Episode 13 feat. Nick McDevitt

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[00:00:35] Lastly, I'd love to hear your feedback. So don't forget to subscribe to Go Middle.com to discuss this week's episodes along with the latest news and updates around Middle Tennessee. Welcome into the Blue Raider Podcast. I'm your host, Jake Bolden.

[00:00:55] And today we have another coach on the podcast and I think there's no better time than to have on headmins basketball coach Nick McDevitt after a big win over Western Kentucky last

[00:01:06] weekend and then we're kind of rocking and rolling things are going really good for you coach how's it going. Doing well, thanks for asking. Yeah like you said, it was a fun weekend anytime.

[00:01:17] You beat your rival. That's a good day. Guys played well and had a good Saturday night. Well, let me ask this. It's very topical right now. Given what happened there at Wake Forest Winston Salem there,

[00:01:29] the court storming, I just want you to know that's the hot topic right now. Where do you stand on something like that? You know it's it's they're fun to watch. You know, there are always whether it's college football games, college basketball games, whether it's the the men's

[00:01:49] games or the women's game. You know, you always want your fans to fill a part of what's going on. You know, and they are when you're when your fans are making an impact or loud,

[00:02:02] their rowdy, it gives the home team an advantage. With that said at the end of the game, when you've got thousands that are trying to rush to the middle of the floor all at once,

[00:02:13] and you've got others that are a couple dozen or so trying to go the other direction to get off the chances of two people colliding with each other are just pretty high. And you certainly don't want to put anybody any student athlete in danger.

[00:02:32] And it has become obviously over the last couple of weeks something that we've seen that whether it's to Caitlin Clark or Phil Powsky that you get some guys hurt and I'm it's something definitely is going to end up having to change before somebody gets hurt.

[00:02:52] Like I said, they're fun to watch and fun to be a part of. And you want your fans out there with you. Obviously we had that a couple of years ago. We beat Western Kentucky here for the

[00:03:03] the Reggasties and Championship when the games over and we're hoisting the trophy. There's a couple of thousand people out on the floor with this. So I know what it feels like in recent memory just to have people that are cheering you on and your biggest supporters out there

[00:03:20] with you at a big moment. The same time there's risk involved as well. So it's I think it's going to be something that in the near future will be people trying to make it a thing of the past.

[00:03:35] Yeah, I agree not that anyone ever asked a podcast was opinion on these kind of things but I know that there's definitely a certain level of excitement when it's your own team. You want to

[00:03:44] be out there as you said. You have a separate right. I mean gosh even on Saturday. I kind of felt that rush of emotion. I didn't think we were going to storm the court by any means but you

[00:03:51] have that I can understand when you beat a team like Duke. I'm definitely been inferior for years and of course you beat a good Duke team for that matter. It just kind of leads to those type of

[00:03:59] emotions. But if there's got to be some sort of processes in place to keep those student athletes safe and get them off the floor. Yeah, and you can also understand like how there's

[00:04:10] some of the top four five programs in the country that when they lose games on the road, they're getting court stormed every time. There's some that have come out publicly and said,

[00:04:25] you know, in seven of our last eight games that we've lost on the road. There was a court storming or four of the last five were 10 of the last 14 and so for those kind of teams it's

[00:04:39] putting their student athletes at danger or at risk more often than most. Right. Well coach, we'll kind of move on. I think it's like said it's always good conversation but one thing that has the emotions up for yourself and Raider fans alike you've won six year

[00:04:57] last nine and I think you don't want shy away from the health tough that midseason stretch was for you what has been the catalyst to get this get the ship righted and what needs to happen to

[00:05:06] carry it onto these last couple weeks. Yeah, I think there for a while, you know it was no cigarette we were struggling. You know we were just trying to really find our our identity, you know,

[00:05:19] when we lost Cam West and early in the season, you know obviously that was a huge blow. Anytime you lose your your point guard, your starting point guard that's a tough deal.

[00:05:31] When it's one of your better players it makes it even tougher. You know you look around it when the Grizzlies lose job around there they became a very different team very fast.

[00:05:45] When the jet slues Aaron Rogers you become a very different team very fast and regardless of how good the next guy is, they're just different you know and so we had to have some guys move positions

[00:06:00] you know just to pour all of some becomes instead of playing at the twos playing the one. A wise king goes from in a starting four to a two and so for them they're just having to learn

[00:06:12] plays from a completely different spot. That's hard. Then a few weeks later you lose Josh Dundalay. It goes from being a backup center playing 10 minutes of game and now he's out of the

[00:06:25] rotation as well. Somebody that you compound the ball into inside Chris Loof has been playing really well for us over the last couple of weeks and really it's had a good freshman years.

