Schedule Breakdown, Palestra Bound, and the Road Ahead

Basketball is in the air. Practice is rolling, the roster is deep, and the Juniata Men’s Basketball Show is officially back. In this season-opening episode, Tom Frank, Biz, and Head Coach Greg Curley break down the full 2024–25 schedule and lay out the storylines already taking shape.

Coach Curley gives an inside look at preseason progress and why this young squad already feels ahead of last year’s curve. The crew digs into:

• The opening stretch against three brand-new non-conference opponents (hello Mount Aloysius, Westminster, and Alfred State).
• A brutal early conference test vs Landmark heavyweights Susquehanna, Drew, Catholic, and Scranton—four title contenders in four games.
• The holiday slate featuring the always chaotic Doc Green Tournament and a showdown with former assistant Jacob Flegel at Messiah.
• January and February grind time, including a Palestra game vs Goucher and the official return of Alumni Weekend on February 7th vs Wilkes.
• The philosophy behind this schedule: embrace challenges early, build toughness, deserve victory.

Plus: alumni trash talk, Pittsburgh vs Philly attendance war, why scrimmage locations are “classified,” and a declaration that this season is about growth—no shortcuts.

The season starts November 7th at The Nest. Subscribe now and ride with us every week.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

I'm Tom Frank. I'm Drew Beskett. I'm the head coach Greg Curly. And this is the Junior Adam Men's Basketball Show. Welcome, listeners. I'm Tom Frank, and I'm joined each and every week by Drew Beskett, aka Biz. And your Junior Adam Head Basketball Coach Greg Curly as we talk all things, Junior Adam Men's College Basketball. Fellas, we're back. We're back. I feel like we're starting to be able to smell basketball season. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_03 0:28

I can tell you, smell, I can really smell football season, so yeah.

SPEAKER_05 0:32

We're deep in the football season. But how far away are we from like every day? Are we in everyday practice right now?

SPEAKER_06 0:39

Yeah, we we uh that official practice started October 15th. Um but with October 15th, so last week. Yeah, but with the new NCA rules, um we had gone uh we had gone Wednesday through Saturday the last two weekends uh and gone twice on Saturday. So we we actually, as of yesterday, have 15 practices in. So uh it's uh been a benefit. Wednesday was the first official day of practice. Uh we practiced Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and twice yesterday. Uh and then today, because we're on fall break uh through Tuesday, we actually gave the guys off and Biz will appreciate it. We took them to a driving range, uh, which was kind of fun. Uh we have a few guys that we actually have a few guys that had never swung a club. Some of the some of the uh that could be quite a range, and then we have uh uh one of our freshmen, Joe Bruce, uh Biz, believe it or not, his his high school team in North Carolina lost the state championship uh by one stroke uh in the finals, and he had the low round for his team. He shot a 75. So he's he's a very good golfer. So we had a range of guys, two guys that had never swung a club. Dang, all right. A couple guys were pretty good. So they had fun with that. It was it was a lot of fun. So it was good on a day off, nice day, and then we'll get to the city.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

So if we do the uh Junietta Athletics golf outing, I call him.

SPEAKER_06 2:02

Yeah, he would help you. Um and so uh we and then we'll be we're up and running now. Um we'll have two scrimmages next week, uh, Monday and and uh Thursday next week, and then obviously our first game November 7th, so we're we're just around the corner.

SPEAKER_05 2:18

So I guess the question is if the players are back to practice each and every day, are we back? When when are we coming back every every week?

SPEAKER_06 2:26

Well, I mean, uh I guess this is about two weeks before the first game anyway, which is so we're sort of how we do it, and then we'll be up and running. Two weeks? We're only two weeks away from the first game.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:36

Holy crow!

SPEAKER_05 2:37

This is this is the official.

