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D3 Coach Q&A - Jason Harris (UMass Boston MBB) · The Student Athlete Sessions

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: D3 head coach.
• 0:04
  This time we are joined by the head men's basketball coach at
• 0:09
  UMass Boston.
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  As you can see the beacons in the background of the gym there,
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  Coach Jason Harris.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining the program.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Really,
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  really excited to make my inaugural debut on the program and
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  hope to make many,
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  SPEAKER_01: many more.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 0:27
  For those that are not aware,
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  Coach Harris has been a D3 head coach for a while now.
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  SPEAKER_00: He played D3.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're going to get into his student-athlete experience tonight.
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  SPEAKER_00: He also...
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  uh recently you know has been really involved with we are d3
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  over the past couple
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  years um just just a uh you know a champion of d3 across all
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  levels so yeah
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  definitely gonna have to get you back on and um you know in a
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  different format but
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  we can uh as as things get going here we'll we'll we'll give
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  the room a little time
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  SPEAKER_00: to heat up but um
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  SPEAKER_00: Typically,
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  SPEAKER_00: yeah,
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  SPEAKER_00: we can just kind of start out,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think,
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  SPEAKER_00: maybe with your experience as an athlete.
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  SPEAKER_00: Actually, let's just start out.
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  SPEAKER_00: Where are you calling in from tonight?
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  SPEAKER_00: Because this is pretty unique.
• 1:21
  I'm actually calling in from the Clark Athletic Center on
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  campus here at UMass Boston.
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  This is actually the site of LeBron James' NBA debut in the
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  Shaw Summer League,
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  SPEAKER_01: what is now the Vegas Summer League,
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  SPEAKER_01: used to be the Shaw Summer League.
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  SPEAKER_01: For a really interesting read,
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  SPEAKER_01: if you Google LeBron James,
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  SPEAKER_01: UMass Boston,
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  SPEAKER_01: Shaw Summer League,
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  SPEAKER_01: you'll get a really,
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  SPEAKER_01: really cool read with some great photos,
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  SPEAKER_01: some great interviews,
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  SPEAKER_01: and some really great history.
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  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, was that just because Vegas was not a thing yet?
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  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Vegas just, it wasn't a thing yet.
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  SPEAKER_01: For some reason,
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  SPEAKER_01: well,
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  SPEAKER_01: obviously we know the reason why it went from,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: Dorchester to Vegas.
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  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was the money, follow the money.
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  SPEAKER_01: But before it was in Vegas, Boston, yeah, Shaw's.
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  SPEAKER_01: Shaw's and UMass Boston was the home of the NBA Summer League.
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  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
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  SPEAKER_00: And for those listeners who are unclear, can you help clarify?
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  There are a lot of D3 schools that are within the Massachusetts
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  university system.
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  SPEAKER_00: How does that work?
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  For people who might be confused about UMass as a school and
• 2:30
  then things like UMass
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  SPEAKER_00: Amherst,
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  SPEAKER_00: UMass Boston,
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  SPEAKER_00: how does UMass Boston fit into the system as a whole?
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  SPEAKER_01: Right.
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  SPEAKER_01: So we have four schools in the University of Massachusetts system.
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  SPEAKER_01: We have the flagship.
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  SPEAKER_01: We have UMass Lowell.
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  SPEAKER_01: We have the school down south and we have us, UMass Boston as well.
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  SPEAKER_01: So in terms of the way we fit in,
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  two of those universities are Division I and then the other two
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  are Division III.
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  SPEAKER_01: Um,
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  SPEAKER_01: so we,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: share resources,
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  I guess the way that a system would share resources in terms of
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  everything else
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  SPEAKER_01: other than,
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  SPEAKER_01: um,
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  SPEAKER_01: athletics.
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  Uh,
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  we are a leading research institution in the state,
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  in the region and in the country.
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  Um,
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  so really the only thing that's division three about the
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  institution is it's athletics.
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  SPEAKER_01: And as you can see behind me, not all division threes are the same.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Great gym.
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  SPEAKER_00: And again, this is not a green screen, uh, behind coach Harris.
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  SPEAKER_00: He is actually in the gym tonight.
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  Um,
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  definitely takes the cake for the best,
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  best,
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  uh,
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  setting for one of these Q and a so far.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um, all right.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to,
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  I'm going to send the link out one more time here and we will
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  see if we can get,
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  SPEAKER_00: get the room going.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um,
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  SPEAKER_00: And we can get into some some other questions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Take two seconds here.
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  SPEAKER_00: All right.
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  SPEAKER_00: Great.
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  So I think,
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  um,
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  yeah,
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  we mentioned already,
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  you were a D3 student athlete yourself.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um,
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  Played basketball down at,
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  or I guess up from where you are,
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  Rhode Island College.
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  SPEAKER_01: Oh, down.
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  SPEAKER_01: We're down.
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  SPEAKER_01: We're down.
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  SPEAKER_00: Oh, down.
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  SPEAKER_00: Down, down.
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  SPEAKER_00: I got to work on my Northeast geography here.
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  SPEAKER_00: What did your recruiting process look like then?
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  SPEAKER_00: And like, why did you end up going with RIC?
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_01: You know,
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  probably for the same reason that a lot of Division III
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  athletes choose their
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  SPEAKER_01: institution.
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  Rhode Island College was one of the institutions that was
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  really recruiting me hard.
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  SPEAKER_01: I had a great relationship with the interim head coach at the time,
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  SPEAKER_01: had a great relationship with the assistant coach.
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  It was close to my house,
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  but it wasn't,
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  you know,
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  in my backyard to where mom and dad weren't
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  SPEAKER_01: weren't showing up on a Friday night,
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  SPEAKER_01: but I could get home after a game or if I needed laundry or a good,
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  SPEAKER_01: just a nice home cooked meal or a little bit of money.
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  SPEAKER_01: Um, I love the campus.
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  Uh,
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  happened to meet my wife there,
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  uh,
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  very early in my,
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  my tenure at Rhode Island college.
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  SPEAKER_01: Uh,
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  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you have a good one, you don't let them go.
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  SPEAKER_01: So I've been with my wife ever since.
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  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we got married across the street from campus.
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  SPEAKER_01: And,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: other than playing them twice a year,
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
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  SPEAKER_01: it's a place that,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: is near and dear to my heart still.
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  It's a little unique to be a head coach and have your alma
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  mater be in your conference.
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  SPEAKER_01: So there's twice a year where you don't really love them.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  I can imagine that's hard,
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  but also maybe fun to like still be connected to the school.
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  SPEAKER_01: Oh, a hundred percent.
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  When we,
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  when we go to the Murray center,
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  it is a little bit of a blast from the past.
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  SPEAKER_01: It's the same hallways,
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  SPEAKER_01: maybe a fresh coat of paint on them,
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  SPEAKER_01: but the same athletic trainer,
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  SPEAKER_01: same facilities guy,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: it's the same people.
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  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of hugs that day.
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  SPEAKER_01: And it's,
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  SPEAKER_01: so it's,
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  SPEAKER_01: it's hard to stay focused sometimes,
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  SPEAKER_01: but you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: you gotta,
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  SPEAKER_01: you gotta channel that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um, I feel like that's such a common story at the D3 level.
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  SPEAKER_00: Like not only,
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  SPEAKER_00: I mean,
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  SPEAKER_00: you,
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  SPEAKER_00: you are now coaching at a different institution,
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  SPEAKER_00: but,
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  but still like rich ties places that people always come back to
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  maybe not as
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  SPEAKER_00: opposing coaches,
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  SPEAKER_00: but,
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  SPEAKER_00: um,
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  SPEAKER_00: Any of those relationships that still,
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  SPEAKER_00: to this day,
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  SPEAKER_00: other than when you're on campus,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I guess your wife you mentioned,
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  SPEAKER_00: but any of those relationships from college that still hold to this day,
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  SPEAKER_00: people that really matter in your life?
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  SPEAKER_01: 100%.
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I still talk to all my coaches.
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  The two guys that I played for and the third coach that I
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  worked for,
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  I still talk to them.
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  SPEAKER_01: I talk to numerous assistant coaches from those staffs.
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  SPEAKER_01: I talk to players.
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  SPEAKER_01: Been to a few weddings and, you know, things like that.
