WEBVTT - Coat Check | Jason Crafton 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:27.880 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your podso welcome 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:31.840 into Coach Check, the official podcast of the Delaware Bluecoats, 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.640 the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia seventy six Ers. 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:40.159 Coach Check is presented by land Rover Wilmington. Stop by 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:44.479 their location at forty three ten Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington, Delaware, 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:48.080 or visit land Rover Wilmington dot com for more information. 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:53.520 I'm Matt Murphy along with Bluecoats Ambassador of Basketball Joe Richmond, 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.440 and we are pleased to be joined on this episode 0:00:56.800 --> 0:00:59.720 by the head coach of the University of Maryland Eastern 0:00:59.760 --> 0:01:03.680 Shore Where men's basketball program, a former Delaware Blue Coats 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:09.360 assistant coach himself, Jason crafton Coach crafton Welcome to the show. 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.039 It's great to chat with you again. I know we'll 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:14.240 get to this in a little bit about how your 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:17.840 team is not currently playing right now, but how are 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:21.319 things overall with you? Everything is great, you know, I 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:23.600 think it's a it's a tough time for everybody, for 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:25.520 the teams that are playing and also the teams that 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:28.240 are not playing. I saw some G League teams opting 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.360 out the other day, you know, So this COVID thing 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:35.160 is affecting everybody in different ways. But we've taken a 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.679 lot of extra time to just continue to push our 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:41.280 program forward with you know, cultivating and strengthen our relationships 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:43.760 with our players and two of some things in the community. 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:46.319 So I'm excited about our guys. They got a three 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:49.800 point two team GPA this fall, so we were excited 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:53.120 about that. We're just finding creative ways to stay connected 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:56.080 with them and keep pushing the program forward. And Joe, 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:57.800 how are you doing yourself? I mean, it's been a 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:00.000 little while since we recorded one of these, but we'll 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:01.880 better way to get back into the swing of things 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:04.880 than with a coach who is only one season removed 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.240 from his time with the Blue Coats, A great guy 0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:10.000 in coach crafton Man, it's good. It's like an early 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:13.280 holiday present right here, you know what I mean. It's 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:15.720 a good time a year and it is the best time. 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:18.000 And Coach, you look good. Man. It's so good to 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.960 see you, and I'm glad all is well with you. Man. 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:25.679 Appreciate that. Appreciate that coming from the ambassador of basketball, 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:27.400 you know, a lot of people say I have a 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:31.320 lot of energy. You know, Joe Richmond, he takes he 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.079 gets the championship trophy for energy. So I'll just try 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:36.720 to see if I can keep up with him on 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:42.840 this on this call from you, coach, the energy is 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:46.440 unmatched for sure from Joe Richmond. But to our listeners 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:49.560 out there, real quick, some housekeeping, Thanks for tuning in 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.400 as always, and remember to subscribe to the seventy Sixers 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:56.320 podcast network if you haven't done so already. Quick rundown, 0:02:56.320 --> 0:03:00.000 we'll get into coach Crafton's current job, will go down memory, 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:02.800 relaying a little bit about his career at large in 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.919 the coaching space. We'll talk a little bit from there 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.200 about his time with the Blue Coats during that twenty 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:12.240 eighteen nineteen season, the seventy six ers organization as a whole, 0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:14.320 and a little bit maybe about the G League and 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.919 it's tied of the NBA. Before we have even more 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:18.800 fun on the show, and we wrap things up with 0:03:18.840 --> 0:03:22.960 our which will be our second ever Big Three draft. 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:26.320 Will be drafting the best sports rivalries and there's a 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:28.880 reason for that that we'll get into with the Army 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.600 Navy game coming up. If you listen to the Jared 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:35.080 brown Ridge episode out there. We drafted the Best Basketball 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:36.680 Movies with him and that was a lot of fun. 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:38.320 So we're gonna try it out again, and then we'll 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.720 wrap things up at the Buzzer with some final thoughts 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:45.840 with coach but Coach crafton let's start, I mentioned it already. 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:49.600 Rewind back to November nineteenth or middle of November, when 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:53.200 words started officially coming out from the University of Maryland 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:57.320 Eastern Shore about the athletic programs not competing out of 0:03:57.360 --> 0:04:00.920 an abundance of caution related to COVID ninth team. What 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.440 was the message to your players around that time and 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:06.680 now the message going forward from here. Yeah, you know, 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:08.680 I think we kind of had an idea that it 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:12.480 was possible. You know, our school was very cautious with 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:16.040 everything from the start, you know, and taking a lot 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:20.680 of extra precautions. We canceled our non conference season in September, 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:23.440 so we were going to definitely try to not have 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:26.880 as much exposure and just focus on our conference play, 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:28.919 which I thought was a great idea. You know, we 