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Salutations listeners and welcome back to the Player Profiles podcast. I'm your host, Doppin Misrow and if you're looking for a spot to hear all the great stories that the athletes of St.A.F. University have to offer, then you have come to the right place. Today's guest is Sydney Lovish, hailing from Grace Lake, Illinois.
She is the interim head coach for the S.X.U. Women's Basketball team. Without further ado, let's get into the interview. Sydney, thank you so much for taking the time out to come and do this interview.
Absolutely. Thank you for having me. I'm excited. So up to this point, you've obviously had a illustrious basketball career and it's been a lot of accomplishments, but I want you to take me back to the start.
I got you in the basketball first place. Um, really my family. My dad, my dad played funny enough. He played college baseball, but my grandpa also played college baseball.
Um, and so I think it just kind of ran the family. Athletics in general and my dad put me in every sport imaginable. And one of those basketball just kind of stuck with me. So my family's been my biggest supporter and throughout my entire career as a player, as a coach and anything I've done academics.
So that's kind of what got me started was my family. So at what point did you really start getting serious about pursuing some type of career in basketball? Um, it was probably my freshman year when my coach brought me up to varsity. He had saw me at some eighth grade stuff and met me after one of my games and said, you know, I'd like to bring you up to varsity first year.
Like, how would you feel about that? And I guess I really hadn't processed just with that men. And then when I went on varsity, it was a different world and I had to learn a lot of things. And I think from then I realized that I kind of wanted to take this more seriously, maybe pursuing college.
So then I started an AU program and went through that and got exposure and ended up here. Right? Like North, right? Yes, right.
I'm late, you know, with ram gangle, good notch. Oh, no, please not central. I'm just messing with you. I'm just messing with you.
I'm not, I don't want to smoke with that rivalry. Biggest rivalry. No, seriously. What is that rivalry like?
I'm from closer around here. So I don't know what's the rivalry like an hour away from here. What is it? What's that nice ram rivalry like?
It's crazy. It's definitely competitive. At least for one's basketball. It's always a huge game.
You get your biggest crowd of the year for that game. We even have lakes, community high school was another one that was pretty, a pretty tough one for us to go through because just from the surrounding area, we had kids from like Villa that would go either to Grace, like North or Lakes or Grant. And so we would always have like, you would know people on the other opposing team and you kind of be like friends with them. So it was always like a good rivalry, but never like any animosity, you know, just a lot of like, I want to be better than you.
So then the day when I hang out with you, I could say beach you. Yeah, that's a healthy rivalry. Yeah, healthy rivalry for sure. Yeah, there's one thing to have a rivalry but to have a competitive and you know, kind of mutual respect, kind of rivalry.
That's what it was. Those are those are rivalries that I love all the time. Yeah. It's like, you know, you know, on the court, you you want it.
Yeah. On the court, you can. It's a mutual respect thing. Like, even if you have stuff you have beef during, you know, the game or you're staying stuff back and forth in a game, it's a handshake high five.
Like, hey, we're cool. Like, I have respect for you. Respect for me. Like, great game out there.
Yeah, I like how players can, you know, flip that switch between. You have to. Yeah, you have to for sure. Yeah, it's very, very interesting.
But obviously, as you said, four years on varsity, what do you think were some of the best, you know, takeaways from your four years as a night? Oh, wow. Could be a moment. Could be a lesson.
Yeah, I mean, I think the lesson is just hard work. Um, dedication. If you truly want something, you don't stop working for it. You just keep getting better.
Throughout my four years there, I don't think there was a day that I said, okay, what I'm doing is good enough. Like you can always improve. And I also think that you have to earn your spot, you know, no one's given anything. So for me, it was especially as a freshman of our city was earning and showing, you know, the upperclassmen, everyone else on the team that I deserve to be there.
And you're always kind of having to prove yourself. But made it a lot easier that I had great coaching staff and I had great people around me that kind of were like, okay, let's support her. Like, you know, she's here. She's part of our team.
I don't care what her age is. And if she's going to be some special for us, like we got to kind of bring each other together. So it was a good program for sure. Yeah, I see.
And obviously, it was a good enough program for you to consider playing college basketball. Yeah. And obviously, after four years of high school, we're lucky to figure out where you're going to play college basketball next. And you decided to start this S-XU Odyssey here.
So when you were, you know, a senior, you were thinking of places to go, what made you think that, you know, Saints David was the place to be for you. So I hadn't really heard about Saints Xavier. I started pretty late in my recruiting process. And I feel like I didn't really know how to even go about it and how to reach out and do film.