[00:06:37] Been freshman the year, a couple of times played really well against Western Kentucky but he's a very different player than Josh Dundalay. And so the things that work for Cam West and Josh Dundalay

[00:06:49] don't necessarily work for a point guard like Jayla Jordan as a backup point guard for Jayla Jordan and Chris Loof. So part of that was not just the loss of those two players but the

[00:07:06] adjustments that the healthy guys had to make. And so I think for us as a staff we had to adjust the things that we were doing the offense that we were running, the plays that we were designing

[00:07:18] you know our fans that follow us in have seen this play over the last couple of years. No, we've pressed a lot. We've played deep in our bench playing 19 deep nightly and now we're

[00:07:31] some we just could do that anymore. So we don't press nearly as often. We were one of the top 30 35 teams in the country two years in a row forcing turnovers. We're in the bottom 100 this year

[00:07:43] and a lot of that is just we don't press as much on the flip side. There's some things that we do a lot better. Our effective field goal percentage on the defense side is pretty good. So we just

[00:07:55] had to adjust and just took a while there were things that we were doing in December and January you'd like to be doing in September and October before the game start. You're figuring yourself out

[00:08:10] figuring who can do what can he shoot this shot? Is he better off coming ball screens off with his right hand, his left hand, can he make post moves and you're just shifting guys around while

[00:08:21] you're playing good teams. And now I think we've just kind of hit a pretty good stride. I think our guys are in rhythm. There's kind of a set not a set but my guys kind of feel like they know

[00:08:35] what's going to be asked of them and what are substitutions patterns going to kind of look like. So there's just some flow to what we're doing. Certainly we've got some guys playing well just in order and Jared Coleman Jones to for two that are playing really well.

[00:08:54] JP, obviously had an incredible night several games go with 41. I don't know five or six double doubles over the last eight or nine games. So I think it's just a combination of our team is in a rhythm

[00:09:07] but we've also got some of our better players just more comfortable of what's being asked of them now than what was being asked of them two three months ago. Yep, I you kind of answered my next

[00:09:20] question and now kind of lead you into an expanded on a little bit when Cam went down. The message I was sharing with a lot of people was that there was a time for your starting point guard to go down

[00:09:28] it would be the second game of the season because of the amount of time it's going to take for you to find yourself once again because Cam was such a vital part of this success this team had last

[00:09:36] year especially late in the year. So it gives you the time to figure yourself out and then Josh who in my opinion was kind of coming into his own in that UAB game just on a has a freak

[00:09:45] accident and you lose him there and I feel like the role that Josh could have played, you know I sit here every night and I see Jared and he's been over he's been in 30 minutes of night

[00:09:56] and he's an undersized center but he's having to go up against some of the best front court you know in the conference as of late and you kind of feel for the god because he's doing everything

[00:10:04] you can so you know I say that because I think you we've the pains in the middle of the year we're just a product of those early injuries and you got it again you had to kind of reinvent

[00:10:14] the wheel there because let's face it this isn't the same team you return some guys but it's just not the same team and I think you put it into something tangible there for fans that don't

[00:10:24] understand like playing a two is not a one and playing a four is not a two when you when we're looting supporter in king but when we talk about Justin and a player that he's become is this

[00:10:33] that the Porter we've seen as of late is this very reminiscent of the guy that you recruited from Tyler Junior College yes is the short answer he's he's just got a different gear that that most

[00:10:47] don't he he's really fast he's fast with the ball because that speedy he's able to put pressure on the defense consistently he could shoot the basketball he's just wired to score he's more comfortable

[00:11:03] being a two to be honest with you then he is a one but he handles it well enough to play some one and he's just a guy that can score from all three levels we saw that from him in junior colleges

[00:11:20] his ability to play in the open court and that's when he's really good and you know when he's got a wingman that can set things up for him and make it a lot he get him some easy ones as well

[00:11:36] is what we were really excited about we see the ones that he can kind of create for himself and some of the ones that he gets off of the attention Jared Coleman Jones gets when he's got the ball

[00:11:47] in the post but earlier in the summer months it in the early part of the fall seeing cam with the ball and his hands and creates an easy for Porter was fun to watch but I think with cam going down

[00:12:04] in JP having to slide over now he that's a whole different mindset for him now he's we still had needed to have him score the ball but now he becomes kind of a primary creator and

[00:12:20] he's he's done a tremendous job of that when when you think about somebody that's got that kind of speed you could imagine them in high school and how they were just blowing by people to go

[00:12:31] shoot layups and then all of a sudden you get to junior college in the same thing we go watching and the sky's got a different gear than anybody else on the court when I was sudden you get to

[00:12:42] this level of college ball and thinking about last year Vladimir Goldine, Tamarian chart, trade jemison now this year Daniel Bacho Rodney Howard there there's some foot all the way to seven five shop blockers at the rim that those layups that you got consistently in high school

[00:13:06] and junior college you don't get as consistently anymore there's some big time shop blockers at the rim that's where I think he's he's really started to elevate his game as picking and choosing

[00:13:18] win to get to the basket win to try to create for others based on who's down there for the other team how do you how do you how are you able to juggle that with with the guy like himself who again going

[00:13:28] in the year you look at him as a two he's a score but as of late I mean we see 30 points 40 points we haven't seen that you know I know he's capable of scoring like like you already said he has

[00:13:37] a second gear but like is it as a guy when you do see 30 when you see 40 you're already having to change your game plan around the team as a whole now teams when you win in the jacks in

[00:13:46] ville state it was evident like he discord 70 points last week like this is our god how how are you able to you know what's the game plan from here on because when you go down the huntsville I'm sure

