B-RadHoops - July 2009

July 26, 2009

Orlando, Florida

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex was the site of the 61^st Annual North Carolina Coaches Association Clinics and Meetings for Basketball, Football, Wrestling, Tennis, Track, Baseball, Golf, Volleyball, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Cross Country.  It was an honor to be selected to present three clinics on Tuesday, July 21^st.  Past basketball clinicians at this association event include: Frank McGuire (1952), Adolph Rupp (1958) Red Auerbach (1960), Bob Cousy (1961), Bob Knight (1970), Norm Sloan (1974), Dean Smith (1984), Tubby Smith (1996), Jack Ramsey (1997), Gary Williams (1999), Skip Prosser (2002), Roy Williams (2004), Seth Greenberg – I know him (2005).  It was a real honor to be asked to participate as a clinician this year.  As I walked around the complex I couldn’t help but remember bringing our team to the Coliseum back in March to be part of the Madness.  The other basketball clinician this year was South Carolina coach Darrin Horn.  Darrin is familiar with Kentucky HS basketball having played and coached at Western Kentucky.  Darren made a point to mention how much he thought of Evan Faulkner, our incoming freshman guard from Elliott County HS.  I also saw Marc Payne who coached incoming freshman forward Tommy Spagnolo at Ashe County HS and Mike Williams, coach and athletic director at Graham HS, the home of incoming freshman guard Michael Wooten.  

Joey Lynch-Flohr is in San Francisco training on and off the court with other college players and some NBA players.  Wednesday I spoke with Bob Hill - who trains the players on the court - to see how Joey was doing three days into his workouts with Bob.  I worked with Bob as his assistant after he replaced Hubie Brown as coach of the NY Knicks during the 1987-1988 NBA season.  He told me that earlier that day, towards the end of a 2 hour and 15 minute morning session, Joey won a round robbin one-on-one competition with Hilton Armstrong of the Hornets, Ken Thomas of the Kings, and both Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton of Kentucky.  I spoke with Joey and he told me his legs will be in great shape when he comes back to school in late August. Ace trainer Frank Mastriciano’s early strength and conditioning sessions have featured some unique SF hill work.

Assistant coach Rick Hall is minding the shop in Radford with Director of Basketball Operations Chad Myers.  NCAA rules only allow for three coaches to be on the road at one time during July’s evaluation periods.  Rick was out west in Las Vegas early in the week watching AAU events, assistant Ali Ton is out of the country watching the European U18 Championships and assistant Cedric Smith is in Orlando with me watching the AAU Nationals. 

Ran into a few old friends in Orlando.  Jay Murphy was a star at Boston College and a draft pick of the L A Clippers.  I was one of his coaches my first year in the NBA.  He helps coach a New England AAU team.  Louis Orr is the coach at Bowling Green and has previously coached at Siena and Seton Hall.  I coach Louis when he was on the NY Knicks.  Brendan Suhr was a longtime NBA assistant and front office executive.  Most notably he was Chuck Daly’s right hand man in Detroit for two NBA championships and also worked with Chuck in NJ and Orlando.  Brendan and I worked together at the 5 Star Basketball Camp in the mid 70’s.  And I spent some time with former RU star and current UNC assistant Steve Robinson.  I am trying to get Steve to come back to campus this fall for our Tip-Off Banquet. 

It’s the home stretch for Summer II classes and we’re pretty happy with how Blake Smith, Jamal Curry and Michael Wooten have approached their academics and weight training.  The three rookies have been fortunate to have Art Parakhouski, Phillip Martin and Lazar Trifunovic as role models in the weight room.  Those three veterans are serious about getter, bigger, faster and more explosive, and are good models for the new guys to emulate.