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  SPEAKER_01: So these connections, they're real life connections that you're making.
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  It's not,
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  you know,
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  it's not just a kid that you share a team with for a couple
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  months.
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  And at Division III,
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  the roster turnover is much different than at Division I in the
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  past.
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  SPEAKER_01: Now, not so much.
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  SPEAKER_01: Whereas, you know, you might have 25, 30 teammates over your four years.
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  SPEAKER_01: Whereas if you're a Division I guy, you might have 12.
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  Now you might have 70,
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  but back then you might have had,
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  you know,
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  12 to 15.
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  yeah yeah definitely less turnover nowadays at the d3 level one
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  of those advantages
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  that uh yeah as college sports becomes more professionalized
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  the top echelons it's
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  SPEAKER_00: something that is a real benefit um
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  SPEAKER_00: for kids that I think want to walk away from school like you did with,
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  SPEAKER_00: with deep relationships,
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  SPEAKER_00: with lifelong friends,
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  SPEAKER_00: with people that are going to go to their weddings,
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  SPEAKER_00: maybe a spouse.
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  Um,
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  that type of thing is,
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  is I just feel like is much more common nowadays from the D3
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  level.
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  SPEAKER_00: Um,
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  SPEAKER_00: but it,
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  SPEAKER_00: it does,
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  SPEAKER_00: it does push me into something else I want to ask you about,
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  SPEAKER_00: which is kind of like,
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  SPEAKER_00: How do you pitch UMass Boston these days?
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  SPEAKER_00: Like, what is your sell to recruits?
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  SPEAKER_00: What makes the institution special?
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  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think it's the quality of the education.
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  SPEAKER_01: It's the cost of the education.
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
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  SPEAKER_01: you look at some of these tuition price tags now and they're,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: they're through the roof.
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  SPEAKER_01: And now I firmly believe that you get what you pay for in life.
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  SPEAKER_01: Some of these numbers are just,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: they're insane for their graduation rates,
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  SPEAKER_01: for their job placement,
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  SPEAKER_01: for the degrees that they're handing out.
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  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, I'm not here to talk about any other schools.
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  SPEAKER_01: The things that I talk about is our location.
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  SPEAKER_01: you know, where we are.
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  SPEAKER_01: You could be,
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  SPEAKER_01: you could be at a Celtics game in under 10,
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  SPEAKER_01: 12 minutes,
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  SPEAKER_01: maybe not with traffic,
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  SPEAKER_01: but relatively close.
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  SPEAKER_01: We are a, uh, city campus, but we are not a city campus.
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  SPEAKER_01: Um,
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  SPEAKER_01: I,
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  I dare any one of you guys to go on Google maps or Google earth
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  and check out UMass
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: Boston.
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  Um,
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  there are some city campuses where you can walk and send a text
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  message.
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  SPEAKER_01: And by the time you're done sending that text, you've passed the campus.
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  SPEAKER_01: Um,
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  SPEAKER_01: UMass Boston is a sprawling campus surrounded by water on three sides.
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  Um,
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  you know,
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  if we were on,
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  if we were in California,
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  we'd look like Pepperdine.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's, it's unreal.
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's unreal.
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  SPEAKER_01: We are probably the most Southern point of the city.
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  SPEAKER_01: So,
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
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  SPEAKER_01: if we were another three feet South,
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  SPEAKER_01: we'd be in the ocean,
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  SPEAKER_01: but we'd also be in UMass Quincy.
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  SPEAKER_01: Right.
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  SPEAKER_01: So, um, that's one of the things, even as a Massachusetts resident, um,
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  I had been to campus a few times in high school,
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  but I had never been past the gym,
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  right?
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  And so 10 years ago when I came on campus and I was taking a
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  tour to interview to
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  SPEAKER_01: try to get the position,
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  SPEAKER_01: I fell in love with the place like,
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  SPEAKER_01: man,
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  SPEAKER_01: this is in Dorchester.
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  SPEAKER_01: And even to this day, I feel like
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know,
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Steve Jobs,
• 10:05
  I feel like one of those guys from Microsoft or Apple that are
• 10:07
  in the garage.
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  SPEAKER_01: They know they're sitting on a billion dollar product,
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  SPEAKER_01: but it's just trying to get it out to everybody.
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  SPEAKER_01: But I think we're ready for launch this year.
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  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited to get that product out.
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  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I'm sure part of that is the recruiting class you're bringing in,
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  SPEAKER_00: class of 2025 high school grads.
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  SPEAKER_00: Maybe just kind of talk about that class.
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  And I think something that's always helpful for listeners as we
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  see some people
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  SPEAKER_00: coming in,
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  SPEAKER_00: Kenneth and Andrews,
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  SPEAKER_00: thanks for joining,
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  is to hear maybe some things that recruits did well or maybe
• 10:41
  things that recruits
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  SPEAKER_00: didn't do well that made you look in another direction.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
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  SPEAKER_01: That's a great question.
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  SPEAKER_01: First,
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  SPEAKER_01: I think that most recruits,
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  SPEAKER_01: parents,
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  and I hope other college coaches and high school coaches
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  understand that your
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: number one recruits are the guys in the program already.
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  SPEAKER_01: So our 2025 recruits are the kids that we got from 2024.
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  SPEAKER_01: We spent a full year developing and getting better, right?
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  SPEAKER_01: So to talk about the 2025 class like that,
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  SPEAKER_01: I'm really excited because we maintain most of that core.
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  SPEAKER_01: We brought back a majority of that core
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  SPEAKER_01: our top recruit last year.
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  SPEAKER_01: I mean, know this name, Cam Perkins.
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  SPEAKER_01: You guys, he would have been a first-team All-American.
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  SPEAKER_01: He was number two in scoring as a freshman through seven games,
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: got hurt,
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  SPEAKER_01: missed the rest of the year.
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  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, to get him back is huge.
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  SPEAKER_01: If he doesn't get hurt, maybe he's not back.
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  SPEAKER_01: Who knows?
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  SPEAKER_01: And in 2025, Rafael Laurent stepped up immediately right afterwards and
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: played minimal the first seven games,
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  SPEAKER_01: and then the final 18 went on a tear,
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  SPEAKER_01: and that was pretty much all conference games,
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  SPEAKER_01: and he got Region 2 Rookie of the Year.
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  SPEAKER_01: So just bringing those two guys back to start,
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  SPEAKER_01: that's a really great core to our recruiting class for this year.
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  In terms of what we were looking for when I went out and looked
• 11:52
  at high school
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: kids,
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: because you've got to understand –
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: For the most part now, we're looking at transfers.
• 11:55
  We're looking at junior college kids,
• 11:57
  older guys with a little bit more life experience.
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  SPEAKER_01: If we go get a high school kid, he's got to be a Cam Perkins.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: He's got to be a Ralph Laurent.
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  SPEAKER_01: He's got to be a guy that we know that we can put on the court with the
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: 22-year-olds right now,
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  SPEAKER_01: and we'll let them play through their mistakes because of their talent.
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  SPEAKER_01: But one, it's consistency, right?
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  SPEAKER_01: Because you got to be the same guy every single day.
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  SPEAKER_01: And that's,
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  SPEAKER_01: you know,
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  SPEAKER_01: you're going to have games where you score 20,
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  SPEAKER_01: games where you score,
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: where you go two for 20,
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: right?
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  SPEAKER_01: But are you the same teammate?
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  SPEAKER_01: Are you the same coachable guy?
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  SPEAKER_01: You know, are you the same competitor no matter what?
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  SPEAKER_01: You know,
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  SPEAKER_01: are you the guy who's now you're at the end of the bench and,
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: you're not trying to be a part of the conversation because –
• 12:32
  You got three turnovers in a row and coach took you out,
• 12:33
  man,
• 12:34
  because you got to calm down.
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  SPEAKER_01: So that's the first thing, consistency.
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  I think number two might sound a little bit like consistency,
• 12:41
  but it's reliability,
• 12:43
  right?
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like how reliable are you, right?
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  SPEAKER_01: If you tell me practice is at four and I show up at four and there's a JV
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: volleyball game going on or whatever,
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: You have a sprained ankle and it's just unreliable.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: You may only get me into your gym three or four times in the year.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So you need to be reliable and I need to know you're going to play hard.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then resilience, right?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: As a Division III student athlete,
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: just as a person in the world in 2025,
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: you got to be resilient,
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: consistency,
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: and reliable,
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: And consistent and reliable.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you're going to get knocked down a bunch at Division III.
