B-RadHoops - August 2008

August 31, 2008

We are off and running!  Classes begin Monday so on Sunday we had our first official team meeting to set the tone for the season and first semester academic responsibilities.  We distributed individualized weekly time management calendars for all our players detailing their class schedule, study hall, strength and conditioning, shooting, agility, individual workouts and free play times. 

Our staff is excited about our team and it was great to be able to get them all together and talk about our potential and approach to realizing that potential.  NCAA rules prohibit us from working with players during the summer.  We will start official pre-season workouts on Thursday.  We assign each assistant coach three or four players to monitor during the semester.  The coach meets regularly with his players be sure they understand how final grades are determined for each class and to be sure they are on track with papers, projects, quizzes and tests.

The meeting also gave us an opportunity to talk about some basketball basics and our strategic plan.  Strategy is what our staff has been working on all summer.  We identified focus areas, goals and what actions it will take to achieve them. 

Last week, all coaches in the RU athletic department were invited to President Kyle’s home for her annual dinner to recognize achievement of all athletic teams.  It’s another example of how President Kyle supports athletics.  We have so many outstanding coaches in the athletic department and it was a great evening.

This week we had meetings to finalize plans for the November 5th Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Banquet.  We expect a larger crowd this year to hear special guest John Feinstein and to meet our team.  Call Ross Condon at 540-831-5125 to reserve individual seats or a table.  Table sponsors will receive an autographed ball, a private reception with John Feinstein, an invite to a private sponsor & family only practice, and one of our players will also be seated at the sponsor table.  Save the date and give us a call to reserve your place.  Last year’s sponsors will be receiving details about the banquet via mail in the next week. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

August 24, 2008

Reggie McIntyre finished up his RU career on the court in 2007.  He will be remembered for his tenacity, strength, scoring and rebounding as an undersized forward.  And now he will also be remembered for his academic achievements.  Congratulations are in order as the internship Reggie completed this past year satisfied the final degree requirement for his BS from Radford’s School of Communication.

Last week I attended a dinner at the home of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Wil Stanton and Associate Professor Dr. Angela Stanton.  I learned that Dr. Stanton comes from a long line of “builders” and that the Stanton’s designed every inch of their beautiful home.   Some of the dinner invitees who I had the chance to chat with included Dr Faye W. Gilbert – Dean, College of Business and Economics, Dr. Orion Rogers – Dean, College of Science and Technology, Dr. Dennis Grady – Dean, College of Graduate and Professional Studies and Dr. Patricia Shoemaker – Dean, College of Education and Human Development.  Dr. Shoemaker’s husband Flip was there in Radford Red but he made it clear that as Kansas alum he was also a proud Jayhawk and recalled his college intramural basketball days playing against future NFL Hall of Famer Gale Sayers. 

Next Sunday all our players will be back on campus and we will have our first official team meeting.  I can’t wait.  I am anxious to get all our guys together and to begin building this year’s team.  I think we have a good mix of players that have the potential to do some really good things this season. 

This week we are going to release this season’s schedule.  It very well may be the most competitive men’s basketball schedule ever.  Next week I will include season ticket info.

Hope you are saving November 5th for the 2nd Radford Basketball Tip-Off Banquet with special guest speaker John Feinstein.  It is going to be held at the brand new Covington Center for Visual and Performing Arts.  If you want to reserve a seat or table contact Ross Condon at 540-831-5125.

Go Highlanders

Brad

 

August 17, 2008

The Farmer’s Market Lot on E. Main was the place to be Friday evening for Radford After 5.  The Craig Wollard Band played and it was jam packed.  Radford Vice Mayor Laurie Buchwald does a fantastic job promoting these events.  Some of Radford’s finest in attendance included:

Norleen Pomerantz - RU VP for Student Affairs

Catherine Greenberg - RU VP/Chief Development Officer & Exec. Director of the RU Foundation

Dr. Rick Slavings - RU Vice Provost  

David DeHart - President, RU Advancement Board of Directors  

Greg Rooker - RU Advancement Board of Directors

Karen Casteele - RU Director for University Advancement

Elizabeth Ton – RU Assistant Director for University Advancement

A couple of our future players attended as well.  Lazar Trifunovic has been in Radford all summer.  Laz took four classes this summer after arriving from Binghamton and has plans on earning his masters during his time at Radford.  Laz stands 6-8.  Artsiom Parakhouski arrived this week from Minsk, Belarus.  He is 6-11 and weighs in at 257 pounds.  Needless to say they stood out in a crowd.  We really want our players to get out and be part of the Radford community.  One thing I would really like to see happen in Radford is to identify “Host Families” for international students and athletes at RU.  It would be great for international students to have a home away from home for an occasional family meal, and a relaxing atmosphere for the holidays. 

