Interviews

Todd Bozeman, Morgan St Coach: Tournament Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:10:18 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Coach Todd Bozeman, Morgan State

Q: Has it sunk in yet, and how does it feel?
A: It has not really sunk in yet, as there are so many different media things to do, meet with folks about travel plans. It is kind of surreal, as I have wanted this opportunity for so long, so I am looking forward to it. The governor of Maryland even called me today.

Q: Why did Reggie Holmes decide to stay in Baltimore, and what impact has he had on your team?
A: Reggie wanted to stay local and have an impact, and things have turned out the way he envisioned it. He might end up next year as the top career scorer in school history. He just scored off the bench during his 1st 2 years, but this will be his team next year, so he is being trained by our 3 current seniors to be the leader next year.

Q: Why did Marquise Kately decide to transfer from Cal, and what impact has he had on your team?
A: There are some ties between me and Kately from my days in California. We were able to provide him with an opportunity, and it was a good match. He has been a joy to coach, and 1 of the best teammates I’ve seen here.

Q: What the heck can you do to try and stop Blake Griffin?
A: We are trying to find some kryptonite to slow him down, and if not then we will try to cut his hair off. He is outstanding: he looks like he is playing on a Nerf hoop sometimes.

Q: What most prepared your team for the tourney: losses to great teams like Texas and Washington, or the 1-point win over Maryland?

A: We are not into moral victories. Teams at our level are sometimes intimidated, but we are not. Not every college player gets the chance to play in the NCAA tourney: I did not when I played in college.

Q: You were a 29-year old coach when you made the run to the Sweet 16: do you think that coaching experience is overrated, and if not, what have you learned over the past 15 years that can help you try to get back there?
A: Experience is not overrated, but sometimes things just happen and you get on a roll: it reminds me of “Slumdog Millionaire”. I am just older and more mature as a person (regardless of being a coach), but I am the same passionate guy I was back then.

Q: How does your experience as an NBA assistant/scout transfer to the college level?
A: It re-tooled my methods of coaching younger kids: I want my guys to enjoy the journey. We don’t really plan for teams until you get right up on them, so scouting helped me as a coach to get information really fast and detailed. I am much better at picking up things very quick on tape and understanding coaching philosophies.

Q: Why did you decide to become a blogger, and how has it been working out so far?
A: There are some alumni who always want to ask questions about the program. I just blog about the everyday experience of being a D-1 coach who does normal things like make breakfast for kids and take his wife to a movie. It is kind of like a diary of a normal guy, as I am not a coach 24-7. I have fun with it, and get to keep our alumni up to date on why I made certain decisions in a game. In fact, the wife of our school president told me once that she reads the blog every day.

Q: What did you learn from your exit from Cal?
A: I made a bad judgment decision, and I use it as a life lesson for my family/players/other young coaches. I try to show them that you can overcome adversity: there are consequences to your actions, but you can come back from them.

Q: Do you feel like you have finally gotten redemption, or just moved on, or other?
A: I always thought that I moved on, but this is an opportunity to redeem myself. My past actions were 1 chapter in my life, but many successful people have gone through tough times at various stages of their lives. It depends on how bad you really want it: prayer definitely works, thank God.

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Dee Bost, Mississippi St: Tournament Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:08:17 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Dee Bost, Fr, G, Misssissppi Si

Q: You lost 5 of 6 games in February, then won 6 in a row in March: what caused the change?
A: We just came together as a team at the right time.

Q: How did you win 4 games in 4 days at the SEC tourney?
A: Just hard work. It was a hard title game against Tennessee, but it was great to make the NCAA tourney.

Q: How did you lead team with 10 rebounds vs. South Carolina in the SEC quarterfinals?
A: I just got in there and grabbed all the rebounds I could.

Q: Do you think the SEC competition prepared you for the NCAA tourney?
A: It was a tough season, so I think so.

Q: What do you know about Washington?
A: I know they have a good point guard (Isaiah Thomas) and center (Jon Brockman).

Q: Why did you choose to go to Mississippi State?
A: They said I could get a lot of playing time as a freshman, and I have.

