 862 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 1: drink and hang out, and like I didn't know what 863 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 1: kind of guy he was. So we go to we 864 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 1: go to a baseball game. This is before Miller Park. 865 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:14,400 Speaker 1: It's an old county stadium. Part of my visit, and 866 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:17,920 Speaker 1: I roll up and we're playing quarters with the coaches. 867 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: I was twenty one because it was my transfer year. 868 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:23,560 Speaker 1: I'm twenty one playing quarters with the coaches like in 869 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,560 Speaker 1: a in a in a booth, in a box or 870 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 1: whatever before the game. And then before I leave it 871 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:32,920 Speaker 1: like he's like, how's that pyramid coming? So it was, um, uh, 872 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,879 Speaker 1: what's his name? Piper? Shoot? So Crawford and Piper were 873 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 1: my host when I was there. So I end up. 874 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: You know, he writes me his four page love letter, Um, 875 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 1: I make a ton of friends. I love it, and 876 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,480 Speaker 1: I really want to go to Marquette because mostly because 877 00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: they played Notre Dame every year and I wanted to 878 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 1: and even though Notre Dame did did not do wrong 879 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 1: by me, I still wanted to kick their house. And 880 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 1: then I was like, you know, he plays slow, he's 881 00:43:58,000 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 1: a he. He does have a little bit of a 882 00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:02,120 Speaker 1: cray easy side. And I don't really want to go 883 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 1: to a Catholic school, even though it's Milwaukee where I 884 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 1: was born, Like, I want to go to a college 885 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: town anyway. So I call him and I was like, 886 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:11,879 Speaker 1: do you know I got some bad news? Man, I'm 887 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:13,760 Speaker 1: gonna go and uh, I think I'm gonna go to Oaklahoma. 888 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 1: Stays ah, All right, well listen, listen, I'll tell you 889 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:18,960 Speaker 1: what you know, we got camp, so you want to 890 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,479 Speaker 1: come work camp, Come work camp. I went and worked camp. 891 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 1: After going to committing to Oklahoma State that summer, I 892 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 1: went to camp at Marquette as a counselor. That amazing, 893 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 1: amazing times of change. Yeah. No, I'm just an unbelievable dude, 894 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:42,480 Speaker 1: UM that I I consider a friend. Okay, So you're 895 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,840 Speaker 1: at You're at Wagner. And then when when Danny decided 896 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,879 Speaker 1: to go to Rhode Island, did he did? You? Guys? 897 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:51,040 Speaker 1: I don't know how it works in the staff, do 898 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:53,279 Speaker 1: he like, Hey, man, I'm thinking about Rhode Island? You know? 899 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,719 Speaker 1: Was was there any conversations had about him leaving? Well? 900 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: I had left, So I left Wagner and went to 901 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 1: Towson and Danny Um was at Wagner for one more 902 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:06,640 Speaker 1: year when I was at Towson, and so, uh, he 903 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:09,160 Speaker 1: and I were talking about him leaving Wagner and going 904 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:10,840 Speaker 1: to Rhode Island. Um, and he went up there a 905 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 1: couple of times. It was kind of a little bit 906 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:16,840 Speaker 1: of an extended courtship. UM. But yeah, he was, he was, 907 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,719 Speaker 1: you know, really torn. He's he's a really loyal guy, 908 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 1: and I think it was hard for him to leave Wagner. 909 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 1: I think he felt like they were just kind of 910 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:25,879 Speaker 1: starting to hit their stride. But at the same time, 911 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:28,600 Speaker 1: it was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up. So 912 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 1: after two years at Cowsen Um and we we turned 913 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,759 Speaker 1: something around there as well. We got there and our 914 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 1: first year we were one in thirty one. We were 915 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 1: the worst team in the history of college basketball? What 916 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 1: what was what was that? What was that? Like? It 917 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,399 Speaker 1: was unbearable um. But at the same time, I think 918 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:47,960 Speaker 1: we felt like we were, you know, deficient from a 919 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 1: talent perspective, unfortunately, and so we were going to try 920 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:52,920 Speaker 1: to make the most of it. And our kids were 921 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 1: tough and competitive and and brought it every single day 922 00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: in practice and I think played to the best of 923 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:01,840 Speaker 1: their capabilities. But we just weren't there. And I recruited 924 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,920 Speaker 1: a kid named Darell Benneman who transferred from Georgetown, and 925 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: so he sat out that year, and we had another 926 00:46:07,160 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 1: transfer Mike Burwell, who was from South Florida, and so 927 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:12,719 Speaker 1: they were kind of like our constant source of encouragement 928 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,880 Speaker 1: throughout the year, you know, the workouts and before the 929 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,840 Speaker 1: games and watching them in practice. I remember we played 930 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:21,200 Speaker 1: George Mason and they had a kid named Ryan Pearson 931 00:46:21,239 --> 00:46:22,719 Speaker 1: who was a CIA Player of the Year, and I 932 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,160 Speaker 1: remember saying to Pat, I said, Darrell is better than him. 933 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 1: And like at that moment we said, like, okay, we're 934 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:29,600 Speaker 1: gonna be okay, you know, because next year we're gonna 935 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:31,600 Speaker 1: have him out on the floor. And so he was 936 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 1: the two times ci A Player of the Year and 937 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 1: we said an n do double a record I think 938 00:46:36,239 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 1: from the biggest one, you know, single season turnaround. We 939 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,320 Speaker 1: went from one in thirty one to eighteen and thirteen 940 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:43,320 Speaker 1: the next year. Okay, what is that like to to 941 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:45,799 Speaker 1: to go to work every day when you won one game? 942 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 1: Like I remember when I was really really tough, Yeah, 943 