• 13:15
  Like,
• 13:15
  we have two Division I games we play,
• 13:17
  and our kids love them,
• 13:18
  right?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: And guys will be throwing alley-oops on us.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: And,
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: I might get to the timeout,
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: and I'm like,
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: guys,
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: I understand I put us in a really,
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: really hard spot here,
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: But it's all right.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, just keep going, man.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: Just keep going.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: And that's just more of a...
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: I guess just a model for life, right?
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Basketball and life, it's kind of the same thing.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: So we're looking for kids who have championship habits on the court,
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: off the court,
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: just in the community in general.
• 13:42
  So those kids in our recruiting class that we took from high
• 13:45
  school like that had
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: all those things.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: And the kids that we took from,
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: maybe not took,
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: the other kids that landed here from other programs,
• 13:54
  those kids were just looking for another opportunity and also
• 13:56
  possess those
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: qualities.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I love,
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I love both of those,
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: like the first two things,
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: especially like,
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: because there are things that recruits can control.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's,
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: it's totally in your hands to,
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: be reliable,
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: to respond to,
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: to text messages,
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: to,
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: share information effectively.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: And those are all things that make your job as a coach easier.
• 14:20
  And I think that's something we always try to like harp on to
• 14:22
  recruits because,
• 14:23
  you
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: you know, people will say, Oh, it's unfair.
• 14:26
  You know,
• 14:26
  like I sent this coach all these emails and they never
• 14:29
  responded to me.
• 14:30
  And then the one time I don't respond,
• 14:31
  it's like,
• 14:33
  you know,
• 14:35
  it's kind of how it works.
• 14:36
  Like there are thousands of recruits and there are only so many
• 14:39
  coaches and,
• 14:39
  um,
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: You got to really,
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: like you said,
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: when they're coming to your gym,
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: three times a year will be a ton.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe it's just they come one time for practice.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: And if,
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: like you said,
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: there's a JV volleyball game or they are not suiting up,
• 14:57
  the coach is going to feel like they're wasting their time and
• 14:59
  they're just not
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: going to give you that second look.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: And not to cut you off, but you got to understand –
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's not my line, but I probably wasn't my wife's first choice.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: So you got to just you got to be ready.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: You just have to be ready.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: You can't you can't feel any sort of way.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: And when coach shows up, you've got to be ready to play hard.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, he may walk out of the gym.
• 15:19
  He may never come back,
• 15:20
  but he may send an assistant for the next five games.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's the truth.
• 15:25
  So whether it's them looking at your email or them looking at
• 15:29
  you playing live,
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: like those moments are an opportunity and a gift,
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: uh,
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: for someone to take their time to,
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: to check you out.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I've heard one great story and then we'll, we'll move on.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: But, uh, you know,
• 15:45
  I grew up in Davidson,
• 15:46
  North Carolina,
• 15:47
  and Coach McKillop would give these talks.
• 15:51
  He would always share this one story about a player who he went
• 15:54
  all the way to
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: London to recruit him.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: He played terribly in the game.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of coaches would have left.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: McKillop stayed after
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: and was up in the rafter or like,
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: up in the stands and he,
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: he wasn't,
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: he didn't go down there to say,
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hey,
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: but the player like cleaned up the court and,
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: uh,
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: and,
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 16:15
  took care of some things afterwards that just showed him the
• 16:17
  quality of the,
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: of the person.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: So again,
• 16:20
  the small things that you can control are often the things that
• 16:23
  will make an impact
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: on the coach,
• 16:24
  whether or not you're probably not going to come in and be the
• 16:27
  best player right
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: away.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're going to get hit with a little bit of adversity.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: And,
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: if you play bad and go pick up the cups,
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: you can be on my bench any day.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'll give a pause here to Kenneth and Andrews.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you guys have questions for Coach Harris, this is a live Q&A.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: So this is for you guys.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Drop the questions in the chat and we will address those as we go.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, no pressure though.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: You're, you can just listen in.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: We got, we got a couple topics that we're going to talk about anyways.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: So,
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: um,
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: yeah,
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think,
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: you talked a little bit about the guys that you are excited about to get,
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: to get back in.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: You talked about some transfers coming in, maybe just a little more.
• 17:15
  You're,
• 17:16
  you're,
• 17:17
  I think this is your 10th season,
• 17:18
  uh,
• 17:20
  as the head coach of U S Boston,
• 17:22
  uh,
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: You said you feel like you're sitting on this billion-dollar opportunity,
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: this place with a ton of potential.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: What type of program, if you had to describe it, do you run?
• 17:34
  And what is the vision maybe just for the future of the
• 17:37
  basketball team,
• 17:38
  the Beacons?
• 17:40
  Yeah,
• 17:40
  so I'm sure everybody's going to sit up and tell you they run a
• 17:43
  player's first program.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I run a program built on development and accountability.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: Anything...
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: Anything outside of that,
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not doing you any sort of favors for developing you as a young man,
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: And it might sound,
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: a little cheesy,
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: but when you come to me,
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: you're closer to getting fired than you are for getting subbed out now.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: Mom and dad, they had you for 18 years.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: They most likely did a really good job to get you to this point.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: Some other people probably played a major role in getting you here.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: But I got four years, four years if I'm lucky.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: I really have to take these things as eight, nine months at a time.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: I have nine months.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: I have nine months to leave my mark on you.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really what this is about.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's about when I'm 60 years old, still getting phone calls from guys.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, coach, you know, she said, yes, it's a boy.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: I got the job.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Hey coach, how do you change oil?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like what,
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: what my transmission makes making this,
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: even those phone calls are,
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: are great.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: So, um, our goal is just bigger than basketball, right?
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's a, it's a 40 year wealth goal.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you have me for 40 years, right?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm hoping I can make it another 40 years.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: So this is a lifetime contract.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: When you come and play at UMass Boston and you come play for me, um,
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: We're preparing you to be a championship husband,
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: father,
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: basketball player,
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: employer,
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: employee,
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: neighbor.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: You really have to compartmentalize everything just to be successful.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care if you're a man, woman, gay, straight.
• 19:19
  basketball baseball it doesn't matter you you know there's just
• 19:22
  a lot that we get
• 19:23
  hit with every single day um especially as a young student
• 19:26
  athlete and there's some
• 19:28
  of the stuff that my student athletes are dealing with um it's
• 19:31
  amazing i can never
• 19:32
  you know i don't think i could process and and still function
• 19:34
  the way that some of
• 19:35
  these guys are doing it and so they're just so amazing to uh to
• 19:38
  be able to come and
• 19:39
  teach these guys and it's funny i've been here 10 years i've
• 19:43
  done more learning
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: than teaching you know 100 way more more learning than teaching
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: What's one of those lessons or like,
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: what is,
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: what,
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: what you,
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: you,
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: as you came in something you maybe thought you knew that now looks,
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: silly to think you held that belief 10 years ago.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: I could write a book on that.
• 20:02
  Um,
• 20:03
  you know,
• 20:03
  for one,
• 20:04
  for one,
• 20:05
  it would be that I now understand how,
• 20:09
  how,
• 20:10
  uh,
• 20:10
  obvious or
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: how grateful I am to work for the guys that I worked for,
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: my mentors,
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: because I was probably a horrible assistant coach,
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: After being a head coach for nine years,
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: just understanding now what a head coach actually needs.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: But in terms of like coaching, I've learned that like,
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: preparation truly is everything.
• 20:34
  You know,
• 20:34
  my mentors taught me that,
• 20:35
  but actually seeing that you can never over-prepare.
• 20:40
  You can over-prepare the players,
• 20:41
  but I can't over-prepare as a head coach.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: The championship habits,
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: things like guys that pick up cups,
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: or guys that are going to pick up teammates,
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: or guys that are going to pick up blown screens,
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so those things translate on the court, off the court.