Go Highlanders

Brad

July 19, 2009

On Tuesday, July 14^th I traveled to Morgantown WV with Assistant Coach Ali Ton to watch two days of the Harley Davidson Jam Fest AAU event at WVU.  I especially enjoy this event because it’s run by The Hoop Group, a basketball camp and event company that originated in East Stroudsburg, PA.   The Hoop Group is run by Rob Kennedy, who oversees the biggest camp and event operation in the country.  Rob is Bobby Kennedy’s son.  Bobby used to run the Pocono Invitational Basketball Camp (PIBC) - the very first basketball I ever worked in 1972.  I helped direct Pocono Invitational Camp sessions in the mid 70’s with Bobby’s brother Pat who went on to coach at Iona College, Florida State, and is now the coach at Towson State.  A who’s who of basketball personalities traveled through E. Stroudsburg in those days to lecture to campers.  I once introduced the late Jim Valvano as a guest speaker while he was hovering over the campsite in a helicopter!  The helicopter landed right next to the courts for his lecture.  Basketball Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy was one of the many pro lecturers.  We would also hold a dunk contest with the highest flying counselors and guest Darryl Dawkins.  We made sure to use a side basket as Darryl would almost certainly bend a rim making that hoop unplayable until repaired! 

NCAA rules prohibit me from writing specifics about players scouted in Morgantown.  But I don’t think I am breaking any rules to say it was a treat to watch one team of players being coached by Seth Berger, the coach at the Westtown School in PA.  Seth is now coaching HS hoops following a very successful career as an entrepreneur.  Seth started and ran the company And 1, a sneaker and apparel company that began with colorful T-shirts adorned with basketball themed slogans.  He also started HoopsTV.com, a basketball media company in the late 90’s.  I spent some time working with Seth trying to help grow HoopsTV.com. HoopsTV.com was filled with outstanding people like Scott O’Neal who now heads up Madison Square Garden and oversees the NY Knicks and NY Rangers organizations.  Steve Rosenberry was also part of HoopsTV.com and is now a Player Personnel executive with the Atlanta Hawks.  Seth eventually sold And 1 and now passionately coaches HS hoops. 

Saturday night I had dinner with RU alum Matt Crisp who now lives in San Francisco.  Matt is VP-Third Securities and another Radford College of Business and Economics success story. 

Joey Lynch-Flohr traveled Sunday, July 19th to San Francisco to begin working out Monday with Bob Hill (former Head Coach of the Knicks, Pacers, Spurs and Sonics) and conditioning guru Frank Mastriciano.  I spoke with Bob on Saturday and learned Joey is in for some incredible competition.   Joey will be working out with frontcourt players who will include Kentucky Wildcat big man Patrick Patterson, New Orleans Hornet power forward Hilton Armstrong, longtime NBA forward Kenny Thomas, and Oklahoma Thunder forward Jeff Green.   

Our staff will be back on the road this week through the end of July to further evaluate prospects.  At the same time we’re developing our pre-season strength, conditioning and individual workout plans. 

I got a nice note this week from Sally Rugaber who enjoyed reading about one of her favorites, former ACC coach Bobby Cremins. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

July 12, 2009

Blacksburg, VA

July is “evaluation” month on the NCAA Men’s Basketball calendar which means coaches hit the road to watch prospects at AAU events, certified leagues and camps.  This past week our staff was in Cincinnati-OH, Charleston-SC, Myrtle Beach-SC, Aiken-SC, & Augusta-GA.  For those who think the life of a coach is glamorous, try this week on for size.  Following a day in the office Monday, I drove to Hampton, VA in the evening.  Tuesday I was a guest speaker for the Virginia High School Coaches Association annual meetings.  After presenting two topics, I drove back to Radford.  Wednesday I spent the day in the office before driving to Myrtle Beach to meet up with Assistant Coach Cedric Smith for an AAU event Thursday and part of Friday.  On Friday late afternoon, I was off again to Aiken, SC to meet Assistant Coach Rick Hall for a different AAU event—a 3 ½ hour drive.    Sunday morning I hit the road back home.  But not for long.   I will be airborne Sunday evening to Hartford, CT to catch an AAU event Monday before meeting Assistant Coach Ali Ton in Pittsburg that evening for a drive to Morgantown, WV for an event there.  Here’s a typical day on the road to cover an AAU event.