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.360 could really just kind of hone in and just kind 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:33.640 of be strategic in our travel and not have to 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:36.200 get on planes, and the league has split things up 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:38.640 into divisions, so everything was going to be bus trips 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.880 for us between two and three hours, so you could 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.080 go down and back in the same day. So we 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:45.920 were really excited about competing in the conference only, which 0:04:45.920 --> 0:04:48.719 is what the Patriot League is doing as well. But 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.760 then as numbers started to spike up in Maryland and 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:55.480 the dynamics started to change, and you know, you're also 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.600 see and how much these stuff's cost, you know, to 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:02.080 test the institution through it be in our best interest to, 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:04.560 you know, to just keep our players safe with one 0:05:04.600 --> 0:05:06.440 of a few programs in a country that had no 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:10.359 positive COVID testing entire balls, so we were able to 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:13.560 train and do it safely. And so that was a 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:15.400 decision that was made and we told our guys, and 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:17.560 I think our guys have just done a great job 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:20.360 of being an understanding to, you know, to what we're 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:22.640 trying to do in terms of keeping them safe and 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:24.480 putting ourselves in the best position to be able to 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.440 go out next season when there's a vaccine in play, 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:29.720 and you know, we have some more time to kind 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:32.320 of just be prepared to go into this and test 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.720 this frequency frequently as we need to do it. I 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.120 like that because I think at this point in time, 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:40.520 which is a challenge for everybody, As you said, coach, 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:44.679 no takeaway from the past, but I think your crew 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.480 that you have right now is at an advantage not 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:51.000 just because of you, but your whole coaching staff to 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:53.760 teach them how to adjust to this, because you know, 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:58.760 basketball itself is just a game of adjustments, and this 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.920 is just another adjustment or your players and everybody to 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.159 just have to deal with right now. Yeah, and I 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:07.800 think you know, it gives us an interesting opportunity here 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.360 to find new ways and creative ways to build relationships 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:13.719 with our players. So you know, just stuff like this 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.320 getting on a zoom call with our guys and try 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:19.479 to do different social distancing things and having speakers come 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.080 in and speak to them. But I was really really 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.240 excited with everything going on for our guys to get 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:27.640 at three point two GPA during this time. Just salute 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:30.000 to those guys. They really locked out in the classroom 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.400 and we're going to carry that progress over as we 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:35.000 built this program up, you know, from the classroom to 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.000 the court, and we're excited about that. We got some 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:40.240 great kids. Yes, Yeah, it was your first season this 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:42.840 past year, and before we get into kind of how 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:45.760 you arrived at UMS, I want to just talk to 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.160 you about that transition. You go from the Blue Coats 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.600 to being a head coach again at the collegiate level. 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:55.120 So reflecting on your first season, what was that transition? 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:57.760 Like I tell you what, it was interesting and not 0:06:57.800 --> 0:06:59.640 a lot of people know. I try to get this 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:02.800 job over ten years ago with the same athlet director, 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:06.760 Keith Davidson was an assistant coach at the Naval Academy 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:09.560 and we stayed in touch, we became great friends, and 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.280 he became a mentor to me. So when it came 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:16.040 around full circle and the opportunity presented itself, I was 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:18.040 excited to just get you know, to get back and 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.120 be a head Division one coach. I really enjoyed my 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.800 time with the Blue Coach last year, but the opportunity 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.840 to be a head Division one coach, you know, at 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:28.720 a place like Mariley Eastern Shore that I think has 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:32.800 so much potential was exciting to me. So last year 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:35.200 was a was a hurricane over the year, just taking 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:38.240 over a situation, you know, and I got the job 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:41.320 later in the spring, so, you know, getting the staff hired, 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:45.320 bringing eight new recruits and then trying to infuse a 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:47.880 tough brand of basketball. You know, it was kind of 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.000 a whirlwind, but our guys they did a great job. 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:52.640 It was top ten in the first semester and steals 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:55.040 per game. We finished in the top three or four 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.440 in the league in defense, so we set a stage 0:07:57.480 --> 0:08:01.360 for being an intense defensive program. Now we got to 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:03.880 just make some strides in terms of making some shots, 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.720 you know, and we feel like we upgraded our roster 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:10.640 and recruiting and added some shooters. So we're excited about 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:13.800 the feature. Joe, Joe, real quick, I'm gonna hold you 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:15.840 there because I do want to follow up with coach 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:19.400 on that idea of kind of manifesting that or going 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:21.480 for that job or wanting it at twenty six, because 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.480 I think that is an awesome and interesting story. You 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.960 do have to do a quick read. But I'm coming 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:29.840 back to that, and it's going to segue us into 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:34.200 Coach Crafton's coaching career and timeline even further. So there's 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:37.840 more on the way. But first, Christiana Care as doctors, nurses, 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:41.319 and caregivers, and as neighbors and friends. Christiana Care is 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:44.439 a partner in everyone's journey to greater health and well being? 