SPEAKER_06 2:40

Yeah, this is it, man. And then uh we're on a run right now. Then I imagine we're recording that Sunday, and uh, we have two games the following week. So yeah, it's uh when you said it you're wondering if it's feeling like basketball season, it's uh you know there's a ton of division one uh those exhibition games they can play now. There was a ton of that stuff yesterday. So it's really pretty much a big one. Yeah, what are we doing for exhibitions? Let's start with. We're playing two scrimmages. So we could we could have an exhibition and a scrimmage or two exhibitions and no scrimmage.

SPEAKER_05 3:09

What's the difference between an exhibition and a scrimmage?

SPEAKER_06 3:11

So we could have an exhibition against the division one team or division two team. They could count it in against their record and we could not count it against our record. Interesting. But then you don't get you don't get the benefit of a scrimmage or two scrimmages before the season. Um and for us, we've just found that the scrimmages um, you know, really are the best in terms of what we think for development, and we get real answers. Sometimes, again, when you play different levels, it's hard to really evaluate what happened or what goes on in the game because there's generally a fairly big gap and it's a little bit different than what you're gonna see. Uh, but you know, we weigh those things all the time. I mean, there's a lot of teams do some kind of mix. Uh, but we've we've been happy with what we get out of our scrimmages and think also with numbers, you know, we carry we have 18 guys, it gets a chance to play everybody and play everybody pretty significantly. You can play three halves, you can really do a scrimmage however you want. So we really use it to try to develop guys and get get a lot of opportunity.

SPEAKER_03 4:10

All right. Are we having the uh traditional Curly Brother scrimmage?

SPEAKER_06 4:15

Uh yeah, that there's a rumor. There's a rumor that might be happening. We we we don't like to roll out there with who we're scrimmaging, but yeah, that's a possibility. But you don't you don't like to tell the world who you're scrimmaging? Uh not really. Uh just the way information goes out and stuff. But uh it's the usual. I mean, it's not really surprising with us. And I think we got a lockdown on most of the information with the teams we scrimmage against are pretty much closed doors. I mean, people can come watch, but um it's not something we advertise a lot.

SPEAKER_05 4:41

So you but you could like if I happen to walk into said gym at either location when it's happening, I could sit there and watch.

SPEAKER_06 4:49

Yeah, we don't close we don't close the scrimmages. Uh but that's also why we don't advertise. Um if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 4:56

Uh anybody you playing anybody down here, I can go watch a scrimmage, maybe with my phone camera on.

SPEAKER_06 5:04

Um no, we will we will not be uh in your neck of the woods for a scrimmage. Uh, we do play at Westminster this year, so we're out in the Western PA a little bit closer.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

Oh, nice. I will be there, count on it, leave me a ticket. And wait a minute.

SPEAKER_05 5:19

So you play Westminster PA. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:23

They're in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, I believe.

SPEAKER_05 5:26

Oh, and there is a Westminster Westminster, Maryland which isn't called Westminster anymore, but okay. Yeah. All right. I had to go I had to get some All right, so you're gonna carry 18 guys. So I think that what we need to do, we uh we got a couple shows here before the first game. We gotta do the schedule this tonight, and then I think we gotta run down through the the uh the roster next week. Yeah, we're gonna need a roster. You know, just get a little get a little tidbit on I think our audience needs to have a little just gem about each player so that we introduce because we got a lot of new guys coming in here. Yeah, that sounds good. All right, so we get we gotta we gotta do this. Uh I want I need to know. But you're gonna carry 18 guys?

SPEAKER_06 6:05

Yeah. Yeah, we're usually, I mean, we're between 18 and 24 guys most years. Uh if you look at the average, average division three roster is between 18 and 20. That's the average. Um again, uh roster sizes at our level are a little bit different. Um a lot of that is because of uh scholarship, uh no scholarship levels. Um Division Ones are restricted a lot of times just because of the the number of scholarships they have. Um and don't want to go too much beyond that. But if you're you're if you're paying attention at the division two level, uh some of the smaller division ones, uh they're carrying 15, 18 guys now too, because there's a uh a lot of division twos right now, um their model in recruiting has shifted a little bit. They they there's an expect a revenue expectation for the head coaches to bring in a certain amount of student athletes that have that uh pay a certain amount of money. So they'll they'll they've uh increased the number of spots they offer without scholarship dollars. So they may have 15, 18 guys, maybe 18 guys. Um and a lot of it is just the uh enrollment crunch that everybody faces right now and in the kind of the vehicle that athletics one of the one of the major components or one of the major um contributions athletics makes, particularly at the Division III level.