[00:13:56] as you already know you're getting the second and third shot at these teams they're saying this guy is not the same guy we saw a January first so how exactly are you able to reinvent I don't

[00:14:06] say reinvent but how are you able to game plan around their game plan yeah I think it's a great great point a great question uh and something that we actually brought up to jp after the jacks inville

[00:14:18] state game uh I was really proud of how he played against jacks inville state at their place because the first time we played him here he scored 30 and then the game prior to the second

[00:14:31] jacksville state gave you scored 41 and so we were telling him going into the game they're not gonna guard you the same way that they guarded you the first time you got to know they're going to be

[00:14:41] more aggressive try to get the ball out of your hands so you just gotta take the game as it comes he shot eight shots at jacks inville state so we want that number to be higher obviously but

[00:14:54] he didn't force you know he didn't shoot at 15 times with eight of them being good shots and seven of them being bad you might as well chalk goes up to turnovers um he did a really good job of

[00:15:07] getting others involved the defense particularly in our ballscreen actions they were sending two guys at him every time trying to get out of his hands to just get making the right play that's the thing that where his growth has been important for our team

[00:15:23] because when you've got again going back to his speed when you got that kind of speed there's the tendency that nobody can trap me guys can't keep me from getting to the bucket even if you're

[00:15:33] saying to at me I've got to gear the two eight got and I'm gonna go buy you anyway well now you've you've got two on you and you're not passing the ball you know there's somebody

[00:15:42] wide open you've got to make the right play and use your speed all the while that's where I think he's using his speed to our advantage not just to his advantage and you don't have to do that as

[00:15:57] often you don't have to think that way is often when you're I would play off the ball you can let somebody else do that the primary ball hell that being came west and that's where in his

[00:16:08] absence JP has has grown as a basketball player. I think there's a level of maturity to speak too on that as well because I know plenty of kids even at the division one level that can score

[00:16:19] 30 40 the next night you know that's the game plan we're gonna JP let's let's you're not going to your decision shoot 20 times tonight that's what I was gonna operate and I think again it speaks

[00:16:29] to the level maturity that it takes for him to again be able to move without the basketball be able to so share be understanding that the concept of the game is going to change entirely

[00:16:37] because of who who I was last week and to move on to other players that I've been extremely impressed with as of late and again this this podcast I'll build it on some integrity here. I am the biggest

[00:16:49] critic of Jared Coleman Jones and I was the biggest critic of Jared back in November December he's earned the ball over a lot but he's been another he's been another player that has taken

[00:16:59] it to another level when this team has needed him the most and again and I'm again I'll eat my words and I'm being up front and honest about it again he he's you're transitioning this team from

[00:17:09] dishman lead offense because you were very comfortable with him on top of the keys there's moments where again my opinion Jared seems uncomfortable but you found ways to get him the ball either on the

[00:17:17] baseline maybe not necessarily at the top of the key but you're finding them at the free throw line he's still able to operate like that the turnovers have gone down the scoring has gone up

[00:17:26] evidently something is working for him and again I have to say like I'm proud of him and there times where I close my eyes when he gets the three point line he squares up but we got on Saturday

[00:17:36] you know he had all three of them and like I said I'll eat my words I'm a fan of Jay of Jared right now but I mean I got to cut the kids some slack he works his butt off down there and he's going to

[00:17:47] again he's not as big as he's front court is in the C USA and there's a lot to be said about his effort he has done a great job Jacob adjusting and you're right you know one of the things that we

[00:18:05] that we've been really good at over the last couple of years is being able to put our our center dishman at the top of the key he was a great passer was really good at

[00:18:18] leading guys particularly some of our back door cuts out off the wing and out of the corners for layups a dishman was a really good undersized passing post player and Jared can pass the ball

[00:18:33] well but one of the things Jared passes it a little better coming out of the post then he does outside in he's a good passer inside out but one of our better post passers was also Joshua Goudouli

[00:18:51] you know some of our guys would tell you like early in the year some of our back door cuts are coming you know the passes coming from Joshua where at that point looking do we keep running the same

[00:19:02] kind of offense this year with much bigger bigs the endishment you know over the past several years our 25 to 30 minute center was 6,6,235 now coming into the season with three guys that were 16, 6, 11, 6, 11 and early on there were a lot of good things that we were doing offensively

[00:19:25] then out goes your point guard in the back up center when now Jared having to play a lot of minutes at that center spot he just found and so did he that it's a lot more comfortable being up

[00:19:39] there some in that high post area but not the entire possession in which obviously not the entire game uh thisman was did a lot of his operating in the mid post or at the top of the key

[00:19:53] Jared just done a really good job of being kind of down in that short corner baseline area but also on the block doesn't mean he can operate some at the top of the key but as the majority

[00:20:04] of his touches and his men at sea's found himself down more on that baseline to your point his his turnovers have gone down his assist have gone up and his point productivity has gone way up

[00:20:16] the thing that he gives us now is in you alluded to this is anytime your big can make a couple of threes that mean they have to shoot a million uh they're out the course of the season but when

[00:20:29] you've put on tape that it's at least got the ability out the other team center has to come out respect that a little bit which opens up a lot of things a lot of things for everybody else yeah