And I was never, I guess, taught that kind of stuff. So I got on a few visits and I had been getting emails from Hallberg. And you know, he had said, come down, come down, come down. And I wasn't big email girls.
So I think I finally saw one of them and was like, oh my God, like, okay, I'm going to go visit. And I was able to play in college basketball in the beginning. I didn't know if I kind of just want to go and play or just go to school to go to school and have fun or if it was, you know, basketball is something, you know, I want to surround myself in for four years. And I came and visited and when I'm at my visit, met the girls and the next day I committed.
It's that, Mr. Really, and it's the people. You don't find a place much by the Saints Xavier when it comes to hospitality, when it comes to family feel, when it comes to community feel. The girls were exactly my kind of girls, my kind of speed.
I felt right at home. And for me, I think that's the biggest thing when you're looking for to go somewhere is to find a family outside of your family. So that's exactly what I found. And I knew from the moment I got here and after I met the girls, that that's just a place for me.
Yeah, I feel like a lot of athletes come here because of, you know, atmosphere and, you know, chemistry with team. And obviously, chemistry was very prevalent with the women's basketball team. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, 100%.
You know, obviously, when I came in as a freshman in 21, that was your senior years. One of my seniors. I got to that later. But obviously, I got the chance to see you play college basketball for a year.
And I kid you not that was one of the most fun years I've had of covering a basketball team period. The team that team was so fun, you know, watch like you, Zobes, Claire. It was just it was just a madhouse of entertainment. I'm not gonna lie.
And I think you saw me, you know, calling some games. I listened to you out for sure. Absolutely. Oh man.
Yeah, I had one head with last. There's just a lot of highlights, you know, a lot of funny moments. I look back at them and I just look at some of my calls and this is like man, this team made this job fun. But obviously you guys have had a lot of success.
I know there were a couple of humps that, you know, still trying to get over. But you know, overall now that you know, you're playing career, you know, is behind you, you know, what is your what are your takeaways from, you know, these years of college basketball that you played? A lot of things again, like dedication, hard work, never giving up, sense of community and family, how important that is. And feeling valued.
I feel like when you come to Stang Xavier and your part of Stang Xavier, at least someone's basketball team, and I think I can bow to every other team, is you're not just another number on the roster. You're valued, you're important. When we recruit you, you come here, you're not just here because we need you or we kind of like do or whatever, you were last resort. No, it's like, we offer you like that sticks, like we want you to be a part of it.
We see what you could do for this program. So I think that's what kind of separates us too from a lot of other schools, is you're not just another number, you're not just another recruit, you're not one of 20 that we're offering, you know, when we want you to come here, it's important. That's how I felt. And I think that's something I took away was feeling valued and having that family and that support.
And I was so close to home that my family could come too. And that's kind of how a lot of it is for a lot of at least women's basketball. And I think other sports at the school is that their families are able to come. And even if they aren't, you come from a distance, those family members make you feel valued and invite you to dinners and invite you to family gatherings.
And during breaks, you can go over there and hang out at their house. At least our team does a pasta party at Jenna's house. So they'll go do that. Yeah.
So it's, I definitely feel like that's something I took away was like that sense of feeling valued and how important that really is for anyone's success and not just basketball or sports, but for life in general. Yeah. And you, you, you're a testament to not only being not just a number, another number on the roster, but you're also not just another number in the history books. Obviously we are well aware of, you know, when you scored over 2000 points.
It was 1000 only. 1000. I'm sorry. I wish I was 2000.
I'm sorry. When I think of women's college basketball and how I got into it, I immediately think of Sabrina in the next one. Oh, yeah. She went to K1K one year.
She's not. Yeah, she's not. Like I was like, you don't find many of her around. Yeah.
That's why when I think of Miles, that two cages comes to mind. Oh, no, you're good. But one, you got to 1K in your career. And it was obviously a very special moment.
And I don't think I've seen two players hit two, two of those milestones, like so close. Like you and Claire did it so close within time. It's like, OK, we got to get another one of those basketballs they handed out. It's like, I never seen that.
But obviously you two are a great duo. And you know, I just want to know, like what was the mentality of, you know, having to, you know, go out and play basketball games with, you know, a team with players like Claire on. And how much fun was it for you? I mean, it was incredibly fun.
And I was blessed to be a part of such a special team and throughout the years, all the teams really. I think that, you know, Halberk started a great tradition here. And he came out right from the get-go and made this play successful and built a program that has tradition and legacy. And you know, when I recruit, I talk about that.
And so we always get players just like that. And I think that that's what makes it so fun is everyone's on the same page. And they want to be successful. And they want to honor those who came before them and built this program and got them to be able to play at such a successful place that's been nationally ranked, made it to a national championship.