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:50,880 Speaker 1: really tough. I remember, you know, I had like a 944 00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:55,120 Speaker 1: family member too, family members, Um that came to our game, 945 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:57,120 Speaker 1: the one game that we want against U and C. Wilmington, 946 00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:59,840 Speaker 1: like immediately broke down and started crying. In the fans. 947 00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:01,520 Speaker 1: There was some doubt that it was ever going to 948 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:03,920 Speaker 1: happen for us, but um, it was hard. It was 949 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:06,200 Speaker 1: It was a real challenge, I thought, you know, for 950 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:08,239 Speaker 1: the most part, once we got into ci A play, 951 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,880 Speaker 1: we were pretty competitive and so as much as we 952 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: were losing, it still felt a little bit better to 953 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:16,439 Speaker 1: be right there and to be in games and feel 954 00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:19,080 Speaker 1: like you had an opportunity. Some of the nonconference games 955 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:21,239 Speaker 1: that we had just completely got out of hand, and 956 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,880 Speaker 1: I think, um, that was probably a little bit more 957 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 1: difficult to deal with, But like I said, I think 958 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:28,880 Speaker 1: we were just trying to stay positive. I talked to Um. 959 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:30,840 Speaker 1: You know, friends of mine throughout the year set have 960 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:33,880 Speaker 1: in similar situations, and I think, you know, you just 961 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,680 Speaker 1: tried to get them better in practice and coach as 962 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:38,880 Speaker 1: hard as you can. But then obviously have of you 963 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:40,840 Speaker 1: for the future, like you just can't imagine because you 964 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:42,239 Speaker 1: know you had the Final Four. Everybody goes like, hey, 965 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:48,239 Speaker 1: great year, coach, great year coach. Yeah, Like wait you were, yes, yeah, 966 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:50,239 Speaker 1: you guys were. Yeah. I think I've avoided the Final 967 00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:51,879 Speaker 1: Four for a couple of years because I just didn't 968 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:54,399 Speaker 1: want to have that interaction. You mentioned Darell Beneman, who 969 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:58,400 Speaker 1: became an NBA player. Um, yeah, briefly, but I mean, like, 970 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:01,239 Speaker 1: did again there's another one? Did you know when you 971 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:03,560 Speaker 1: when you took it? I mean, because I think taking 972 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 1: transfers and obviously you now you have another grad transfer 973 00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 1: coming in here at Louisville one. I I like, I 974 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:11,320 Speaker 1: like fresh a great deal. UM. And of course you 975 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:15,440 Speaker 1: had several transfers last year. UM. Even you know obviously 976 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,560 Speaker 1: your point guard was a transfer from Sanford. UM. But 977 00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:22,319 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just wondering in terms of, UM, how 978 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:25,879 Speaker 1: much you knew about him, Like the process of taking 979 00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:28,160 Speaker 1: a transfer, because they don't all work out. They're not 980 00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:31,120 Speaker 1: all Darrell Benneman stories, right. A lot of guys. A 981 00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:32,960 Speaker 1: lot of guys become two tip three time where they 982 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 1: go to an AA, they burn out and they become 983 00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:37,280 Speaker 1: just a pain the ass because they don't they've transferred 984 00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 1: down to level and they think they're gonna come in 985 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:41,759 Speaker 1: and dominate and they don't. Um, how did you get 986 00:48:41,800 --> 00:48:45,239 Speaker 1: that one? Right? Yeah? You know we didn't really know. UM. 987 00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:48,359 Speaker 1: I had coached Nate Lubeck, who played at Georgetown when 988 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,880 Speaker 1: he was in high school, and so I asked him 989 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:53,319 Speaker 1: a couple of times about Darrell when I first got 990 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 1: the job at Towson, and he was like, he's talented, 991 00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:57,520 Speaker 1: but you know, I don't know how much he likes it. 992 00:48:57,640 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: He didn't really get along with coach Thompson. And you know, 993 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:01,919 Speaker 1: I don't know how it's gonna work out. Kenya Hunter, 994 00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:04,200 Speaker 1: who was an assistant Yukon who was at Georgetown at 995 00:49:04,239 --> 00:49:07,279 Speaker 1: the time, UM was like, hey, I think there's something there. 996 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:09,640 Speaker 1: You know. It was a little bit of a weird recruitment. 997 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:11,840 Speaker 1: I think like Old Dominion and James Madison were like 998 00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:13,520 Speaker 1: the two schools that were really trying to get him 999 00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:15,880 Speaker 1: out of high school. He was from Forkure County, like 1000 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,120 Speaker 1: way out in the middle of nowhere in Warrington, Virginia, 1001 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:21,040 Speaker 1: and Georgetown came in late and got him and he 1002 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,759 Speaker 1: just didn't play a whole lot in his first two years. UM. 1003 00:49:23,840 --> 00:49:26,239 Speaker 1: And we actually tried to get a kid named Jordan 1004 00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,279 Speaker 1: Latham who was transferring from Xavier and he ended up 1005 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,919 Speaker 1: going to Loyola instead. And uh so, you know, once 1006 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:35,279 Speaker 1: that kind of went by the wayside, Um, we were 1007 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:37,040 Speaker 1: able to, you know, spend a little bit more time 1008 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:39,720 Speaker 1: and commence him more energy to Darrell because his process 1009 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:42,719 Speaker 1: was taken a little bit longer, and um, he kind 1010 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:45,160 Speaker 1: of went back and forth and vascillated between what he 1011 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:47,920 Speaker 1: wanted to do, but ultimately we got him, and uh, 1012 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:49,600 Speaker 1: I think from the first day of practice were like, 1013 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:52,680 Speaker 1: this guy is way better than anything we have and 1014 00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:55,399 Speaker 1: so we didn't know at the time, Um, he really 1015 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: didn't have stats to draw from. But once we started practicing, um, 1016 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:00,839 Speaker 1: you know, it was pretty here that he was as 1017 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:02,640 Speaker 1: good as anybody in the league. At any point in 1018 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:04,480 Speaker 1: time during that one in thirty one year, did your 1019 00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:06,600 Speaker 1: dad call