Following Radford After 5, I went to The River Company Restaurant and Brewery and ran into Fairlawn resident, Roanoke Times writer and blue grass musician Ralph Berrier and his wife Ruth.  They caught the replay of Ruth’s hometown Hagerstown, MD Little League World Series team while Ruth devoured an ice cream sandwich desert.

Saturday night I went to our women’s soccer exhibition match on the “pitch” of Cupp Memorial Stadium.  Women’s coach Ben Sohrabi has been at Radford for 13 years.   Cupp Memorial Stadium is a great venue to watch an evening game under the lights.  And it was great to see other Radford coaches enjoying the action.  Men’s Head Soccer coach Spencer Smith (about to start his 15th season Monday at 12:01am) and assistant Chris Barrett were watching along with most of their 2008 roster.   Also at Cupp was Brent Chumbly, RU Track and Field Head Coach.  And working the sidelines was shutterbug Mike Anderson who moonlights as RU Tennis Coach when not developing his photography skills.  Also there was Judge Bobby Turk a big fan of Radford athletics with his children Holt, Zach and Anna.

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I will head over to VT to participate in a Coaches Self Help Clinic my brother Seth is hosting.  Each year Seth helps organize a get together with about 10 coaches gathering, each with a tactical topic to present to the group followed by open discussions.  This year’s participants include head coaches: Dennis Wolff – Boston University, John Shulman – UTC, Matt Brady - JMU, Keith Dambrot – Akron, Jimmy Christian – TCU, Brad Brownell – Wright State, Jeff Lebo – Auburn, and the brothers Greenberg.  Tom Barrise – an assistant with the NJ Nets will also be there.

It will be a great two days to brainstorm basketball and I am excited about it.  An added bonus is Seth inviting the rest of our staff to sit in on the action. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the last weeks of summer. 

Remember to save the date – November 5, 2008.  That’s the night of our Tip-Off Banquet with special guest John Feinstein. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

August 10, 2008

Don’t you wish the Summer Olympics occurred more often than once every four years?  I love watching world class athletes in such a variety of sports and events.   It’s mind boggling how much training these athletes put into preparation for their respective events.  How about the pressure on these athletes competing on this world stage? 

I watched the USA men’s basketball team play China Sunday morning and the analyst for the game was Doug Collins.  I have known Doug for about 20 years and consider him one of the brightest basketball minds alive.  But it is impossible to watch Olympic basketball without bringing up memories of Doug as an Olympian in 1972 at the Munich Games when he made the most clutch free throws any American player has ever made to put the US up by a point with 3 seconds to go against the Soviet Union.  A controversial last second Russian field goal that defeated the US for the very first time in Olympic competition still haunts Doug to this day. 

Attached is a picture of that famous team.  How many of the players can you recognize?

It’s hard to believe just three weeks from now we will gather our team together for the first time to begin the school year, and our training for the upcoming season.  

Later this week incoming junior college transfer Artsiom Parakhouski arrives from Minsk, Belarus.  Art joins incoming freshman Aaron “Bleek” Austin and transfer Lazar Trifunovic as the three new players in the program for the coming year. 

Last week was the 2nd session of the Brad Greenberg Highlander Basketball Camp.  Senior Eric Hall was one of the coaches at the camp and did an outstanding job.  He was a pied piper with a trail of young campers following him throughout the day. 

Save the date: Wednesday November 5, 2008 for the 2nd Radford Basketball Tip-Off Banquet with special guest speaker - author, sportswriter and commentator John Feinstein. 

Go Highlanders

Brad 

August 3, 2008

July was a busy month for our staff.  During the 20 days we were allowed to be out on the road we watched events in:

Charlotte, North Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Morgantown, West Virginia
Orlando, Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Chantilly, Virginia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Trenton, New Jersey
&
Toronto, Canada.

We probably saw about 150 AAU games and have now prioritized about 100 senior Division I scholarship prospects. 

The month of August is when we finalize our fall pre-season workout program.  In about a week we will send our players the pre-season strength and conditioning training schedule.  It is important that our players report back to school in good shape.  I view a players conditioning as a signal of how serious they are about playing to their potential, of how determined they are to contribute to the team’s success and how responsible a teammate they are. 

Saturday evening I ran into Radford Tennis coach Mike Anderson and his wife Cathy at Blacksburg’s Steppin Out street festival.  Mike’s nephew is the drummer in the band Adra Reed Deep Pocket which was the highlight musical act that closed the festival.   With the Anderson’s was RU supporter Kevin Stoner.  I also ran into RU alum Allison Turk at 310 Rosemont, the Main Street boutique where my daughter Ali works.

The 2nd session of the Brad Greenberg Highlander Basketball Camp begins Monday morning at the Radford Rec Center.  We will also have an evening Shooting Stars session.  And later in the week we will have a special guest coach at camp.  Acie Earl was an All Big 10 center at the University of Iowa before playing for the Boston Celtics and later Telekom of the Turkish Basketball League where his teammate was Assistant Coach Ali Ton.  Acie is bringing his 10 year old daughter to the camp. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

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