Q: Was it hard to lead the team as a freshman point guard, especially after losing 3 starters from last year?
A: I just had to learn my role and figure out what I needed to do.

Q: Why do you like playing for Coach Stansbury?
A: He knows what he’s doing, and he is not too hard on us about running specific sets.

Q: Do you think your team is built to win now, or are you 1 year away?
A: We want to win right now.

Q: You won a high school state football title: are you a better quarter back or point guard?
A: (After a long pause) Point guard.

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SFA Head Coach Danny Kaspar: Tourney Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:06:32 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Coach Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin

Q: Has it sunk in yet that you’re in the NCAA tourney, and do you think Syracuse might be tired after their 6-overtime game in the Big East tourney?
A: It did not take long to sink in. I am not an expert, but I have lots of postseason experience, although I am not sure if our players do. Syracuse has a great tradition, but the exhaustion factor doesn’t matter because any #3 seed is good. I think Syracuse will be rested.

Q: What did you learn from being an assistant for Coach Billy Tubbs at Lamar in 1980 during their run to the Sweet 16?
A: Tubbs was great at making players believe they could win, even if they have doubts that are fed by the public. Tubbs made everyone practice hard, but kept the players loose and relaxed, and just had them play their game.

Q: Was it frustrating to be the #1 seed in last year’s Southland conference tourney but not get to the NCAA tourney?
A: We had injuries at this time last year, as Josh Alexander got a hip pointer in our final regular season game. He played through the pain, but it affected his shooting. I thought we would have gone to NCAA tourney last year if he was healthy, and Eric Bell was only 80% as well.

Q: There are few teams who feature not 1 but 2 conference players of the year: do you need an all-around effort or can Alexander/Matt Kingsley do it themselves?
A: I think a total team effort is required, but we also need some players to step up and do an outstanding job. Eddie Williams stepped up last weekend to help us win our conference tourney final: we probably need 3-4 guys to score in double digits.

Q: Alexander hit 2 free throws with 7 seconds left to clinch the conference tourney semifinal win over Texas A&M CC: was it extra-special for you (being a Corpus Christi native)?
A: It’s funny you ask: it was extra-special because we held Kevin Palmer (the best player in our league) to 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting. I still run a camp in Corpus Christi, and interviewed for the coaching job there when it opened up. There was some vindication in beating them, as I thought their previous AD might have given me a token interview.

Q: What are your team’s strengths/weaknesses?
A: We have a lot of experience, and play good team defense. We have 9 guys (including 2 very good players) who play significant minutes, so we are very team-oriented, and do not commit a lot of turnovers. We are not very big in the backcourt (starting guards are 5’3” and 5’10”), and we could stand to shoot the ball better, and I would like to have a 10-man rotation for extra depth.

Q: What did you learn from your non-conference schedule?
A: We lost to Texas A&M, but could have won that game. We were down by 2 late in the game, and the same referee made 3 straight calls against us. We came away from that angry that we lost, but confident that we could play with teams like that. We caught Arkansas at the wrong time: they were hot, and our kids were thinking of heading home for Christmas the following Thursday. We beat Oklahoma last year, which gave us a lot of confidence.

Q: How did Kingsley blow up after playing only 1 year of varsity ball in high school?
A: He did not blow up: it was an evolution. At times in the past I was ready to send him packing: he was like a scared little pup coming out of high school, but eventually gained 25 pounds. He showed no signs of physical maturity until his junior year: he was a great kid, but had no confidence, and did not blossom until his senior year. He was a freshman redshirt, after growing from 6’6” in high school to 6’8½” in college. We tried to get him to walk on, but the NCAA rescinded a prior rule, and that allowed us to get 2 more scholarships: otherwise, we would not have got him, although he had no other D-1 offers.

Q: SFA only won 10 games in the 2 years before you were hired: how did you turn it around?
A: I originally coached here from 1983-1986 as an assistant, and met my wife here, before I was hired away by Baylor to be an assistant. We had 10 losing seasons in 12 years before I got here, but just finished our 4th 20-win season in 6 years. After I started, we lost a couple of conference tourney finals on our opponent’s home courts by just a few points, which was frustrating.