and go like what are you doing? Like, 1020 00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:08,600 Speaker 1: let's like this is he came to one game, so 1021 00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:11,359 Speaker 1: we we Uh we played Oregon State in a two 1022 00:50:11,440 --> 00:50:13,200 Speaker 1: for one, and I think the idea was to try 1023 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:15,600 Speaker 1: to get President Obama to come to the game in Towson, 1024 00:50:16,160 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: and so he did. And so, uh, President Obama and 1025 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: his wife and his two kids came to the game 1026 00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 1: against House and my dad, um, just by coincidence, came 1027 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:27,560 Speaker 1: to the same game. And uh that was still around 1028 00:50:27,600 --> 00:50:29,520 Speaker 1: the time. You know you said how your grandfather was like, 1029 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:31,400 Speaker 1: I'm not really sure why your dad was doing this. 1030 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:33,440 Speaker 1: My dad was kind of still in that frame of 1031 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:35,560 Speaker 1: mind for a long time. I think almost until the 1032 00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:37,920 Speaker 1: time I went to Xavier. I think he just didn't 1033 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:40,719 Speaker 1: really understand what this is all about. Um, but yeah, 1034 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:42,279 Speaker 1: I think he was like are you sure, you know 1035 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:44,400 Speaker 1: you're really comfortable doing this and you want to go 1036 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:47,640 Speaker 1: through this? But you know, it was it was. It 1037 00:50:47,719 --> 00:50:49,880 Speaker 1: was fun. We ended up kind of turning that thing 1038 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:52,040 Speaker 1: around and and the following year we went out to 1039 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:54,600 Speaker 1: Oregon State. Again I noticed is it's a little bit 1040 00:50:54,600 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 1: of a touchy subject. But we went out toward in 1041 00:50:56,239 --> 00:50:57,840 Speaker 1: state and beat them, and so that was good for 1042 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,239 Speaker 1: us moving forward. No, that was before my brother was right, 1043 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:02,600 Speaker 1: I know it. I don't I don't care. I mean, look, 1044 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:07,759 Speaker 1: I gonna winning games, lose games that. No, you're like 1045 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,680 Speaker 1: and and I'm not offended that you're offended that I 1046 00:51:10,800 --> 00:51:13,240 Speaker 1: said New York City doesn't play a but doesn't produce 1047 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,239 Speaker 1: them nearly as many players. We talked about that, We 1048 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,919 Speaker 1: talked about that offline. I know there was criticism there, 1049 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 1: but we can we can, we can get into it. 1050 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 1: So look here here's my point. And and again you're 1051 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:27,399 Speaker 1: from the area, you coached it, like, there's no better 1052 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:30,480 Speaker 1: resource for it than you. And I understand a lot 1053 00:51:30,520 --> 00:51:34,120 Speaker 1: of guys go to prep school and whatever. My point 1054 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:37,400 Speaker 1: has been like, look like, I grew up with a 1055 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,120 Speaker 1: dad who would tell me that New York City is 1056 00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:42,719 Speaker 1: the greatest thing ever, the basketball mecca. And I have 1057 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:45,960 Speaker 1: no doubt that Master Square playing a game, Master Square 1058 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:49,160 Speaker 1: Garden a big game is different and special, better probably 1059 00:51:49,520 --> 00:51:51,800 Speaker 1: maybe than any other place on Earth, even even the 1060 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,759 Speaker 1: great on campus places, the Big Ones and the Big 1061 00:51:54,840 --> 00:51:56,680 Speaker 1: Ten Tournament last year felt like it. The Big East 1062 00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:58,480 Speaker 1: Tournament always feels like it, when the the n c 1063 00:51:58,560 --> 00:52:01,480 Speaker 1: A Tournament feels like it. Um, I think it's awesome, 1064 00:52:02,440 --> 00:52:04,800 Speaker 1: but they're just whether it's because of the cost of 1065 00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:08,759 Speaker 1: living you know, in the area, um, or whether it's 1066 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:12,040 Speaker 1: whether it's just not producing. Like look, and I hate 1067 00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:14,680 Speaker 1: to be the look around the NBA guy, but like, dude, 1068 00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:18,160 Speaker 1: there's Kemba and and like who else, Like are you 1069 00:52:18,200 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 1: gonna claim Kyrie? Okay? Whereas whereas like southern California just 1070 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:27,040 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's kind of pooping out players. And 1071 00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:29,320 Speaker 1: now some some families are moving here for the you know, 1072 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:31,160 Speaker 1: the Lebrons, for the prep schools and whatever, and the 1073 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,120 Speaker 1: Kenyan Martin's you know stars are living here. So that 1074 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:37,520 Speaker 1: that's different, but it does it. It sure has shifted 1075 00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:40,400 Speaker 1: from when I was a kid. I remember when I 1076 00:52:40,480 --> 00:52:43,160 Speaker 1: was in Vegas, the Gut Shows had a team that 1077 00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:46,680 Speaker 1: had Felipe Lopez, Stefan Marbury and God sham god, and 1078 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:49,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure they were I'm not sure if Charleton Clark 1079 00:52:49,239 --> 00:52:51,880 Speaker 1: was on that team, was on the Riverside Church team, whatever. 1080 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:55,040 Speaker 1: But like you you always felt like when you line 1081 00:52:55,080 --> 00:52:57,880 Speaker 1: up against those teams, they were just gonna throw twelve 1082 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:01,600 Speaker 1: D one guys out there. And while they may there 1083 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,160 Speaker 1: may still be twelve D one guys on the Wrens, 1084 00:53:05,239 --> 00:53:09,040 Speaker 1: the gaut shows, the whatever's, doesn't feel like they're they're 1085 00:53:09,400 --> 00:53:13,040 Speaker 1: like impactful. Like look at the top hundred college basketball players, 1086 00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:16,839 Speaker 1: top hundred NBA players, and it sure feels like it's 1087 00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:19,040 Speaker 1: the idea of Oh St John's a great job. All 1088 00:53:19,040 --> 00:53:20,520 Speaker 1: I gotta do is keep you know, get some New 1089 00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:22,480 Speaker 1: York kids home, Like, yeah, they only had one New 1090 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:25,920 Speaker 1: Yor kid on this last team, right right, Well, I 1091 00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:28,279 Speaker 1: mean I think that just you know, the populations of 1092 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 1: all these different states around the country have grown so 1093 00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:34,600 Speaker 1: dramatically in recent years, and basketball as a sport is 1094 00:53:34,719 --> 00:53:37,120 Speaker 1: really taken off, and so again, I think a lot 1095 00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:40,080 Speaker 1: of times, you know, people are expecting, you know, New 1096 00:53:40,160 --> 00:53:42,719 Speaker 1: York to produce players within a twelve or fourteen mile 1097 00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:45,399 Speaker 1: radius that's gonna you know, equate to these whole state 1098 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:47,640 Speaker 1: of California or all of southern California or all of 1099 