Every year, I tell myself the same lies.
“This will be easier to write this year.” “I’ll work on it as the season progresses so I have less to write at the end of the year.” “This one will end differently.” “I’ll be doing this forever.”
To borrow a phrase I say away from this wretched keyboard, “Someday I’ll listen to me.”
The time for season epilogue number – oh, never mind, I’ve lost count and can’t do math – is here. I’ll waste way too many words recapping another season in reverse, and I’ll grouse to myself while doing so because of the way it ends.
For those who are new here or those who don’t remember how these always end, I’ll revisit the quote from Kyle Whelliston, who was the inspiration behind our favorite site, The Mid-Majority.
“It always ends in a loss.”
The losses are becoming far too numerous to bear. I’ll opine on several of them as we go along. Let’s save that for the end, though.
Onward…
The season started for me much earlier than in years prior, as I took on the main Big South coverage for the Blue Ribbon Yearbook. This meant that the season that normally began for me in October now started in June, with a deadline of August 15. I am incredibly grateful to Chris – and to the great Mike Ashley, who connected the two of us – for the opportunity, but the work has revealed to me a significant gap in how we cover college sports.
That mid-August deadline proves to me that the portal has claimed another victim in the most legendary college basketball periodical in the game. Several schools still had incomplete rosters as of the time I filed my previews. Some players departed for new homes after the deadline date. Before I go into it further, let’s just gracefully transition into a few of the highlights.
- Asheville coach
Mike Morrell rescheduled my conversation with him – because he had a tee
time. This sounds as if I’m putting him on blast, but I’m not. Mike is a
great golfer who loves the game. Just as time is growing shorter for those
of us writing stories, so too is it growing shorter for coaches. If he
could get in a quick 18 before talking to me, fine. Mike and I ended up
talking for over two hours that day, discussing everything from the
location of the conference tournament to what he knew – or didn’t know –
about the coming year’s team. I always come away better after talking to
Mike, because I learn just as much about life as I do about hoops.
- I had the first
of many great conversations with High Point coach Alan Huss. We talked
about a lot of things this year – I’ll highlight some of those later this
season – but I asked him the question that was asked of me about him so
frequently the season prior:
“Why are you so mad all the
time?”
He gave me a wonderful, introspective answer – I won’t share it, because it was between him and me – but his growth as a coach from season one to season two was clear and filled with dividends.
- What you see in the final, published product is nowhere near the full story of how the process works. I talked to every coach for anywhere from 45 minutes to nearly two-and-a-half hours. They were all – unsurprisingly – very kind and giving of their time. I will, however, say that there was so much from all those conversations that never made print. The non-printed stuff was even more valuable than what I ran.
I could say even more about this process, but I’ll close it with this. I don’t know how much longer I can do the Blue Ribbon stuff. The challenges I’ve outlined around the current news cycle, the time involved in compiling the finished product, and my constantly perfectionist ways take a toll. It’s a lot.
Let’s move on, lest I make this a downer. There’s plenty more of that to come.
Next was Big South Media Day in October. We had planned to conduct the event in Johnson City after the announcement of the tournament moving there, but owing both to the devastation of Hurricane Helene and the logistical challenges from it, the event was moved to Charlotte. This allowed me to spend the day at the desk of the wonderful Mark Simpson, the Big South’s home for both outstanding sports information and unrivaled kindness.
Aside
from how blazingly cold it was in the building – nearly every coach and player
voiced it to me, and it eventually got back to Mark, who had it fixed – I was
allotted a generous amount of time with every school’s representatives and
commissioner Sherika Montgomery. If you know anything about me, you’ll know
that I am a bit of a deep-diver in these settings and prefer not to ask
surface-level stuff. The conversations are all available to revisit on Spotify,
and feature everything from the matter-of-fact (“We’re breathing. We’re alive.
We’re on two feet. We’re not victims in this. You can go two hours north back
to Asheville and you can see real victims. You can go to my hometown of
Elizabethton, Tennessee, and see real victims. That ain’t what we are. We’re
just inconvenienced right now.” - Mike Morrell) to the engagingly real (USC
Upstate coach Marty Richter describing his first season coaching in D1 and the
challenges his nearly-reconstructed team faced) to the frankly unbelievable
(Morrell insisting he wasn’t cursing as much).
I value those conversations. I value those people. How much longer we’ll be able to keep those connections, though, is another thing altogether. Again, more on that later.
My latest spin around the orange began with a trip to Queens, as the Royals took on Division III Lynchburg. I’ve spent much of the Royals’ three seasons in Division I telling their stories, which has been deeply rewarding. Additionally, I greatly respect Hornets coach Hilliary Scott. He and I share a hometown, sure, but he’s also done a great job as a Division III lifer.
Queens absolutely throttled Lynchburg that night – to no real surprise – but a story that would last the season unfolded that night. Queens center Malcolm Wilson – a little-used player at Georgetown before transferring – turned away four shots and collected six caroms on the night. Queens coach Grant Leonard told me – officially and unofficially – many times about Wilson’s continued development. That night was the first glimpse of what we would see.from Wilson in his final season as a Royal.
“I think it was just the amount of work we put in this summer that is giving me a lot of confidence,” Wilson said. “I’ve been able to be more effective on the offensive end and really focus on the defensive end and rebounds. That’s my job – taking those opportunities and making sure I’m going after those possessions.”
Malc did that, and then some. More on that later.
The Royals went to 2-0 later that week, knocking off Western Carolina in the front half of the SoCon-ASUN Challenge. The Catamounts had a tough first year under old friend Tim Craft, but I will forever refuse to bet against Tim – figuratively, of course, being a non-gambler. Queens won the game by 13. There’s a story around the game that we’ll hit in a second, First, Leonard opened up a bit more on Wilson after he had another large night.
“This is why we (coach),” Leonard said. “I always say that you never give up on a big man, because they mature slower. For a kid that is the quality of human being that he is – the intelligence and how he treats other people – for him to put in the work and get rewarded for it is amazing.
“Basketball can humble people. He was a highly-ranked kid who went to Georgetown – an elite level school – and he was humbled a bit. I think he thought it was going to be instant pudding (at Queens) and he was humbled a bit again, and he didn’t give in. He kept working. Credit to (former Queens assistant) Walt Belcher, credit to (strength coach) Matt Donelson, credit to coach (Adam) Short on our staff. They’ve worked with him day in and day out. Malcolm really believes and he’s done a great job.”
The story of that game, though, focused on guard Asjon Anderson. Anderson, who transferred into Queens before the season, Anderson said after the game – in which he turned in a season-high 24 points:
“(The key was) just believing in myself,” Anderson said after the game. “My coaches and my teammates believed in me, too, and kept telling me to shoot and always be ready to shoot. Everyone believing in me made me believe in myself.”
As the
season went on and the rotation grew tighter, Anderson’s playing time faded.
Anderson would then finally disappear four months later, choosing to transfer
out of the program.
My 14th season of making Winthrop my home base for Big South coverage started several days later, as Little Rock visited the Eagles for their Homecoming game. The game didn’t turn out to be as close as I expected – Winthrop turned away the Trojans by 15 – and Winthrop fans went home happy. Someday, Winthrop fans will come into the Homecoming game with the same fervor with which they party outside. The Eagles played well, but their 22 turnovers that day would end up becoming a recurring storyline all year. More on that later.
I would stay with the Eagles over the next weekend – for a couple games, at least. Winthrop played its annual MTE at the Sports & Event Center in downtown Rock Hill. I couldn’t get there Friday because of my high school football coverage, but I did visit for the Saturday contest against Georgia Southern. Winthrop won the Friday night tilt over William & Mary on a crazy buzzer-beater from Bryce Baker. Saturday would not yield the same result.
The Eagles fell to the…other Eagles, 89-87. Exactly one week after the issues with turnovers didn’t haunt Winthrop, they did on this day. Winthrop coach Mark Prosser opined on the performance after the game.
“We need more complete efforts,” Prosser continued. “You can’t win games with five assists and 20 turnovers. You can’t. You can’t win games going 3-for-16 from the three-point line. You can’t. We’ve either got to step up and make plays, or we’re going to have to change how we play. We need some dudes to start ringing the bell when the opportunity presents itself.”
Winthrop returned to its winning ways the next day, squeaking past NC Central, 79-77, to close out the three-day event. NC Central led the game by a point at the interval, but Winthrop surged back in the second half and withstood the efforts of – again – the opposing Eagles to claim the decision. Nick Johnson hit a key shot late, which he would go on to do many more times in what would become a pretty special season for the garnet-and-gold.
My run of hanging out with Winthrop continued as LIU visited just days after taking down Charlotte in Halton Arena. The day turned out to be another red letter day in Kelton Talford’s standout career.
Let me pause here for a second and talk about KT.
I think everyone here knows that I’ve covered him since he was a prep star at Great Falls High School a half-hour down the road. He caught touchdowns in huge numbers – a 6-foot-7 wideout in high school is just unfair – on the football field. He dominated on the hardwood. He then went on to play for his local team. His final act as an Eagle was every bit as outstanding as the first four. More on that later, though.
Talford
collected one of the group of double-doubles of which I eventually lost count
on this day, as Winthrop was never really challenged in a convincing
20-plus-point win. Another of the Eagles’ troubles appeared this day for one of
what would become many times. Winthrop hit just 59.4 percent (19-for-32) from
the line. It didn’t matter then. It absolutely would later.
I had Winthrop again as December started, but this was one of the rare times I got to see them on the road. The Eagles visited Curry Arena at Queens for another installment of the Battle of I-77 a half-hour – assuming traffic cooperates – away in Charlotte. This series is set to go for a while, which makes nothing but sense. G (Queens coach Grant Leonard) loves the series, and I think Pross (Mark Prosser) does too – even if he won’t admit it in the fog of proverbial war.
“(Queens) is a hard place to play,” Prosser said after the game. “They’re very well-coached, they play really hard, and they’re talented. They have wonderful kids, too. We knew it was going to be a one-or-two-possession game. That’s how it always is.”
“We’re fortunate to be able to get out of here with a win. I’m fortunate that I don’t have to worry about them for another year.”
Winthrop won the game, 86-78. Pross was relieved. G seemed – well, more than seemed – annoyed. Queens was within five at the break and going nearly shot-for-shot with the Eagles. The Royal defense couldn’t sustain the effort in the second half, though, which led to comments like these.
“I’d say that was probably our worst defensive performance,” Queens guard Bryce Cash said. “We’ve got practice tomorrow and practice the rest of the week to get better. That’s our main focus for now.”
“Overall, I was happy offensively. I didn’t think that was why we lost the game. We let them shoot 59 percent in the second half. That was really the difference in the game,” Leonard said.
That story stood out as much for the story I told as the odd bit I included that had almost nothing to do with the game.
You see, Winthrop goes to convenience stores after road wins to load up on snacks. I happened to be behind the team bus as it pulled into QuikTrip on Woodlawn Road in Charlotte that night, and I had an inkling of the plan.
“I’ve been going with Nutter Butters for the last couple (wins),” Prosser said. “As an entire program, we’re all fired up for snack time. I’m going to stay with the Nutter Butters. I think they’ve been good for me.”
Winthrop’s old Big South rival Coastal Carolina – they’ve now departed for the Sun Belt – came to Rock Hill for a non-league game. The game had several interesting storylines. Coastal coach Justin Gray replaced Prosser as a Winthrop assistant under Pat Kelsey when Prosser departed to take over the Western Carolina program. Former Winthrop assistants Zack Freesman and Jayson Gee were wearing Coastal’s teal and white. Gray and Prosser were both finalists for the Winthrop job when Kelsey left to go to Charleston.