[00:20:39] he certainly was a game changer I mean when he hit three threes like that in a row they're in that second half like I said it would kind of believe the game wide open and as you said it

[00:20:45] opened the lanes up it seemed to have a lot more breathing room and that was kind of the difference it is interesting to see that kind of part of his game take off as of late because that was

[00:20:53] never really an element you've had in the past but as far as this team again moving into this season turnovers have always kind of been an issue and not not not so much as your early years I remember

[00:21:05] your first couple years here that was something in the media room was constantly being addressed and it was it was the basic and you always alluded to the fact that it was just the basic

[00:21:12] fundamental so you guys that were moving faster than their brain was and it was just kind of it was it was just physical errors and sometimes now when when you're trying to run an offense you just

[00:21:22] can't afford those and as you said your effect of field goal percentage is actually great top 100 in the country but it's a matter of valuing those possessions so as you move into this year and the turnovers have gone down significantly as we've gotten

[00:21:34] deeper in a conference USA play what are the things you've done to address those issues is it more of a schematic thing or is it like it was in the past where we just need to slow down and

[00:21:43] run our offense a little bit of all the above you know some of it was just kind of get back to basics drilling skill in practice you know doing footwork drills and passing drills also schematics putting guys in positions that they were more comfortable in because with

[00:22:08] one offensive style one offensive scheme what a lot of our players were working on in the off season were things that were built into this kind of an offense and now let's say when you're

[00:22:23] asked to do something else what a player like JB who's been here for three years or a last king's been here for four years is now we're not going to run this offensive system anymore

[00:22:36] so what you've been working on as an individual that fits into what our team is going to run isn't very more we're gonna ask you to do something different alias you're going to have to do

[00:22:47] this in this kind of an offense because now JB's our point guard and Jared Jones is going to do a lot of operating down here well what you're going to be asked to do as an individual player is is

[00:23:00] something I don't want to say you haven't worked on but it hasn't been what your primary focus is on your individual skill development the off season. So now we're having our players and us as a

[00:23:13] staff our whole organization those are the things you're working on in December and you're trying to get ready for Belmont Murray State and St. Mary's UAB that those you're working on skill development

[00:23:27] stuff for your own offense while you're trying to figure out how can we guard these guys so we were throwing a lot at them and out of necessity and that's what I was it was then and still and

[00:23:40] really proud of them for as a lot was being thrown at them you know we're not only going to ask you to try to figure out you know these three four sets that are opponent like to run the most

[00:23:51] in the obese they like to run the most but we've got to start putting in more plays in different plays in a new offense for us too and we're no longer gonna press we're gonna start guarding this way

[00:24:03] they were getting a lot thrown at them and they've they've done a good job of kind of coming out the other side of it. Yeah let me you know kind of recap and repaint that pictures for the

[00:24:14] listeners I mean you've got two key injuries in your first two weeks of the season you're having to work on some skill things outside of also having to work on your offensive schemes because of

[00:24:26] the fact that you've lost these two players you you have a tough non-conference you're having like you're saying you have the likes of Belmont you have the likes of St. Mary's who is

[00:24:33] certainly turning their season around there's there's just not an easy game and I want to say all that to go into conference USA play and I think one thing that has frustrated fans is when

[00:24:43] they look at this conference you see UAB leave who you didn't end up playing anyways and then you have no Texas leave and now you've got this FAU freight train that came out of nowhere and

[00:24:51] doesn't hasn't seen to slow down well I'll say I'll take it back they've slowed down a little bit this last week but they're still they're still top 25 top 30 powers you see these teams leave and everyone looks at conference USA and says Sam Houston Louisiana Tech your best teams

[00:25:04] you have to offer and I think you can speak to it and anyone that watches enough basketball in this conference especially it doesn't look sexy when you look at your your league leader

[00:25:13] is eight and three or eight and four whatever Sam Houston law tech is but the reality is is this conference is has has so much parity and we saw the likes of that on Saturday and we could very well

[00:25:24] see the likes of that in your upcoming games because you're going to get an opportunity to play those top two teams the next couple weeks so tell me about what the challenges are of conference

[00:25:33] USA because when when you look at it from a non-conference perspective you might think this team is very weak if this conference is very weak defensively but I think you can attest to the fact that this

[00:25:42] team this league is well rounded throughout even FIU is capable of eating the top teams and when we were able to sweep them it doesn't I don't know what that says about us or about FIU but what it shows

[00:25:52] is that you can get beat on any given night and for empty issues sake we're a couple shots here and there we're a couple turnovers here and there from from as opposed to being six and seven we could be

[00:26:02] eight and eight and five you know what I mean like that's just how this conference goes and again just to hear your you attest to the challenges of that and this isn't you want to win every night but

[00:26:11] this isn't easy like that's the game of basketball today yeah you know I think you brought up several points that I'll address one is I think in from the landscape of college basketball so many teams and universities and athletic departments have shifted conferences there's just

[00:26:33] so much new that you kind of get used to who's been in your league and what they've gotten who's good and who's not and then all of sudden there's new teams and are these guys any good

[00:26:44] or they as good as what we lost or they better than what we had you look at all those kind of things from following from afar what not long ago that FAU you would have been saying man we lost a great