• 20:57
  And then it's just also like,
• 20:59
  I think the biggest chance for me was becoming a father.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: And so before I was a father,
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: when I was a head coach,
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: you didn't get on that ball because,
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: you didn't want it bad enough.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: Or, you know, you got to be tougher.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: But now as a father,
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: I've learned,
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: long before that loose ball happens,
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: you've got to notice like,
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: hey,
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: he's a little low energy today.
• 21:21
  So instead of lighting him up,
• 21:22
  let's pull him aside and be like,
• 21:24
  hey,
• 21:24
  what's going on?
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and yeah.
• 21:26
  The first time you yell at somebody because they're low energy
• 21:28
  and they tell you
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: grandpa's in the hospital or their cat stuck in a tree or whatever,
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: whatever that big trauma is for them for that day,
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: you immediately remember,
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: oh man,
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: I used to be 19 and I had real life problems and coach was wide around,
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: I clapping loud,
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: you know?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so it kind of brings you back down, right?
• 21:46
  And so it just compartmentalizes it again,
• 21:49
  what my job really is here to do.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: It's to win championships, but it's also to develop champions.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:56
  Girlfriend dumped you right before practice and,
• 21:59
  and now coaches lighten you up.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's not, yeah.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Being, being 19 is, is, is there great things about it?
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's also very challenging at times.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: A hundred percent.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: And,
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: and that's why some people,
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: mainly recruit older kids because when the girlfriend breaks up with you,
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: they just go to practice.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Less, less impactful.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I do want to talk about, you know,
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: As we're on this topic of mentoring players,
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: you were a three-time captain in college,
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: and that is not something that happens very often.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: What were some of the things that with you and your coach's relationship,
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: kind of in that leadership role for three years,
• 22:50
  that he imparted on you,
• 22:51
  or what did that relationship look like while you were a
• 22:54
  captain?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, timing's everything.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: I was fortunate to,
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: the coaches that recruited me did not get the jobs,
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: but the head coach who came in,
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: Mike Kelly,
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: actually coached for Bob McKillop at Davidson.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: So we went and played at Davidson one of those years when I was a player.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: But I think I was fortunate enough to
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Be young enough to buy into whatever he said.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: So coach wants loud over communicators.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to be a loud over communicator.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:26
  That's the only thing I'm going to focus on is over
• 23:29
  communicating to the point
• 23:30
  where everybody in the gym is kind of laughing about it and
• 23:32
  knows that like,
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: hey,
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: this he said he's going to play the guy who talks the most.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so I said, we're 0-4 right now, right?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I just started talking like crazy.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: And he loved it.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: And then it got a little bit of confidence in me, right?
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so I remembered, oh, yeah, I was recruited to play here, too.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I can play at this level.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so confidence is such a big thing.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: When I got the confidence, I took it.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: Now, I was also a captain in high school football.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: I was a captain in basketball.
• 24:02
  You know,
• 24:02
  I was a quarterback all through,
• 24:03
  you know,
• 24:04
  Pop Warner football,
• 24:05
  not to go Al Bundy.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: But,
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: so like I was in positions of speaking in leadership where,
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: I had 10 people looking at me at all times.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: And this is the play.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: This is what we're going to do.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I was used to that, that sort of thing.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Now, with Mike Kelly...
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Mike, um, just put me in that position to lead.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know,
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think honestly,
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: part of it was he wanted to keep me there because,
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: we went one in 24.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: So like I was playing, but we were terrible, you know, we were terrible.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, great.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm,
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm clapping and leading,
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: leading the way and getting 18 points a game,
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: but we are getting blasted.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: We are down 40 at the half.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so having to
• 24:46
  sacrifice a little bit personally and take steps back to help
• 24:48
  get talent in.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, by the time I left, when I was a senior, we were 29.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_01: I had helped host every single one of those recruits.
• 24:58
  The year after when I left is when they really took off when
• 25:01
  Bob Walsh came in.
• 25:02
  And I was fortunate enough to kind of basically be an
• 25:05
  apprentice under Bob Walsh and that staff.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: And basically all the guys that
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: We're freshmen and sophomore.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: When I was a senior,
• 25:13
  all those guys won like three championships and then they won
• 25:16
  like eight or nine
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: championships going forward.
• 25:18
  So I think just the faith and the confidence in me and me just
• 25:23
  having great
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: captains,
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think great seniors when I was a freshman.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: I can't forget about those guys.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Those guys that grabbed me right away and, you know, don't do that.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Do this.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Come with me here.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Don't go there.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, you need those guys to help you survive early on.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_01: then you can figure it out.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: Then the stuff on the court takes care of itself.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I think it's so true.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: Our D3 basketball experiences have a lot of parallels.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: When I joined, I went to Swarthmore, and my freshman year, we were 3-22.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought we were bottom of the basement, but I guess 1-24 is...
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's tough.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we won.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: We won at Bridgewater State.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: It was 71-73.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: We, like, kicked the ball all over the court.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: We almost turned it over three times.
• 26:20
  And Eric Brito just picked it up and was like,
• 26:23
  all right,
• 26:24
  and just fired it.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_01: And we dogged.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was insane.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:27
  greatest memory of my freshman year,
• 26:29
  one of my greatest memories of my four years of playing.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: And really,
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 26:33
  funny thing is we were one in 24 and it was one of the funnest
• 26:37
  years of my life,
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: Because we were getting drilled, but kids just played hard.
• 26:42
  You know,
• 26:43
  we were ready to be the 95 Knicks,
• 26:45
  but we were not ready to be the 95 Knicks.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: But there was a seed there of something, right?
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: Because you guys, I, and
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: there are a lot of ways I want to take this.
• 26:57
  I do want to highlight what you talked about with finding your
• 26:59
  voice as a leader
• 27:00
  because I don't think that's a skill or a situation that every
• 27:03
  kid has been in.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like you talked about having,
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: from football and other sports,
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: people were looking at you and you were used to that.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: But I think
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like the value of,
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: again,
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: something recruits,
• 27:16
  any recruit can control is just talking and communicating
• 27:19
  because coaches love
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: that.
• 27:22
  And it's also a great way to,
• 27:25
  when you're playing poorly,
• 27:26
  to get out of your own head.
• 27:28
  Like just be chatting and talking and remembering that other
• 27:33
  people are struggling too.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can like talk through the...
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: the dip in performance,
• 27:39
  then you'll get other guys back and probably forget that you
• 27:42
  weren't doing well
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: either.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and you know, it's funny.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: One of his lessons with communicating, Mike Kelly was like, just talk.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter what you're saying.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we started saying things like, you know, cutter, orange, blue, green.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: It didn't just, it was noise.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: And it kept, like you said, it kept you engaged.
• 27:59
  So you stopped thinking about the layup you smoked and you were
• 28:01
  now thinking about
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: just being involved at the game and being engaged.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: Support a teammate.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
• 28:07
  All right,
• 28:08
  we're going to hit pause here because we got a question in from
• 28:10
  Kenneth.
• 28:12
  He says,
• 28:13
  Coach,
• 28:13
  you mentioned your current athletes recruit the next class of
• 28:17
  athletes.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: What is the buy-in emphasizing how important that job is?
• 28:23
  And once you have them,
• 28:24
  what's your best method of development for off the court?
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: So kind of a two-part question.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: How do you – yes, you got it.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I'll start with off the court, right?
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: So it's being around, right?
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm a full-time head coach.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have to do anything else.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry about that little custodian accent.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, again, not a green screen back there.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: We're actually in the gym tonight.
• 28:50
  Yeah,
• 28:50
  but,
• 28:51
  yeah,
• 28:51
  it's just,
• 28:52
  it's obviously,
• 28:53
  it's building that relationship,
• 28:54
  I think.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: If the players understand that you're not there to,
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: you're not trying to replace them,
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: you are trying to raise the floor,
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: I guess,
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: or raise the level of talent.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the talent.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so what got you here won't keep you here.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: But again, we're not trying to replace you.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: We're trying to add more talent to the program.
• 29:18
  And then there's some sort of attrition that happens that you
• 29:21
  have to plan for naturally.
• 29:23
  So just because just because you have three seniors doesn't
• 29:26
  necessarily mean that
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: you only recruit three guys.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: So you have to be able to over recruit just a little bit.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: And what was the first part of the question is a good question.
• 29:36
  It was it was on the topic of what you mentioned when when you
• 29:41
  were at Rhode Island
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: of,
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: recruiting as a player,
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: recruiting the next classes.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: So so his question specifically was.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's essential everywhere I've been.