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:46.800 Why do they do it for the love of health? 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:51.600 Visit Christianacare dot org. So you said it, coach, you 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:54.920 were seeking out that job, the same job you have 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:56.960 now at age twenty six. You ended up becoming a 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:00.000 college head coach at age thirty. What is it about 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.160 out that concept or what do you associate with that 0:09:02.240 --> 0:09:06.120 concept of seeking out a specific vision or goal and 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:09.960 kind of manifesting where you want to work. I'm a 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:12.360 man of faith and feel like my career has always 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:15.960 been guided by by My Lord and saving Jesus Christ. 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:18.880 But at the same time, when we're basketball players, we 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:21.440 always want to try to be in the NBA, right 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:24.160 And then you know, so in college, I'm a Division 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:27.440 two player, and my entire career I still thought it 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.880 was still possible. And today, you know, even though I 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.719 wasn't you know, that level of a player. So I 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:35.280 knew transition into coaching was something that was going to be, 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:37.720 you know, for me, and worked out of camps in 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.439 college and you know, it just hustled and grinded. The 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.120 story of how I met Jay Wright is pretty funny. 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:48.120 When I kind of stalked Jay Wright to I used to, 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:50.560 you know, work their camps, and I got in good 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:53.400 with the secretary and she would tell me what recruiting 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:55.439 events he would be at, and if I had a 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:57.960 day off from practice or something, I'd find my way 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.800 to be at a recruiting event. I've been a coach, right. 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.400 I'd pay for the coaches packet, you know, for money 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.360 I paid from tutoring on campus, and I'd buy a 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:11.240 polo from the bookstore. I would be out there like 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:14.800 I was recruiting. And so that was how to kind 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:16.400 of how I tried to get myself in the mix 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.320 to get this job. I was twenty six. I flew 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:22.920 to the MEAC tournament and found my way to get 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:25.600 a pass, to end up in the media room, to 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:29.080 bump into the athletic director here, Keith Davidson at that time, 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:31.880 and try to put my name into to be the 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.200 head coach here. So that that's kind of what that 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:37.320 journey was like. I just always enjoyed being a part 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:39.880 of the game, enjoy the competitiveness of the game. But 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:42.920 more importantly, I really liked just mentoring young men and 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:46.240 seeing them that progression from them, not just growing as players, 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:49.240 but growing as men from being a freshman wept behind 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:52.319 the ears to being a senior graduating getting their degrees, 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:55.320 going on to play professionally, or or being a professional 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:59.040 in the real world. So I enjoyed the journey. I 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:02.160 was kind of going same direction with Matt because, as 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:05.640 you said, he's a mentor to you. Do you think 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.160 he saw something you had twenty six and say, hey, 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:10.040 you need a little bit because you still got that 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:13.360 intensity about your coach. You use that word a lot. 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.720 You got last Steward or You're that was at you know, 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:19.240 you lose that played for the tense coach and fag 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.760 minto at Cotton State. You know you got a lot 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.480 of that around you and that intensity. So did you 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:27.320 think he saw that in you then and say, man, listen, 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:30.440 go keep going, get some of that out of you 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:32.679 because you still was a player and maybe you at 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:34.880 that time you've probably been so hard on the players. 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.400 Maybe he saw that in you. Do you think that's 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.640 what it was that say hey, you go get some 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:43.400 more season and relax and bring that intensity down, kid, 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:45.280 You know what I mean to be able to you 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:47.959 can kill? Yeah, I think that you know, at that 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:49.760 time that was you know, I'm a part of the 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.360 same era as like Shocker Smart Will Weed. You know, 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:55.480 we kind of came into the game at the same time. 