SPEAKER_05 7:20

Got it. All right. Our our philosophy though, we've always carried out. Is there a limit? Is there a limit? Like let's say you walked in and you said to Junior Adam, I'm gonna carry 30 tonight.

SPEAKER_06 7:31

Well, so there's a limit in terms of if you're playing an NCAA tournament. Uh so you can only have so many guys dressed in the NCAA tournament. Uh, but within leagues, some leagues have uh limits, ours does not. Uh it would really be our choice. Um we we don't want to we certainly don't want to go that far, but ours is also a developmental pro program, and it's also an opportunity, you know, we don't have to say no, we can give guys opportunities. And I also you need bodies to get better. It's really hard to develop when you have smaller rosters because you guys have been around here long enough on these things. So many things happened in the season. Yeah. And I think the consistency of practice and the ability to compete every day. Um, you know, early in the season, sometimes um when you got more guys, uh you know, it takes a little while, but you can practice further farther into the year and still continue to get guys better. So I I I think for us, we've always looked at it that way. Um, you know, we've always early in the season usually played 10 to 12 guys and then worked into what we think the right roster is or right rotation is for the league, and sometimes it changes. So part of it is just an overall philosophy uh and approach that we have um and we think is an advantage and an opportunity we can provide.

SPEAKER_05 8:43

That's fair enough. All right, so we'll get into the roster next week. You got your you got to come to us. We need some gems on each of these guys, not just what you can find in the uh media guide. We need some we need some little hidden gems that we can look out for in each game. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

Favorite foods, things of that nature.

SPEAKER_05 9:00

Yeah, like little quirks. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_03 9:03

Yeah, some three handicapped basketball players.

SPEAKER_05 9:06

I mean, yeah, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 9:08

It's a little ridiculous.

SPEAKER_05 9:09

But this week we're gonna get into the schedule.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

All right.

SPEAKER_05 9:12

All right, and I see it as kind of a five-part performance here. I've broken it down into five parts. All right. So we're gonna start with our our opening, our opening act. Ooh. Our opening games. I see, I see part one is really three games, all at a conference, all different schools. I don't remember us ever playing these schools, or at least in a lot not in the last couple years. So we start uh Friday, November 7th. We're only uh what, two and two and a half weeks away. Yeah. You know. Against Mount Who is this? Mount Aleishus? How do you say that?

SPEAKER_03 9:51

Mount Aloysias.

SPEAKER_05 9:52

Mount Aloysius. Should I know that? Yeah, you should. I should know that. Mount Aloitius.

SPEAKER_06 9:57

Mount Aloysius. Seven o'clock. Yeah, they're ten miles from St. Francis.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Oh, they're that close? I'd have never been there. Mount Aloysius. I guess. I don't remember. What are they? What's their mascot? Since you guys know these schools so well. I believe they're the mounties. They're the mounties. You gotta be kidding me. The Mount Aloysius Mounties? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Wait, are you going to like Canada here or what?

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Yeah, I don't like that at all. Yeah. Is this and this is this a is this a uh is this a religious school of some sorts? Yeah, they're a Catholic, uh, they're a Catholic school, I think. Yeah. An order of means, I believe, yeah. And what what do we know about them? How what would they what would how how were they last year?