[00:26:59] team because they they just weren't in the upper echelon well over the last couple years as you said they've been awfully good without because of really where same Houston is located in relation to Murphy'sboro and then being in a totally different league and mostly playing teams out west

[00:27:19] around here just don't hear that much about same Houston state well they've won over 20 games or at least in the last nine years there are average number of wins is 21 they won 26 27 games last year

[00:27:30] that they may not be have the the name recognition off the top of your tongue as a UAB or a North Texas but same Houston's really good very real good liberty team that currently today they're five

[00:27:44] and seven in our league well they won the mortal beach invitation a couple months ago and beat some really good teams beat leaves a beat firman which toss state and not sure who else

[00:27:57] in that term of coastal I think you're right I think you're right so there's some there's some new really good teams jacks of those say I mean Ray Harper from his days at western is obviously

[00:28:11] no stranger to what it takes to win and comfort you I say so when when you think about the kind of programs that were added and what lot tech has done western Kentucky this is still a tough league

[00:28:27] and there there is a lot of parity you said early like we always tell our guys if you win all your home games and go find a way to steal some on the road consistently you'll find you will find

[00:28:39] yourself at the top of your league you have a chance to win year end in year out we were tied with same Houston we're about two to go and in one possession game with lot tech with two to go in

[00:28:51] our home games had those they didn't if my bad use to sell the time the fifths and both were candy and that's what all have a Merry Christmas well you can if and but it all the time but

[00:29:02] had we just won those two games we would be eight and five those the our first two games against lot of tech in sand Houston well those two teams would be 94 they currently sit at 10 and 3

[00:29:15] without a bit of one more loss for each of them so if every other game had gone exactly as they they have if you switch the outcome of those two you're talking about being one game out of first

[00:29:27] with three to go and so it just puts the importance of winning your home games at a premium and our turn around has been a result of we've won our last five home games you got to find

[00:29:40] a way to steal some on the road we went down to FIU and one we were a tight one with Jacksonville State but winning your home games has got to be at a premium if you want to stay at the top of

[00:29:51] your league yeah and you hit it right on the head there and Ken Palm uses their algorithm and I don't know what goes into it but it puts into issue in the top 25 in the country in regards

[00:29:59] to home court advantage and I think that's obviously an area that we have excelled at and a lot of that is to do with as we saw on Saturday against Western the fan base and it's

[00:30:09] it's been tough this year and it's been tough to kind of get excited and for me I get frustrated with the fans because you're coming off to 21 seasons you should get behind this program

[00:30:18] but it's been tough and you're still able to win in home and there's something to that and I think a lot of that has to do with not only the fan base but the comfort of being in your own

[00:30:25] your own bed at night being able to walk to your own gym being able to shoot on your own rims and all those kind of things but with two of your last three games being on the road

[00:30:32] and it's something that you know has been tough for you and your tenure what makes winning on the road so difficult and again back to the conversation about conference and the season turnaround there's no too hard to road games and what you're about to face

[00:30:45] so what is it going to take to pull something like that out? Yeah there's the margin of error just goes way down when you're on the road you know we we're awfully comfortable here our fans you know our guys like playing

[00:31:02] here at the Murphy Center in front of our fans where they work out where they practice the same is true for your opponent when you go on the road that's where their comfort zone is

[00:31:12] and so you have to raise your level of play that much higher and then you got to also know that in this instance you're getting ready to play two teams that are tied for first

[00:31:25] in the last week of the season so you know you're going to get their best shot you know when you're tied at 10 and 3 for first you every game's going to matter for them and so when they're fighting each other out you got to know that

[00:31:41] you're going to get their best shot so they've got to get hours and so you can't just turn that on the day of the game you know you the way you prep the way you eat the way you sleep

[00:31:52] the way you hydrate all that stuff throughout the course of the week leading up to the games that's the stuff that really matters who's soaking up the scout the best who can stay locked down a late game who can anticipate what your opponent's about to do the best

[00:32:08] because the margin of air is really slim and that's why this last week of regular season plays is going to be tight it'll be fun and that's why the tournament down in Huntsville

[00:32:17] is going to be tight it's going to be fun but there's a lot of teams that can go down there and win it and you've done really well in the conference tournament we've got three straight years

[00:32:25] you've been in the semi's you know and both in the last two you've been one shot away and you know who knows what could have happened had you always think back dishman was a

[00:32:35] layup away from putting FAU away there who knows what could have happened had that happen like the whole my bracket would have been a lot better that's one thing I think better but I'll

[00:32:44] saw to that you know I'm always interested it's intriguing because you have coaches who are really good in the regular season and they always struggle in the tournament and then you know and then

[00:32:54] there's plenty of coaches that have the vice versa effect and you have success in the tournament getting there getting that close being able to play games back to back what exactly again

[00:33:04] what are the challenges I think a lot of people can figure that out but what are those challenges of being in the conference tournament and having to play you know turnaround games quickly

[00:33:13] and what is it about you and your coaching style or your preparation for those type of game that is so successful for you you know I don't know um I think one of the things is just trying

[00:33:23] to be consistent in your messaging and in your approach obviously there's a little bit more of there's intensity to conference tournament play that you just can't duplicate and so you want to have