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:59.720 We were all video coordinators, director of basketball operations, you know, 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:03.160 at the similar time Jamie and Christian like, I'm a 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:05.280 part of that young coach's wave that we kind of 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:10.000 got into Division one early. And so I think I probably, 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:12.120 I know, I come with a lot of energy. Now 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:16.559 I can only imagine what I was saying and how 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.960 I was saying it twelve years ago. But I think 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:22.560 I think I left an impression on him that this 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.720 was a guy to keep on his radar. And you know, 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:27.840 a lot of advice to a lot of young coaches 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:29.520 out there. A lot of times when you don't get 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:32.360 a job, sometimes people get mad they didn't get the job, 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:34.640 and they don't stay in touch, they don't stay connected. 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:37.440 You know, I never was disappointed in any job I 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:41.000 never got. I always stayed connected. So the relationship I 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:45.319 cultivated with my appoletic director here Keith Davidson lined it 0:12:45.440 --> 0:12:47.880 up so he could see the maturity over the years. 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:50.840 And now this guy was okay, he was young and 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.959 energetic at twenty six, but now He's a season thirty 0:12:53.960 --> 0:12:57.320 eight year old professional that's got a lot of layers 0:12:57.320 --> 0:13:01.240 of experience, you know, from Villainova to Navy, to the 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:03.920 G League to being a head Division two coach where 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:05.920 it was a lot seamless to you know, make that 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.160 decision to bring New York. So we're gonna get more 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:13.600 into the NBA world in a minute here. But about 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:16.200 your career and some of those stops you just mentioned 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:18.400 just for the listener. You were the head coach at 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:21.640 your alma mater, Nayak College in New York twenty twelve 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:24.679 through eighteen. You spent the beginning of your career as 0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.880 an assistant, as you said, the United States Naval Academy 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:32.160 in Villanova University. Who are some of your mentors in coaching? 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.600 I mean you worked for with Jay Wright, Billy Lange, 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:39.320 a name that Sixers fans will know, and countless others. Yeah. Well, 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:40.800 first I got to give a shout out to my 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.640 guy coach, Lowry Stewart, my associate coach here. Shout out 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:45.480 to the noise is what they used to call them 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:48.360 back at Philly. So far player does a great job 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.719 for our staff and our players here. But a lot 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:54.120 of mentors. Man, I've been a lot of great coaching. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:56.360 You know, Jay Rice will be a future Hall of Famer. 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.959 Two National Championships, three final fours, a ton of guy 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:02.840 that went to the NBA. Jay really showed me how 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:06.320 to run a program. He taught me that the details matter. 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.800 And when I say details, like the details and everything 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:12.199 from the way the logo gets put onto the to 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:15.280 the jersey, to the you know, to to you know, 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:17.960 making sure we've got the right bus, to the time 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:21.360 we eat before a game, to ruming the guys with 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:23.880 certain partners on the road and switching it up and 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:28.040 cultivating team chemistry in that regard how we do video, 0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:30.680 when we do video, you know, when we practice, how 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.640 we practice, and all the details that that that that 0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:35.760 make him just an elite coach and one of the 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.440 best in the business. I got in at twenty one 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:41.040 and he showed me, you know, all those things, and 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:43.200 when I messed up, he got on me and he 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:45.320 let me know the way to do it. So I 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.840 lean on him a lot, just for you know, just 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.920 running certain things by him and just and just really 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:53.960 not even always just conversations, just continue to watch him 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.400 grow as a coach because when I was with him, 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.040 he was super young at that time. You know that 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.560 I saw the energetic, youthful Jay Right. And now I've 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.120 had a chance to watch him blossom and grow in 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:09.440 his career as well. So it's pretty cool. Billy Lange 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:12.440 was a guy that that really kind of, you know, 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:14.400 found me if you would say, you know, like if 0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:18.040 you were recruiting players and find a player. Billy kind 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:19.840 of found me as a young guy working billing over 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.840 basketball camp and saw something in me. And he was 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:24.720 the one that kind of presented me to coach Right 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:27.800 and got me into business. So and he was with 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:30.640 the Sixers for a while and he helped me come 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:34.520 on to become a part of that organization. So Billy Lange, 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:37.040 Jay Right, those are guys that have been really influential 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:40.720 in my career. And Pickney as well, Joe Jones, guys 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.760 that were former build Over assistance. Those guys have been 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:45.800 guys that have really stood out and I kind of 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:49.520 guided my career. It must have been the Villanova polo 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.000 shirt if you had it on at the camps that 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:57.000 called Billy Lange's attention. But seriously, Joe, Joe Richmond coach 0:15:57.200 --> 0:15:59.960 crafton he worked with, I mean a lot of talent 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:02.920 into dudes in his career, but Villanova time you're talking 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:05.880 Kyle Lowry was was on those teams. So that's that's 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:11.160 incredible right there. Yeah, he has some guys we had Kyle. 