Coastal had one of its several tough days in the 2024-25 season that Saturday in the Coliseum. The Chanticleers shot north of 62 percent in the second half – and lost. The Eagles claimed a 96-89 decision over the Chants, with Nick Johnson again cashing a huge shot late. Johnson squared up after catching a Kasen Harrison feed just feet from me and splashed home the three that essentially decided the game.
It was back to the Sports & Event Center in Rock Hill for the next dispatch, as Winthrop did battle with NCCAA member Bob Jones. The game was pretty much as expected, with the Eagles setting a number of season-highs in a complete trouncing of the Bruins. I got to see old friend Preston Elwell that night, which was one of the only two memorable things of the night. Preston is now working at Chattanooga, who had a pretty special season of their own. More on the Mocs in a while.
The
other memorable thing to happen that night came courtesy of the sparse Winthrop
student contingent that made the short trip downtown. During one of the BJU
free throw attempts, the students began singing Creed’s “Higher” to try to
distract the shooter. I try to keep a pretty solid poker face at games, but I
cracked up laughing. I wasn’t the only one – I looked into the lane and saw
several guys from both sides getting in a chuckle.
I then headed over to Boiling Springs for the first – and only – time all year to pinch-hit for Jake and cover Gardner-Webb as they hosted Queens. There are reasons I don’t get to GWU as much as I used to – I don’t want to step on Jake’s coverage, for one, and having a stat sheet ripped from my hands and getting scolded when I tried to show it to a player’s dad is another, but enough about that – but I settled in on a Saturday afternoon to check out the Royals and Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Fresno State transfer Leo Colimerio showed that day why he was such a priority target in the portal. He and the Royals absolutely carved through the Gardner-Webb zone in the first half, as Colimerio tallied 24 points in the stanza. He would then hit the two free throws that largely ended the game on the other side, as the Royals would claim an 85-83 decision. Had the Royals not won another game away from Curry Arena, they would have equaled the one true road win they had the year prior. They would do far better than that, though. We’ll get there.
Gardner-Webb guard Buddy Simmons had a huge day on the other side. Simmons booked 23 for the ’Dogs, one of many big days he had in his sophomore season. Gardner-Webb coach Jeremy Luther commented after the game about his star’s performance.
“I thought he played really well tonight,” Luther said. “He got some big stops and hit some big shots. He’s got a long career ahead of him. He’s going to be really good.”
He will be really good. Where he will be really good, though, is unknown. More on that later.
A week later, I made my annual pilgrimage home to central Virginia and visited Liberty. The Flames took on UT Arlington on a bitterly cold day in Lynchburg. The Flames pummeled the Mavs, claiming a 22-point decision to go into Christmas break on a very high note. Guard Taelon Peter had one of his numerous big days in the win, tallying 20 points. Fellow guard Kaden Metheny added 25.
I also saw something incredibly rare – a Ritchie McKay technical. The foul was assessed against the Flames’ bench, but Ritchie commented on the situation after the game.
“I just thought one of their players hit (forward) Zach (Cleveland) in the face and I was asking the referee to review it,” McKay said. “I think (UT Arlington coach K.T. Turner) thought I was staring down his player, which – you guys have been around me enough that (you know that) I’m not trying to incite anything. I think that got him frustrated, and there was some chirping at the bench.
“It was just competitive stuff. It was really nothing.”
I wished
Ritchie a merry Christmas as he left the media room, then ventured up the steps
and out the doors to be punched in the face by the bitter air in the Virginia
foothills. I started mentally planning my next trip to Liberty Arena as I
walked across the beautifully-decorated campus to get to my car. That trip
would never come – at least, not this year.
After spending Christmas week decompressing and reconnecting, I visited High Point for my only Sunday regular-season contest of the year. Norfolk State was in town, and the chance to watch Rob Jones and Alan Huss square off was not to be missed. The fact that I always enjoy my trips to High Point also didn’t hurt.
The game absolutely lived up to its billing, as two of the best mid-majors in the country – and two eventual conference champions – went toe-to-toe for 40 minutes. The Spartans took a three-point win back to the bus, as star guard Brian Moore scored 33 points and knifed through the Panther paint to record a career-high.
“I think that was the game. I think (spacing) was the issue,” Huss said of his team’s defensive effort on Moore. “You can reduce it really to that. Can you, at the end of the day, make him give the basketball up? He’s such a long strider. He does a lot of things that guards don’t really do at this level a ton. He’s so good at it. On top of that, he makes us pay – he ends up with six assists and 33 points. He was the difference in the game. He was the best guard on the floor and the best player on the floor today.”
Jones would continue to cite that win – with good reason – throughout the season. He did so on the dais in Raleigh at the NCAA Tournament, and a lot of days between December and March. I would see Jones, Moore, and the Spartans again in the NCAA Tournament. We’ll get to that.
Huss
joked with me after the game that I was no longer allowed in the Qubein Center.
The Panthers were eliminated from the Big South tournament on their home floor
in the year prior with me in attendance, and the first game I covered in their
palatial estate during 2024-25 was also a loss. The Panthers’ fortunes – and my
welcome in their home – would quickly change.
I started 2025 with a fun – but, in retrospect, dumb – Thursday afternoon. I decided to cover two games in one day – with tip times three hours apart and a 30-minute drive between the venues. The first game opened Big South play, as USC Upstate visited Winthrop. The game was a complete slugfest for most of it, with the contest tied at 66 with 10 minutes to play. Winthrop would go on to score the next 25 points and blow out the Spartans in a 95-76 decision.
About midway through the run, I quickly packed my backpack, patted the great Mike Gleason on the shoulder and wished him safe travels, and ventured to my steed to take me to Queens. The Royals held on to a precarious, two-point lead at the interval of their ASUN lid-lifter against Stetson.
“I actually told our guys we were going to wear them down. I thought we were in better physical shape,” Leonard said. “The first nine minutes (of the game) we had 11 points, and after that, we really started getting to our spots and stopped turning it over. We just started to feel comfortable.”
Queens won, 96-87, and Colimerio again tallied 27. Leo continued to finish tantalizingly close to his career-high of 30 – he would eventually eclipse it, but even then not without some confusion – and a pair of Royals joined him in doubles.
The career-high – and the confusion around it – came two days later as the Royals did in FGCU. We left the building thinking Leo had scored 37 points, only for it to be noted after I had already put the result on Twitter that Colimerio was only credited with 35. Irrespective of the total, Colimerio was finding his stride. So, too, did the Royals find theirs.
“(The performance) just means a lot to me individually,” Colimerio said. “It feels good for the guys. We worked so hard throughout the summer. I’m glad they were able to find me. We’ve been working hard every day, especially at finishing out games. It just feels good that we got the win and protected home court.”
Leonard commented after the game on the difference against FGCU – a difference which would pay dividends in Fort Myers a couple months later.
“It’s the loose balls, it’s the rebounds and the box-outs. I thought that was the difference in the game. Our physicality boxing out in the first half really shocked them.”
Remind
me – I’ll get back to that.
I then ventured back to Winthrop for the latest installment of the Eagles’ rivalry with Longwood. The rivalry has been – of late, anyway – dominated by the home sides. That Saturday was no exception.
Winthrop pummeled the Lancers, 95-76, on the day. Freshman Paul Jones III scored 24 on the day to pace the Eagles – again, remind me to finish the story on him later. I waited outside the Lancers’ locker room to speak to Longwood coach Griff Aldrich after the game. For those who have never seen the locker room setup at Winthrop, the players’ locker room is to the left in a small hall, while the coaches are to the right. As I walked in, Griff and I exchanged pleasantries, but I could tell he was annoyed. He summed up the game with an economy of words.
“We got out-competed. We got out-toughed,” Aldrich said. “We had a group who just showed up, but didn’t show up to try to win the game. We were lethargic. Credit Winthrop. They came with energy and juice, and not only were we not trying to match it, we weren’t close.”
I’ve talked to Griff many times, including a 2020 conversation I’ve chronicled in a prior epilogue in that exact locker room. This time just felt different. I was out of there in under five minutes, and Griff shortly made his way out of the building and to the bus. That would be the last time he would exit Winthrop Coliseum as Longwood’s head coach.
The Eagles’ homestand would continue in the middle of the ensuing week with a visit from Charleston Southern. CSU and Winthrop engaged in what could be described as a rock fight – to be kind – for 39 minutes. The Bucs led by three late, but a Bryce Baker triple sent the game to extra time. I’ve mentioned Mike Gleason a number of times in this and other epilogues, and my usual Winthrop seatmate was not as happy for bonus time on this night as he might ordinarily have been, as he needed to get home to walk his dogs. Five minutes elapsed. Then 10. Finally, after 15 additional minutes, the Eagles emerged victorious, 102-97. CSU only had five remaining active players who had not fouled out at the end. Bucs coach Saah Nimley, whom I’ve covered since he was a player at CSU, stood with me in the hall just feet from the celebratory Winthrop locker room. His quiet voice spoke loudly.
“I thought it was a heck of an effort by our guys,” Nimley said. “I thought they did everything right, and being super short-handed, they made every effort to win this game. Some days, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. They made two spur-of-the-moment threes when they needed it. Sometimes, the ball bounces that way. We’ve got to trust that it’s going to bounce our way soon.”
The game
also included a notable statistic, in that Winthrop’s Nick Johnson outscored
all of his teammates – in just the three overtimes. The senior guard booked 28,
with 17 of that total coming in the bonus periods. That was not the first – or
the last – time Johnson took over a game in 2024-25.
I then ventured to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville to see a SoCon team for the second time this season (sorry to the great Dave Friedman – I’ll be better next time), as Furman hosted Chattanooga. The Paladins could hardly have started hotter, scoring 22 of the first 28 points of the game against the Mocs. Furman held a seven-point interval advantage, with the 4,300-plus in attendance feeling as if they would exit the arena into downtown Greenville on a celebratory note.
They would not.
Chattanooga took every punch thrown at it, staggering but never falling. That 16-point lead was soon shaved to five, Furman tried to pad its cushion in the second half – and did for a while – but Dan Earl’s group attacked the paint with a vengeance and wore down the Paladins inside. The effort left Bob Richey characterizing himself as “furious” after the game, though his emotions are rarely on such display.
“This game tonight could have gone either way,” Richey said after the game. “This was a 50-50 game with two great teams battling it out. We led for 35 minutes of the game. They led for 4:20. Those are the ones that kill you. Those are the ones that hurt you. For 35 minutes, we did a lot of good stuff. For four minutes and 20 seconds, we gave them the lead and let them come on our home floor and beat us. We didn’t finish the game well.”
In the end, it was Chattanooga’s toughness and attention to detail that won the day. As I said in my recap:
Chattanooga completely flipped the script in the paint in the second half. The Mocs outscored the Paladins, 26-14, below the stripe in the second half, but two other numbers troubled the Paladins’ coach. Chattanooga held a 17-3 advantage on second chance points and a 15-4 advantage on the break, which loomed large in such a tightly contested game. Additionally, both sides tried 28 free throws. Chattanooga missed just three, while Furman missed 11.
It was
that toughness and attention to detail that helped Chattanooga somewhat defy
our usual conclusion to this feature. There are more chapters to that tale, and
we’ll tell more of it later.