You know, not everyone's blessed enough to come to a place that has done that. So I think, especially in my years playing, like when you have those leaders that understand that and you have those players that get like the legacy and the legacy you have to uphold, I think it makes it a lot easier to kind of play together. And I think we spend a lot of time outside of Asquall together, which made it easier on the floor to actually, you know, understand each other and have that mutual respect and understand that if I get on you and say something to you, you know, and you do it to me, like, then I day we're just trying to make each other better. And I think that's kind of how it's been throughout the years.
And that's why we've been a successful team. Yeah, successful and fun to watch. Yeah. Emphasis on the fun.
Yeah, we get after a little bit. Yeah, you guys were, I think one of the best characteristics is that you guys were very tenacious. Like the tenacity was unprecedented for me. I mean, whether it be on the boards or on the bench, you know, getting energized.
It's like you guys are always like high with the energy. And it was just so, I want to say lit. It was like it was always the bar was always on ten. And I just loved it.
It's like it was never a dull moment, even when it was garbage time. Yeah. You know, it was always something to, you know, kind of cheer for and, you know, just, just, yeah, getting crazy. Yeah.
I definitely think that I think again, it comes from just every time we step on the floor, we have something to prove no matter who we're playing against, no matter who's our opponent, who's on the floor, it doesn't matter. Not only we have something to prove to the teams and, you know, uphold, but we've kind of holberk has built and people have the players have come and made successful for us. But I think we just we want to play for each other. And I think at the end of the day, that's what makes it so fun and what makes it so, like you said, what gives us like that tenacity and that like that passion is we want to be successful for the program, for the people that came before us and for our team and our coaches.
And I think that starts with culture and Holber built that from the get-go. Yeah. There was a lot of games that proved that, you know, kind of character, but I do want to ask you about one game in particular. Oh, no.
And I think, I think you know what game I'm talking about is the CCAC quarter final against Trigi Christian. I went into that game height because of one thing and you already know what it is. It was the game between you guys and Gabby Crag is his trolls. And I'm thinking, okay, this is set up for like an epic return game.
And at first, you know, like, all right, we're beating the brace off them, but a game did get a little tense. They did get a little tense. You know, but you guys clap back instantly and then the game was never the same after that. It was a it was a it was a very intense hard thought when, but I want to know, you know, as a player, how do you control your, you know, emotions, you know, through a game that's not just another playoff game, it's not just another game, but you know, against the player like Gabby Crag is, you all we pretty much know the story behind it.
Yeah, I mean, I think, I mean, it depends on obviously the person I think for me, I was a pretty emotional player. I wore a lot of my sleeve. I played with a lot of chip in my shoulder all the time. And, you know, grabby's a phenomenal player.
You can't take that with wherever. And I think going into that knowing that she'd be back on the far floor for the first time in a while and, you know, having played with her, having been her roommate freshman year, it's, you know, it was just we had something to prove like, okay, like, we got to go, we got to go full out here. Like we can't there's no, you know, if fans are but it's like we got to come and go full out and just beat him as bad as we can beat him. That was the goal.
And yeah, things get tense. But like any game, it's other than a day if you have that mutual respect, it's, you know, over and done with. And Gabby's a very hard player to guard and it was hard to guard her when she was at Sing Xavier. So, we were on opposite teams.
So I got respect for her in that aspect. So it was, it was a very intense game. It was wildly new. It was going to be.
And I think each team just fed off each other and kind of ended the way. Yeah, I mean, she was the reason why that game got so tense because, you know, like second half, like third quarter, she just starts, I said on the calls, she started turning into a freaking flamethrower. Yeah, she's coming. She's coming.
It's starting to guard someone like that. Yeah. And you know, obviously it was a great match to see, but I mean, it was great to see that our team responded to that challenge very nicely. And I think a big reason why we, you know, one of those kinds of games was because of the crowd.
I mean, do you ever notice like the crowd sometimes when you're, you know, in these games and you're, you know, going through these moments, have you ever noticed like the Shenzhen or crowd kind of backing you guys up? Absolutely. I mean, not even as a just family and students, but it's community members. Like you sometimes, I look at the crowd and she'd be like, I don't know those people, but I feel like I've seen them before.
And then you see with the next game and you try to see if there's somebody's mom, dad or Ann or uncle or grandma or grandpa and then it's like, no, they're just, you know, you meet them and they're just from the community coming to support. So you definitely notice the crowd. And I mean, personally, I definitely fed off the crowd in tough games and tough moments, a big moments. And, you know, it's, it's not that people are just showing up because they have to, it's they want to.