• 29:53
  If your players aren't leading the way in recruiting,
• 29:57
  it's going to be tough.
• 29:58
  Whenever we have recruits on campus,
• 30:01
  I encourage them,
• 30:02
  go talk to my players.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_01: Ask them anything you want, literally anything you want.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: All recruits, when you go on visits, talk to the players.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: This is what I do.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: I get paid to talk about this beautiful campus that I represent.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 30:16
  So talk to players who aren't paid to talk about these
• 30:18
  beautiful institutions and
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_01: they'll tell you the truth.
• 30:21
  Oh,
• 30:21
  coach is a jerk or,
• 30:23
  you know,
• 30:24
  he plays five,
• 30:25
  five men or whatever that is,
• 30:27
  right?
• 30:27
  So,
• 30:27
  but if your players aren't bought into that,
• 30:31
  they have to understand the importance of that.
• 30:33
  Their job is just as important as the assistant coach and the
• 30:36
  head coach that gets
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: them to campus.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: Once you get them to campus, that's half the job.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: The other half
• 30:41
  is really making them feel loved there and at home and just a
• 30:45
  part of it,
• 30:46
  right?
• 30:46
  And so we had a great,
• 30:48
  our last two years,
• 30:50
  Manny Zayas,
• 30:51
  we've had a great captain.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
• 30:53
  to the point where we would have recruits come up and now he's
• 30:57
  got this great
• 30:58
  relationship with these guys months down the road that I'm not
• 31:01
  even aware of.
• 31:02
  And I look in the stands and the kids there with Manny at the
• 31:05
  girls game and I'm
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: all right,
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: Manny,
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: well,
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: how are we looking?
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:09
  But if your players understand the importance of it and your
• 31:12
  players want to see
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: the brand do better,
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: and even if they're seniors,
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: to understand what this means to get this kid to come to the program.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think when you get to that moment,
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: and this is what is such a beautiful part about playing,
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: not just college basketball,
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: but college sports is it,
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: it is a collective effort.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: It is, it goes so far beyond the individual.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: And,
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: and one of the,
• 31:36
  one of the best parts is when you get to graduate and you get
• 31:39
  to sit in stands and
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: become a fan and appreciate the program.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: And,
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: and,
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_00: in your situation,
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: obviously you're not going to Rhode Island college games and,
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_00: and cheering them on.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah,
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: There is something to be said about,
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: wow,
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: like we went from this spot,
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_00: low one in 24 to when I graduated,
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: we were 29.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: And now the program, you know, is, is up off the mat and doing better.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's a real sense of pride that comes in there and yeah,
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: just building something bigger than yourself.
• 32:11
  And,
• 32:11
  you know,
• 32:11
  and you see this,
• 32:12
  it's no mistake that every year you see the top 25.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'd be willing to bet that that top 25 has phenomenal alumni engagement.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: Now, part of that is because they're consistently good.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_01: But that's the other part of it that that feeds into it.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_01: Some of the work that we did this year with We Are D3.
• 32:32
  I was so impressed with the Marietta and the NIL collective and
• 32:37
  the support that
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: those guys kind of rallied around.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, D3 is in a great spot.
• 32:44
  You know,
• 32:45
  it's in a weird spot compared,
• 32:47
  you know,
• 32:48
  just in terms of college athletics.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody's in a little bit of a weird spot.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: But I think Division III is in kind of a good spot, great spot, actually.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_00: I completely agree.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: Again,
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: as we mentioned earlier,
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: as the top level of D1 becomes this,
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: it's completely money dependent and kind of a pro sports light model.
• 33:09
  D3 to me represents the only option for kids out there where
• 33:13
  you can really get a
• 33:15
  true academic experience where you're valued as a student and
• 33:18
  then also get a very
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_00: competitive athletic experience to go alongside that.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: And then,
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 33:24
  I think about the confidence that I got as a man playing
• 33:28
  Division three sports.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: I probably could have walked on,
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: maybe at a Division one and never touched the cord and had cool gear.
• 33:35
  But just the ability to be a leader and lose games and have a
• 33:41
  part in winning games
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_01: and that that development for me.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: uh, was huge and just where I, where I got to and where I'm at today.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I coach, I coach second and third grade flag football.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: So like,
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: we're wanting to,
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: we got,
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: we got boat raced again today,
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_01: but you know,
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: the kids are having fun.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_01: And,
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_01: and so I just kind of have to be like,
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: listen guys,
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: this is,
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_01: this is what we're doing it for.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, did everybody have fun?
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_01: Did everybody play well?
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I can do that there cause I can't do that here.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I do that there.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: And you mentioned D1.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: You were a Division I assistant for five or six years at LIU.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you've seen that level of play.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: I guess,
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: what would be your comparison other than,
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: like you mentioned,
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: maybe some better gear and...
• 34:28
  Yeah,
• 34:29
  I mean,
• 34:29
  honestly,
• 34:29
  just like Division III,
• 34:31
  Division I has so many levels to it.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I was at LIU Brooklyn for eight years.
• 34:37
  I was an assistant on the floor for six,
• 34:39
  and I was a crowd assistant for two.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_01: And while we had great funding and we had phenomenal support at the time,
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_01: not everybody in the league did.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: And we just,
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: we had it great for our league,
• 34:54
  but our league was not funded very well in the grand scheme of
• 34:58
  the 22 leagues there
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: were out there.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: We were probably 20 or 21,
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: but we were probably funded two or three out of that 20 or 21,
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: out of those conferences.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of the commitment,
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_01: and it's not even comparable,
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: the amount of travel,
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: the money that's thrown into it.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: The talent is more comparable than everything else, honestly.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like the top ends of Division I,
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: like those guys,
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: yeah,
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: those guys are really,
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_01: really talented,
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: really good.
• 35:28
  But I think if you took some of those mid to bottom level D1
• 35:32
  guys and you dropped
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_01: them in a top 25 D3 program,
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think they're doing as well as everybody thinks they're doing.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think the guy who's the best player on the top five team...
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like,
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think Jamie Cosgrove,
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: one of his best players,
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_01: you could drop him on a Division I team,
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_01: And he'll be a rotational guy, at least.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's true.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: And like you mentioned, there are tiers.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not as black and white as people think.
• 36:01
  And we've tried to illustrate that with our podcast guests and
• 36:05
  bring on some guys
• 36:06
  who have transferred or gals who have transferred from D3 to D1
• 36:10
  or the other way,
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: started out at D1 and transferred to D3.
• 36:13
  And just them talking about the differences,
• 36:16
  I think,
• 36:16
  is what is really illustrative.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we would leave on a Tuesday and I'd come home Sunday and
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: We played two league games.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that was just the life.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_01: So we're not doing that at Division III.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody's doing that at Division III.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
• 36:37
  D3 coaches won't leave on a Thursday for a tournament because
• 36:43
  their kids will miss
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_00: two days of class.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: So,
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: yeah,
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: it's just a different focus on academics,
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think,
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: and something that it all depends on what you want out of the experience,
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: but it's possible to get both at D3.
• 37:00
  Yeah,
• 37:00
  but I do think that the 40-year-old you needs to talk to the
• 37:05
  18-year-old you,
• 37:06
  right?
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not just about...
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to go here and get buckets and win a bunch of games, right?
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_01: Is this going to help the 40 year old you going to this institute,
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_01: whatever institution we're talking about,
• 37:19
  is that going to help the 40 year old you is the degree you're
• 37:22
  going to get,
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: is the financial hole you're going to be put in,
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_01: What's the, what's the success rate of you graduating from this place?
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like these are things that's things that are all important.
• 37:31
  And so sometimes when we lose out in recruiting battles,
• 37:34
  you know,
• 37:35
  it's okay.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 37:36
  But when you lose out in recruiting battles to ones that don't
• 37:39
  make sense,
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: you're almost like,
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'll see you in two years,
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_01: and then,
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: and that's almost that that's almost what happens.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_01: Then they,
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: They figure it out.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: They figure it out and they call you like, oh, yeah, oops, you know.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: Wrong situations.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but it is what it is.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if I tell them that, I'm being a hater, right?