Another ASUN game was next, as North Florida took on Queens in Curry Arena. Queens had multiple injuries and a thin rotation, but Leonard was fixated on one particular aspect of the Royals’ 90-81 loss to the Ospreys.
Freshman forward Josh Harris scored 31 in the UNF victory. Harris hit 12-of-20 tries – 2-of-3 from distance – in scoring greater than a third of his team’s total. Harris, for his part, would go portaling after the season.
“That’s the tale of the game – letting a freshman score 31. He’s a good player, but – our interior players are all seniors. They should be able to hold the fort better than that.”
Queens led the game, 84-81, with 2:40 to play. The Royals would not score again.
“That’s really the first game all year that we’ve been up late where we kind of kicked away a lead,” Leonard said. “Defensively, we definitely didn’t get the stops. I thought they got to the spots they wanted to and right to the rim. Offensively, 16 turnovers – and a couple late, even on an out of bounds play where that should never happen.”
Grant
left our media setup after some off-recorder talk, but he was clearly annoyed –
I get it, I’ve played and coached – and walked back into the arena. That would
not be the final time during the season that would happen.
The following Saturday was one of those days each year where I ask myself why I hate myself. I usually book a doubleheader with a dumb drive involved each year – they’re usually up in Virginia – but the choice on this freezing January day was to take in a pair in the Piedmont Triad. The first stop was back at High Point, where the Panthers welcomed Winthrop.
High Point had its way with the Eagles that day, as Winthrop fell behind early and were forced to play without Talford for much of the first half due to foul trouble. The Panthers led the Eagles by 22 at the half and would go on to win by that same 22-point margin. High Point coach Alan Huss cited the importance of Talford’s foul trouble and the ever-present stellar performance of his bench among many of his post-game remarks. One thing he said would not come true, though.
“They missed some shots that they’ll probably make at their place.”
They would not make those shots at their place. I’m getting ahead of myself, though.
I hopped in my car about 4:45 and, after a brief stop at Sheetz for some sustenance, set out on the roughly 40-minute drive along interstates 85 and 40 to Elon.
As an aside, even with as much as I love the Schar Center, I still can’t fully get used to it. I attended Elon and am hit with a barrage of things in my brain – not all great – when I pull into town. I put that aside – I never root for anyone when covering a game, even if I attended the school, but more on that later – and settled in for my first CAA contest of the year as Charleston battled the Phoenix.
Charleston won significantly in a game that Elon coach Billy Taylor described as “our first real stinker”. The Cougars hauled in 19 offensive caroms and tallied 27 second-chance points against an Elon team with 7-foot-4 Matthew Van Komen and 6-foot-11 Sam Sherry, showing an edge that the Phoenix could just never match.
“I just think we weren’t in the correct positions,” Sherry said after the game. “I could have been better on the boards, obviously.”
Van Komen would hit the portal after the season ended. A handful of his Phoenix teammates would join him. Elon’s season-ending skid still defies explanation. Taylor’s side would participate in the CBI, but would bow out to Army in its opening contest.
I pulled back into the home base of the southern bureau a bit after midnight, over 13 hours after I started my day. I filed sometime after 2:00am. I then slept for what felt like days.
That
would not be the dumbest thing I would do this season.
I know this will shock you, but Winthrop’s Kelton Talford secured another double-double. This seemed to be an occurrence every time I covered the Eagles. The circumstances that went on around that double-double, though…
The Eagles pulled away from Presbyterian late and claimed a home victory over the Blue Hose. The run was keyed by a technical foul assessed to PC’s Jaylen Peterson. Though the call probably didn’t change the game, I had never heard the explanation PC’s Quinton Ferrell gave me after the game for the call.
“(Peterson) jumped really high is what he said,” Ferrell said. “They told me that another block that he had was a block, but it was a dangerous play. That part’s unfortunate, but in games, you’re going to have stuff that you can’t control. That’s why we needed to be better on defense.”
“That was a huge shift in the game. It was a tie game. We blocked the ball and got possession of it. We came out of that situation down three, so we were kind of fighting uphill through adversity. We’ll get better from it.”
I just reported it as Q told me. If that’s the reason the technical was assessed, every play is dangerous. Sorry.
PC would get better from it, to use Q’s phrasing. Winthrop would also get better from it, as the victory brought them to 4-4 in the league. They would finish significantly better than that mark.
I would spend back-to-back games covering the Blue Hose, as I made my first trip to Clinton in a while to cover High Point’s game down in the Lakelands. Huss referred to PC as “complex” to prepare for, and it’s pretty obvious why that is. I would get more clarity after the game, though.
First, there was the 84-72 result that went High Point’s way. The Panthers shot a frankly ridiculous 71 percent in the first half, which I mentioned to Huss after the game was unsustainable. He responded with the laugh I gradually heard more and more throughout the season, then offered this answer:
“I was disappointed – obviously that’s not sustainable. We all knew that,” Huss said. “The piece that was a little bit disappointing was how they (got back into the game). That’s precisely what we talked about at halftime. They’re going to turn up the heat a little bit in the half court and the full court. They’re going to put their hands on us. They’re going to be a little bit more aggressive. I just thought we had some really soft turnovers to start the (second) half that really got them going offensively. Credit to them for doing it, but it was just a little disappointing because that was the entire halftime speech. Clearly, I’ve got to improve my delivery.”
Getting a little more connected with Huss was one of the highlights of my year. I think he may have been a bit skeptical of me during his first year, which I understand. We talked a lot during the year, and he had a lot of wonderful things to say. I’ll share the public stuff and keep the rest for him and me.
Moving on…
Q had his own thoughts about that first half. Both coaches essentially told that story for me.
“I thought in the first half the ball stuck too much,” Ferrell said. “That was something that I really got onto my guys about. We’ve got breakdown basketball where we’ve got different things that we do, and we weren’t doing it. Whoever had the ball just kept it. Everybody else was just standing. Switching defenses can do that to you if you’re not intentional about running your offense and doing different things to combat that and attack that. I thought in the second half we were much better. That’s why we scored 41 points and we won the second half. I just thought that in the first half, we gave away a few possessions just by our own doing of not moving the ball, cutting, setting ball screens, slipping out, and doing the different things we worked on.”
There was also the topic of PC being “complex”. I talked to Huss about that, too.
“Radford a year ago ran a lot of the same stuff (as Presbyterian) that a lot of people ran years ago. A lot of the stuff they run is stuff we ran when I was playing,” Huss said. “They have new, modern wrinkles on it is probably how I’d say it. They give you a look and they try to exploit it. They went with a big-big lineup tonight and they tried to exploit those 1-4 switches, off-ball, sealing at the rim, slip you a little bit.
“You have to deal with all that and then you have to deal with a dynamic player in Mincy in on-ball actions. They’re hard. They’re hard to deal with. You don’t ever really get comfortable, because a lot of what you guard is not what you guard the rest of the season. They’re pretty good at the stuff everybody else is doing, too. The slot-ball screen stuff with Mincy is really tough to deal with, too. (Presbyterian coach Quinton Ferrell) does a good job of just picking on whatever matchup they think they can exploit. Especially when (guard) Kezza (Giffa) got into a little bit of foul trouble, I think it took the teeth out of him a little bit. You can probably say that for (forward) Kimani (Hamilton), too. It took the teeth out of what we were doing a little bit in those switches. I don’t want to make excuses. It was effective – doing what they did was effective. It was hard to deal with.”
That day seemed to flip the switch for Q’s group. The Hose won five of their final seven regular-season outings, losing the other two by a combined five points. My great friend, Presbyterian SID Brent Stastny, laughingly referred to the team’s run since that visit when he saw me at the Big South tournament in Johnson City.
Oh,
Johnson City. There’s so much to say about Johnson City. More on that later.
Lipscomb at Queens was next on the docket. The Royals knocked off the Bisons in Allen Arena in Nashville and looked capable of doing so that night in Charlotte. That was, of course, until the second half started.
Lipscomb ripped off a dizzying 40 points in the first 10-plus minutes of the stanza on the way to a 61-point second half. I don’t think anyone in the arena that night knew what hit them. The Royals certainly didn’t.
Jacksonville transfer Gyasi Powell helped spark the second-half burst. Powell booked 21 of his 23 points in that period after hitting just 1-of-7 in the opening period.
“In the end, it was the threes from Powell. It was the threes from the other guys that really crushed us,” Leonard said.
Those
two teams would end up seeing each other again with even more on the line.
If someone asked me what the best game I saw all year was, I probably would have to pick the next one. I’m sure there were others I could name, but Asheville’s game at High Point had it all. The game felt like a heavyweight fight – between the enormous crowd in the building for Parents Weekend at High Point, the 21 boards center Juslin Bodo Bodo grabbed, the extra time, and the feeling of more relief than anything in the post-game press conference, the significance was clear.
High Point won the game, 104-100, in overtime. It was the rare game I didn’t want to end. The Panthers led by as many as 12 around the five-minute mark, but Asheville – to continue the metaphor – punched out of its corner on two separate occasions. The Bulldogs – somehow – leveled the game on a Jordan Marsh three that felt as if it could have scraped tiles off the ceiling.
“You get punched like we got punched at the end – we’ve got some things we’ve got to execute better,” Huss said. “We did everything under the sun to allow them to put that game into overtime. That was disappointing, because we’ve worked on a lot of those things at this juncture. We relaxed a little bit, and again, credit to them for having the tenacity to keep coming.”
“When you get gut-punched like that, it’s really easy to lay down and quit. I was really pleased with our group’s effort and resolve to come back, punch back, and get off to a nice start in overtime. Winning in college basketball is very difficult, especially when you’re playing against a team that’s playing confident basketball and is as good offensively as Asheville is. They were tremendous.”
High
Point led by as many as seven in the extra period, but was still in danger
until Marsh’s intentional free throw miss did not draw iron and the Panthers
closed it out at the line. The final, combined with Asheville’s 103-99 win in
Kimmel Arena earlier in the season, evened the squads at 203 apiece in the two
games. I told several people after the game that I would immediately sign up
for a rematch of the two in the league title game. That, too, was not to be.
Nick Johnson would then go on to provide more heroics for Winthrop – joined this time by fellow backcourt star Kasen Harrison. The pair combined to finally put away a stubborn Radford side late, 78-74.
“(Those were) two teams that were sort of going blow-for-blow and a bunch of people making shots on both sides,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game. “Man, am I proud of the effort of our kids.”
I always leave every conversation I have with Darris Nichols having learned something. It could be something about basketball, about life, or about both. This time, the lesson would be about leadership.
“I just challenged (the team),” Nichols said. “If this one doesn’t sting, if you’re not upset by this one, you’re not a true competitor. If this doesn’t really bother you, it’s going to be a hard life for you. Everything you do in life is competition. It bothers me. I’m going to watch the film and I’ve got to sit on it for a whole week. We don’t play again until next Thursday.”
Nice
shared with me some other stuff off the recorder, which is where it will stay.
He would then head for the bus, with that also being the last time he would
exit Winthrop Coliseum wearing the red, white, and blue of his hometown school.
I then saw Queens have such a good night from distance that I think I might have hit a three. The Royals banged 16 triples in a big win over Central Arkansas, just 13 days after it hit 14 threes against the Bears in Conway. The output was the highest number Queens has ever recorded against a Division I opponent.
The Royals booked a wild 30-point total off UCA miscues, which prompted a matter-of-fact remark from coach John Shulman in comments made available by the school after the game.