And so that's important that sports support sports at our school. And, you know, we make it an effort to be at everyone's game. And my girls will go to everyone's game. I've seen them at men's volleyball, seen men's basketball, seen at women's volleyball, and seen them football, you name it, they're there, which I think is super cool and hard to find in most places.
Yeah, it's a, it's an advantage that's very hard to replicate. It's not, it's not, it's just not an easy ask, especially considering that, you know, it's, it's just, you don't just get home through the bandages like that with a snap of finger. Like, sometimes that stuff has to be earned. And it was, it was well earned by you guys.
I loved it. Like, so it got to a point where I felt like I was screaming so much, not just, I don't know, not on the calls, obviously. I'm not blowing anybody's ears. I was like, where are you?
But like, as a fan, I saw myself like turning Kool-A-Man red. Hell, I was, I was just so hyped. Like, there was a lot of, it was just a lot of hype moments. Especially when, you know, you guys would get like those emphatic blocks.
And it was just, it'd be like, Oh, no, y'all, it's like, I said them in the paint, man. That was clear specialty. She'd let them, we'd be so mad. She, the person would go Byron.
Our coach, like, Claire, like, why is she trying to pass to you? And all of a sudden, just, yeah, see ya. And it was like, Oh, that's why, because she planned it the whole time. It was so brilliant.
It was so brilliant. As players, we knew it was, as players, we knew it. So we were like, Oh, she's good. Don't worry about it.
And our coach like, no. And then it'd be a block. She'd be like, Oh my God. I'd be like, Sorry.
And I'd be like, we knew it was gonna happen. We're good. Like, that's what she does. She baits him into it and she just knocks it and then tips it to herself and goes for a fast-reclap.
So we understood it. Oh man, that is awesome. But eventually, you know, you got through with the playing career and you immediately became an assistant coach. And obviously last year, we got to see you on the sidelines for the first time.
Both you and McKenna. What was that experience like transitioning from player to coach? Well, first I was just supposed to be a grad assistant. I was coming back to see if I want to get into coaching and get my two years from master's done at the school, my MBA.
And then around the same time that coach Brewster left, our assistant decided that on mutual, like, very good terms that she wanted to be basically a teacher and coach. So it was hard for her to have two jobs at once. So she ended up just being, I believe it was a middle school and was able to be a volleyball softball and basketball coach there. So it worked out best for her to be at all at one place and she left on great terms.
And when that happened, you know, I had a few people step up say like, you said something, you're interested. And I didn't even thought about it. Even though, you know, I want to see get my my bearings on me to see if I want to be a coach. And I was like, why not?
Like my dad was my coach for years. My grandpa is in the Hall of Fame at Niles North, I believe. So I feel like it's kind of in my bloodline to do it sounds weird. But I was like, yeah, let's give it a try.
And I loved it. I love being with the girls. I loved being there, basically they're high-poomin on the side. I realized I saw the game in a different way than I did on the floor.
And I think that helped me. And it was an easy transition, obviously from player to coach. Obviously, I was coaching people who were my age, claire with my age. But you know, when you have that mutual respect for each other and with Claire, Streeter, and Maya, who I had played with for a little bit, it was questions on, okay, is it going to go well?
Is it going to go bad? Are they going to listen to me? Are they not? And they were honest, listen, we probably more than anyone else, because I feel like we gained that respect for each other on the court.
And when I would say stuff to them, like they realized I was coming from a good place. And I actually saw those things and actually knew what I was talking about. So they made an easy transition, the team made an easy transition, goes to a rooster made an easy transition, kind of made an easy transition. It was nice.
It was good. I realized I enjoyed it. Yeah. And obviously, you know, you guys had another pretty good year.
But for the third straight year, it feels like you're going to make a major jump because now you are the head coach. Yeah, interim interim interim interim. Hey, you can throw the interim tag around as much as you want to. But I'm not I'm not I'm just going to say, I mean, hey, you can say that coach that's cool.
Yeah, I want to give you respect. I don't want to just come out here and say, hey, she's only interim. I'm like, no, I was like, she is the headmaster. She is the one running the show right now.
Yeah. So which is obviously, you know, a crazy turnaround considering where you were two years ago, like as a player on this team. Now, you know, you're a head coach. Yeah.
But what's also fascinating is that, you know, a couple of your other coaches, your assistants are also a couple of recent former players in Alicia and of course, McKenna. Yeah. So, and also, you have a couple of other new assistants that you brought in as well. So, I have to ask you know, what is this, you know, this preseason been like getting accustomed to, you know, being a head coach and, you know, working with, you know, a team that is vastly it's pretty young.