SPEAKER_06 10:39

Uh I'm not sure. Uh uh they were okay. Uh they're in the AMCC, uh, which was where Pennsylvania came from. It's about the same distance. Uh a lot of it is just uh, you know, we transitioned and and uh part of what we wanted to do is revamp the schedule a little bit. Uh so we have not played these guys in a while. Uh we have not played them under their current head coach. So this is all us. I haven't even gotten into film on them. Um, but uh it's an hour and 15 minutes away. Uh it's another more local game, a good opportunity for us to get started. So um, you know, we had talked about playing for several years. It just didn't work either one of us with our schedules and the games we owed. And so this time it just seemed to work out, and it was a uh we both could agree on a date. We wanted to start that date, and it kind of fell in place for us.

SPEAKER_05 11:24

And it's uh it's a home opener, so you'll open at home this year. Yeah. All right. And so I I noticed right off the top, though, so Penn State El tuna, not on the schedule.

SPEAKER_06 11:36

Yeah, so I mean Mount Aloysius and Pennsylvania, they're actually big rivals. Um okay, so we just this is through the cycles of the years. We had another cycle where it was pretty similar. Um so they'll probably come in on and off. We're trying to get one more local team. A lot of it is just what fits the schedule and what dates we had. Uh and you know, Alvernia cycled off for us. Uh trying to know Al Vernia. So we were looking for an opening, we were looking for an opening game, and the thing that really mattered was the dates. So the dates match, the distance match. Um uh they've you know, uh so it's good regionally for us.

SPEAKER_05 12:12

Um and it's now do you sign a multiple year thing with them? Like so you'll go there next year? Yeah, I mean it's an it's an agreement, it's an understanding uh homin. Understanding. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 12:22

Uh we don't have official contracts. Well, uh uh only annual contracts. Uh and and there's not a lot to buy in those, even at our level. I I can't say that we haven't had a lot of people.

SPEAKER_05 12:32

There's only annual contracts for every out-of-conference game. There's never any multi-year contracts.

SPEAKER_06 12:39

I mean, you could do them, but you know, at at the big time level, there's there's financial stipulations if you back out, you have to pay your way out of those things. At our level, um, that's not what happens. And honestly, uh we've we've really uh at times uh you know, we've always really kept our word on those things and really returned games. And if you look at last year, um that was probably a pretty ambitious schedule for as young as we were. Uh probably it absolutely was, or it probably definitely was. It was the most challenging non-league schedule we've probably ever had, and that wasn't a year to have it. Uh and so but but you know, we we uh you know, we we w we owed the games. Uh we do look at it as a positive uh in terms of where we are now, that experience we've had. I think it's paid off for some of our guys. We'll have to go out and play that way, but yeah, I think they they understand now um the highest level and what it looks like. Um that's a real benefit. I mean, I think it it challenges everything we've done. It when we're evaluating in the offseason, we know what we're looking at and we know how good what we're looking at is. Uh so um I think those are positives and good things out of it. I also, you know, I just heard a thing today, I heard Buzz Williams talking about who's at Maryland now, and he talked about the importance of scheduling. And um, you know, my chefs used to say the same thing also, but one of the big buckets or major buckets in coaching is first is recruiting and second is scheduling. And we probably did not put ourselves in a great position last year, but that's because we owed games and we get ourselves in a challenge here where we're you know, we're pretty typically pretty good at home. And when we're good uh because of location, um, you know, they have more games they can play close to them. You know, people don't want to come here. And we've had more than our share of teams kind of back out of the games they owe us. Uh uh and so sometimes that puts us in in some binds. So um, you know, that that's none of the guys that are on our schedule now. Uh we have a bunch of new agreements, a couple teams we haven't seen um in a long time or a while. Uh, and I think that's good too, to cycle through this. I'm sure it'll come up with new challenges. And but I mean, I know last year we really had a better understanding of everyone we're playing, and and to be honest, right now, I don't we're not in a point where we've even started looking at opponents. Uh, we will start that uh well Nick will probably start that next week, uh, if not sooner. Uh but I won't really even start that until after we clear our scrimmages next week and and uh kind of work through that stuff. I like it though. I like it.