00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:51,399 Speaker 1: Texas where basketball has become huge recently, and so it's tough, 1100 00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:54,160 Speaker 1: but I think it's somewhat cyclical, you know, and it 1101 00:53:54,280 --> 00:53:57,279 Speaker 1: kind of comes in waves. And I'm hopeful that New 1102 00:53:57,360 --> 00:53:59,560 Speaker 1: York New Jersey can can start to produce some really 1103 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:02,160 Speaker 1: good players. New Jersey has had some phenomenal players recently, 1104 00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:05,360 Speaker 1: and I think New York isn't far behind. So so 1105 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:09,360 Speaker 1: am I completely off in saying at least recently and 1106 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:11,480 Speaker 1: and look, there should have been more context to the 1107 00:54:11,520 --> 00:54:14,840 Speaker 1: tweet or whatever. I'm not really exactly sure why Stefan 1108 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:17,680 Speaker 1: Marvery chooses to put my comflate my career into the 1109 00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:21,719 Speaker 1: discussion about it, but whatever, uh is it? Is it 1110 00:54:21,800 --> 00:54:24,640 Speaker 1: totally wrong to say it hasn't it hasn't been what 1111 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:29,000 Speaker 1: it was in terms of depth of producing great collegiate 1112 00:54:29,080 --> 00:54:33,560 Speaker 1: professional talent recently in the last ten years. I think 1113 00:54:33,680 --> 00:54:35,840 Speaker 1: in terms of depth, I think that's probably fair. But 1114 00:54:35,920 --> 00:54:38,320 Speaker 1: I think, you know, when we talked about it, you know, 1115 00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:40,600 Speaker 1: your point was a little bit more driven towards like St. 1116 00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:42,600 Speaker 1: John's and feeling like, well, why is it that you 1117 00:54:42,719 --> 00:54:45,560 Speaker 1: have to recruit, you know, strictly New York City players 1118 00:54:45,640 --> 00:54:48,160 Speaker 1: to be successful? And I think New York and you know, 1119 00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:50,360 Speaker 1: throughout the Tri state area has some great players and 1120 00:54:50,640 --> 00:54:53,200 Speaker 1: guys that can really help any program win big. But 1121 00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:55,359 Speaker 1: to your point, you know, Shamari is really the only 1122 00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:57,440 Speaker 1: guy on the roster from New York, and St. John's 1123 00:54:57,440 --> 00:54:59,680 Speaker 1: had really good talent this year. So I think people 1124 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:02,399 Speaker 1: know that have an opinion of Mike Anderson, I think 1125 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:04,560 Speaker 1: that can be shortsighted because you know, if he can 1126 00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:07,279 Speaker 1: recruit good players, whether they're from Arkansas or Texas or 1127 00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:09,680 Speaker 1: Florida or anywhere in between, um, he's gonna be able 1128 00:55:09,719 --> 00:55:11,960 Speaker 1: to put a product on the floor that can be successful. 1129 00:55:12,120 --> 00:55:16,800 Speaker 1: But it is hard, um. And you know, louisvill obviously 1130 00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:20,320 Speaker 1: is a national job savior. You guys recruited nationally, but 1131 00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:24,040 Speaker 1: generally guys want to play closer to home, right like 1132 00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:27,360 Speaker 1: it's you know, like it it just and so I 1133 00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:29,360 Speaker 1: I do think it makes it harder when you're in 1134 00:55:29,480 --> 00:55:33,360 Speaker 1: New York and you're trying to create a buzz, you know, 1135 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:35,359 Speaker 1: and and people just assume like, well, like New yor 1136 00:55:35,400 --> 00:55:37,160 Speaker 1: kids w want to stay there. Obviously they don't have 1137 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:39,239 Speaker 1: the built in advantages they used to have with not 1138 00:55:39,400 --> 00:55:41,560 Speaker 1: having dorms, and they could give kids, you know, money 1139 00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:44,880 Speaker 1: to live at home, um like like like they used to. 1140 00:55:45,440 --> 00:55:47,839 Speaker 1: But it makes it a much more difficult job when 1141 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:50,400 Speaker 1: there aren't players in the area that you can always 1142 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:54,200 Speaker 1: count on to want to play for you. It's it's tough, 1143 00:55:54,280 --> 00:55:56,040 Speaker 1: for sure. But I do think that you have something 1144 00:55:56,120 --> 00:55:58,799 Speaker 1: that that you know, nobody else has, which is New York. 1145 00:55:58,880 --> 00:56:02,040 Speaker 1: And it's why, you know, justin Simon from Commeecula and 1146 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:04,799 Speaker 1: guys from all over the country were excited about coming 1147 00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:07,080 Speaker 1: to play at St. John's. You know, I think the opportunity, 1148 00:56:07,120 --> 00:56:08,840 Speaker 1: like you said, to play out the garden, play on 1149 00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:11,800 Speaker 1: that stage, um, to play in the storied program is 1150 00:56:11,840 --> 00:56:13,879 Speaker 1: going to be something that can carry them whether they're 1151 00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:15,960 Speaker 1: you know, signing a bunch of kids out of New 1152 00:56:16,040 --> 00:56:17,800 Speaker 1: York or not. You know. And uh, I don't know 1153 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:20,160 Speaker 1: what their strategy is gonna be moving forward, but I'm 1154 00:56:20,200 --> 00:56:24,359 Speaker 1: sure they'll end up with a good player, all right. Uh. 1155 00:56:24,520 --> 00:56:26,760 Speaker 1: I want to I want to fast forward long to Xavier, 1156 00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:29,640 Speaker 1: because what you guys built a Xavier was really really amazing. 1157 00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:34,719 Speaker 1: Um you you go, but but Xavier was a little 1158 00:56:34,719 --> 00:56:36,719 Speaker 1: bit you know, you had your relationship with Sean, but 1159 00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:38,239 Speaker 1: it felt a little bit out of kind of the 1160 00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:40,279 Speaker 1: family load But how did you come to be on 1161 00:56:40,360 --> 00:56:44,000 Speaker 1: stafford Xavier? You know, just through my connection with with 1162 00:56:44,080 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: Coach mac um one of the uh you know, he 1163 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:50,040 Speaker 1: was one of the assistants obviously um when Coach Miller 1164 00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:51,640 Speaker 1: was there, and so we got to know each other, 1165 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:56,000 Speaker 1: um through that that period of time. And Mario Mecurio, 1166 00:56:56,040 --> 00:56:58,640 Speaker 1: who's the director of operations, that Xavier and I have 1167 00:56:58,760 --> 00:57:00,400 Speaker 1: been friendly for a long time, and so that was 1168 00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:03,919 Speaker 1: kind of my connection. And um so, you know, coming 1169 00:57:03,920 --> 00:57:06,359 Speaker 1: from Rhode Island, we had had some success who went 1170 00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:08,880 Speaker 1: to the n I T and on three games in 1171 00:57:08,920 --> 00:57:11,600 Speaker 1: our second year there, and um, but I was excited 1172 00:57:11,600 --> 00:57:13,839 Speaker 1: about the opportunity. Davier has been a program that I'd 1173 00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:17,680 Speaker 1: always really appreciated and and looked to, um as you know, 1174 00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:19,760 Speaker 1: as one of the premier programs in the country. And 1175 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:22,440 Speaker 1: uh so I was really excited to join, you know, 1176 00:57:22,520 --> 00:57:26,480 Speaker 1: joint conch mackin Cincinnati. Why couldn't you guys beat Villanova, especially, 1177 00:57:26,520 --> 00:57:29,400 Speaker 1: I like at Villanova, Like, couldn't anybody beat Villanova? No? No, 1178 00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 1: but I mean, but you guys beat him at home. 1179 00:57:31,360 --> 00:57:33,560 Speaker 1: You guys beat but like almost and I know one 1180 00:57:33,640 --> 00:57:35,560 Speaker 1: year you had an injury at at Nova as well, 1181 00:57:36,160 --> 00:57:38,360 Speaker 1: but it was Eman went down early in that game. 1182 