[00:33:37] experience players guys that have been in those games so for the teams and the programs that have had the ability to advance in either their own conference tournament or some other form

[00:33:50] whether it's the NCAA tournament the NIT the CBI MTE's during the season you know that was another thing that really helped us as two years ago we won a down in Cancun last year we won a

[00:34:03] up in Canada we won those MTEs our guys knew kind of what it took to play really well for three straight days and then advance in the conference tournament they know what their bodies are going to

[00:34:14] feel like you know in the last 10 minutes of the second half on day two you know they know what it's gonna take on day three well my body hurts yeah but so does he has the guy on the other squad

[00:34:26] uh there's value in that and you just don't know what that is if your if you've never been there your team just has an advanced and so having uh upper classman uh is a is it advantage but

[00:34:42] particularly upper classman that have advanced in those tournaments and then you know I think you can also just get two uptight you know if you're coaching uptight and you're screaming in yellin every time they breathe the wrong way uh I think your players feel that and we certainly

[00:35:01] try to make sure that we're coaching them in in the semi finals the same way we did on you know January the 20th and you know do what you're supposed to play the game the right way

[00:35:12] and the results kind of take care of themselves. I had an old high school baseball coach he used to tell me we'd be in games we know we weren't necessarily we knew world beaters but he used to tell me

[00:35:20] before tournament games he's like well we're here we amount as well win it you know that's right mentality that's the mentality I think that this basketball program has when they're when they're in those tournaments and that's just kind of the spirit of March madness in general like

[00:35:32] we're here like we have just as much of an opportunity to win this game as they do so I think again it's a testament to I guess the the mental battle that is tournament basketball and it

[00:35:42] it seems that you guys have that but some of these guys that you were able to recruit some talent from those that team last year and we've already talked about can be an out but you got guys like

[00:35:51] Justin and Elias is a big part of that too I think and I'm sure you can speak to this I'm sure Elias is leadership in Jess and and Jared Coleman Jones those are guys that are able to kind of

[00:36:01] rally the troops because it's easy it's really easy to lose games and be down in yourselves but it takes a lot of character to be able to gather the troops put yourself back and we're here

[00:36:11] we've got to win this basketball game yeah that's the thing that has been there's just been a different feel about this group and I think your point is a good one that guys like Elias Jacob Johnson

[00:36:28] who's transferred in but is hungry to win got his head on his shoulders the right way just to view first played in some critical games and critical moments not just been on the team but he's

[00:36:38] been out there you know he's he's been in the thick of it those are the guys that carry you this time of year and if those guys they're their emotions are like a roller coaster you perform that

[00:36:53] way on the court you see massive swings and you kind of want to stay as even kill enjoy the big wins like we had this weekend but also keep it perspective you know you want your team

[00:37:07] to hurt because it matters in the disappointing losses but also keep that in perspective you know our team had a tough blow early in the season and you know they could have pounded and you know

[00:37:23] just our chances of winning the regular season championship took a hit that day it took a bigger hit the day the camp got hurt it took another hit you know a few weeks later with Josh and you know

[00:37:40] they could have been a the seasons doomed in gloom and you know packed it in but they didn't and now there's just that's not to say we were in struggle and that there weren't struggles we did

[00:37:55] and they did but when you come off of two seasons where you've won 45 games we'd I don't know what we were 30 and two or something over the course of two plus years at home your picked

[00:38:07] in a tie for first preseason and then it happened you know those things happened in the season after the season's already started there there's some there's some hit to that and I'm just proud of

[00:38:21] them for how they stayed tough stayed together and have found a way to be playing some pretty good ball here in light February absolutely and I'm super excited about it with those last three games

[00:38:32] coming up and I know that we are recording this now and this will be released next week so we'll we'll have the result of the same Houston matchup but coach I really appreciate you coming on

[00:38:42] I know as we've said the EBS and flow of this season and it's always tough to pull you into the middle of the season to talk about some of these things but I appreciate your time coach and

[00:38:50] and again I and myself and I'm sure you will encourage us fans I know a Tuesday night Liberty matchup is not necessarily one that people you know had mark on their counters months ago like myself

[00:39:00] but I mean that's an exciting game you should be out for that one because Liberty you know we're we got a chip on our shoulder from that matchup that we had there in Lynchburg and hopefully we can return

[00:39:08] that favor yeah it was not a fun night obviously the the end result was not fun the outcome was not fun you know we had two guys just a porter was sick had practice for the three four days leading up to the

[00:39:21] game so I know he had like to be able to go out there and you know with regardless of the results we able to play in the game feeling like you know a human being Ozo Jackson had a stomach bug and

[00:39:34] I know he's not one of our you know high rotation menic eyes but he didn't practice at all because he was sick and so we're dressing fewer players and the players that were we're sick and

[00:39:45] we just we didn't hand it and our guys would at least that being our last home game of the of this season like to go out on a you know a six game winning streak here at home and in play will

[00:39:59] it sounds like you need to quarantine a little bit this next week here and get everyone apart we'll go back to our 2020 days and get prepared for Tuesday because again absolute pleasure to have