"Their pressure bothered us. Give them credit, they pressured us defensively and we didn't handle it very well. We had to go away from Princeton (offense) and do some ball-screen stuff, and that's disappointing. If you're going to try to be a Princeton offense, you have to be able to claim your space and we were never able to do that. We had nine assists and 18 turnovers. Looking at that, we should have gotten beat by 40 points.”
Austin Peay then throttled the Queens momentum two nights later. The Govs played without two star guards and were in a bit of a tailspin, but they overcame it all to stall the Royals on their home floor on Senior Night. Austin Peay also flipped the script a bit on Queens, canning 14 treys after the Royals’ season-high two nights earlier.
“We gave up 14-for-25 from three,” (Leonard) said. “I thought (on) all 25 of them, they were comfortable, 10 toes to the rim, and in rhythm. When you guard like that, you’re probably not going to win. I don’t think that we should be giving up 92 on our home floor, but it’s probably the second time. It’s unacceptable. 58 in the second half. 48 in the second half is more than enough to win a game, for sure. Giving up 58 makes it impossible.”
Leonard talked after the game about the impact of his seniors.
“I feel like I let the seniors down, because that’s not the way I want them to go out,” Leonard said.
“Start with Kalib. Five years, man,” Leonard said. “The growth he’s had as a person and human being here at Queens has been unbelievable. Chris three years, Jaxon two years, Malcolm two years, and Leo, I appreciate that he came here for his grad year. That’s not the way I wanted them to go out. Jaxon and Chris get another run back.”
“I’m sick because of Kalib. Five years here, man. I didn’t want him to go out like that.”
From my perspective, when people look back at this era of Queens basketball, Kalib Mathews – and Kenny Dye, along with several others – will define it. He defined the culture, the program expectations, and what it means to defend at a championship level.
I talked some more with Grant after I turned off the recorder. Those conversations were among those to which I always looked forward – sometimes funny, sometimes plaintive, sometimes fiery, and sometimes a mixture of all of it. I’ll never print any of it, but I always left with a little something.
It ended in a loss for Queens, too -- though not before the Royals logged their first 20-win season in Division I. G told us at media day the year prior that the goal was for Queens to get to the CBI. They did so after falling in the ASUN semi at Lipscomb -- only a year behind schedule. They won a game there, too. Next year, they'll be eligible for an NCAA berth.
After
the game, I wandered upstairs to take what would be my final quiet court
picture from Curry Arena for the year. I’d never visited the upper seats. It
was a fun vantage point on a very unique place. I then bundled up and headed
into the cold to my car. As I said about 20 times this season, thank goodness
for heated seats.
I then headed north to the Gate City to see the de facto SoCon title game. All Chattanooga needed was to defeat UNCG in the Greensboro Coliseum to win the league title. I saw a lot of things in that game that defied explanation. There were the three fouls in under three seconds to close the first half. There was UNCG’s collecting nearly a quarter of its first-half points from three trips to the line – all on three-point attempts.
I don’t know that I saw one possession that changed a game – from my perspective, anyway – than one that took place in that game. Here’s how I described it:
Only five Mocs attempted more than one shot in the second half. One of those players, guard Jack Kostel, arguably hit the two biggest shots of the night on the only two he attempted in the period. Following a possession in which Kostel assisted Collin Mulholland on a triple, the Mocs boarded a Spartan miss and took off down the floor. Mulholland missed a three, which Bash Wieland rebounded. Wieland kicked to Huff, who missed a three of his own. Noah Melson grabbed that miss and kicked to Kostel, who canned a triple to put Chattanooga ahead five. Greensboro would get within two after that shot, but would never again seize the lead.
Three of Chattanooga’s seven offensive boards in the game came on that one trip.
SECOND (AND THIRD) CHANCE. JACK! 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/ilEydLEUwT
— Chattanooga Basketball (@GoMocsMBB) February 28, 2025
The Mocs claimed the title with a 12-point decision. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Dan after the game – the ethernet line to the Chattanooga radio broadcast stopped working with about a minute to play, so radio did its post-game via a cell phone and the team didn’t emerge from the locker room for quite a while – but I recall saying probably 250 times to different people over the next week that Chattanooga was on a crazy heater.
That
heater would continue, even though there was a slight detour.
Then, March came.
It is the month of madness. The month when dreams are made – and broken. For me, it was the month of driving. We all know what happens when I drive – I get into my own head. Maybe I’ll expand on that.
Anyway, onward.
The month began with my pulling up to Winthrop Coliseum for the final time this season. It was a bit unusual, as Winthrop SID extraordinaire/long-time friend Brett Redden was not there. In his place, though, was another great friend, Big South communications legend Mark Simpson. I’ve sat next to Brett so often now that it feels as if my routine is off when he’s not there. I said my usual hellos to Mark, who had some very kind stuff to say to me – I appreciated that, as I always do – and prepared myself for the final of however many games this was in my regular season.
Winthrop could easily have been fatigued that day. The Eagles had just won – handily – at Longwood two nights prior. They then made the five-hour drive back from Farmville, Va., to battle long-time foe Asheville. There was not an ounce of fatigue – not visibly, anyway – on the Eagles. Winthrop led by seven at the half, with the lead only really threatened by Jordan Marsh’s half-court heave near me at the buzzer.
Asheville wasn’t done, either. The game meant nothing in the standings to either team, as they had both clinched their respective seeds in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs fought back, knifing a 12-point advantage to one following a 13-2 run by the visitors.
K.J. Doucet then called game.
Doucet, who scored a career-best 30 on the day, booked a triple to extend the lead back to four. After a bucket from Kasen Harrison, the Bulldogs could draw no closer than two possessions the rest of the day.
“I thought the three (Doucet) made was one of the most cold-blooded threes I’ve seen in a long time,” (Winthrop coach Mark) Prosser said. “It’s just such a momentum drain when you cut it to one possession and bang, you go right back down by five. It was a huge shot in that game.”
Morrell and Talford had a bit of a moment after the game in a show of respect.
“I don’t know Kelton personally, but I pulled him aside (after the game),” Morrell said. “I’ve not respected a player more in this league than him in my seven years and he is – if I could choose any one player to pull off another team and put him on mine, it’d be him. He’s been a problem for a long time, even when he was playing for Pat (Kelsey) as a freshman.”
I love that Mike never pulls punches. I gave him the opportunity to roast me after the game for picking Asheville fifth to start the season – he kindly declined to do so – but we talked for quite a while after the recorder was turned off. That’s the stuff I’ll keep with me. Coaches say plenty of cool things in open scrums – I’ll mention one of them later – but I’m thankful that they trust me enough to say things outside those environments. I’ll keep working to earn that trust.
I took
my final quiet court photo of the regular season – someone (jokingly, I think)
said to me while I was taking one that it felt like watching Picasso in action,
which gave me one of the biggest laughs I had all season – and ventured through
the loading dock to both figuratively and literally close the door on season
number whichever this was.
Several days later, it was time to jump in the car and head for Johnson City. Those around Big South territory had their thoughts about the Johnson City experience – repeatedly – and I’ll weigh in a bit as we near the end of this part of the feature. I did, though, put myself in a bit of a corner by driving up there on the day of the tournament. More on that later – maybe.
I thankfully had my credentials and parking stuff in hand – again, I appreciate you, Mark – before getting there, so following a prolonged search of everything on my person at the media entrance, I posted up in my home for the next five days. The tournament began with the league’s two first-year coaches – Gardner-Webb’s Jeremy Luther and USC Upstate’s Marty Richter – playing in the opening-round game.
After Gardner-Webb raced out to an early 15-point lead, Upstate fought back. The Spartans worked the deficit to just three at the interval, creating the first real bit of drama we would experience over the extended weekend. The drama would rapidly fade, though, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs claimed a 20-point victory.
It ended
in a loss for Upstate, in several ways. Richter’s opening season as a D1 head
coach didn’t play out the way he hoped, though he openly admitted as far back
as when I talked to him over the summer that the season would be a challenge.
He never shied away from the challenge, seeking instead to embrace it with a
sense of humor.
“I've got to improve as a head coach,,” Richter said.. Players have to improve. My assistants have to improve. My strength coach has to get better.”
“We've got to get better as an organization, because we've got a spot at Spartanburg, USC Upstate, that is special. And you guys are looking at me like, right now, Coach, you only won six games. Just trust me, it's a special place.”
“I'm going to remember this score for the rest of my life. My kids won't let me forget, either.”
It also ended in a loss for Upstate as two of their key guards entered the portal almost immediately after the game. Guard Mister Dean’s entry was somewhat expected – I won’t go into detail as to why I expected it – but the other, guard Brit Harris, was a bit of a surprise. Both are still in the portal as of this publishing.
Richter can point to Mike Morrell’s tough first season at Asheville as reason for optimism. Whether it pans out that Richter ends up as the longest-tenured coach in the league – as Morrell is now – remains to be seen.
I then used my off day around Johnson City to deal with snow I was hoping to avoid, wildfire remnants that showered my car in garbage and gave me a week-long sinus infection, and buying my dad a replacement computer. I think my dad has had about 50 computers in the last five years, but we’ll skip that part. None of this was anyone’s fault, really, but it was a series of unfortunate circumstances.
Friday
was quarterfinals day, and after some confusion over who would be writing what
when – some of which never really got resolved – it was time to settle in for a
full day of basketball.
Gardner-Webb again hit the floor to square off with regular-season league champs High Point. High Point started slowly, with the ’Dogs creeping within a pair at 30-28. High Point would go on a 25-8 run to close the half, though, seizing a 15-point halftime lead. GWU would never again challenge, with the Panthers dispatching the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 85-64.
It ended in a loss that day for Luther, as his first season at the helm concluded at 11-20. He also sent off many of his upperclassmen, including those who came back through the portal in Anthony Selden and Jamaine Mann, and those like Ademide Badmus and Isaiah Richards who stayed with him following the coaching change.
It also ended in a loss for the Runnin’ Bulldogs within a few days. Star point guard Buddy Simmons entered the portal – again, this was not a total surprise, and I won’t elaborate on why – within days. Guard Pharrell Boyogueno then entered several days after that. A couple others also joined them.
I’ve known Jeremy for probably as long as I’ve known anyone in this league. I know he can coach. I know he can recruit. He’s battling some of the same things Tim battled in his final years there. They have to get bought at a certain level. They can’t bring in non-1s in out-of-league play. I’m confident he’ll be fine.
Next up, Radford and Presbyterian squared off. I thought before that game – and told a few people – that this would be the game to watch of the quarterfinal round. PC and Radford had just teed it up a few days prior in Radford’s Dedmon Center – the Blue Hose won that game – and I will always sign up for a battle between Q and Nice.
I was thankful not to have oversold that contest.
The game went to overtime, where Radford escaped with a five-point decision. Nice said it all after the game.
“We’re excited to get out of this game alive.”
Nice and Q greatly respect each other. There’s no real shock in that knowledge. What I will say, though, is that if you talk to any coach – inside the league or not – they will tell you how much they respect Q. They respect him as a coach. They respect him as a person. So do I.
PC is not the easiest place in the league – or in D1 basketball in general – to win. To have had three coaches who have so fit the college’s mission while winning games at the Division I level – Gregg Nibert, Dustin Kerns, and now Q – is impressive. It ended in a loss for the Blue Hose, but only after they again went to the postseason. Illinois State defeated the Blue Hose in the opening round of the CBI. The Redbirds would go on to play for the tourney title.