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:39,880 Speaker 1: But you know, it was like a house of horrors 1183 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:41,840 Speaker 1: for it that du Pomp Pavilion. I mean, I felt 1184 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:45,160 Speaker 1: like every single shot that was attempted by the Wildcats 1185 00:57:45,320 --> 00:57:47,800 Speaker 1: went in. I mean Arch was pulling from thirty five 1186 00:57:47,840 --> 00:57:50,720 Speaker 1: feet and drilling them, and Chris Jenkins was getting us 1187 00:57:50,800 --> 00:57:52,320 Speaker 1: up in the air on a shot fake and making 1188 00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:54,880 Speaker 1: three free throws. And Josh Hart was like the ultimate 1189 00:57:54,920 --> 00:57:56,800 Speaker 1: warrior out there. So it was it was it was 1190 00:57:56,880 --> 00:57:59,640 Speaker 1: tough for us. We you know, they spread us out 1191 00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:01,400 Speaker 1: and they had such great shooters and they play with 1192 00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:04,400 Speaker 1: such great confidence and um, you know, I think it 1193 00:58:04,440 --> 00:58:06,000 Speaker 1: took us a little bit of time to try to 1194 00:58:06,080 --> 00:58:09,320 Speaker 1: get a feel for their ability to land in the 1195 00:58:09,400 --> 00:58:12,000 Speaker 1: lane and shot fake and pivot and that was something 1196 00:58:12,080 --> 00:58:13,880 Speaker 1: that a lot of teams weren't doing at that time. 1197 00:58:13,960 --> 00:58:16,920 Speaker 1: And so their ball reversal pace, um, the way that 1198 00:58:16,960 --> 00:58:19,360 Speaker 1: they attack closeouts, the way that you know, Coach Wright 1199 00:58:19,400 --> 00:58:22,120 Speaker 1: always talks about catching to shoot. You know, you're never 1200 00:58:22,240 --> 00:58:24,040 Speaker 1: more open than when you first catch the ball. And 1201 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:26,840 Speaker 1: so our closeouts were late and they would get hot 1202 00:58:26,920 --> 00:58:30,400 Speaker 1: and they would go on runs, and then their versatility defensively. 1203 00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:32,960 Speaker 1: You know, we didn't have with the exception that Edmund, 1204 00:58:32,960 --> 00:58:35,560 Speaker 1: we didn't have super great athletes off the dribble, guys 1205 00:58:35,600 --> 00:58:37,800 Speaker 1: that could really break you down and JP and Trayvon 1206 00:58:38,320 --> 00:58:41,000 Speaker 1: and so with them being able to switch one through 1207 00:58:41,040 --> 00:58:42,960 Speaker 1: four when Oachi Fu was there and then one through 1208 00:58:43,040 --> 00:58:46,240 Speaker 1: five when Pascal came in the game, really made it 1209 00:58:46,320 --> 00:58:49,560 Speaker 1: hard for us to generate offense. If there was If 1210 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:53,960 Speaker 1: there's one thing that makes Chris Max successful, what what 1211 00:58:54,200 --> 00:58:58,120 Speaker 1: is it. I think he goes with his gut um. 1212 00:58:58,320 --> 00:59:00,480 Speaker 1: You know it's not he really has a trust in 1213 00:59:00,680 --> 00:59:04,040 Speaker 1: his um. You know what what he sees out there? Uh, 1214 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:05,960 Speaker 1: you know we're coming out of time out. It's a 1215 00:59:06,080 --> 00:59:09,120 Speaker 1: t o s um different set plays within the flow 1216 00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:11,920 Speaker 1: of action. Underneath that a bounce set UM. I really 1217 00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:13,600 Speaker 1: think he's got a good mind for how to tricky 1218 00:59:13,680 --> 00:59:17,480 Speaker 1: on offense, and he's not afraid of the result. You know, 1219 00:59:17,600 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 1: he's not afraid of a miss shot or a turnover 1220 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:21,920 Speaker 1: or you know, I think he's willing to take the 1221 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 1: risk um to to execute something on the offensive end, 1222 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:27,960 Speaker 1: and I think that makes us hard to guard and 1223 00:59:28,040 --> 00:59:30,440 Speaker 1: hard to prepare for. Um. And then you know he 1224 00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:33,479 Speaker 1: is the same guy every single day in practice, which 1225 00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:35,480 Speaker 1: is a hard thing to do. You know, That's one 1226 00:59:35,520 --> 00:59:37,520 Speaker 1: thing that if I'm ever a head coach, I'm gonna 1227 00:59:37,560 --> 00:59:39,800 Speaker 1: really try to emulate is to to be consistent in 1228 00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:42,960 Speaker 1: my effort and uh and my energy every single day, 1229 00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:45,520 Speaker 1: because that's that's hard. There's a lot of practices, there's 1230 00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:47,000 Speaker 1: a lot of good and bad results that you have 1231 00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:49,680 Speaker 1: to deal with. But um, he always presents a really 1232 00:59:49,720 --> 00:59:52,720 Speaker 1: consistent image to his to his team. How hard was 1233 00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:54,680 Speaker 1: that for you to leave, Xavier? I mean, I know, 1234 00:59:55,240 --> 00:59:58,240 Speaker 1: you know, coaches say it all the time that man, 1235 00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:00,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's a really hard place to leave with ever. 1236 01:00:00,960 --> 01:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Um And I know it's hard for Mac because it's 1237 01:00:03,200 --> 01:00:05,520 Speaker 1: a place that that he played, it's a place that 1238 01:00:05,560 --> 01:00:09,560 Speaker 1: gave him a chance. Um, but I felt like for 1239 01:00:09,760 --> 01:00:12,960 Speaker 1: you it was really kind of especially hard because you 1240 01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:15,240 Speaker 1: had a young family, you know, your relationship with the 1241 01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:17,800 Speaker 1: guys that stayed. What was what's that like for you? 1242 01:00:17,920 --> 01:00:20,200 Speaker 1: When you're like, yeah, I could, but I I just 1243 01:00:20,360 --> 01:00:22,080 Speaker 1: I like it here. I could like it somewhere else, 1244 01:00:22,120 --> 01:00:23,360 Speaker 1: but I like it. What was that like for you? 1245 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:27,040 Speaker 1: It really hard? Really hard. I don't think anyone realizes 1246 01:00:27,120 --> 01:00:30,400 Speaker 1: how difficult that was, Um, I love Xavier. I love 1247 01:00:30,520 --> 01:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Xavier to this day. I watched all their games and 1248 01:00:32,480 --> 01:00:34,800 Speaker 1: root for him, and UM, it was a great place 1249 01:00:34,920 --> 01:00:37,800 Speaker 1: that was my up until coming here. It was by 1250 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:40,000 Speaker 1: far the greatest experience that I had had in coaching 1251 01:00:40,160 --> 01:00:43,200 Speaker 1: and really have a great relationship with Travis and all 1252 01:00:43,280 --> 01:00:45,200 Speaker 1: the all the guys over there at the school and 1253 01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:47,760 Speaker 1: the players on the team, and so that was really 1254 01:00:47,840 --> 01:00:50,240 Speaker 1: really hard for me. UM. But ultimately, I think I 1255 01:00:50,360 --> 01:00:53,040 Speaker 1: just felt a loyalty to my boss. You know, is 1256 01:00:53,120 --> 01:00:55,040 Speaker 1: this the person that hired me and gave me an 1257 01:00:55,040 --> 01:00:57,560 Speaker 1: opportunity to come to Xavier in the first place. UM. 1258 01:00:57,720 --> 01:00:59,680 Speaker 1: So you know, again, if he if he believes in 1259 01:01:00,240 --> 01:01:02,720 Speaker 1: in Louisville and making this change and going to some 1260 01:01:02,840 --> 01:01:05,160 Speaker 1: place new, UM, that I'm going to be excited about 1261 01:01:05,240 --> 01:01:08,400 Speaker 1: joining him. And that's that's ultimately what what made the 1262 01:01:08,480 --> 01:01:10,920 Speaker 1: decision for me. And then you know, since coming here, UM, 1263 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:13,160 Speaker 1: it's been great. You know, it's been a really cool 1264 01:01:13,240 --> 01:01:15,840 Speaker 1: experience to uh, to be at a new place and 1265 01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:18,040 Speaker 1: to you know, play in the a SEC and challenge 1266 01:01:18,080 --> 01:01:20,720 Speaker 1: yourself against the best teams in the country on the 1267 01:01:20,760 --> 01:01:23,560 Speaker 1: recruiting trail and on the floor, and UM, I think 1268 01:01:23,640 --> 01:01:25,960 Speaker 1: we're we're really starting to trend in a good direction, 1269 01:01:26,080 --> 01:01:27,720 Speaker 1: no question. I mean you had you know, I know 1270 01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:30,840 Speaker 1: some of the recruiting rankings will change with recent commits, 1271 