[00:40:08] you on I appreciate you taking your time to talk to me no problem thanks for having me thanks for sticking around to the end of the episode as we go over the radar wrap up portion

[00:40:17] of course I recorded the episode with Nick McDevit prior to this weekend's matchup at Sam Houston State the men fall to the bear cat 64 81 it is Jared and Goldman Jones at lead the raiders with 18 points

[00:40:30] four rebounds and four assist just wasn't enough in the second half of their men to overcome the hot shooting bear cats they allowed 41% three point shooting percentage which pretty much did

[00:40:40] the raiders in the closest they were able to pull it was within seven points there early in the second half but again the three point shooting inability to score late kind of put it out of a reach for the

[00:40:50] blue raiders and they still have time to kind of figure things out because despite losing there's just a you know weird conference has stated in the interview that anything could still happen in the

[00:41:00] last week as if right now the raiders are in a tie for fourth place but they lose that tie breaker to liberty and hopefully they can break that tie this Tuesday night tonight against liberty

[00:41:10] that tip office at six and it can be viewed on ESPN plus the last time the raiders played at liberty in Lynchburg it lost by a score of 53 to 88 and we got a lot of great insight there

[00:41:21] from coach McDevit about what happened prior to that game I didn't realize we had so many players sick missing practice that certainly made preparation for the game difficult as well as playing in a hostile environment that is Lynchburg Virginia but the raiders looked about spec tonight so

[00:41:35] expect to see a lot of blue raiders fans there as we tried to move up in the standings and try to move towards that fourth place finish then at the end of the week the raiders wrap up their regular

[00:41:45] season in Rustin Louisiana at Louisiana Tech that tip office at 2pm also viewable on ESPN plus last time the raiders were here was actually the kickoff of the conference USA season on the 11th of January

[00:41:57] where the raiders lost 52 to 60 at the Murphy Center just in Porter did score 24 points in that match up the lady raiders they continued their winning ways now at 14 straight conference wins

[00:42:09] 93 62 home win against San Houston state a lot to be excited about in a game like that but it's always good to see to me as Scott with 26 points and for assist she certainly again picks up slack

[00:42:21] where you know Savannah Wheeler may not be putting in as many points as we're accustomed to but when he scored 93 points everyone was kind of contributing their load that night Jalen Gregory was

[00:42:31] quiet for most of the game but then in the fourth quarter she scores 15 real fast so it's always good to kind of see that production come in many ways especially same he's since the bottom of the barrel when it comes to conference USA but when he scored 93

[00:42:43] points on a division one opponent there's still a lot to be said about that period of the shoot 57 percent which is the second highest on the season the lady raiders hope to finish off a perfect season

[00:42:55] the biggest test they're gonna have left is going to be tonight at Liberty and Lynchburg that tip office at 6pm central time also a viewable on ESPN plus lady raiders had their way with

[00:43:05] the lady flames on the 8th of February defeating Liberty 81 55 at Murphy Center it was a big second half where it was really close first half tight at at the break and then the lady raiders out

[00:43:17] scored liberty 45 to 16 in the second have to take that one home so I fully anticipate Liberty to bring the crowd tonight make that game bigger challenging for the ladies and of course

[00:43:27] when you have a perfect regular season on the line a lot of things are gonna want to ruin that then on Saturday the closest competition the lady raiders have had in conference all season is

[00:43:36] Louisiana Tech if you go back to their first game on the 10th of January where they want in rust and by score 64 61 in overtime it will need at every bit of Boulder Ravers 32 points in 12 rebounds that evening but we're going to take a certainly ahead stretcher they started

[00:43:51] they started the month of February all the way down in 8th place in the conference and they have slowly moved their way up to fourth and I made a comment a few episodes ago about how

[00:44:00] Louisiana Tech is potentially one of the best worst teams in the country they just find ways to lose games and they're definitely a tough opponent and they're certainly a team that I would keep my

[00:44:09] out for coming the conference USA tournament given that they are right now sitting in fourth place so they would be the semi final matchup barring that we advance that far I would hope so

[00:44:18] another little caveat to the game this weekend is that if you haven't already heard the tip office at 830 a.m. then if you're questioning why or what happened there there is the girls TWS AA state championships at the Murphy Center this weekend so with a scheduling conflict

[00:44:33] the game had to be moved up in the earliest they could do it was 830 and I believe the other alternative would have been to do it really late at night so I think we'll be happy with the 830 the fans may

[00:44:41] not be so much but years old plenty of ladies basketball happening at the Murphy Center outside of just the Lady Raiders is Saturday baseball had a up and down week starting the week with a

[00:44:51] loss at home to lipskin by a score 3 to 7 James sales goes 4 and 2 thirds and gives a 3 hits two earned runs and four strikeouts in the losing effort then on Friday the men travel to

[00:45:02] Martin Tennessee to face the skyhawks and drop the Friday matchup in a mercy rule 14 or 2 and it certainly looked like it was going to be a very long weekend for the Raiders but they bounced back

[00:45:11] nicely with a Saturday 17 8 win and then on Sunday winning another barn burner by a score 10 to 8. I give my MVP the weekend to trace Phillips he went 4 for 10 scored 3 runs hit