It also ended in another loss for the Blue Hose, as star point guard Kory Mincy went into the portal and ended up at George Mason. Forward Kobe Stewart also finished his time at PC. Stewart is such an impressive player – he essentially took over for Presbyterian as the season wound down – but is arguably more impressive as a person. He’s smart, kind, and a strong leader. I’ll miss him. He was fun to watch, and a joy to get to know.
After the dinner break, it was time for another in what seems like the annual battle – Asheville radio voice Brian Hall also noted this in off-mic comments – between the Bulldogs and Charleston Southern. Asheville, who had endured a series of close contests for the entirety of the Big South slate, ran away from Charleston Southern in an 80-60 final. Saah told the entire story in three words.
“That was tough.”
Asheville broke apart a tense first-half battle with a killshot early in the second half, using that 10-0 run to pull away from the Bucs. Mike, who once coached at CSU and clearly respects Saah and the Bucs, had some telling comments after the game.
“I thought we had the three best days of practice that we've had all year,” Morrell said. “That doesn't guarantee you anything, but if you don't do that, I can guarantee you what the other result will be.”
“We haven't blown anybody out this year and I don't know that that's as much on us as it is that this is the deepest in the best of league as it’s been in my seven years (at Asheville) and I really don't think it's close.”
Mike’s group would soon find out what the other result would be. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though.
It ended in a massive loss for Charleston Southern. Big South Player of the Year Taje’ Kelly played his final game for the Bucs, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better dude or harder worker than Taje’. The comments from Saah and Mike said it better than could I.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Nimley said. “Taje’ – he reminds you of what’s right about college basketball, even with all the changes going on – extra years, money, transferring – he reminds you of what’s right about it. Regardless of how his career went, wins- and losses-wise, there’s not a doubt that he’s one of the best players to ever play here and has had one of the best individual careers. He’ll be cemented in that because of his loyalty. If you track (his career) year-by-year, he’s the definition of development. This is a kid that, moving forward, has set the table for who we’re going to be.”
Morrell also weighed in on Kelly’s legacy.
“I told Taje’ this – I think he’s the best player in the league outside of (Drew) Pember in just how hard he is to guard. I give him so much credit for – I was at Charleston Southern for a year and I obviously know that place really well – I give him so much credit for staying there for four years and being just a great player. I guarantee you when he gets to my age -- which is 42-- he will remember that way more. He is just a great player. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that.”
It also ended in three other major losses for the Bucs. DJ Patrick, RJ Johnson, and Daylen Berry all entered the portal. Johnson landed at Rhode Island, while Berry will stay in the league and play at Winthrop. That should be interesting. It’s not common for transfers to stay in the Big South – in fact, former Campbell guard Messiah Thompson tried to transfer to Radford a few years back, but was denied. I’m told that this changed during the ailment that shall not be named, but I may have missed that announcement.
The final game of the quarterfinal night was a loss – both immediately and soon thereafter. Winthrop went on a ridiculous 24-7 run to end the first half and take a 21-point lead over Longwood to the interval. This, combined with its throttling of Longwood in Farmville eight days prior, helped the Eagles end the Lancers’ season. Longwood drew as close as nine, but could draw no closer.
I knew Griff was going to have a lot to say after that game. I didn’t know what would happen later.
“Whether your team is at the top or whether your team is struggling, you’re always trying to evaluate how the organization is working. Is the vibe right? Are there any gaps that we need to plug? I think one of the hard parts in the current state of college athletics is you’re trying to – at Longwood, we do want to transform. It’s harder to do that in the current environment. Some guys you only have for ten months, for eight months.”
“God bless the kids. With the transfer portal and the money, it’s hard to – the Big South is a great example. I don’t know how some of these kids can stay focused when they think, ‘Man, I could be making six figures next year if I’ – how can you be selfless in that moment? That’s a tall order. I don’t know many adults who can do that, much less 18-to-22-year-old kids.”
“College athletics is transforming. We have to transform with it. We never will sacrifice our values. We’ll never not be about trying to positively impact our guys. My hope is that, for these guys, they do learn. I don’t think anybody in that locker room thinks we met expectations. Hopefully, this is something they will learn from and it will be able to help them in a future season of their life.”
I shook Griff’s hand, thanked him, and watched him walk out of the room with several Longwood officials. In retrospect, it was much like the internet meme where the person flashes a peace sign and disappears from the screen. Just like that, the man who had taken Longwood from 1-30 in 2004 and 15 losses in a row in conference just before he got there to two league titles, a series of 20-win seasons, a new building, a number of changed lives – including mine – and a new standard of Lancer basketball was gone.
Griff’s
connection with Ryan Odom is well-chronicled. I need not recap it here. When
the worst-kept secret in the world happened and Odom took the Virginia job to
replace Ron Sanchez, most of the Longwood fans I know were concerned Griff
would leave to take the VCU job. Instead, he went back to Charlottesville to be
Ryan’s associate head coach. It marked a return for Griff to the place where he
attended law school.
I should say my goodbyes all in one place later in this feature, but let’s try it this way.
I’ve chronicled time and again my connection with Griff. He was a friend and mentor to me in one of the lowest points of my life. He kept me going and believed something good was coming for me, even when I didn’t believe it myself. When the good he knew was coming did get there, I was able to share it with him after a game. That meant more than he’ll ever realize.
I also had the privilege of getting to meet and know his wife Julie. Julie is a saint. I apologized to her for keeping Griff after a game to interview him once when she had to drive them back to Farmville. She is a wonderful soul who has impacted many lives.
Now for the other part. When the Chattanooga job opened – which Dan Earl eventually took – there was a rumor that Griff was involved with that role. Without going into a lot of detail on the conversation he and I had, he assured me that he was not involved. He also told me it would take a special job to get him to leave Longwood. I believed him then, and I believe him now. Griff was clearly battling some things during his final couple years leading the Lancers, but he went from one great situation to another.
I need to publicly thank Griff for everything – even if he wasn’t “my guy,” as a former head coach once asserted.
I was relieved to see Longwood stay in-house and elevate Ronnie Thomas into the head coaching role. Ronnie is someone I’ve come to know and admire during his time in Farmville, and he is a future star as a coach. He was largely responsible for setting the culture with Griff’s teams and should provide a fairly easy transition for the Lancers. I saw him as I was walking into the press room before that game Friday night got underway. If I’d known then what I know now, that conversation would have been even more cordial than it already was.
I also had a bit of a laugh when Longwood SID and great friend Sam Hovan apologized for not responding to my text saying that things were about to get really busy for him after Griff left. I know why he did – and that’s one of the many reasons I so greatly appreciate Sam – but it was unnecessary. Sam is the best. I find myself talking to him about basketball, media stuff, and everything in between, and it’s always a pleasure.
There
was another Farmville-related goodbye to say. I’ll say that before we wrap up.
The first semifinal game on Saturday was one for the ages.
Radford fought High Point like crazy. The Highlanders still had a chance to tie the game before the final horn, but an unfortunate slip near half-court kept Radford from being able to get off one final try. The Panthers won by three – “We did enough,” Huss said – to advance to the conference final. We knew what would await us when Huss and the Panthers entered the media room. I could not have anticipated Radford’s time.
Radford coach Darris Nichols – I’ll refer to him as Nice, because I prefer to – came in with his eyes red with tears. The players who joined him on the dais were equally struggling with their emotions. I suppose that part was understandable. There’s more to it than that, though.
“This is my fourth year as a head coach and this doesn’t get easier,” Radford coach Darris Nichols said after the game. “The last game, when you’ve got guys who’ve exhausted eligibility, this group is really special. When you bring in 11 newcomers in this climate – some of them last year during this time were sitting beside a water cooler and then they come in and have new roles where they embrace, they step up, and they execute these roles. It’s a really special group just to work with every day.”
“Yeah, we’re upset that we lost. I’m more upset that this group will not be around each other every day again.”
I asked Nice a question about transformational leadership, and got a little less specific answer than I normally get from him. In retrospect, I think I know why.
I’ve loved getting to know Nice more than I could ever say here. I think so much of him – and, to be fair, his brother Shane, too. I saw Shane and talked to him while he was on the scout during the quarterfinal. I didn’t know when Shane came over, shook my hand, and said hello before the semi that it would be the last time I would see him coaching at Radford, too.
Nice had his personal struggle that we’ve chronicled in a prior epilogue. I’m not even going to talk through that subject again or how I covered it. What I will talk about is my seeing him after they played at High Point during the season prior. He was sitting on a folding chair just off the floor, looking despondent. He and I talked for a while that night, and he then headed off for the bus and I for home. I sent him a message on the way back, and it included this:
“Stay up – your time is coming.”
His time came just a few days after he, too, walked out of that room and figuratively faded from view. He accepted the role of replacing the legendary Fran Dunphy at La Salle. He took several of his key players with him, and brought back former Radford rebounder extraordinaire Justin Archer as a transfer from Georgia State. He’s going to do big things at La Salle – of that, I am confident.
And now, the (potentially) controversial part.
Radford had an easy decision. All it had to do was hire Shane. It’s Shane’s time – he’s a well-respected assistant, he guided the Highlanders in Nice’s absence, and he’s every bit the transformational leader Nice is. Additionally, former Highlander assistants Kyle Getter and J.D. Byers were in the mix.
I said at the time that the only way Radford could screw it up was to overthink it. I also said at the time that they did exactly that. I’m not going to run from those statements. However, let me clarify.
Radford hired 32-year-old Zach Chu, who played at Richmond and was an assistant at SMU for a season after coaching in the NBA for a bit. Radford’s athletics department is opting into the House settlement and felt this was the move to change the landscape in the New River Valley and infuse some excitement – and, let’s be real, cash – into the program.
I may end up being completely wrong on this. Everyone who reads this may end up roasting me over my disillusionment with the way this all happened. I hope you do. It means Chu did exactly what they hired him to do at Radford. Let me also state for the record that my thoughts have nothing to do with Chu whatsoever. I don’t know him, we’ve never talked, and we may become fast friends like Nice and I did. Again, I hope that’s how it happens.
Radford
is a small, tight-knit community. It just feels as if there was a missed
opportunity for continuity and community building. Only time will tell.
Winthrop then did to Asheville what it did exactly a week prior – only this time by a larger margin and with much bigger stakes. The Eagles won by 19, bringing to a screeching halt a pretty great season for the Bulldogs. Asheville finished the season 21-11, opting not to participate in a post-season tournament. Mike said something after the game that stuck with me.
“I heard Griff Aldrich say this, and it is true for us – I never thought there would be a day where I would sit up here with 20-plus wins and be this disappointed. That is me right now.”
Mike and I always have interesting conversations. I’ve gotten just as much from him – if not more – when talking to him after his four-win first season as I do now that the Bulldogs are perennial Big South contenders. We talked for over two hours for Blue Ribbon over the summer and we talked for a bit after that game. He said some really kind things to me both after that game and after the game at Winthrop. I appreciate him and those things he said.
It also
ended in a loss for Mike and Asheville shortly after the tournament ended.
All-league guard Jordan Marsh hit the portal for the second time in as many
years, which was also not totally unexpected. It’ll be tough for Asheville to
account for that loss, but with Toyaz Solomon and Kam Taylor coming back, that
will soften the blow a bit. Additionally, no one should ever wonder about
Mike’s ability to recruit and coach point guards. He’s had a slew of great ones
in his time there and will have another when Justin Wright (hopefully) returns
next season.
Now, here we are at championship Sunday. You probably thought when starting this screed that we would never get here.