01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:33,640 Speaker 1: but number one class for a long time, maybe it 1272 01:01:33,760 --> 01:01:36,280 Speaker 1: becomes the top five class. Whatever. That's that's that's starting 1273 01:01:36,280 --> 01:01:39,480 Speaker 1: off with the bang. What did what did you personally lose? 1274 01:01:39,800 --> 01:01:44,680 Speaker 1: Learned from the Duke game? Po um that Zion Williamson 1275 01:01:44,720 --> 01:01:49,000 Speaker 1: as a monster. Um, I think it was. It was 1276 01:01:49,080 --> 01:01:51,880 Speaker 1: hard for us, you know, it just it really I 1277 01:01:51,960 --> 01:01:54,240 Speaker 1: don't think that it had as much kind of carry 1278 01:01:54,320 --> 01:01:57,120 Speaker 1: over as people thought or kind of talked about in 1279 01:01:57,200 --> 01:01:59,760 Speaker 1: the media. Um, even around our program. I think there 1280 01:01:59,840 --> 01:02:01,960 Speaker 1: was out of that thought that it really stayed with 1281 01:02:02,160 --> 01:02:03,880 Speaker 1: us moving forward. I don't know how true that is. 1282 01:02:03,960 --> 01:02:05,520 Speaker 1: I think guys kind of play in the moment and 1283 01:02:06,000 --> 01:02:09,760 Speaker 1: weren't really thinking about past games. But um, you know, 1284 01:02:09,880 --> 01:02:11,920 Speaker 1: it just it just made us realize how hard it 1285 01:02:12,040 --> 01:02:14,480 Speaker 1: is to close out a really good team. I think, uh, 1286 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:16,840 Speaker 1: we have to continue to be, you know, a better 1287 01:02:16,920 --> 01:02:19,480 Speaker 1: team against pressure. That was something that bothered us this year. 1288 01:02:19,560 --> 01:02:21,360 Speaker 1: It's probably something that we're going to have to make 1289 01:02:21,400 --> 01:02:23,080 Speaker 1: sure that we do a really good job of addressing. 1290 01:02:23,560 --> 01:02:26,240 Speaker 1: Next year. UM. But I mean again, we were up 1291 01:02:26,280 --> 01:02:28,320 Speaker 1: twenty three points with nine minutes to go. I think 1292 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:31,160 Speaker 1: we're up eighteen or nineteen points with six minutes to go. UM, 1293 01:02:31,240 --> 01:02:33,000 Speaker 1: and they kind of scrapped what they did. You know, 1294 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:36,120 Speaker 1: they they went to a really extended to three where 1295 01:02:36,120 --> 01:02:38,000 Speaker 1: they were way out on the floor and they were 1296 01:02:38,040 --> 01:02:40,600 Speaker 1: picking up on in the full court off made baskets. 1297 01:02:40,680 --> 01:02:42,840 Speaker 1: And that's not that's not dupe. You know. I think 1298 01:02:42,840 --> 01:02:45,920 Speaker 1: when you play Syracuse, so you play a team that 1299 01:02:46,120 --> 01:02:48,760 Speaker 1: mixes in zone, even if it's only a handful of possessions, 1300 01:02:48,800 --> 01:02:50,760 Speaker 1: you practice that for three or four days going into 1301 01:02:50,800 --> 01:02:52,520 Speaker 1: the game, or two or three days at least. And 1302 01:02:52,960 --> 01:02:55,120 Speaker 1: you know, for us, we didn't talk at all about zone, 1303 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,920 Speaker 1: And so I think probably always having that in your 1304 01:02:57,960 --> 01:03:00,200 Speaker 1: back pocket and having an understanding that you probably need 1305 01:03:00,240 --> 01:03:03,400 Speaker 1: a couple segments of practice, UM, even if there's an 1306 01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:06,800 Speaker 1: unlikely scenario that presents itself, just to be ready for that. UM. 1307 01:03:06,840 --> 01:03:08,920 Speaker 1: I think that was kind of jarring. UM. And then 1308 01:03:09,000 --> 01:03:10,800 Speaker 1: you know, with all due respect, I think we were 1309 01:03:10,840 --> 01:03:12,800 Speaker 1: kind of in a position throughout the year sometimes where 1310 01:03:12,800 --> 01:03:15,680 Speaker 1: we felt like we had one real troop ball handler UM, 1311 01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:17,360 Speaker 1: and so trying to have as many guys on the 1312 01:03:17,440 --> 01:03:20,360 Speaker 1: floor that can deal with pressure. Um is something that 1313 01:03:20,400 --> 01:03:22,320 Speaker 1: we're going to try to address moving forward. Yeah, no, 1314 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:24,720 Speaker 1: it's those are all kind of great lessons. It's interesting 1315 01:03:24,720 --> 01:03:26,919 Speaker 1: they will be with your AU background. My my dad, 1316 01:03:27,560 --> 01:03:30,160 Speaker 1: you know, having transition from high school to college then 1317 01:03:30,200 --> 01:03:33,520 Speaker 1: to AU. He would he would always say like, hey, 1318 01:03:34,360 --> 01:03:36,960 Speaker 1: I don't care what you do. You can't break a press. 1319 01:03:37,080 --> 01:03:39,680 Speaker 1: You can't break pressure, then you're not gonna be able 1320 01:03:39,720 --> 01:03:42,640 Speaker 1: win a game. And when he was crushing AU basketball, 1321 01:03:43,080 --> 01:03:44,760 Speaker 1: and I just I think that's something you kind of 1322 01:03:44,800 --> 01:03:46,520 Speaker 1: take with you, Like, you know, he was his big 1323 01:03:46,560 --> 01:03:50,800 Speaker 1: thing is is always and he wasn't a great offensive tactician, 1324 01:03:50,920 --> 01:03:53,440 Speaker 1: you know, like he like one for. But what he 1325 01:03:53,520 --> 01:03:55,640 Speaker 1: did was he always believed in, all right, whatever we 1326 01:03:55,760 --> 01:03:58,320 Speaker 1: put in, you gotta have pressure counters. If they pressure, 1327 01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:00,200 Speaker 1: can we beat it up? Is there space to beat 1328 01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:02,640 Speaker 1: it up? To dribble? Uh? Is there a way to 1329 01:04:03,000 --> 01:04:06,360 Speaker 1: beat it off the pass? You know? And then honestly, 1330 01:04:06,440 --> 01:04:09,000 Speaker 1: he would spend ten fifteen minutes in any practice and 1331 01:04:09,080 --> 01:04:11,440 Speaker 1: you know, a you know, you have no practice. He's 1332 01:04:11,440 --> 01:04:14,120 Speaker 1: spent ten events on teaching guys how to break out 1333 01:04:14,160 --> 01:04:15,800 Speaker 1: of a double team how to break out of a 1334 01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:18,360 Speaker 1: double team, make the third guy committing and passed the basketball. 1335 01:04:18,360 --> 01:04:20,880 Speaker 1: It's like a big and it's it is interesting that 1336 01:04:21,000 --> 01:04:24,280 Speaker 1: how even though AU basketball is a messed I'm like, 1337 01:04:24,360 --> 01:04:26,600 Speaker 1: I'm coaching now from like fourth grade type of too 1338 01:04:26,640 --> 01:04:29,400 Speaker 1: high school kids, and it's all you know, all like 1339 01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:32,600 Speaker 1: press into a zone or into bad you know, kind 1340 01:04:32,640 --> 01:04:35,600 Speaker 1: of really pressure oriented man to man with not great rotations. 1341 01:04:35,840 --> 01:04:37,560 Speaker 1: It's the same thing. You know, you got it. I would. 1342 01:04:37,720 --> 01:04:41,160 Speaker 1: I am surprised that some kids, even at your level 1343 01:04:41,320 --> 01:04:43,160 Speaker 1: grant you kind of inherited it and fixed on the 1344 01:04:43,200 --> 01:04:48,000 Speaker 1: fly that they're not more natural ball handlers um against pressure. 1345 01:04:48,080 --> 01:04:50,520 Speaker 1: But that's kind of something you learn as you go. Okay, 1346 01:04:50,560 --> 01:04:54,120 Speaker 1: I want to um, you've obviously had some opportunities to 1347 01:04:54,240 --> 01:04:57,360 Speaker 1: go elsewhere and be be a head coach. What what 1348 01:04:57,760 --> 01:04:59,880 Speaker 1: what is that? What's it like for you? You know, 1349 01:05:00,120 --> 01:05:02,040 Speaker 1: like to you're kind of in a space where you 1350 01:05:02,080 --> 01:05:03,960 Speaker 1: can be a little bit choosy, but you do at 1351 01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:05,760 Speaker 1: some point want to try your own thing. This has 1352 01:05:05,800 --> 01:05:08,480 Speaker 1: been kind of your life's mission, right if not being 1353 01:05:08,520 --> 01:05:11,600 Speaker 1: an NBA general manager, what's going to be the right 1354 01:05:11,640 --> 01:05:14,960 Speaker 1: thing for you? Yeah? I don't know. I was talking 1355 01:05:15,040 --> 01:05:17,160 Speaker 1: to Tom Moore a couple of weeks ago, kind of 1356 01:05:17,400 --> 01:05:19,040 Speaker 1: prior to the Final four, and some of this job 1357 01:05:19,080 --> 01:05:20,840 Speaker 1: stuff popping up, and he said to me, like, you'll 1358 01:05:20,880 --> 01:05:23,240 Speaker 1: really feel it. He said, you'll feel when the time 1359 01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:25,880 Speaker 1: is right, and you'll feel it in your gut. And UM, 1360 01:05:26,040 --> 01:05:27,720 Speaker 1: so there were you know, a couple of situations that 1361 01:05:27,800 --> 01:05:31,040 Speaker 1: presented themselves a couple of weeks back, and uh, I 1362 01:05:31,120 --> 01:05:33,520 Speaker 1: just didn't really feel it. You know, I felt like, um, 1363 01:05:33,840 --> 01:05:36,160 Speaker 1: I owe it to coach Mac to kind of see 1364 01:05:36,200 --> 01:05:38,560 Speaker 1: this thing through, and UM, to the guys that we 1365 01:05:38,680 --> 01:05:41,640 Speaker 1: recruited to they're coming in, to the returning players, Um 1366 01:05:41,800 --> 01:05:44,320 Speaker 1: that you know, we're not satisfied with going to the 1367 01:05:44,360 --> 01:05:46,080 Speaker 1: inn stable a tournament and going in the first round. 