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: But,
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_01: I just,
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_01: I've been doing this now 18,
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: 19 years and,
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_01: I can,
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_01: it's almost easy to see it.
• 38:02
  It's like the bridge is out up ahead and,
• 38:04
  you know,
• 38:05
  you're accelerating towards it.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_00: But another,
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_00: another great reminder for recruits or,
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: parents on the call,
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_00: people that are listening to this is don't burn the bridge.
• 38:15
  Like,
• 38:16
  even if you decide to say no to a coach in the short run,
• 38:21
  keep the relationship open.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don't, you know,
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: Don't say something nasty.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: Don't delete their number.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_00: Don't, you know, whatever, whatever it is, keep that avenue open.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: Because again,
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: as coach Harris has pointed out,
• 38:34
  the college basketball and college sports landscape has changed
• 38:36
  so much that maybe
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: two years down the line,
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_00: you need,
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_00: you need that lifeline because something happened at your school.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you realize you, you made a sport only decision.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: And not only that,
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_01: with the portal and things like that,
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: you can go to a school in league and then,
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_01: and be an all American.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then at the end of the year, division one guy calls me.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_01: Cause we have a relationship and he's like, how is this guy?
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to say like really good kid, man.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_01: And, and, and he can play for you, you know?
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: So like that, it's, you're a hundred percent call.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_01: You just, it's not worth it to burn anything.
• 39:10
  Whenever we,
• 39:11
  we start a year with kids,
• 39:12
  we always say it starts with a handshake.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's got to end with a handshake.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_01: So if for some reason you figure out this isn't for you,
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_01: you need to come up in my office and shake my hand and let me know,
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: hey,
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: this is not for me.
• 39:22
  And that you just got to get comfortable getting used to having
• 39:25
  uncomfortable conversations.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you're not going to advocate for yourself in your boss's office,
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: nobody else is going to,
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_01: So it doesn't always happen.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes kids just text me or they just ghost and it's no call,
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: no show,
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: but for the most part,
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_01: most of the guys understand it starts with a handshake.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_01: It should end with a handshake.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 39:44
  and then those guys can come back because most times if it's
• 39:47
  ending with the
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_01: handshake,
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_01: they're,
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_01: they're stepping away for other reasons.
• 39:50
  It's not,
• 39:51
  not because of their,
• 39:52
  we're misusing them at the two,
• 39:53
  the two guard.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_00: I want to go back.
• 39:59
  You were talking about when the 40-year-old self needs to talk
• 40:02
  to the 18-year-old
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_00: self and the financial commitment that they're putting themselves in.
• 40:06
  We touched on this earlier because you mentioned tuition prices
• 40:09
  at other institutions.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: And this past week, a couple schools announced free tuition programs.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_00: for families that make under a certain amount of money.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so I did a deep dive on,
• 40:22
  and I try to find every single D3 school that had one of those
• 40:25
  just to help kids
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_00: understand how they can get free tuition.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_00: But in doing so,
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_00: I also saw that we are well over $90,000 annually at a number of schools,
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_00: which is just so out of control.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_01: And now don't answer, right?
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_01: But some institutions, we all agree, probably worth $90,000, right?
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: I won't name them,
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: but there might be a few in Boston a couple miles from here,
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: famous tech schools,
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_01: whatever.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: But not every school that says they're $90,000 is worth $90,000,
• 40:56
  especially when you're going to immediately give me a $38,000
• 40:59
  scholarship right off
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_01: the bat.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_01: Right off the bat.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_01: Then let's just call the price tag what it is.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_01: Where are we starting at $90,000?
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: But again, we're talking about UMass Boston tonight.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to talk,
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: from a financial aid perspective,
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_00: whether it's for kids in mass who are local applying into school,
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: or just,
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 41:20
  how you guys handle financial aid programs that people should
• 41:24
  be aware of to keep
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_00: the costs low,
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_00: scholarships,
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: whatever it is,
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_00: just give you the floor for that.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_01: So for one, the best way to get any sort of aid is merit money.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 41:35
  So the higher your academic GPA is,
• 41:38
  the higher your test scores are,
• 41:40
  the most the more
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_01: the more merit you're going to receive from UMass Boston.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: Some institutions will package you really well as a transfer.
• 41:49
  Your best shot at merit money from UMass Boston is your first
• 41:52
  time in the door.
• 41:53
  So if we're recruiting you and you apply and you get a great
• 41:56
  merit package and then
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_01: you decide to go to Kentucky and play,
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: for Coach Pope,
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_01: And then after the year you decide that you want to come back,
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_01: your merit money is going to look drastically different.
• 42:05
  So understand that at any institution that that may be
• 42:09
  different as a transfer,
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: as it is as a first-time enrollee.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_01: We have a program called the New England Regional Program.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_01: which is great.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's actually just been expanded out towards New Jersey.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: so what that,
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_01: what that essentially is all,
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure admissions is going to get mad at me here for this.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, don't quote me on the number.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: But it's a, like 110% of in-state tuition.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so you, you go and find our in-state tuition, um, number.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_01: you add a hundred and you know,
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_01: you add,
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_01: you make it 110% and then that's what your rate will be.
• 42:43
  Um,
• 42:44
  and then you have to stay within one of the like 20 programs
• 42:47
  that we offer in that.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_01: We offer over 62 programs here at UMass Boston.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 42:52
  We are very generous with our financial aid for those that need
• 42:57
  it and then the
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: merit for those that earn it.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I would recommend a lot of places are going test optional.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_01: Do not go test optional at UMass Boston.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_01: Unless you have a 3.99, there's a lot of students applying to school.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_01: So if you are just applying without your test and it's a 3.5,
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_01: there's going to be a lot of 3.5s applying for that same program.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_01: And just to help yourself stand out a little bit, just take the test.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_00: Anything you can do to differentiate yourself is a good idea.
• 43:27
  I just pulled up UMass Boston's website,
• 43:33
  financial aid,
• 43:34
  just to give some numbers here.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_00: Merit is, Coach Harris is referencing, 3.3 or higher.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_00: Within the state of Massachusetts,
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_00: that's going to give you at least $2,000 a year,
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_00: up to $10,000.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_00: As you talked about, the Northeast regional range is $4,000 to $11,000.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then out of state is $4,000 to $17,000.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_00: And those are renewable all four years.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have a 3-3 in high school, that's like a B-plus average.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or not even B-plus.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's a...
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_00: Is that right?
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to think.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's B plus average.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: You're looking at unlocking some money and just making school cheaper.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and it's just going up.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_01: It just goes up from there too.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_01: if you're above like a 3.6 or 3.7,
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_01: that's when you're really talking about getting some real money there.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_00: Control that controllable.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: Just another one for recruits that are...
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_00: listening in or that will listen to this afterwards.
• 44:33
  Get your work done in the classroom and it'll actually pay for
• 44:38
  itself in the long run.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to pause here for one more question.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_00: Kenneth, go for it if you got another one.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: Andrews, you have...
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_00: You have both of us here tonight.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Harris is the expert.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's been in the space for his whole career.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_00: He played D3 athletics.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: So don't miss the chance to get your question asked by him.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_00: But while we're waiting...
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to spotlight,
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_00: and we talked about your work with We Are D3,
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_00: which helps build the brand generally,
• 45:11
  but I'd also love to spotlight your work on campus at UMB and
• 45:18
  with the Black
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_00: Coaches Classic at the Division III level.
• 45:21
  Can you just talk about how that idea came up and what that
• 45:25
  event's future maybe looks like?
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just in COVID.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_01: Now it's been, kind of feels so long ago now.
• 45:33
  Came up during COVID with a couple other head coaches in the
• 45:38
  area,
• 45:39
  just kind of on a text chain.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_01: In Massachusetts, we had 48 Division III institutions.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_01: And at the time,
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_01: I haven't done the number in about two or three years,
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_01: but at the time we had like nine or 10 black head coaches.
• 45:53
  And I think it just kind of came out of a frustration of a lot
• 45:56
  of jobs being posted
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_01: and some really,
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_01: really good candidates that just couldn't even get interviews for him.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, we can't control that.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like you were saying, Carl, we got to control what we can control.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_01: And so we just kind of came up with the idea to, hey, let's get...