The two league teams I covered the most this season squared off that day. As much as I hate cliches like this, something had to give. High Point had the disappointment of the season prior on their home deck to overcome, while Winthrop – a program that characterizes itself as “built on banners” – had a chance to hang one for the first time since the Before Times.
After 25-ish minutes of the game, there was a palpable buzz – if not confusion. Winthrop led the game by 15, and the Eagle fans across the floor from me and behind the Eagle bench were celebrating. The banner was all but hung. In fact, let’s step back to a conversation I had during the half.
I was told by someone at the half, “We’re (Winthrop) gonna win by 20.” I told that person that I would cite them if it happened, to which they replied, “I hope you do.” Since I’m not citing them, well…
Let’s just rip my words from my story from the Winthrop side.
It was all right there for the Eagles. Until it wasn’t.
High Point would go on to score 21 of the next 25 points. It was equal parts incredible and completely believable. I had seen the Panthers go on prolonged runs all year – including twice against the Eagles – so their doing it again wasn’t really the big shock here. The fact that they so commandingly did so in such a short period of time was the storyline. I knew the Panthers weren’t done – and repeatedly said so during that game – but there was no possible way to prepare for that barrage.
The Panthers would exorcise their demons – if winning 20-plus games and going to the CBI final can really be called demons – and cut down the nets. I fought off the frankly odd photo rope policies – perhaps we can fix those in the future so that those with credentials can actually continue to get decent footage instead of being shuffled off – and shared my perspective on High Point’s historic win.
It was then time to venture in and experience the conversation I’d dreaded for much of those final few minutes.
We’ve established how long I’ve covered KT and how well I’ve gotten to know him. I’ve also known Mark for what feels like forever, between his run as one of Kels’s assistants and now. We didn’t get to talk as much during the season, because Winthrop has foregone its prior press room interviews in favor of courtside chats and I’m usually back by the visiting locker room trying to get their coach. It’s not that I want to avoid Mark – I just can’t be in two places at the same time.
Seeing the tears in KT’s eyes as he took the dais and the realization that his career at Winthrop was over was a sobering experience. Seeing Mark – a usually very even personality with the occasional jovial streak – so heartbroken was a double gut punch. I always bristle at being called “the Winthrop guy,” for reasons I’ve outlined. Still, as someone who’s played and coached, I know the variety of emotions that happen in those situations.
Pross was clear in his comments.
“My comments are going to be a celebration of this team. I don’t know that I’ve had this much fun coaching a group in 23 years of college coaching. They’re special people who proved every day what’s still good about college basketball. They’re tough, about the right things, loyal, committed to one another, connected – just a wonderful group of people who deserved this opportunity and deserved better than how it ended.
“Our season, our individuals, our student-athletes that represented (us) so well are not defined by those last 12 minutes. They’re not defined in their careers by their last 10 minutes.”
Winthrop would then gather its things and head toward the bus. I passed them in the parking lot as I left – more on that a bit later. The Eagles also did not participate in a post-season tourney, a leftover relic of Kelsey’s time. I wish they would reconsider that policy, but they don’t seem inclined to do so.
Then there was High Point. I could talk about what Alan said after the game. He mentioned the Panthers going from “coach-fed” to “player-led”, which was great insight. The takeaway for me, though, was seeing him with his family after the game. I came to know in the time I covered Alan how much his family means to him. I also realized he’s a pretty great person behind the intimidating facade and the occasional “spirited conversations” with referees. I was thankful for the time to get to know him better. He also had some really kind words for me one-on-one, and I appreciate them.
I would file my story on High Point's win and its season-long journey from a car in Virginia. (Yes, the car was parked.)
It would soon end in a loss for the Panthers, as well. High Point headed to Providence for its first-ever NCAA bid to face Purdue, and after a valiant effort, Huss’ group checked out of March Madness. Jaden got a chance to see High Point up close and personal as part of our site’s coverage, and I was glad he had the opportunity to see what he’d heard about for the last couple years.
Just like that, the team Alan put together went its separate ways. Star guard Kezza Giffa entered the portal. Kimani Hamilton – or, as legendary High Point professor and PA voice Jim Scott called him, “the fiiiiiive maaaaan” – soon joined. Athletic post star Juslin Bodo Bodo followed along. Guard Chase Johnston also left the program, but eventually made his way back. Those losses all hurt. The next one would be even more significant than those four.
As I was in the middle of writing this, my phone blew up. Huss had been mentioned as a possible candidate at Texas A&M, but A&M hired Bucky McMillan, the portal started to settle, and High Point added players. Someone had told me a few days ago that the reason my phone blew up was a possibility, but I guess I brushed it off because it was so late in the portal madness. It actually did happen, though, as Alan was announced as the associate head coach and coach-in-waiting at Creighton.
Let’s just put this out there, because it’s true – the timing sucked. I don’t think for a second that Alan intentionally did it that way, or that Creighton did. I felt good to see that most High Point fans were thankful for everything Alan did at the helm in High Point. They penned tributes to him and said their thanks. Some others who watch and cover Big South basketball had some rather strong takes about Alan and the timing of his departure, with some calling him pejoratives.
Far be it from me to tell people how they should process news like this. I’ll just say this – don’t be dumb.
High Point then had the choice of whether to handle the departure as Longwood did and promote from within, or to follow Radford’s lead and partake in the trend of hiring analytics guys with NBA backgrounds. After a couple days of speculation, the Panthers made the move of hiring associate head coach Flynn Clayman. I’m a big fan of Flynn’s – I said when Alan hired him that he was a future star – and his key role in the Panthers’ success combined with his wife Katie’s role on the High Point women’s Big South champs made him the most obvious choice.
In most
cases, the obvious choice is the best choice.
Oh, right. There was the recap of Johnson City.
Mark asked me for my thoughts on that Sunday before I left, and I’ll say it here now: The Big South did a wonderful job with hosting us on the floor. Everything was as well-organized as it could be, despite the excessive searches each day as I entered the building. That was not the conference’s fault. The photo situation – and the “directness” with which it was approached by some – also wasn’t great, but as I told Mark, it was their house, and I was their guest.
I didn’t get to see much of the building outside of the entrance just outside the floor level, the media hospitality, the media workroom, and the press room, but the building – let’s be kind here – shows its age. Those who made the trip seemed to enjoy it, but there were numerous comments about how the location outside the league’s normal footprint would keep people from attending. Because of that, while I did see a lot of the people I wanted to see, some more couldn’t – or wouldn’t – make the trip.
I’ll also tell you that if you plan to attend a tournament here, plan to walk. A lot. Neither the media lot nor the fan lots were terribly close to the arena, which made for a lot of long walks in really blustery conditions. My dad has an arthritic knee and groused the entire time about how far he had to walk just to get into the arena. This bears noting and reporting.
I
stopped off for a quick meal, then dropped off my dad in Virginia several hours
later. We made plans – as we always do – for the next time. I know that one day
there won’t be a next time, and I’m not at all ready for that day. I never will
be. I’m just glad we’ve gotten to do some really cool stuff together.
Almost two weeks later, I hopped in the car for my final trip of the season. I left here early Friday morning for the three-hour drive over to Raleigh to cover the Triangle pod of the NCAA Tournament. This wasn’t just any normal tournament day, though, as Jaden made the trip in to cover UConn and help out with what I was doing.
I should
explain the situation here. I’ve known Jaden for – hell, however long it’s been
now – and we had never met before that day. He got in about an hour after I did
and came to find me on the floor. The seat next to me was open after the first
game, so we got to cover the next three games together and have a bit of a
running commentary.
We wore out a path between press row and the “backstage” media area that day. I was stopped on one of those treks by my good friend – well, let’s call him Scotty Lombardo – for a great session of catching up. I haven’t seen him in far too long. He also introduced me to Matt Modderno of Bleav in DMV Hoops – we mutually follow each other on Twitter, but I don’t know that he realized who I was – which was cool. I also got to say hello to UNCG coach Mike Jones and shake his hand on one of those trips. I love Mike, and any time I can say hello is always great.
The first of the pair of games I was set to cover was about to tip, as Mount St. Mary’s took on Duke. It seems as though I’ve seen Duke every year I’ve covered the tournament – Jaden reminded me that I had not – but this was my first chance to see the Mount team to which our site had devoted a lot of digital ink. This was fun – both for that reason, and because someone I know quite well is Mount’s leader.
Donny Lind made the NCAA Tournament in his first year at the controls in Emmitsburg, following several years coaching alongside Mike at both Radford and UNCG. It was amusing to remember getting messages from him two years prior in Greensboro as he spotted me at my seat for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, then knowing I would see him guide his own team that day.
Duke did to Mount that day about what everyone would have expected, running away with an easy victory. That was a story, but not the story. The key part happened as we took in the press conference and visited the Mount locker room.
Donny’s son, Silas, had already become quite the media darling for his hanging out with the team and really becoming a part of it. Silas joined Donny on the dais after the game, and when a media member asked about Silas, Donny choked back tears. I try to keep a poker face when covering games – especially involving people I know and like – but his emotion rippled through me.
“It's amazing,” Lind said. “This is a hard business for us as fathers, very difficult. So to be able to bring him with me-- my wife and my daughter are here too -- it's been a blast. He's enjoyed missing school, playing with his friends on the court, but he can speak to that, I'm sure.”
Silas would, indeed, take his turn at the mic – after a little more of the constant encouragement he gets from his dad.
“These have been the best few weeks of my life, and I hope we have many, many more of them.”
Jaden and I got a chance to talk with Donny outside the locker room a bit later. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking, hopeful and stark. Donny acknowledged what he is trying to build at Mount while in the same breath acknowledging that not every player he had in the program would choose to continue on the journey. He shared the story of how The Mount had taken him in, given him chances, and trusted him. This allowed him to share that, even as much as he loved it, he acknowledged that not everyone would be up to the challenge.
It was a reminder of what drew those of us who love mid-major basketball to it, along with what makes us sad – if not jaded – about what it’s been allowed to become. Donny was correct, too – several players chose to depart the program after the game.
I scribbled out a story with Jaden in attendance for the first time – thankfully not doing so too terribly – and prepared to watch Norfolk State for the second time. I’ve said numerous times what I think of Norfolk coach Rob Jones, and I was incredibly happy to get another chance to see Rob and the Spartans. Eventual national champion Florida was on the opposing bench, though. Jaden will tell that story in his epilogue. Maybe he won’t put you to sleep as I have.
Those Sister Hazel references I keep making in epilogue titles actually don't look so disconnected this year, so there's that.
After Florida jumped out to a massive lead, Norfolk responded with an 11-0 run to close the first half and a strong second half. It wasn’t enough – clearly, as I just told you that Florida won it all – but it allowed the Spartans to end the season on a high note. Every Norfolk player, the coaches, and the staff all came over to the traveling contingent near us to give high-fives, handshakes, and hugs. It was one of the highlights of an otherwise really long day.
Guards Christian Ings and Jaylani Darden did media with us after the game, and it was great that they both had the larger forum to speak. They both represented the university extremely well. Jones also seized the opportunity to chide those who doubted his team – “I told you we weren’t a 30-point underdog,” he said with a smile – and to make the case for better seeds for HBCUs in future tournaments. Not that anyone asked me, but I agree with him.
Rob would lose some of the players from that game, as forward Jalen Myers hit the portal, followed by star guard Brian Moore. Moore will play next season at Grand Canyon.