1368 01:05:46,160 --> 01:05:47,920 Speaker 1: You know, that's not the goal for us at all. 1369 01:05:48,440 --> 01:05:51,040 Speaker 1: And so um, there's just more to accomplish here. And 1370 01:05:51,160 --> 01:05:54,280 Speaker 1: I think for me individually, UM, you know, always trying 1371 01:05:54,360 --> 01:05:57,640 Speaker 1: to strive to better myself and um, becoming you know, 1372 01:05:58,000 --> 01:06:00,360 Speaker 1: a better coach, to be a more complete coach. And 1373 01:06:00,640 --> 01:06:04,480 Speaker 1: so you know, when the opportunity presents itself, if it does, hopefully, UM, 1374 01:06:04,560 --> 01:06:06,600 Speaker 1: you know I'm ready for it. How do you how 1375 01:06:06,680 --> 01:06:09,520 Speaker 1: do you how do you build. What's the initial process 1376 01:06:09,640 --> 01:06:12,080 Speaker 1: like of building a relationship with the recruit something that 1377 01:06:12,520 --> 01:06:15,320 Speaker 1: that people don't talk a lot about, but you don't. 1378 01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:18,160 Speaker 1: You sign guys now because they trust you, right because 1379 01:06:18,200 --> 01:06:20,920 Speaker 1: the relationship they built, the things that they you tell them, 1380 01:06:21,200 --> 01:06:24,000 Speaker 1: they believe them to be true. What's that? What's that 1381 01:06:24,080 --> 01:06:26,880 Speaker 1: initial Because right now we're in kind of open period 1382 01:06:26,920 --> 01:06:29,480 Speaker 1: and obviously you guys have you guys are pretty much 1383 01:06:29,480 --> 01:06:31,840 Speaker 1: set for for next year. So you're starting you know, 1384 01:06:32,040 --> 01:06:34,960 Speaker 1: you're looking at rising seniors and juniors and and you're 1385 01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:38,120 Speaker 1: still getting to know kids um that that you're recruiting. 1386 01:06:38,400 --> 01:06:42,240 Speaker 1: What what's the initial process like? You know, I try 1387 01:06:42,320 --> 01:06:45,160 Speaker 1: to just build a relationship for the most part that 1388 01:06:45,280 --> 01:06:47,760 Speaker 1: doesn't talk basketball a whole lot, you know. I think 1389 01:06:48,200 --> 01:06:50,560 Speaker 1: at the very beginning stages, I want to try to 1390 01:06:50,720 --> 01:06:53,440 Speaker 1: educate the player in his family as best I can 1391 01:06:53,920 --> 01:06:55,760 Speaker 1: on who we are, you know, kind of who coach 1392 01:06:55,840 --> 01:06:59,320 Speaker 1: mac is, UM, having a baseline understanding of our program 1393 01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:02,240 Speaker 1: and kind of holistically how we want to play um 1394 01:07:02,480 --> 01:07:05,400 Speaker 1: you know, familiarizing them with the area or the league. 1395 01:07:05,920 --> 01:07:07,960 Speaker 1: But once you kind of get through that first stage 1396 01:07:08,080 --> 01:07:09,400 Speaker 1: and you start to get a little bit of back 1397 01:07:09,440 --> 01:07:12,720 Speaker 1: and forth and and build some connectivity for me, you know, 1398 01:07:12,760 --> 01:07:15,320 Speaker 1: I really try to move it away from basketball, you know, 1399 01:07:15,440 --> 01:07:18,600 Speaker 1: and I'll talk maybe about elements of their game that 1400 01:07:18,720 --> 01:07:20,720 Speaker 1: I think they could work on or improve, or things 1401 01:07:20,760 --> 01:07:22,120 Speaker 1: that I think they're doing a really good job with. 1402 01:07:22,360 --> 01:07:24,920 Speaker 1: But more and more, I feel like kids are are 1403 01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:28,760 Speaker 1: so inundated with calls and texts and emails and Instagram 1404 01:07:28,840 --> 01:07:30,600 Speaker 1: and all kinds of different you know media is that 1405 01:07:30,680 --> 01:07:32,800 Speaker 1: people are trying to connect with them on and recruit 1406 01:07:32,880 --> 01:07:35,200 Speaker 1: them on or do interviews with them, and so the 1407 01:07:35,320 --> 01:07:38,800 Speaker 1: more that our conversations and and our connection can be 1408 01:07:39,040 --> 01:07:42,120 Speaker 1: just you know, person to person as opposed to coach 1409 01:07:42,200 --> 01:07:44,200 Speaker 1: the player all the time. UM, I think that that 1410 01:07:44,320 --> 01:07:46,880 Speaker 1: helps to kind of build that trust, UM, and that 1411 01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:49,280 Speaker 1: belief that, like you said, when it comes down to it, 1412 01:07:49,760 --> 01:07:52,320 Speaker 1: they can they can you know, put their faith in 1413 01:07:52,480 --> 01:07:54,640 Speaker 1: their families, to put their faith in our coaching staff 1414 01:07:54,680 --> 01:07:58,600 Speaker 1: and understand that we're we're genuine and that you know, 1415 01:07:58,760 --> 01:08:00,680 Speaker 1: what what we say is what they can expect on 1416 01:08:00,760 --> 01:08:02,840 Speaker 1: the on the on the receiving end when they get 1417 01:08:03,000 --> 01:08:05,640 Speaker 1: when they get to school. How do you handle what 1418 01:08:05,760 --> 01:08:07,840 Speaker 1: would be some people who don't know you might have 1419 01:08:07,920 --> 01:08:09,560 Speaker 1: a perception like I joke we did at the start 1420 01:08:09,560 --> 01:08:11,000 Speaker 1: about you know, sitting in the front row and good 1421 01:08:11,040 --> 01:08:13,760 Speaker 1: seats for games whatever. But as you point out, like, 1422 01:08:14,200 --> 01:08:15,880 Speaker 1: you're not a guy that got a pointed to some 1423 01:08:16,040 --> 01:08:19,760 Speaker 1: position that you didn't earn, right Like, you go be 1424 01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:21,479 Speaker 1: a g a, you go at tows and you're one 1425 01:08:21,520 --> 01:08:24,040 Speaker 1: in freaking thirty one taking ass weapons, you know, and 1426 01:08:24,160 --> 01:08:26,559 Speaker 1: have to after the like right like like, look, Wagner 1427 01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:28,800 Speaker 1: is not a When Danny took over Wagner, that was 1428 01:08:28,840 --> 01:08:31,720 Speaker 1: not a That's no. Even even Rhode Island when you 1429 01:08:31,760 --> 01:08:33,880 Speaker 1: guys got there was not you know, he turned that 1430 01:08:34,120 --> 01:08:37,720 Speaker 1: that that thing around. Um, how do you handle that 1431 01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:40,080 Speaker 1: when people they're always going to be people that go 1432 01:08:40,200 --> 01:08:42,840 Speaker 1: like a, well Murray and Bill Murray's son, Like, how 1433 01:08:42,840 --> 01:08:45,519 Speaker 1: do you what's what's your approach when when you get 1434 01:08:45,600 --> 01:08:49,920 Speaker 1: that vibe or people actually verbalize it. Um, I don't know. 1435 01:08:50,000 --> 01:08:51,800 Speaker 1: I just think I've kind of become accustomed to that. 1436 01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:53,519 Speaker 1: I think that that's something that you grow up with 1437 01:08:53,640 --> 01:08:56,439 Speaker 1: when you're a kid, you know, well before you're in 1438 01:08:56,520 --> 01:08:59,680 Speaker 1: the professional world. I think people, you know, paint you 1439 01:08:59,760 --> 01:09:02,120 Speaker 1: with us and brusher characterize a certain way, and I 1440 01:09:02,200 --> 01:09:03,760 Speaker 1: think you just have to have a thick skin and 1441 01:09:03,880 --> 01:09:06,800 Speaker 1: not really be concerned with that. Um, you know, that's 1442 01:09:06,840 --> 01:09:09,880 Speaker 1: not something that factors into how I do my job. 1443 01:09:10,000 --> 01:09:12,200 Speaker 1: That's not factors that doesn't that's not something that factors 1444 01:09:12,240 --> 01:09:15,719 Speaker 1: into any of my conversations and relationships. I mean people, 1445 01:09:16,400 --> 01:09:19,360 Speaker 1: you know, the kids that I've recruited in some cases 1446 01:09:19,439 --> 01:09:21,519 Speaker 1: find out when they're in school, but that's who my 1447 01:09:21,600 --> 01:09:23,760 Speaker 1: dad is. You know, their parents find out two years 1448 01:09:23,840 --> 01:09:26,400 Speaker 1: later that that's who my dad is. It's like, I 1449 01:09:26,479 --> 01:09:28,320 Speaker 1: have great respect for him, I love him, but like 1450 01:09:28,439 --> 01:09:30,400 Speaker 1: that that's got nothing to do with basketball. It's got 1451 01:09:30,439 --> 01:09:32,479 Speaker 1: nothing to do with being an assistant coach at Louisville, 1452 01:09:32,479 --> 01:09:34,960 Speaker 1: has got nothing to do with, um trying to win games. 