I mean, there's only one senior compared to 10 underclass. So how do you, you know, how have you been preparing for this season? I feel like for me, it kind of was, I guess like you, I was kind of thrown into it really kind of how I was for an assistant, but I feel like that's kind of the best way to go about it in certain aspects. I feel like it's really give me time to think about it.
I just have to do, and I tell my girls that all the time, like, don't think don't overthink. Just go for it. Like give your 100% and just if you're gonna do it, like don't try do it. So I think that's what I just followed down advice in that aspect.
And yeah, we're a younger team, but I tell them like that doesn't matter to me. When Maddie Welter was here in Chanel Fanta and Cara Kirkrlichke in Brittany Collins, you think that for them it was well, you're fresh and you have to use your way into it. It was no, like I don't care if you're young, like you can make a difference. And I don't want to have a harp on that with them because I don't want them to think well I'm young, to me, you're just basketball players, go all down play.
I don't care if you're going up against a senior or a freshman on care, what your age is. If you go in there and give 100%, like the results will come and they'll be positive. And so I keep forcing that to them and telling them that. And I've had a great support system and I have a great group of girls that are not only great basketball players, but really good people.
And I think that's where it starts. Yeah. And obviously you've played with a couple of those kind of young players that were in their role. Allian is a good example.
Yeah. Alyssa too. And now, those are current players where I kind of like the veterans of this team. So how important is it for you to get them to kind of step up and be some sort of leaders on this team now that they know how the system runs and they know how it works here.
I think it just comes natural. I tell them not to force anything. If you're going to be a leader, it'll happen. It's going to happen naturally.
You don't have to force something to second you force something. It's not natural. And sometimes those aren't the best ways to go about it. So I had to talk with a couple of them and I said, let it flow naturally, no force things.
Leaders will rise. And it will rise to the case whether they're freshmen, self-mersioners or seniors. And I think we have them now and there's a few of them that we have a bunch actually in different roles in different ways. They they're leaders.
And so I think that that's important. But I was thinking it's important that everyone's on the same page. And you know, I think it's been it's been a transition obviously since I played with a couple of them. But for me, it's it's having that talk with them and seeing what I can do to make them, you know, play their best, do their best on the floor and you know, ask their advice.
You know, what do you think? What do you think about the team? What's going on? Like make them feel like their opinion matters.
I think that's huge because you don't want it to be your way or the highway all the time. You want to, you know, obviously you're going to be as a head coach, the final decision-maker, but it's important to get some aspects and make people feel heard in different mindsets and different opinions, I guess you could say. So I've been doing it with a few of them and seeing where things are. And it's really communication, open communication line between me and them and see what works for them, what doesn't.
And I have to adjust and they have to adjust. And it's one big working wheel kind of. Yeah, I can be a testament to that. I've seen I've walked into your practice a couple times and I seldom leave without hearing the word communication.
Yeah, that's my girl's that too. That's their favorite word right now, it's communication. Yeah, that's awesome. I'm a major.
So I can't say I'm welcome. There you go. But obviously you've seen practices, you've seen the practices, you also played an exhibition game the other day. Yes.
As we're heading towards the beginning of the nitty-gritty, the regular season. Sure. What are some of the things that you're excited about for this team this year? I'm really excited just for everybody to play together.
We have a lot of new faces, we bring a lot of people back. I'm just excited to see how it all plays out, who steps up, who gets us good minutes. I think we got a lot of them this year. They're making it hard on me as a coach to fine-tune exactly rotations and stuff like that, which I guess is the best.
It's a good problem. Yeah, it's a good problem to have for me and not knowing who to play because I have so many options. So I'm just excited to see how they all work out, who flows well together, who meshes well together and kind of get my rotations down and see what plays work, what doesn't and and all that kind of stuff. Well, all I'll say is this, when you get thrown into the fire, you fight fire with fire.
Yeah, you do. That's very true. At least that's what I would do. I would fight fire with fire with instant.
Oh, yeah, we got some fiery girls too. So it'll be good this year. Yeah, I can't wait to see it. Friday afternoon, home opener is pretty interesting.
Yeah, it's a little interesting. But you know what? Hey, it gives me this use to get out of class. Hey, I didn't tell you to do that.
I'm a grown man. I make businesses. There you go. Luckily, I had one of those classes where they had like down towards the middle of the module.
It's like, all right, we're going to split the class in two groups. One group comes to stay. The other doesn't come this day. Perfect.
I got in two situations around my Friday and my group does not come that day. So I'm like, all right, I'm pulling up and I'm calling this game. So cool. Beautiful love to have you.
Glad to have you. But obviously, you said that you were here for a master's. So you were digging into the world of marketing. Yes.