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:15.520 Kyle was a freshman and uh, you know, we showed 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:18.360 him the ropes of just kind of transitioning into college. 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.520 You know, basketball was never a problem for him. You know, 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:25.600 he transitioned from you know, coming from Philly, being a 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.760 tough hearted those player. He brought that DNA to our program. 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.800 A lot of what you see in today's Villanova guard, 0:16:32.240 --> 0:16:34.560 you know, stems back from that toughness that came from 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.440 Kyle Lowry. You know, the Randy foy is, the Alan 0:16:37.560 --> 0:16:40.920 Rays that that recruiting class though, they kind of got 0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:45.000 the villanov Guard thing going and I was uh incredibly 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:48.840 honored to be a part of the you know, builing 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:52.320 over during those beginning stages and just helping that program 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:54.920 get going. And uh so, yeah, it was good times. 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:57.400 And yeah, Kyle teaching Kyle how to you know, take 0:16:57.440 --> 0:16:59.320 care of his academics and all that type of stuff 0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:02.320 was was an interesting journey. But it was cool to 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:04.879 see him grow a mature as a man. All right, guys, 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:08.040 let's talk blue Coats and Sixers now a little bit 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:09.639 because we do have to get to our draft. And 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.320 I know we've already been going a little while now. 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:15.960 So I mentioned coach, you were on the Bluecoat staff 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:19.040 two years ago or two seasons ago, twenty eighteen nineteen 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:21.280 G League season, And I think a name that we 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:23.720 should talk about that Sixers fans would be excited to 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:27.119 hear your perspective on is Shake Milton. Because he's a 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:28.960 guy that it was his rookie year when you were 0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:31.239 on the Blue Coat staff, and I could run down 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:33.040 the numbers, but I think everyone knows he had a 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:36.200 really good rookie season on a two way contract with 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:38.960 the Blue Coats. So what has it been like for 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:42.120 you to watch Shake Milton step into a bigger role 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:46.560 as an important piece for the Sixers. Shake and Bake, oh, man, 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.399 you know what. His journey is incredible. Every once in 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:51.960 a while I hit him up on social media and 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.320 just tell him how proud I am of him. You know, 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:58.080 I remember in Sixers training camp before the G League started, 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:01.159 he had like a back issue um and was and 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:03.439 couldn't work out and I remember him just being on 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:05.920 the sides. He could only do ball handling drills and 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:09.240 some spot shooting. But his his he just watched and 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:11.719 you know, for all young players like to just know, 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:14.000 like he could barely move for the first few weeks 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:16.800 of training camp and to see him just watch and 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:20.600 just be able to put pieces together and um, you know, 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.760 and grass the offense and grass the defensive concepts, so 0:18:24.800 --> 0:18:26.960 that when it was time for him to start playing. 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:29.639 I mean, he just hit the ground running. He's a 0:18:29.760 --> 0:18:32.600 great kid. He's got a great IQ. He could shoot 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.000 the heck out of the basketball, and uh, he was 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:36.720 a fun guy to have a part of our team, 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:40.880 and great personality. He was early to practice, stay late. 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:44.160 I'm just so proud to see that kid go out 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:47.000 there take his bumps and then and also recover and 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.440 have and recover and have great games for the Sixers. 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:53.960 So he's got a bright future. Yeah, I love that. 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:56.920 One thing. When I watched you, I had so much 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:59.440 respect for y'all. Always, you know, I always gravitated to 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:01.360 org you. I know you were going to come out 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:03.320 in the community and do some book reading with me 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.240 at the school coach, and it was always you always 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:09.600 thinking about developing, whether it was in the community, whether 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.879 it's just somebody watching. And I thought that was the 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:15.240 thing that you bought most to the program for us. 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:17.960 I just I just watched how you You just had 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:20.840 a way with the players, whether it was Zaia, whether 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:23.240 it was Shake, you just had a way. I'm looking, 0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:25.440 I'm listening to you when you said you still had 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.640 that angst to want to play and want to play, 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:29.840 when you got this kid mentor on your team that says, 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:32.040 I want to be a pro ball player. When you 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:34.800 hear that from your players, did you go to them 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:37.440 and tell them about those stories about the Shake Mill ends, 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:40.480 the Kyle Lowry's that kind of calm them down and say, hey, 0:19:40.600 --> 0:19:42.760 there's a process to this, because I know that's your thing. 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:46.159 Oh yeah, I let them know about that process. I 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:47.960 let them know that. You know, Kyle Lowry, there was 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:50.760 about ten point guards ready ahead of him back here. 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.159 You know, back then, Sebastian tell a Fair, you know, 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.240 Sean Livingston, you know a ton of other guys that 0:19:57.280 --> 0:19:59.639 were ready ahead of Kyle Lowry. And you know, he 0:19:59.800 --> 0:20:01.520 was kind of the guy that was like, could he 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:02.960 really play in the Big East. A lot of people 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:04.879