We then
watched UConn and Oklahoma to close the night in a game that was a bit of a
tough watch. Jaden handled that one – justifiably, as he had told the Huskies’
story all year – while I wrote my story. We then did all the postgame stuff
and debated whether Jaden could make it back down Sunday on a tight turnaround
– he could not – and headed back out to the floor. I packed up my stuff, then
headed to the opposite end of the floor to get my final quiet court photos of
the year. I then talked with Jaden a bit more, shook his hand and wished him
safe travels, then got on the elevator, walked into a quiet entrance hall – I
should’ve gotten a picture of that – and wandered into the cold.
I told you I would do more dumb things this year. That night was one of them.
I went by Sheetz and got a burger and some mozzarella sticks – because why not eat a full meal at like 1:05 in the morning? – quickly scarfed that down, put on a podcast, and headed into the dark abyss of I-40 across North Carolina. At 4:20 in the morning – and over 19 hours since I’d started the day – I walked in the door and almost immediately passed out.
I’m not
sure if that’s the best way to end a long season. I regretted the drive while I
made it. It was a great experience, though.
I would say my season ended there, but there’s one more detail I need to add.
The Friday before the national title game, I ventured to Columbia, S.C. for the South Carolina Press Association awards banquet. Our outlet, The News & Reporter, won 33 awards that day, including my first-place honor for Spot Sports Story. This story about a football game doesn’t totally tie together with all the words I’ve just spilled – or does it?
As I was heading back to the UConn presser that Friday night in Raleigh, I had someone stop me and ask me for advice on getting into this business. I felt bad because they apparently tried to ask several others and were ignored, but -- even as a functioning introvert -- I'll always talk to anyone who wants to talk. I won’t recap the entire conversation, but I did give them the advice that I give anyone who wants to ever do this.
Cover preps.
A lot of
people think that all there is to this business centers around views, clicks,
likes, and other superficial nonsense. I have thoughts on that, but I’ll try to
limit them. Still others think that journalism only matters if it’s covering a power conference or some other “big” event. Covering high school sports helps
you build relationships, write a decent story on deadline, and connect with a
community. You keep your own stats. All these things you’ll eventually take for
granted you’ll learn on Friday nights.
Okay, fine.
I mentioned that I had some thoughts on the realities of the business. I’ll try to share them quickly – though, since nobody’s reading by now, it’s probably safe to opine a bit.
This year had sapped my interest in journalism a bit. Between “influencers”, the portal, misunderstandings about what we were really tasked to do, and the crippling creep of gambling into everything we do at the collegiate level, I had just reached a bit of a boiling point. Add to that the extra work over the summer never really letting me feel as if I had an offseason, and there I was.
I think the award may have filled my cup a bit. Additionally, the talks that took place during the ceremony reinforced to me that all of this actually has a point. Whether it’s telling the stories of the athletes in the small South Carolina county I serve or the smaller collegiate conferences I cover, there is still a place for all of it. How much longer there will be a place for it, though…well, we’ll have to revisit that.
All of this brings me back to one of the things from Johnson City that I’ve not yet discussed.
During the Winthrop-Longwood game on quarterfinals night, I was sitting next to Winthrop athletic director Chuck Rey, who nudged me and told me, “You’re on TV.” I thought it was just a coincidental shot where they happened to look down press row and I got into the shot. It was not. They had focused on me.
Suddenly, my Twitter timeline blew up. People who were watching the game were pinging me about having seen me. It was flattering, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t wildly uncomfortable. The reasons for my sudden appearance and timeline blow-up were cool – Mike (Gleason) and his wonderful on-air partner, Sarah Jansen, were talking about me and my contributions to the league. I would just rather tell the story than be the story. To all of you who said kind stuff, I appreciate you.
I went over and talked to Mike and Sarah after the game with a bit of a sheepish reaction. I profusely thanked Mike – whether he and I were talking about his dogs or he was texting me from Winthrop and chiding me for choosing to cover High Point and PC instead of the Gardner-Webb game at Winthrop, I treasure our conversations – and he said some really great stuff I’ll always remember.
Without trying to sound like Abe Simpson (sorry, Jaden – I’m stealing it), for those of you who do reaction videos when “your” team wins while you’re supposed to be there reporting on them or filming your reaction as Coach K walks on the floor behind you (I’m taking it back a bit with that one), do you. I don’t like it, and I’m not required to like it. I would rather tell you the story than be the story.
To Dr. Oneal -- I know you're reading this and yelling from Heaven, “GET ON WITH IT!” -- I was paying attention in your Intro to Electronic Media and Media Law classes. I may not have gotten a lot else out of college, but I got that.
For those who would ask me, “Well, what about the radio guys? You want to police cheering on press row, but what about them?,” they’re employed by their schools. They’re going to get excited. They’re there – again – to tell fans the story.
Okay, fine. “What about students?,” you ask. “Let them be students.”
If they have crappy reporting habits now, they’ll always have them – or, at least, until someone corrects them in whatever method they choose. I was a student reporter. I’ve reported multiple times on the schools I attended.
Again,
not to be tossing rocks at the kids on my lawn, but this is a job. It’s a fun
job. It’s a life-changing job. It’s a frustrating job, at times. In all those
things, though, it is a job.
I’ll
quote the media material from the Big South tournament:
Press
row, photography spaces and the media interview room and media workroom at the
Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Championships are professional work areas.
No cheering will be tolerated. The Big South Conference and its member
institutions reserve the right to remove anyone from the press facilities for
violation of these expectations.
There.
We’ll now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming.
It
actually didn’t end in a loss for a couple schools we covered.
There
was Florida, who went from that opening night of the tournament we saw in
Raleigh all the way to San Antonio and cut down the nets. Todd Golden and his
staff put together a stellar team, and Jaden got to watch it all unfold in
central Texas. I don’t know how many national champions the site has now
covered, but Jaden may have the number. I know I’ve personally covered a few.
It did
end in a bit of a loss for the Gators, though, as two of their coaches departed
for new jobs with traces of confetti still on their shoulders. John Andrzejek
jetted off to Buies Creek, N.C., to take on the job at Campbell, while Kevin
Hovde took the reins at Columbia. The Campbell job still connects with me a
bit, as I covered Kevin McGeehan’s Campbell teams — and Robbie Laing before him
– before Campbell made the decision to move on from him. Kevin and I had our
moments – there was the uncomfortable staredown I’ve recapped in one of these
before – but one of the last conversations I had with him before they went to
the CAA was a phone call where he said some really kind things. I’m confident
he’s not reading this, but if he is, thanks, Kevin.
It
also didn’t end in a loss for Chattanooga. I again mentioned to my good friend
Brian Hand when seeing him in Johnson City that the Mocs were on a crazy
heater, and while I may have been incorrect in the SoCon tournament, I got my
one thing right for March as they mowed through the NIT field. You see, I get
one thing correct each month.
The
Mocs started with a wild win at Middle Tennessee – see, I can objectively
report on my schools – and survived an even wilder finish in the championship
game against UC Irvine to win the NIT. I thought Chattanooga belonged in the
NCAA, but this may have actually been a better outcome for them. The school
reported a lot of engagement and income from the successful tourney run. Seeing
Garrison Keeslar be the guy who was interviewed after the game was also cool,
as he put in a lot of non-glamorous minutes all year. He’s a class act and a
hard worker.
It
would, though, end in a loss for the Mocs, too. Noah Melson departed for the
portal and would soon land with our good friend Jack Castleberry at FDU. Honor Huff soon followed, and he will take his game to Morgantown to
finish his college career with West Virginia. Huff hit so many big shots in
Chattanooga blue and gold, and he’ll try to do the same in WVU’s slightly
different blue and gold.
We
don’t even really get time to celebrate anymore before people move on. It is a
part of life, to be sure – when you leave a job, people forget you were ever
there. The business keeps running. The world continues to spin. I guess I just
never thought it would get so…transactional in college hoops. I badly need to
reconnect with Ritchie, Griff, Nice, or someone and talk some more about
transactional versus transformational leadership to recharge my batteries.
Before
I start winding this down – I can hear the exclamations of “thank God!” from
here – I need to acknowledge how it ended in a loss for all of us to bookend
the season.
I got
a text from Grant in October of 2024. It was raw, but real. His text was to
tell me that Amir Abdur-Rahim was gone.
I was
floored. I had covered Amir during his time at Kennesaw. I was in the press
room when his Owls came achingly close to sending Xavier packing in Greensboro
in 2023. I heard his voice fade and saw the tears – he would go on to clarify
that they were tears of joy – involuntarily leave him. I almost shed a few
myself.
Amir
then went on to South Florida, where he had already started to bring the same
level of success – and joy – to the Bulls.
Just
like that, he was gone.
I went
for a drive that day. I thought about things. I mostly just lived the hell out
of that day, because Amir told everyone – including me – to do that.
I’ll
never forget Amir. I’ll always thank God for putting him in my life, even if
only for a while.
Then,
just after I returned from Johnson City, there was another blow from life’s
hammer.
John
Feinstein was gone. People remember John from many things, whether it be The
Sports Reporters, his many great written works, or whatever it may be. I’ll
remember him from a day spent sitting beside him and talking with him at the
Big South tournament in Buies Creek years ago. I saw that I was sitting next to
him and was almost frozen.
We as
journalists sometimes battle impostor syndrome. I guess everyone in every job
battles it. I battled it that day. Why the bloody hell was I, of all
people, telling stories to John Feinstein? I guess it was as if a young
musician spent the day talking to Billy Joel – to use a name – and telling him
about the songs they’d written. I still can’t believe my fortune as I relive
that day.
For
someone who had gained a reputation of being a bit irascible and feisty in his
professional life, he was incredibly kind to me, taking in all the things I
nervously told him. He probably never remembered my name or any elements of
that conversation, but I can’t begin to tell you what that day meant to
me.
The
world of journalism – and in general – had its star fade a bit with his
loss.
I now
need to close this thing as I always do. People deserve their flowers. Eulogies
are for the living. All these things I’ve said.
Before
I distribute those flowers, though, let me note that, unlike last year, I’m not
recapping all the different citrus references from this year. I’m already
getting the hook from off-stage. I used four of them in one game. This
made year number two of alliterative allusions to Amanatsus, and I felt the
proverbial tree having been picked as the year closed. My good friend William
mentioned that there were endless citrus references, and I’m not sure I agree
with him. We’ll see what happens next year.
I’ll
start as I always do by thanking my great friends with the Big South
Conference. I started and essentially closed the year by seeing league
commissioner Sherika Montgomery, as she hosted the league’s hastily-rescheduled
Media Day in the league office. I then got to sit next to her on press row
multiple times at the tournament. She’s always kind and looking for ways to
help us better tell her league’s story.
The
dynamic communications duo of Mark Simpson and Jordan Parry are the absolute
best. Aside from putting up with my shenanigans, they handle all things
communications the league requires. Mark celebrated his 25th year with the
league in 2024-25, and received seemingly endless congratulations and kind
words. He’s earned every one of them. I try to do my job and stay out of Mark
and Jordan’s way, but I love every second I get to talk with them. One day,
they really will pelt me with marshmallows.
I also
have to shout out my press room buddies, Stephen Dolan and Mark Bryant. Stephen
is the go-to person for compliance and student services in the league, while
Mark is the guy behind broadcast services. Stephen serves as the moderator on
the dais for all of the post-game pressers. Mark jumps in and asks questions
when the need arises – or occasionally tags up with me when we’re the only two
in the press room, as it sometimes happens. We’ve all seen a few things in our
years, and getting to share those things with Stephen and Mark is always a joy.