Where are you trying to accomplish with this? At first, it was before I really knew I wanted to kind of get into coaching and kind of push myself fully into it. I was thinking about going into sales kind of throughout college and even a little bit throughout high school. So the goal was just to make myself more marketable.
Funny, right? And kind of just go from there. But now it's, you know, I started, I just got to finish it and it'll only help me with, you know, if hopefully I stay in a coaching and hopefully I, you know, continue this. And if it works the way I know I planned it to in my head, it will.
And then it'll just make me more marketable, even though, you know, if this is something that works out here, I don't plan on, I'm not a mover in a shaker. I, you know, family's very important to me and building something's very important to me, just like Holberg. And I think that stability for a place is important. So no promises, but that's what I would hope for, you know, the best case scenario would be I'd stay here kind of like Holberg and, you know, try to do try keyword.
I know I say not try, but try to live up to what he did because he was a legend in the Chicagoland area. And you know, there's not many people that come around like Holberg that have a thousand wins in the truck. He's not, he was not. I had so much respect for him.
And that's just what I'm trying to, trying to build and trying to mimic and trying to, you know, bring my vibe to it, my sense, but also hone in on the things that made this place successful and use you to that. So, okay, well, we'll see how it goes with that. But I do want to ask you, um, about, you know, your connection between here and home. Obviously, you know, bracelet is like an hour, 20 minutes away from here.
10 or 10 or 10. Our traffic don't do it. Two hours, you never know. Yeah.
But you know, how do you balance out, you know, life here and life over there? Yeah, it's been hard. Family is super, super important to me, very, very important to me. And so obviously with this change, I kind of had to, you know, throw myself full time into this and I'm here a lot more.
But I do a good job. I think I always, you know, calling my family, you know, to go see my dogs at home, very important to me, those two dogs, not, yeah, crazy wild dogs, but family, not just my immediate family, but family outside. That's very important to me. So, you know, meeting them for dinner is going home for a weekend, by that time.
Actually, after this, I'm going home to see my family and spend the night and just drive up in the morning and I haven't seen in a while and could use some quality time. Brother was sick for a while, so now I'm able to come back. So it'll be good to spend some quality time with family, get some dinner and stuff like that. So it's hard, but it's definitely doable when, I mean, I want to tend to do too bad.
I think about it. You can do a day's trip if you really wanted to. I like driving so it's not too bad. You respect your roots.
Yes, absolutely. My family is my biggest supporters or why they're who I am, the reason I am who I am today. And they're got me started into this and my biggest supporters, but also told me and still didn't need what hard work is. So beyond blessed to have them in my life.
That's like a pretty darn good vision. Yes. They're awesome people. Being a vision is when you're not, you know, getting, you know, down with your hands dirty with the basketball stuff.
I want to know, you know, what's your hobbies, aren't you? We all have, you know, hobbies. So I mean, what do you like to do outside of, you know, school and basketball and all that stuff? I mean, I like to spend time with my friends, my family, on the basis, right?
I love scary movies. So Halloween's my favorite time. I like to indulge myself during Halloween and all scary stuff, all scary movies. So me and my roommates watch a lot of scary stuff.
I love watch movies, TV shows, going out to dinner, going drinks, doing whatever. And I love watching basketball, which obviously not just us basketball, but like college, you know, like NBA, anything like that, WNBA. I'll watch any, any sports that are really on. I like to watch that maybe grab dinner, bring it home and eat as like a little family with my roommates.
I'm a huge Kansas JHawks fan. Yeah, sorry if you're not, I my mom went to Kansas. So kind of grew up watching Kansas basketball. Would love to meet those soft one day.
That would be awesome. But I love watching Kansas basketball. So I'll be, you know, even on the way home, if they're playing the same time, I'm on the way back, I'm watching it like I got it up on my phone. So I try not to miss any game.
My roommates love to watch basketball too and sports. So we'll be screaming at the TV every day, watching watching the basketball and Kansas play. So it's kind of what I do outside it. Kind of a laid back kind of person.
So if I told you I'd be like purple, what would you say? We talk about case day. Come on. No, I'll say what if it's always theory, it depends.
If you're chair against case day when Kansas, we can't, I can't be in the same room as you. I can't be in the same room as you. I can't But if we're talking last year when they had their run and cans got knocked out early because they choke and you're choosing case day, I like that pick. I would 100% I was cheering for case day the whole time and making their run in the tournament.
March Madness. Yeah, I was for case day once Kansas left. But when it's Kansas versus Kansas State is a different story. Okay, different story.