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_01: Originally we wanted to get more like eight,
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_01: eight of us in a,
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_01: in a single gym,
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_01: but it just,
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_01: the logistics of it gets crazy.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_01: If one guy loses a job or takes another job,
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: now are you,
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_01: now are you taking,
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_01: you're not allowing a school in because,
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_01: cause the head coach is white.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_01: Then it becomes a little weird.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like that wasn't the whole point of it.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_01: The whole point was to bring,
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: awareness and not,
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_01: isolate anybody or not allow anybody in.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we kind of stayed with the numbers things lower.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 46:39
  the one thing about the event that I'd like to say that I'm
• 46:43
  really proud of,
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_01: uh,
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_01: us having the guys that we've had join it,
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like we've had Gene Bain and Brandeis join it.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_01: We've had Coach Brandon over at Tufts join it, right?
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like,
• 46:53
  we've had some high-end coaches join this event from some
• 46:57
  really good institutions
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_01: to where,
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_01: yeah,
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_01: there was only nine or ten coaches represented,
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: but we had some of the,
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_01: the best institutions in the country represented.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of just with black head coaches,
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_01: I just feel like diversity and head coaching is not just important.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's essential.
• 47:16
  I think obviously represent representation matters to the young
• 47:19
  men in our program.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_01: We have a very diverse program, but just to the, to young men, um,
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_01: on campus, young women on campus as well.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think that for me,
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 47:30
  being seen as a black man in a position of leadership with
• 47:33
  intelligence and
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_01: integrity and professionalism,
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_01: it just kind of,
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_01: uh,
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_01: broadens their vision of what,
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_01: uh,
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_01: 40 year old them can look like,
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_01: and what's possible after playing at division three,
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_01: if we're not fortunate enough to go play overseas somewhere for a
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_01: From a program standpoint,
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_01: it just brings a different perspective,
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_01: just a different thing to think about.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_01: But with the diversity, it improves us as a staff.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_01: It just,
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_01: different ways to solve problems,
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_01: different ways to communicate with just different members of our team.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's the truth.
• 48:10
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, representation matters.
• 48:12
  If kids don't see someone that looks like them or came from a
• 48:15
  situation that they
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_00: came from,
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_00: it's not going to make it impossible for them to play at the next level.
• 48:21
  SPEAKER_00: But it definitely,
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_00: it is if you can't picture yourself and like you said,
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_00: see that older version of who you maybe are as a kid.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_00: it is a little harder to imagine that you could also do it.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah,
• 48:35
  like I'm not here because of John Thompson or John Chaney or
• 48:38
  Nolan Richardson,
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_01: but those guys lit the fire in like 10 year old me,
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: Whoa,
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: what's that?
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_01: You know, who's that?
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_01: What's he doing?
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like Matt and Matt.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_01: So they played a part in that,
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_01: but you know,
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_01: obviously I had to have help in my,
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_01: my,
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_01: my mentors in this business,
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_01: three white head coaches,
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_01: four white head coaches.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know,
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_01: I needed those guys to get to where I'm at.
• 49:01
  So the whole point of the event,
• 49:04
  it's not an event,
• 49:05
  again,
• 49:05
  to exclude anybody.
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_01: It was meant to just bring awareness.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_01: It was an inclusive event.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_01: Although I guess on the outside,
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_01: it could be seen not as an inclusive event,
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_01: but it really is just,
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_01: to bring awareness.
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it's great.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have the teams already for this year locked in?
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure our schedules are done.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah,
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_01: so this year we're actually,
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_01: for the first time,
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_01: we're going to let Coach Bain at Brandeis host it.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_01: So Coach Bain is going to host it, and it's just going to be us two.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_01: Just the two programs playing in it.
• 49:39
  I think it doesn't lose any sort of value with it just being
• 49:42
  the two programs.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_01: Honestly,
• 49:45
  I think it probably is a little bit easier to pull off because
• 49:49
  I got to tell you in
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_01: the past,
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: every year we had one coach leave his institution in like July or August.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_01: And it really, if you go back and look,
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh,
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_01: the games were unbalanced where we would have one team would play two,
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_01: two teams would play one.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um,
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_01: and so every year when it was just such a headache for me,
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_01: I was like,
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_01: man,
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_01: do I want to keep doing this?
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_01: And then I would say, yes, that's the whole point of this, right?
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like that it's so hard to just fill this four game tournament, right?
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's why we have to keep going.
• 50:18
  So credit to coach Bain for stepping up and saying,
• 50:21
  Hey,
• 50:21
  we'll do it in my place this year.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like you just come by and let's give it a year to just kind of reset.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just us.
• 50:27
  SPEAKER_00: Love it.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 50:28
  And hopefully every successive year it gets easier to fill an
• 50:31
  event like that.
• 50:32
  And,
• 50:32
  you know,
• 50:33
  we got more qualified guys,
• 50:35
  um,
• 50:35
  getting chances to lead programs.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_00: So.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully it's just not an issue by the time I retire,
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: it's like,
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: why are we doing this?
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_01: You could, it's like another Tuesday in the new Mac, you know, exactly.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's the goal, right?
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_00: Just, just,
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_00: it's not going to happen overnight,
• 50:51
  SPEAKER_00: but it's it's like you said,
• 50:52
  SPEAKER_00: it's fighting through those little moments where,
• 50:55
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 50:55
  you're like you're frustrated and you don't you don't want to
• 50:58
  deal with it.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_00: But then,
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_00: yeah,
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_00: you lean on your network,
• 51:01
  SPEAKER_00: your support and people like Coach Bain and and it keeps rolling.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we,
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_01: we'd love,
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_01: we would love to have,
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: some women's,
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_01: some women's programs involved as well.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's, that's the dream, right?
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_01: Get some women's programs as well.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe get a division, a couple of division one programs as well.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_01: And let's do it in the garden.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_01: Come on Celtics.
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_01: Come on Celtics.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 51:23
  There are a number of D3 connections within the Celtics
• 51:26
  organization that we could,
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_00: uh,
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_00: we could tap into.
• 51:29
  Um,
• 51:31
  definitely another G league,
• 51:33
  G league coaching staff is,
• 51:34
  is littered with XD three guys.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously Brad Stevens calling the shots.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um,
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that'd be, that'd be amazing.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 51:42
  We may or may not have had a text chain with coach Stevens
• 51:46
  during the,
• 51:46
  we are D three run.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_01: So the guys were really giddy about that.
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_01: Love that.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's, let's close out here.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know we're almost at a nine o'clock on the East coast.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to be mindful of time.
• 51:57
  SPEAKER_00: If there are no more questions in there,
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_00: I do want to get your take just on,
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_00: on the run that was,
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_00: um,
• 52:05
  SPEAKER_00: You know,
• 52:05
  SPEAKER_00: with We Are D3 this summer,
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_00: for those who are not familiar,
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_00: it's called the Basketball Tournament TBT.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's a winner-take-all, single-elimination tournament.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_00: Super fun,
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_00: and a lot of the teams are alumni teams,
• 52:18
  SPEAKER_00: but Coach Harris,
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Mike Raniak,
• 52:23
  SPEAKER_00: Top Shelf,
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_00: Dave Clark,
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_00: and countless others behind the scenes helped put together this
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_00: only D3 grad team.
• 52:36
  Obviously,
• 52:36
  some guys have played grad years at D1,
• 52:39
  but just what was that run like this summer?
• 52:42
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I was...
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_01: It was really cool.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was really cool.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_01: I had been on some really cool runs at LIU Brooklyn, but never as deep.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they always ended first round of the NCAA tournament.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_01: But this was such a special run.
• 52:59
  SPEAKER_01: The amount, like, the belief that all these guys had every single game.
• 53:03
  SPEAKER_01: Even when we were,
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_01: up against the ropes in a few of those games,
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_01: those guys were just completely selfless.
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_01: I know Demetrius Underwood, you know, actually...
• 53:14
  held himself out of a second half run i think it was against
• 53:16
  maybe syracuse because
• 53:18
  hank morgan was playing so well and sam peak was playing so
• 53:21
  well um it's things
• 53:23
  like that like those stories don't get out uh like 15 pros or
• 53:28
  14 pros whoever it
• 53:29
  was uh just a total joy to be around devastating to lose the
• 53:33
  way we lost um
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I don't know, still not really over it to lose like that.