There’s
also Ellen Harrington, who works for Van Wagner and is involved with their
partnerships with the Big South, along with about 25,000 other things. I didn’t
get to see Ellen as much this year as I would have liked, but I did get to say
hi multiple times in Johnson City. I’m reasonably sure she’s grown tired of my
shenanigans, but she – at least outwardly – seems to tolerate them. She did get
me back for last year’s edition, though, as she posted a pic of the back of my
head. She can get away with that stuff because she is who she is.
I also
didn’t get to see as many athletics administrators as I usually do this year,
for whatever reason. I need to say thanks – and not goodbye, but see you later
– to Queens president Dan Lugo. He’s accepted the same job at Trinity College
in Connecticut and will head off for Hartford as the summer begins. I’ll miss
him. He was so supportive of Queens athletics and was kind enough to open his
doors for me and our outlet from the very beginning of the Royals’ journey into
Division I.
I
mentioned Chuck at Winthrop, and I think I saw him just about every time I saw
Winthrop play. He’s also been a great supporter of mine and of the outlet. It’s
always fun to talk to Chuck, but it’s even more fun when it’s in a less
official capacity. I’m thankful to set up shop in the Eagles’ home each year.
I also
saw the familiar visage of Charleston Southern’s Jeff Barber approach me in the
press room after the Bucs’ final presser in Johnson City. We had another of our
always pleasant conversations – after he checked on how I was doing – before he
had to get on the road. Jeff either doesn’t know that I’ve not yet covered a
game in the Buc Dome or chooses not to mention it when we talk, but I need to
fix that sometime soon.
I’ll
bump up the SIDs in priority this season, because they deserve all the love in
the world. In the interest of going alphabetically in the league, there’s the
wonderful Kassi at Asheville – with whom I had a pretty hilarious exchange when
trying to set up time with Mike over the summer, Chase at Charleston Southern,
Matt and Michael at Gardner-Webb, Kadie at High Point (Kadie always checks on
me every time I visit High Point and I don’t thank her enough for it, so I’ll
publicly do so here), the aforementioned Sam at Longwood – whom I need to go
visit next year, my long-time friend Brent at PC, Ryan at Upstate, and my great
friend and quasi-neighbor Brett at Winthrop.
There
are also the two I need to meet and talk with more, Matt at Radford and DeSean
at Upstate.
Outside
the league, there are so many to name that I’ll do so out of any order with the
promise that I’m not trying to offend. My guy Austin at Queens puts up with me
more than almost anyone else on this list, and is so kind and easy to work
with. Bill at Liberty is also the best, and I think I owe him – and Ritchie –
one. I used their media availability over the summer to help craft my Blue
Ribbon feature on Liberty mostly because of timing reasons. If you didn’t have
great media availability, Bill, I wouldn’t do that. (kidding).
There’s
Jordan at Furman. Denise at UNCG. Dave and Ralan with the SoCon. There’s my
great friend Phil Constantino, who’s now at LIU up in Brooklyn. As I told our
great mutual friend Mojo, I was glad to see someone took care of our friend. I
know there are likely some I’ve not named. SIDs and those in charge of dealing
with us poor, ink-stained wretches have so much on their plates. I try not to
add anything else to those plates. I appreciate y’all.
I also
need to thank the coaches, and I’ll just do it in the same alphabetical order,
because it’s easier. With Griff’s departure, Mike is now the “old man” of the
league – at age 42. Beneath his constantly self-deprecating exterior, he’s a
very thoughtful dude. He doesn’t read a lot of stuff during the season, but I
know he reads mine, which is an honor. Maybe he reads it to help him fall
asleep. Who knows. I’m really enjoying watching Saah find himself as a coach.
He was such a great player at CSU, and the transition has presented its share
of challenges. He’s smart, prepared, and a great leader.
I still
think Jeremy is the right guy for Gardner-Webb. He’s different from Tim – I
knew this would be the case from years of knowing him – but he can coach. His
story of knowing Tim since they were kids and that of how he got to Boiling
Springs – and stayed there – is fascinating.
I
mentioned Alan and Flynn earlier, but back to that subject for a second.
Getting to have those substantive conversations with Alan this year – we had a
prolonged one after their game at Presbyterian – was great for me. It was just
as fun to talk to Alan after games as it was to watch him coach. Jaden will now
get to see him fairly regularly when Creighton is on that side of the world,
and I’ll look forward to seeing Flynn get his opportunity. One thing’s for sure
– High Point will never be boring. They’ll be pretty damn good, too.
I’ve
also mentioned the situation with Griff and Ronnie at Longwood. Without
repeating myself, I am so seriously excited to watch Ronnie lead the Lancers. I
look forward to congratulating him over the summer when we talk for Blue
Ribbon. I’ve also mentioned Q quite a bit in this piece, but believe me when I
tell you he’s a stellar coach and an even better person. I so greatly respect
Q. I’m excited for the next time we get to talk.
That
leaves me with Marty and Pross. I’m not sure what Marty’s team will look like
next year, but I’m confident that it will be better, as will he. I look forward
to his quizzing me over the summer on what I’d do on a BLOB or how I’d play the
final minute of a half to maximize time with the ball. I say that with all
sincerity. As for Pross, the Eagles have a bit of an uphill climb next year
with all of the departures they’ve had from the program. I’ll be excited to see
what the Eagles look like in November, and to resume the funny conversations
with Thomas before, during, and after games. Maybe Mitch will stop by and give
me a fist bump from time to time, too.
I
mentioned Grant’s texting me a bit ago, and I got a lot of amusing texts from
him this year alongside the occasional sad one. He was really open with me
after games, both with the recorder on and off. The best stuff was without the
record light on, of course. Grant received an extension after the year, which
was welcome news. He’s built a strong culture at Queens and continued adding
onto the foundation that now-Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy – and others – set in
Myers Park before he took the lead chair. Now I just need to get G on the
podcast with Jaden and me and figure out a way to do the Blue Ribbon stuff for
Queens.
And then
there’s Ritchie. I had few bigger regrets this year than only getting to see
Ritchie and the Flames once this year. Those who wanted Ritchie gone –
short-sightedly, to be kind – after a somewhat pedestrian finish for the Flames
in 2023-24 saw Liberty earn a CUSA banner and another NCAA bid. The Flames got
clobbered in the tournament – I had Flames voice Alan York on my earbuds as I
was writing my Norfolk State story in Raleigh – but things got a bit more back
to normal in Lynchburg. Ritchie will likely look for another year for stars
Taelon Peter and Jayvon Maughmer, then focus on getting significantly bigger
through the portal. I’ll need to find time to talk to Ritchie over the summer –
assuming, of course, that Bill doesn’t help us out with the media availability
again.
I was also sad that I missed out on seeing my guys DK, Frank, Bradley, and the crew up at App. I had planned to cover a game of theirs this year, but a scheduling snafu blew that up. About 24 hours before this went live, Frank announced that he was accepting the associate head coach role up at Cleveland State. DK said some great things about him -- to no surprise at all -- and I know Frank has great things ahead for him. I hope I'll get to see the Mountaineers in '25-'26.
There
are, finally, my friends on press row. I’ve mentioned Mike (Gleason) time and
time again, but he was my regular seatmate during most games. There’s Mojo,
Travis, Cory, and all the ops guys that I got to regularly see, which was
awesome. My guy Nick Carboni from WCNC and I crossed paths a few times this
year. Carboni is nicer to me than I merit. I know it’s tough for him to get out
of the studio and come shoot games, but I always enjoy saying hello. I saw
Shane Connuck from the Charlotte Observer a time or two, along with the
legendary Scott Fowler. I saw the great Jon Manson and Chad Hasson from A Sea
of Red on my trip to Lynchburg. They’re so connected to Liberty and tell their
story incredibly well.
I
mentioned getting to meet Matt Modderno earlier this year – again, I don’t
think he realized he met me – among several of my writing cohorts I got to see.
Jordan Ferrell and Jacob Conley from our outlet joined me on press row in
Johnson City and helped out with the coverage of the Big South tournament,
which I appreciated. It was also so cool to finally work alongside Jaden and
see some of his stories while he partook in some of mine. He’d never seen an
HBCU band in person before that Norfolk State game – he believes the hype now,
trust me – and he finally got the Waffle House meal he sought out. It’s scary
how much he and I think alike on so many things.
Jaden commented on a lot of this in his epilogue -- which you need to read -- but our similarities are so numerous that he covered a lot of my battles this year before you ever even read my words. We’ve put over 30 combined years into doing this. I know I feel those years more often as the days pass by. I'm just glad I’ve found a kindred spirit and storyteller to share the ride with, and don't have to do a bunch of silly gambling-related nonsense or try to copy bigger, more established outlets.
There
are also the voices of the league, which are sadly becoming fewer and further
between. I got to see my good friend Rick Watson from Radford multiple times,
which I loved. Rick always cracks me up and makes me think. I need a lot of
both. His on-air partner, Cole Wilder, was also around in Johnson City. I
rarely get to see him. There’s the legendary Mike Pacheco, who does both TV and
radio for Winthrop. It feels as if Mike and I have both been courtside at
Winthrop for decades. He’s a total pro and always fun to talk to. Finally,
there’s Daron and Reggie from High Point. I didn’t get to see Daron as much
because he’s absolutely crushing it as the lead voice for East Carolina, while
Reggie and I caught up at Winthrop and Queens, along with his regular High
Point duties. It was good to talk to Reggie a little more this year. Hopefully
we can keep that up next year.
And, as
usual, the final thanks go to all of you. Some of you have read my scribblings
for years, while others were introduced to me through Jaden, the great Sam
Federman, a retweet, or who knows which other way. However our paths crossed,
thank you for reading, retweeting, or whatever you do to support the outlet and
me.
A lot of
you who follow took the time to seek me out this year and introduce yourselves
or say hello. I’m honored that you did. I say all the time – and will reiterate
here – to please do that if I’m in your school’s building. I’m always
down for a handshake or a conversation. I’m not the most compelling person in
the place, but your saying hello is a huge compliment.
This gig
is a challenge, and it becomes more of one each year. More people leave, the
portal stuff gets even more ridiculous, the hours get longer, and the dollars
get shorter. I’m clawing some of that back where I can. How that looks in the
long run, I’m not sure. What I do know is that if it comes down to my becoming
an “influencer,” I’m out. I don’t feel great asking for an occasional dollar or
two. I’d feel far worse having to do that.
So ends
season number – again, I don’t remember which one this is. 14, maybe? No one’s
counting. It was, as usual, the most rewarding, heartbreaking, and everything
in between season I’ve ever experienced. The text inbox will soon dry. Coaches
will start preparing for another season and for my dumb questions.
Meanwhile,
I’ll close my laptop – which, like me, has probably seen better days – and step
away for a while. People ask me all the time if I’m “excited” for games or if
I’m having fun when I cover them. Of course it’s fun. I wouldn’t do it if it
weren’t. That said, it’s a job, and it’s feeling more and more like a job with
every passing year. Watching games is fun. There’s no glamour in quiet arenas
or filing stories at 3am. Anyway…
Will I
be back here in the fall? Probably. Just be sure to tune in to find out.
For now,
let’s close this feature as I always do. I have to honor my guy Andy Masur from
WGN Radio in Chicago as I do every year. If this sign-off is good enough for
him, it’s good enough for me.
So many
faces in and out of my life
Some will last, some will just be now and then
Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes
I’m afraid it’s time for goodbye again
– Billy Joel, “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”
-30-
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