Okay, I'm wearing all blue and red. All right. Yeah, you also witnessed a recent national championship as well. I mean, were you on cloud nine or cloud tander?
What was it like? I was all over the place. My head was I don't think I've ever felt like that in a while so stressed out sweating. It was wild, but it was crazy to witness it was.
I mean, I thought North Carolina had it for the first second. I did. And of course, when I was watching it, one of my girls on my team was acting like she was North Carolina fan. So she was screaming against me the whole time.
I was not having it. I was like, I have to leave when they won. I was like, all sorts of emotion. I was all over the place screaming and being like, let's go.
So it was, it was awesome. It was really, really cool. Oh man, I would pay money to see that. Someone should have had a camera in there.
A big mess for sure. Oh man. But yeah, I mean, I'm glad you brought that up because I do want to talk about this kind of uprising, women's sports. We're seeing it.
We're seeing it just shoot up to the moon, not just in basketball, but in every sport we saw earlier in the fall, the Brasko women's volleyball team set a record, 92,000 for a volleyball team. That was awesome. That was a world record for a women's sporting event period. And then Iowa decided to play the exhibition basketball football stadium and that drew like 56,000.
That was a record as well. So when you're seeing, you know, all these records being broken and all these women's sports getting increased amounts of attention, how good does that feel as a woman involved in sports? It feels awesome. I mean, it's people like Kate and Clark and Angel Reese and all those girls that are, you know, changing the game.
And I think it's, it's well deserved. And I think it's overdue for sure. And I think that it's important for, you know, young girls to see people like this be able to make a name for themselves and show that like this can be you one day. And so, you know, I know they talk about that and all their like press releases and their interviews, like how important it is for them to be models for young girls.
And so I think that's, that's awesome. That's exactly what women's sports needs right now. Is that media attention just to show like, hey, like we can play too. And we're evolving every single day.
So like girls are dunking now. That's crazy. Girls in high school. There's that one girl from Canada who's like, oh, yeah, like, I mean, it's, it's changing.
It's it's evolving. I think it's important for people to see that, you know, that it's that it changes actually happening. Yeah, and becoming more skilled and competitive like, and especially the competitiveness. Awesome.
We saw it in the national championship. And while that, okay, I will say this on the record. I was stunned at how many threes LSU made in that game. They were not known for being a three point shooting team, and they were they were shooting the three pretty poorly in some of the previous tournament games.
Yeah, yeah. People weren't going from there. And then as a team, they just, they just lit Iowa up. I'm just like, yo, yeah, this is like Jasmine Carson was like on another play.
I don't know, like it's just like, she was just, she just the ball in the air and it was just going in. I'm just like, whoa, that was such a fun experience. Even though it might, you know, kind of was leaning towards Iowa because I would pick them with a natural champion in my bracket, but um, but not that was a fun national. That was a fun tournament.
There were a lot of upsets that are crazy runs. My Amies run and you know, the Caveter twins doing their thing. And you know, obviously, it's also funny, you know, that people don't give, you know, credits to some of the accomplishments in women's March Madness because it's like, there's some things that I've seen in women's March Madness that I've not seen in men's March Marvel Madness. Like, like back in 97, I think it was, Harvard was a 16 seat and they had to beat a number one seat Stanford, which was already a big enough task as well as a 16 beat and one.
But they had to do it in Stanford because the first two rounds of the women's tournament is on campus sites. And so they had to do that in a place in a program against a program that's a very prestigious effort is a very good basketball program. And I'm just like, I never, when I sat there, I was like, I never knew that a 16 seat had to go into a one seats crib and beat them. And it was an Ivy League school that did it to a power five.
So I was like, Oh, that's nuts. If this was a men's, if this was the men's, you would see it all over the news. But I'm just like, it was so under the radar. And then that in a recap of Google, all these final four stuff five years ago, I don't look, I've seen a national championship winning buzzer before, but I haven't seen someone hit two game winners in the final four and the national championship game.
The same person? She's insane. She actually played against one of my, I think it was either March or Meg or at least played against her in high school. She was like, I hate playing against her.
They're like, she was so good. Like, it's just like you can't even guard somebody like that. Like, it was that talented, so hard to even stop her. Like, she's gonna get her point.
She was gonna have to limit them at some point, like, just have to try and limit her. Yeah, and it's no mystery. I mean, she's in the league for a reason. That'd be exactly, you know, and obviously, speaking of the league, it's becoming more popular, you know, and we haven't even seen these, you know, some of the best current college players get there.
And the league is, you know, it's really, really starting to boom. And it really, really got kicked off with this, in my opinion. I really think that people start to take notice on women's basketball, like, on a like real serious level, like I'm talking like an upper national, I took the next step when I started seeing super teams being formed. Yeah.