Aiken-SC:  The Peach State Classic. 

First game starts at 8:00am.  Games are played every hour and fifteen minutes.  Last games start at 9:30pm.  So we are pretty much watching games for 14-15 straight hours.  You hope there is a hospitality room on site or a decent snack bar.  In Aiken they had a room with some food available but I don’t want to get into what I was eating on this trip! 

It’s exciting to watch young talent at these events.  The athletic ability of some young prospects is mind boggling.  The speed, spring and quickness of developing players seem to increase every year.  And the potential of some of these young players is tremendous. 

Hundreds of coaches from colleges across the country attend the events and it is great to see friends in the profession in July that you normally don’t get to see any other time.

In Myrtle Beach, it was a Radford reunion of sorts as current Tulane head coach and former RU assistant Dave Dickerson; current Clemson associate head coach and former RU head coach Ron Bradley and former RU standout player and current Bridgewater College head coach Don Burgess were there to watch games. 

Because the NCAA allows for just two – ten day periods in July to evaluate prospects it is essential to get out even if you are not feeling 100%.  College of Charleston head coach, Bobby Cremins is one of the best in the business on and off the court.  The winningest coach in
Georgia Teach history recently had a knee replacement.  Bobby was hobbling from court to court, trying to exercise and ice his recovering knee and in obvious discomfort.  The new knee will definitely hamper Bobby’s tennis game.  It’s a good thing that while in semi-retirement before taking the C of C job he caught the golf bug.  There isn’t a more genuinely nice person in college athletics than Bobby. 

I ran into Wake Forest assistant Jeff Battle, whom I recognized in a B-Rad last summer.  He wanted to know if I would give him another shout-out!  Of course!

Word has leaked out about a few of our marquee opponents.  Yes, we are playing three of the most prestigious basketball programs in college hoops.  The opportunity and challenge of playing @ Duke, @ Louisville & @ Kansas is exciting for our players and staff.  And additional non-conference games against regional opponents GMU, Navy, W & M and JMU are great for us as well.  We travel to Duquesne and host a bracket buster opponent to make our non conference slate perhaps the toughest of any program in the Commonwealth.  We’re hoping to get television coverage for several of these games so that our program gets more regional and national exposure.

Hope you are having a great summer.

Go Highlanders

Brad

July 5, 2009

This is the 100^th edition of B-RadHoops!  To commemorate this special occasion and to highlight the 4^th of July socializing and eating frenzy this edition will be unusually long and especially entertaining!  The community keeps growing, last count a few months back there were over 1,200 subscribers, and feedback encourages me to keep spreading the word about Radford basketball and my dietary intake! 

On Tuesday our three incoming freshman on campus for Summer II classes had their physicals.  Once medically cleared they started strength and conditioning on Wednesday.  I like players lean and quick.  I tend to prefer wiry strong players to muscle bound types.  Jamal Curry is 6-8, 177 pounds and Blake Smith is 6-4, 165 pounds.  They lend new meaning to LEAN!  Neither has strength trained like we do.  On Thursday, after two days of weight training they had trouble lifting their legs.  It will be interesting to see how their bodies change the next few years.  I don’t think it’s necessary for them to be concerned about adding pounds vs. adding muscle.  It’s funny how these young players desire to add strength and weight while I struggle with the discipline necessary to lose unwanted pounds. And I struggled big-time this past weekend. 

I headed to Philadelphia Friday at the invite of my dear friends Jeff and Roni Sacks to the wedding of their son Jonathan Todd to Jennifer Anne Dardzinski at the Ritz Carleton on Broad Street.  I met Jeff and Roni as a result of working with Roni’s brother Arn Tellem when I was an assistant coach with the LA Clippers and Arn was the team’s legal counsel. 