1453 01:09:35,040 --> 01:09:38,320 Speaker 1: And so it really doesn't. It doesn't factor into anything 1454 01:09:38,360 --> 01:09:40,320 Speaker 1: that I do on a daily basis. And so people 1455 01:09:40,400 --> 01:09:42,960 Speaker 1: that feel that way, I just I guess I would question, like, 1456 01:09:43,200 --> 01:09:46,040 Speaker 1: what influence do you think he has? Like he's in Charleston, 1457 01:09:46,120 --> 01:09:49,479 Speaker 1: South Carolina, playing golf every day or traveling the world 1458 01:09:49,560 --> 01:09:52,360 Speaker 1: with a classical music band, you know, with the cello 1459 01:09:52,439 --> 01:09:55,400 Speaker 1: and the piano. Like he's not making phone calls I 1460 01:09:55,520 --> 01:09:57,280 Speaker 1: like directors saying you need to hire this guy. So 1461 01:09:57,400 --> 01:09:59,560 Speaker 1: it's just again, I think that that's kind of the 1462 01:09:59,680 --> 01:10:02,559 Speaker 1: thought maybe from Afar, but the reality is a much 1463 01:10:02,600 --> 01:10:05,439 Speaker 1: different thing. Um, how do you how are you a 1464 01:10:05,520 --> 01:10:10,040 Speaker 1: balanced parent? Um? With the job that you have. That's 1465 01:10:10,240 --> 01:10:12,840 Speaker 1: that's one that I always went like. You're a you 1466 01:10:12,920 --> 01:10:15,559 Speaker 1: mentioned tim o'tool getting up early, You're a dude who 1467 01:10:16,080 --> 01:10:19,360 Speaker 1: is always available. You're an incredibly hard worker, and yet 1468 01:10:19,400 --> 01:10:20,960 Speaker 1: you do have a family. And of course this has 1469 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:23,559 Speaker 1: been your first year, You've been a year now in Louisville. 1470 01:10:23,600 --> 01:10:26,200 Speaker 1: How have you found do you have the proper balance 1471 01:10:26,280 --> 01:10:29,160 Speaker 1: in your life? I tried to you know, I think 1472 01:10:29,200 --> 01:10:31,720 Speaker 1: coach mac is really helps in that. You know, Um, 1473 01:10:32,240 --> 01:10:35,000 Speaker 1: he really believes in having a balance, and his family 1474 01:10:35,080 --> 01:10:38,160 Speaker 1: is always around and he's constantly encouraging us to take 1475 01:10:38,240 --> 01:10:40,519 Speaker 1: a three day weekend or you know, spend some time 1476 01:10:40,600 --> 01:10:43,240 Speaker 1: with our family or get away and so those sort 1477 01:10:43,280 --> 01:10:45,160 Speaker 1: of things that that's welcoming, you know, because that's not 1478 01:10:45,200 --> 01:10:47,920 Speaker 1: always the case. That hasn't always been my experience. And 1479 01:10:48,080 --> 01:10:50,200 Speaker 1: so you know, having a coach that that makes you 1480 01:10:50,280 --> 01:10:53,519 Speaker 1: feel like that's okay and that understands that the balance 1481 01:10:53,640 --> 01:10:57,200 Speaker 1: is is paramount in terms of everybody being happy. Um, 1482 01:10:57,439 --> 01:10:59,200 Speaker 1: that that really has gone a long way, and so 1483 01:10:59,640 --> 01:11:01,519 Speaker 1: I think I'm doing a pretty good job of balancing it. 1484 01:11:01,720 --> 01:11:04,080 Speaker 1: You know. Obviously, I love, you know, spending time with 1485 01:11:04,200 --> 01:11:06,519 Speaker 1: my son as much as I can, and um, you know, 1486 01:11:06,600 --> 01:11:08,599 Speaker 1: getting an opportunity to take him to a baseball game 1487 01:11:08,680 --> 01:11:10,400 Speaker 1: or hang out with him at night, or you know, 1488 01:11:10,439 --> 01:11:12,360 Speaker 1: hopefully I'm looking forward to the time when he gets 1489 01:11:12,360 --> 01:11:14,639 Speaker 1: a little bit older where we can you know, maybe 1490 01:11:14,680 --> 01:11:17,000 Speaker 1: go on a road trip recruiting or something like that together. Yeah, 1491 01:11:17,120 --> 01:11:19,200 Speaker 1: it's it's awesome when I took my to you know, 1492 01:11:19,280 --> 01:11:21,920 Speaker 1: the Final Four this year, and just he's been before, 1493 01:11:22,000 --> 01:11:23,639 Speaker 1: but it's the first year where it kind of clicked 1494 01:11:23,680 --> 01:11:26,679 Speaker 1: in everything and it was really kind of an amazing, 1495 01:11:27,400 --> 01:11:29,920 Speaker 1: really amazing experience. All Right, I can't let you go, 1496 01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:32,280 Speaker 1: and I know you do have to go without asking 1497 01:11:32,320 --> 01:11:36,639 Speaker 1: you about Jordan's to these people who aren't old enough 1498 01:11:36,680 --> 01:11:43,160 Speaker 1: to remember or seem to have forgotten. Um I I 1499 01:11:43,560 --> 01:11:45,640 Speaker 1: just I, first of all, I actually think he'd be 1500 01:11:45,760 --> 01:11:47,920 Speaker 1: better in this era than he was even in that era, 1501 01:11:48,720 --> 01:11:51,560 Speaker 1: especially early in his career, because now you don't have 1502 01:11:51,720 --> 01:11:53,680 Speaker 1: two guys at the rim to knock you on your 1503 01:11:53,720 --> 01:11:56,760 Speaker 1: ass like like like the like the Pistons did, like 1504 01:11:56,880 --> 01:11:59,160 Speaker 1: you open up the floor for Michael Jordan's who was 1505 01:11:59,240 --> 01:12:04,400 Speaker 1: strong at that an unbelievable finisher. Um, but look, there 1506 01:12:04,439 --> 01:12:06,320 Speaker 1: are people that are gonna go, hey, it's it's Lebron. 1507 01:12:07,280 --> 01:12:09,880 Speaker 1: When when when you say you can never talk enough 1508 01:12:09,880 --> 01:12:13,200 Speaker 1: about Jordan's what about Jordan's sticks? No, seriously, what about 1509 01:12:13,280 --> 01:12:19,200 Speaker 1: Jordan's sticks? Out to you a savage competitor, like totally 1510 01:12:19,400 --> 01:12:21,880 Speaker 1: totally immersed in the idea of winning at all costs. 1511 01:12:22,280 --> 01:12:25,960 Speaker 1: Um as a basketball player, I just think that he's 1512 01:12:26,240 --> 01:12:30,880 Speaker 1: he's unparalleled in terms of his his desire, his commitment level. Um, 1513 01:12:32,160 --> 01:12:35,040 Speaker 1: there's just there's something that that he possessed that I 1514 01:12:35,080 --> 01:12:37,320 Speaker 1: don't think I've ever seen. I guess Kobe Bryant probably 1515 01:12:37,360 --> 01:12:40,720 Speaker 1: got close to that, but um, he just I had 1516 01:12:40,760 --> 01:12:42,960 Speaker 1: a blessed opportunity to be around him a little bit. 1517 01:12:43,120 --> 01:12:45,639 Speaker 1: My godfather is a mob shot who's his best friend, 1518 01:12:45,720 --> 01:12:48,040 Speaker 1: and so I've just seen him in all different kinds 1519 01:12:48,080 --> 01:12:50,799 Speaker 1: of scenarios and he just wants to win so badly 1520 01:12:50,880 --> 01:12:54,679 Speaker 1: and everything. And so I think that that that, you know, obviously, 1521 01:12:54,720 --> 01:12:57,240 Speaker 1: in addition to his phenomenal talent and athleticism, is what 1522 01:12:57,360 --> 01:12:59,560 Speaker 1: separates and for me and and I think you know, 1523 01:12:59,680 --> 01:13:03,000 Speaker 1: people that point to statistics. I just feel like statistics 1524 01:13:03,080 --> 01:13:05,920 Speaker 1: are becoming less and less relevant in terms of making 1525 01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:08,000 Speaker 1: that argument. You know. I mean, with all due respect, 1526 01:13:08,320 --> 01:13:10,400 Speaker 1: you've got a guy like Russ who has for three 1527 01:13:10,439 --> 01:13:12,720 Speaker 1: consecutive years average of triple double. You know, if we 1528 01:13:12,800 --> 01:13:15,000 Speaker 1: want to base everything on statistics, and he's the best 1529 01:13:15,000 --> 01:13:17,519 Speaker 1: player in the NBA, right, I mean, he's doing things 1530 01:13:17,560 --> 01:13:19,280 Speaker 1: that no one's ever done. If you just want to 1531 01:13:19,280 --> 01:13:21,200 Speaker 1: look at points, rebounds and assists, which I think with 1532 01:13:21,240 --> 01:13:23,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people point to it is like, hey, 1533 01:13:23,400 --> 01:13:26,120 Speaker 1: Lebron averages more rebounds or Lebron. I think Lebron is 1534 01:13:26,120 --> 01:13:29,960 Speaker 1: a better passer for sure, UM. And obviously he's become 1535 01:13:30,040 --> 01:13:34,120 Speaker 1: a more um kind of effective three point shooter because 1536 01:13:34,160 --> 01:13:36,519 Speaker 1: that's something that the game called for. I think if 1537 01:13:36,600 --> 01:13:38,160 Speaker 1: it was a different time than m J would have 1538 01:13:38,160 --> 01:13:39,720 Speaker 1: probably worked on that a lot, and it would have 1539 01:13:39,760 --> 01:13:41,560 Speaker 1: been added to his element. You know, the elements of 1540 01:13:41,600 --> 01:13:44,280 Speaker 1: this game pretty quickly. Um. But for me, it's just 1541 01:13:44,479 --> 01:13:47,920 Speaker 1: it's that edge, is that competitiveness, It's that desire um 1542 01:13:48,240 --> 01:13:51,680 Speaker 1: that he carried himself with and that he insisted on 1543 01:13:51,840 --> 01:13:56,000 Speaker 1: from his teammates. I think you summed up really really well. 1544 01:13:56,200 --> 01:13:58,360 Speaker 1: Hey man, listen. I know you have a busy work schedule. 1545 01:13:58,520 --> 01:14:01,200 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you join this and look forward to 1546 01:14:01,200 --> 01:14:02,800 Speaker 1: seeing you on the recruiting trail. Thanks so much for 1547 01:14:02,880 --> 01:14:06,920 Speaker 1: joining us on All Ball. Thanks man, I appreciate duty. 1548 01:14:07,800 --> 01:14:10,000 Speaker 1: All right, that's it for All Ball. Do you have 1549 01:14:10,040 --> 01:14:14,920 Speaker 1: any questions, comments, draft questions, NBA playoffs questions, Feel free 1550 01:14:15,000 --> 01:14:17,640 Speaker 1: hit me up on Twitter at Gottlieb Show. You can 1551 01:14:17,720 --> 01:14:19,760 Speaker 1: use the hashtag all Ball. Make sure you listen to 1552 01:14:19,840 --> 01:14:22,280 Speaker 1: my daily radio show. It's three to six Eastern time, 1553 01:14:22,320 --> 01:14:24,960 Speaker 1: twelve to three Pacific on the I Heart Radio app. 1554 01:14:25,120 --> 01:14:27,840 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at Gottlieb Show. Thanks so much 1555 01:14:27,840 --> 01:14:29,760 Speaker 1: for listening. This is All Ball.