Because I'm like, ayo, like, because like, I know that in recent NBA history, super teams were, you know, the big hot commodity in the league. And now with the Liberty and the Aces, what they did in the offseason, I'm like, oh man, it's like, you could already see the hype building up for a potential finals matchup that, you know, at points, at one point, it wasn't guaranteed. But it was like, in the back of your mind, it was like, guys, you guys see this, right? And we did see it.
It was, it was, I mean, I know the Aces, you know, were pretty, were very good talented team, very talented. Yes. But games three and four were great. I mean, wild.
I mean, they were greedy games. The fact that the Aces didn't even have to go back to Vegas after Chelsea, Greg, I heard that's that was not that she was coaching up on the bench. Like she like she she was as locked in as they were just from a different mindset. Exactly.
I'm like, but no, I got to have that was awesome. It was awesome. Down to the last possession. One point.
Everyone's like, Oh my God. Yeah. Oh man, that was so high. And then the play before the block on Asia was that game was so high.
I hadn't been awesome. Oh man. Like recent WNBA finals have been so lit from the sky winning it to that that 2016 WNBA finals between the sparks and the links to one where there was a buzzer beating and came one at the sparks. Yeah.
Then back and forth went Maya Moore and Candace Parker, like, five. And it was just like, Hey, yo, it was yeah, I'm so glad to see as I'm speaking as a man, I am so glad to see women's sports getting this kind of sense. Because it's like they get disrespected so much for what? Yeah, it's like, come on, man.
Like these girls, who man, some of these girls got higher 3.0% just in some of the guys. Absolutely they do. It's like, man, give them the respect. Like stop with comparisons, man.
Like I just want to see the hoop basketball basketball, right? Basketball is basketball. They're out there playing out their playing like, they can hoop, they can hoop in their respect 100%. So I'm definitely happy it's getting more recognition for sure.
Yeah. And how to a higher standard for sure. Yeah, higher standards too. Because it's always been there, right?
Yeah. But like, never to this level where people, you know, it's in the news more, it's in the media more people are tweeting about it, people are posting it everywhere. So it's definitely good to see that there's this higher level of respect, I should say for women's basketball. Yeah.
And so much to the point, what's the thing? They're starting to market it more. Yeah, which is a ton of percent should. Yeah.
It's like, I see such better efforts of promoting women's sports nowadays. Like they have these, you know, super cool dramatic music, the graphics are insane. Sometimes like I would watch recent like the WNBA commercials for this year, like some of the motions and some of the animations, I was like, oh, more partnerships, more collaboration going on. Freaking cool.
Yeah. They made it. They made it. They did.
But yeah, that's it's always fun to, you know, keep up with that nowadays. But I have one last question for you. All right. I'm here.
When you get through with, you know, your masters and you know, obviously you're playing careers behind you. Now you're a coach. What do you think you want your your lasting legacy to be here at St. Xavier?
It's crazy to think about it. I never thought about that one. For me, I think it's really just somebody who is passionate about the place, the people in the program and who tried to continue the success of this place and someone who just really cared about it and not just cared about basketball, but the people and the girls and the team and the coaching staff and who tried to make it the best it could be who tried to get us a national championship. I mean, that's my goal, right?
You know, it was Halberg's goal. And I know it was all the coaches after him, you know, Corey and Brew. And now it's mine and with work, I think we could get there. I really do.
This place has the reputation. It's got the people, you know, got the location. Yeah. So I think for me, it's it's just leaving a leaving it better than when I first got it.
That's, you know, all you can hope for and all you can do. And then if you get stuff after that, it's just about bonus added bonus for me. But I think trying to continue what what Halberg did for this place and what the coaches did, you know, for this place after him and try to get it, you know, it's nationally ranked to be huge. Getting us back first off, getting us back there.
That's what I want to do. Yeah, I'm glad you saw the bones part. Yeah. I'm really glad you saw the bones part.
There's like, there's some, there's, you know, they're taking care of business and then there's getting the desserts, you know, and the desserts also making sure that, you know, the girls end up doing what they want to do and making sure that, you know, their dreams are met. And then if that's just, that's being a teacher, you know, how can I help you get there? Because it's so much more than just basketball. The day you're building people, you're building stronger women so that when they're outside of, you know, they're not with mom and dad or grandma and grandpa or their aunt, uncle or me or whoever it is, they're out there on their own, they can do it and they can, you know, hold their head high and say I can get through this.
I can make it, you know, I believe in myself and I can set and do anything I set my mind to. So it's not just basketball. It's making sure you build better people and you build stronger people for sure.