Q: What does the 1st NCAA tourney in SFA history mean to you, the program, and the school
A: This is my 9th year here, and it means a great deal to the school with free publicity and increased school spirit: we have had some very good home crowds this season. It is a tremendous boon in terms of recruiting, but will hurt us with scheduling, as fewer teams will want to play us. It raises everyone’s awareness of our program, and validates my coaching ability. The town is excited, and I am happy for our community, but happiest for our players who are also very excited. We were very hurt last year that we didn’t make it, and are happy to be here after seeing the level of talent in our conference go up this year.

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Jared Quayle, Utah St: Tournament Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:04:09 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Jared Quayle: Jr, G, Utah State

Q: How do you feel about facing #6 seed Marquette?
A: We are excited as a team: it will be a good challenge for us, but we played in Boise before, and our fans can make the trip.

Q: Do you think it will be a close game because you’re ranked 25th and Marquette is ranked 24th?
A: It should be very competitive, but they are very physical.

Q: You spent your freshman year at the College of Eastern Utah, and your sophomore year at Western Wyoming College: has it been hard attending 3 schools in 3 years?
A: So far it has been okay: the transition from school to school was smooth, and I had fun at each place.

Q: What did you learn from your non-conference schedule (lost to BYU, beat Utah)?
A: It was good to beat Utah, and good to know we could hang with BYU.

Q: Were you concerned about losing 3 of 6 to finish the regular season?
A: We did not want to focus on being a bubble team: we were just focused on winning the conference tourney.

Q: How did you beat New Mexico State in the conference tourney semifinals?
A: Tai Wesley drove and pulled up to shoot, saw Tyler Newbold open on the baseline, and Tyler made a jumper with 3 seconds left to win it.

Q: What impact has Gary Wilkinson (conference POY) had on your team?
A: Gary is the leader of the team. He gets us going every day in practice if we’re sluggish. He is a great guy, and will have to help carry us against Marquette.

Q: Why do you like playing for Coach Stew Morrill?
A: He is a great coach, and I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else. He tells us not to get caught up in everything, have fun, and stay focused.

Q: What did you learn while serving a 2-year mission in Sacramento?
A: I had a little question about whether to go, but I was only 5’11”/155 pounds when I left, and after growing while on the mission, I can now compete with bigger guys.

Q: What is it like being married and in college?
A: It’s great: it keeps me focused on getting good grades because I’m not partying every night.

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Robert Morris Coach Mike Rice: Tournament Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:01:46 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Coach Mike Rice, Robert Morris

Q: How do you feel about facing Michigan State?
A: I feel lousy about the match-up, as they are 1 of the most prepared and balanced teams in the country. They are hard to prepare for due to their size and strength, and they are tough for anybody.

Q: What did you learn from Jamie Dixon as his assistant during the run to the 2007 Sweet 16 at Pitt?
A: 3 things: defend, rebound, and take care of the ball. You have to be consistent with what got you there, so we will just break it down into 4-minute segments.

Q: What did you learn from Phil Martelli as his assistant during the run to the 2005 NIT Final at St. Joe’s (his son Jimmy is 1 of Rice’s assistants)?
A: Working with Phil is like getting a coaching clinic every day, as he taught me how to prepare my players for the game. He is 1 of the best at looking at film and putting a game plan together.

Q: What is different from last year (1st NIT berth in school history) to now (1st NCAA tourney in 17 years)?
A: The difference from last year to this year is balance. Last year we were more of a perimeter scoring team, but we are more defense-oriented this year, so we could win games in the NEC even on a bad offensive night.

Q: What did you learn from your non-conference schedule (losing to Pitt and Xavier by 20+ points each)?
A: You have to learn from your past experiences, and we played well at certain times during those games, but you can’t make mistakes against great teams.

Q: Will your team have to lean on Jeremy Chappell (conference POY) to play like Stephen Curry did in last year’s NCAA tourney, or will it take a total team effort?

A: Either/or is fine with me. We do have some balance with guys who can put ball in hole, but Chappell is our #1 and #2 option.