[00:45:22] two home runs totaled 7 RBIs and two walks. The men are back in action on the road this week at southeast Missouri for a matchup this afternoon at 3 p.m. against the red hocks and then they

[00:45:34] return home this Friday to face St. Bonaventje Bonis at recent mid junior field they kick off that series is Friday at 3 p.m. and that is the bat pin giveaway according to the promotional

[00:45:45] calendar and then they have a double header on Saturday that first game is at 1 p.m. and in Sunday on the 10th they'll wrap it up that one is at 1 p.m. also and all four games will be viewable

[00:45:56] on the ESP and plus softball had a huge week they also faced off against Tennessee Martin on the road earlier in the week on Tuesday dropping the contest through to 7 and then this last week

[00:46:07] in the host of the MTSU and Votational finally making their appearance they hosted Detroit Mercy on Friday after some rain cancellations defeated the Titans 9 to 1 then on Saturday they lost North Alabama at 1 to 6 and then defeated Bradley 6 to 2 and then finally on Sunday they

[00:46:25] got their they avenged the loss by beating North Alabama by a score of 3 to 1 and then they had a three game series with Detroit Mercy on Sunday they won the matchup 6 to 1 and then yesterday on Monday they defeated the Titans 3 2 and game 1 and then 4 0 in the second game.

[00:46:42] We have two conference USA player of the weeks in the clubhouse with a myaharris over the entirety of the week she went 14 for 23 scoring five runs eight RBIs, four doubles, five walks two hit by pitches and four stolen base. So myaharris the right filter very busy this

[00:46:59] week on the base paths and you know rewarded with that conference USA player of the week honors and then Cameron Carcice in the circle she gets pitcher the week for conference USA over the week

[00:47:08] she goes 3 and 0 she hurl 23 innings only allowing 21 hits and just four earned runs and 23 innings very impressive and then for her she also strikes out 18 over the week and tied a career

[00:47:20] high with age strikeouts. She also collected a save yesterday in the Monday game one match up against Detroit Mercy. They are finally kicking off conference USA season and softball this weekend as they

[00:47:33] travel all the way to Alpassell and they'll face the lady miners that series will start on Friday at 7pm as it sits right now. I am unaware of anywhere to view that game but of course

[00:47:42] goblirators.com we'll have all of your written report we'll have all of your game wrap ups online as well as what we'll cover for you on the next week's episode. Minstonists had two in one week

[00:47:54] earlier in the week the men dropped a ranked contest against 57th ranked Cornell by a score of 2 to 4 and on the back into that double header the Raiders faced in state rival Austin P into

[00:48:04] beat of them 7 to 0. Then finally on Saturday the men faced Texas Tech and a match that was supposed to be the debut of the outdoor complex but instead got moved to the Adams tennis complex

[00:48:14] due to weather but the Raiders take down their 6 power 5 opponent of the year defeating the Red Raiders forward to 1 for the week the men's tennis squad they go 2 and 1 in doubles got Andre Horach the goes 2 and 1 in Shumatsuoka that also goes 2 wins for the week and then freshman

[00:48:30] Ewar Mondeu Berangar excuse me if I mess that up the Frenchman as the Frenchman freshman picks up his first singles one of the year against Austin P always good to see Jamie

[00:48:41] Rollin some of the fresh young talent in the mid week matchups. Per typical for the men their schedule does not lighten up at all as they will be on the road this Thursday to base 66

[00:48:52] rank south Florida that is that matchup will begin at 12 30 p.m and then on Sunday we will get an opportunity to have a outdoor matchup at the new complex for the men as they will face 27

[00:49:03] the ranked Louisville at 1 p.m and that'll be a heck of a game to make not only your first appearance to the new outdoor complex but we have a ranked opponent like Louisville that could certainly make

[00:49:13] out for quite the inaugural match of the outdoor tennis complex and then stick around for the second matchup of the evening as they will face Tennessee Tech at 5 p.m. Women's tennis has been on

[00:49:25] a slight hate as they will return tomorrow as they face FIU in Miami and that match will start at 11 a.m. Men's golf wrapped up last week at Lake Las Vegas invitational they finish 11th at 22 teams

[00:49:39] Michael Barnard finished at five strokes down tied for tonight Marcus Vargen at 4 down tied for 12 Sheldon McNeight two strokes down tied for 25th and Luke Perkins at 1 stroke over time for 47 plays. As of now the men are down in Bluffton South Carolina competing at the Colton River

[00:49:57] Collegent and those results will wrap up this evening. Women's golf they are back in action next week as well on Monday there will be the Jack Rabbit invitational which is in Boulder City Nevada

[00:50:09] hosted by South Dakota State and keep tuned for those updates as they come to us by next week's episode. Well that'll do it for us today on the Bluator podcast I appreciate you sticking around

[00:50:21] listening to the episode with Coach Nick McDev at certainly a lot to be said about the men's basketball program and they gear that they have but with only the greater fans can do is hope that they continue

[00:50:30] to stick to their guns finish off strong and we show up for them down there in Huntsville Alabama. Well until next time don't forget to follow us on our socials at Twitter and Instagram at Bluator

[00:50:40] pod as well as listening to the visual presentation over at YouTube at Bluator pod cast and until next time go Blu.