• 53:41
  SPEAKER_01: But honestly,
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_01: like to go into Syracuse and to just walk out of Syracuse,
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_01: with the net,
• 53:49
  SPEAKER_01: having beat everybody there,
• 53:51
  SPEAKER_01: literally the two other teams we beat in scrimmages as well.
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_01: We beat everybody but the Green Mountain men in Syracuse.
• 53:57
  And then to go to Wichita to win a game that we almost lost
• 54:03
  again,
• 54:03
  you know,
• 54:04
  just...
• 54:05
  The Elam is just,
• 54:06
  we could talk for an hour on the Elam and how insane that is.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_01: But it was just, it was really, really, really special.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if we'll ever have a run like that again.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't,
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_01: obviously I want to,
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_01: but it doesn't matter because you can't take that away from them.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_01: And like just really watching a new guy step up every night.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like Ty had an awesome couple nights.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_01: And then,
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_01: before the game started,
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_01: maybe in game two,
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_01: we said,
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_01: this is a Marcus Azor night,
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like, and then Marcus came out and had that crazy night.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_01: Then game three, we were like, it feels like a David Murray night, right?
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then David Murray had that night.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so just everybody just being ready and, you know,
• 54:43
  The ability to go out with them afterwards is unique because
• 54:47
  you're not having
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_01: pizza on a bus and then telling everybody,
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_01: bye,
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_01: we'll see you tomorrow.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's not like the college side of it.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_01: It is truly a pro side.
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_01: So you're playing this game,
• 54:57
  and then you're spending that night with them and then the next
• 54:59
  three or four
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_01: nights.
• 55:00
  And,
• 55:01
  you know,
• 55:01
  guys will come up to you and ask you,
• 55:02
  hey,
• 55:02
  why didn't I play?
• 55:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you better tell them the reason.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_01: You better have the right answer.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_01: So it's totally unique from, like, what I do here for –
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_01: 10 and a half months or 11 months out of the year.
• 55:12
  I really enjoy being an assistant that,
• 55:14
  that bad assistant that I was 10 years ago.
• 55:17
  SPEAKER_01: I get a chance at being a good assistant now.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_00: Redemption.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_01: I get redemption, right?
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_01: I get, I get redemption at that.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so, um,
• 55:25
  I love Mike being able to kind of stand up there and kind of
• 55:30
  prove his mettle as a head coach.
• 55:32
  And,
• 55:32
  you know,
• 55:32
  I have nothing but respect for him for bringing me in three
• 55:34
  years ago.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then not only just bringing me in,
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_01: but bringing me in and,
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_01: really valuing,
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 55:40
  some of the opinions that me and Top Shelf have and kind of
• 55:43
  putting him into play,
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_01: too.
• 55:44
  So if we're just there and he's not listening,
• 55:46
  then,
• 55:46
  you know,
• 55:47
  what's the point?
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_01: But Mike really has done a really good job of –
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_01: just being like, Hey, let's, let's grow this thing, man.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_01: And if you guys think it'll grow it, let's do it.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's really fun.
• 55:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think the whole community rallies around it because it is so,
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: like you said,
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: they're all,
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_00: they're all great guys.
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_00: And, and, uh, and, but at the same time, all professionals, right?
• 56:08
  Like these are,
• 56:09
  it showcases the level and,
• 56:12
  and in a way that I think is really unique and,
• 56:15
  uh,
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, we had been very close in the past.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_00: We usually got,
• 56:21
  SPEAKER_00: for those who haven't been following for a while,
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_00: we usually,
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_00: for the first couple of years,
• 56:25
  SPEAKER_00: we're an eight seed.
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_00: So we would go on the road and play,
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_00: a team like the Wichita State alumni team in Wichita.
• 56:33
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, it's just a tough mountain to climb in the first round.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_00: This year we got,
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_00: in the past two years we've gotten a,
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_00: five seed and then a four seed.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so we've slowly gotten more respect as the years have gone on.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this year will only serve to keep building that.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no pressure there, Mike.
• 56:55
  SPEAKER_00: Don't screw it up, Coach Rainier.
• 56:56
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 56:57
  Yeah,
• 56:58
  I do want to any one more story from that run,
• 57:01
  like something that did not get reported.
• 57:03
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, everyone, you know, tie tie was unbelievable.
• 57:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like you said, Dave Murray, Demetrius behind the scenes, maybe.
• 57:14
  But but one story funny or,
• 57:16
  you know,
• 57:17
  moving or whatever it is that you that sticks with you.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_01: Man,
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if we have anything like one story that's funny or moving,
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_01: but it is exactly like you would think it is,
• 57:33
  SPEAKER_01: being on the road with these guys,
• 57:35
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 57:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's guys who were in college all the time.
• 57:39
  14 alphas who now get another chance to go back to college for
• 57:43
  a week um now
• 57:45
  they're all pros but you know we're kind of living like college
• 57:48
  guys still you know
• 57:49
  like the way we're eating the way we spend time together uh one
• 57:53
  of the funniest
• 57:53
  guys i got a little quick story for you so one of the one of
• 57:56
  the meals we had um
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_01: jackson machanik
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_01: And Daquan Davis got into,
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
• 58:03
  almost came to blows fighting of this argument about whether
• 58:06
  Jackson Machanik could
• 58:08
  SPEAKER_01: eat like 20 hot dogs.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: It was like when Joey Chestnut was about to go off.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_01: How many hot dogs Jackson Machanik could eat?
• 58:16
  And he like was convinced that he could eat like 25 hot dogs in
• 58:21
  like 10 minutes.
• 58:23
  And Daquan Davis almost flipped the table because he was so
• 58:27
  upset about this,
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_01: just,
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_01: just this wild,
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_01: like this,
• 58:30
  SPEAKER_01: this garbage that this malarkey that Jackson Machianic was saying.
• 58:34
  SPEAKER_01: And this went on for about 30, 45 minutes and guys sides were hurting.
• 58:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was the funniest, you know,
• 58:41
  SPEAKER_01: you'd have to bleep the whole thing out now,
• 58:42
  SPEAKER_01: but maybe next year we,
• 58:44
  SPEAKER_01: uh,
• 58:45
  SPEAKER_01: maybe next year we embed a film crew with them,
• 58:47
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 58:48
  SPEAKER_01: with the team and,
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_01: a lot of B-roll footage that you guys can do a ton with.
• 58:53
  SPEAKER_00: We get, we get the not even D2 guys in there.
• 58:57
  We get Ruda,
• 58:58
  KJ behind the scenes and I'm sure there'd be some great B-roll.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 59:03
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 59:04
  And you guys,
• 59:05
  had we mic'd up Mike Raniak more,
• 59:07
  you guys would have some great ones there too.
• 59:10
  SPEAKER_00: We got one on live TV, which was good enough for the viewers at home.
• 59:14
  SPEAKER_00: That was awesome.
• 59:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this has been fun.
• 59:18
  I think we're going to give one more chance for questions from
• 59:22
  Andrews or Kenneth.
• 59:25
  And then otherwise,
• 59:25
  we will call it a night here with our fifth live Q&A.
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Harris,
• 59:31
  I just want to say thank you for taking the time on a Sunday
• 59:34
  night and best of luck
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_00: to the Beacons this season.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_01: I really appreciate you having me.
• 59:39
  SPEAKER_01: And before we go, we'll give you a nice panoramic of the gym.
• 59:43
  SPEAKER_01: We've got the brand new video boards up there.
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a second one coming in.
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_01: We've got more shooting machines coming in.
• 59:49
  SPEAKER_01: We're doing a lot of work here.
• 59:50
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of access to the gym for the university,
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_01: for the Beacons guys when they're in here at night.
• 59:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm shocked they're not in here now shooting.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 59:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that would have been great.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_00: Get the balls bouncing tonight.
• 1:00:01
  SPEAKER_01: That would have been a violation, though.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's true.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're in the gym, so...
• 1:00:07
  SPEAKER_00: Know the rules.
• 1:00:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, man.
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Kenneth says good luck this year, coach, and we echo that.
• 1:00:15
  This has been fun,
• 1:00:17
  and we'll be following along with UMass Boston this year.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, guys.
• 1:00:22
  SPEAKER_00: Have a great night.