Q: How did you win the conference tourney final on your home court?
A: The play was designed for Chappell, who dribbled the ball off his knee to our super screener (Dallas Green, aka the “Screen Machine”) who made the game-winning jump shot. When Dallas shoots the ball I usually yell, “there’s a reason why you’re open,” but now he is a folk-hero on campus.

Q: What did you learn from your dad Mike Rice, Sr. (former college coach and current TV color commentator for the Portland Trail Blazers)?
A: My dad taught me about the passion to play/coach/teach the game. I was raised while following him around from gym to gym, so I have always been around basketball.

Q: How does assistant coach Andy Toole (Penn alum) help you win?
A: Andy has brought a knowledge and teaching ability well beyond his years for someone that young. Playing at Penn under Fran Dunphy and having lots of success helps. He knows how to teach the right way, and had a great mentor in Fran.

Q: Will you do anything special for Rob Robinson (born on 3/19)?
A: I didn’t even know that until now, so we will just try to do something to embarrass him like we always do.

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Kevin Goffney, Chattanooga: Tournament Talk Q&A

Jon Teitel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:57:58 -0400

Collegehoops.net's Jon Teitel is in Philadelphia all week bringing you live coverage and interviews from one of the opening weekend's most intriguing venues.

NCAA Tournament Q&A

Kevin Goffney: Sr, F, Chattanooga

Q: Is it hard being at your 3rd school in 4 years (Nicholls State, then Pratt CC)?
A: It was kind of hard because I had a lot of different coaches and teammates with different personalities. I got settled at Pratt, but it was a big change coming to Chattanooga: the D-1 game is more physical, and my teammates here became like my family, because we are all very close.

Q: How did you hurt your ankle in the Tennessee game, and how bad was it (team was 16-8 this year when he started and played for more than a minute, 2-8 when he did not)?
A: I did not think it was that bad, as my ankle just rolled, so I was going to keep playing, but when I came back to the bench and took off my shoe, my ankle was as fat as a baseball (it turned out to be a broken bone).

Q: How did you rehab yourself, and what did it feel like when you came back?
A: I was out for 9 games. It was rough at first because I was not as explosive, and it was hard to get back to full speed. Our trainers helped me out big time.

Q: Your non-conference schedule featured a ton of NCAA tourney teams (Tennessee, Missouri, Memphis, USC, Davidson, E. Tennessee State): what effect did your 1-7 start have on your team?
A: It was kind of rough, but it prepared us for this moment right here, which is our goal. We will not be surprised by anything Connecticut does.

Q: After finishing the regular season with 3 straight single-digit losses, you had a team-high 18 points and a career-high 5 assists in the 1-point conference tourney quarterfinal win over Elon: what turned it around for your team?
A: We had a great week of preparation before the conference tourney: we just focused on defense/rebounding, and did not put up many shots at all, because we just wanted to stay aggressive.

Q: After being tied at 34 at halftime of the title game vs. College of Charleston, what did Coach John Shulman tell the team, and how did you guys respond in order to get the win?
A: We played them earlier this year on senior night and they blew us out, so we did not want it to happen again. We came out and got stop after stop: the 1st 5 minutes after halftime were very critical.

Q: How important is the veteran leadership of you, Stephen McDowell, and Nicchaeus Doaks?
A: Big time, because our team is young after the 3 of us. We have to pick the young guys up, so we try to be as vocal as we can, and tell the young guys to just keep playing hard.

Q: Has Coach Shulman said anything about his time in 1992 as an assistant at E. Tennessee State when they upset Arizona as #14 seed?
A: He has talked to us about what it takes to get an upset, and and how it feels to win and keep on going: he is a great coach.

Q: Was your hometown of Ethel, LA affected by Hurricane Katrina, and if so, how bad was it?
A: We were not affected too much, although my family lost power for a few weeks and the roof was blown off our house, even though it is a couple of hours away from the coast.

Q: Are you the original “KG”, or did Kevin Garnett have it first?
A: Kevin is the man: just call me “Little KG”.

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