Friday evening, started out with cocktails at the apartment of longtime Philadelphians Bud and Aimee Katz on Rittenhouse Square with a lovely view of the city.  Then, after about an 8 year hiatus I went to one of my old culinary haunts - Dmitri’s on 3^rd and Catherine.  I had to make up for lost time at the Mediterranean seafood masterpiece of a restaurant.  So along with Cathy and Leah Greenberg we ate a significant portion of the Atlantic Ocean including: Grilled Octopus, Grilled Squid, Shrimp Scampi, Sautéed Mussels and Soft Shell Crab.   

Back at the Ritz after dinner, we spent some time with Jeff, Roni, their daughter Ally a sophomore to be at JMU, Arn and his wife Nancy – just back from a trip to Rwanda with their youngest son Eric, Eric’s brothers Michael and Matty and the soon to be newlyweds.  Arn and Nancy invited us for view of William Penn standing atop City Hall from their Penthouse Suite on the top floor of the Ritz.   Arn, a sports agent with a client roster of who’s who in the NBA & MLB looked Hollywood thin with good reason.  He was scheduled to play himself in the film Money Ball, before the film was cancelled this past week.  

For me there’s nothing like the drama and excitement of NCAA March Madness.  Well, maybe the July 4^th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest for the prestigious Mustard Yellow World Championship belt.  Saturday afternoon I got a phone call from Josh Rosenfeld, former Director of Public Relations for the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.  His message was “hey, I got a sleeper for you from New Mexico……but he’s not a basketball player…..he’s a rookie in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest.”  If you don’t have a sense of humor you probably can’t enjoy watching this event.  But I love it.  It is held every year in Coney Island, NY.  As a young child, my parents took us to Far Rockaway and Coney Island where we stayed in a beach bungalow, spent many a day on the beach and on the boardwalk.  ESPN televises the festivities and the Master of Ceremonies for the event is hilarious with his introductions of the contestants.  He introduced one with “he knows why it’s Cous Cous and not just Cous.”  Introducing another with “he remembers what he ate for lunch on March 17^th, 1998…….tuna salad.”  In 2008 American Joey Chestnut and six time winner Takeru Kobayashi needed a “Dog Off” after both consumed 59 hotdogs in 12 minutes and Chestnut won the extra inning to become a two time winner.  On Saturday Chestnut downed 68 dogs in 10 minutes to beat Kobayashi’s 64 and win his 3^rd crown. 

Inspired by Chestnut and Kobayashi, Jeff Sacks and I headed to Parc Restaurant Bistro & Café on Rittenhouse Square where I enjoyed more seafood with delicious Moules Frites – Mussels in white wine, shallots and garlic & Fries -  while sitting outdoors overlooking one of the prettiest squares of real estate in the city.  Jeff, en route to Parc made one of his most important wedding planner contributions by confirming the order for extra Nova Lox for Sunday morning’s brunch. 

Saturday evening’s wedding was a gala event featuring the finest entertainment, food and drink.  Jeff’s brother, Scott, CBS recording artist Sharon Little and their band, who I last heard when they opened for Allison Krause and Robert Plant in Roanoke rocked the house.  The evening started with cocktails and Bob Marley, included lots of Beatles, some Van Morrison and Eric Clapton tunes, lots of Scott’s original stuff, and finished with the last song of the night at 12:45.  Several other highlights of the evening include Allison Sacks singing Baby I’m Amazed and the groom’s grandfather Hank Stern’s rollicking delivery of a poem / song honoring the newlyweds.  Jeff’s toast to the couple included the Mel Brooks line from High Anxiety “remember kids, be good to your parents, they’ve been good to you.”

Jeff’s wedding planner phone call was heeded as an abundance of smoked salmon was seen in omelets, on bagels and au natural at Sunday's brunch.  My flight back to Roanoke was on 1:30 and I headed back Philly satisfied and it’s a good thing. 

This week we hit the road to evaluate prospects at AAU events and camps around the country.  During the first NCAA designated 10 day evaluation period - July 6-15 we will see prospects in Cincinnati OH, Charleston SC, Myrtle Beach SC, Aiken SC, Augusta GA, & Morgantown WV.   

Hope everyone had a great 4^th of July weekend.

Go Highlanders

Brad