SPEAKER_05 15:09

We'll open up against the Mounties. The Mounties. November 7th, Friday night, 7 p.m. at the nest. And then we go there following Tuesday. That's right. Following Tuesday, where I guess near you is Westminster, Pennsylvania. Oh. Tuesday night game at 7 o'clock.

SPEAKER_03 15:28

Hot dog.

SPEAKER_06 15:30

Yeah, they're yeah, they have a coaching change. Uh the uh the head coach at Chatham has moved there. Uh he played there. Uh, I think you know, rumors they brought in some pretty good players. They'll be good. Uh Westminster has a really proud tradition. They've been very, very good uh on and off for the longest time. They were NAIA and then in scholarship NAIA, and then they moved to Division II for a little bit, then they've dropped back down. Um they they've they've had some very, very good years. Um I think the last time we played them was in the ECACs. Um we played them a couple years, once here, once there in the ECAC's. So they're uh they'll they'll be good. And uh I I think the cool thing is uh I think the preseason, these three games will start uh to start the year, uh lay lay out. You know, we get two home games, uh, which for us getting first semester home games uh sometimes can be a challenge, and it's I think it's really important for the momentum of the program and for these guys to get some traction. If you remember last year, I think we were away for the first four or five games. I mean, there's so many things. So I think we had Alverney at home and then we were on the road for You were on the road for I think three.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:35

Too many. And uh so uh it's a good blend. I I think we also it's uh you know, Westminster will be about a three-hour trip for us a little bit more. So it it's very similar to what we'll face with road trips in the league, uh, which can be challenging. Uh it's a tough place to play. Um, but that to kind of bookend that with two home games, uh, you know, we play the following Saturday against Alfred State, who's new to our schedule. Um I don't think Alfred State. Where the heck is Alfred State? Uh Southern New York. Um there's Alfred University and Alfred State. They're actually in the same town. Uh so wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. We gotta break this down.

SPEAKER_05 17:11

So we got two colleges in the same town. One of them's called Alfred, and the other one's called Alfred State.

SPEAKER_06 17:18

Alfred University and Alfred State, yeah. I I mean again, as much as I know. Uh we've played Alfred University before. Neil Rager, remember Neil? He actually was distinct at Alfred for a while. Uh, but this will be our first time with Alfred State. This was another one where we were both looking for games and we're both in the same distance, and uh the date worked. Um so it's a good start. Um, I think a little seeing different right now is probably good. And uh so I I I think it's a good non-league schedule that combined with our scrimmages, uh, hopefully get us prepared for you know a really challenging first four game stretch in the league that I'm sure is the next part you're talking about. Part two of five.

SPEAKER_05 17:57

Let's not leave Alfred State for a minute. Biz. Alfred State. You know what their mascot is? Um the Batmans. Good, good, good thought. Um Big Blue.

SPEAKER_03 18:10

Alfred State big blue. All right. So what is it, just like a bucket of blue paint that comes around? I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 18:18

If we don't beat somebody called the big blue, yeah, not to put any pressure on you currently. That is kind of our job. Um, the big blue. The big blue. So that's that's that's the first part of the schedule. All right. Three completely new different teams. I kind of like it. It's fresh. This is our part one. Two at home, one on the road, the mounties, big blue, and then Westminster, whatever they are.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

I'm gonna call it out now. All my uh Pittsburgh Junietta basketball alumni. Let's uh let's pack the Westminster, whatever the hell their gym is. That's that's in that's near Pittsburgh, so you yeah, you shouldn't be too far, right? Let's go. I like it.

SPEAKER_05 18:58

I got a bunch of alumni down here. Let's make a trip. If we could turn this into three home games by all the Pittsburgh guys showing up. Rally the troops, Chase. Rally the troops. I think that'd be good. All right. Part two of the schedule. I'm I'm I'm can I'm calling this, this is kind of our you know, before the holidays, we we dip our dip our toes into the conference. I think it's a tone setter. It's a tone setter. We got we have four conference games that are that all come before kind of the holidays, before the the dock green and all of that. We we have Wednesday, September or November 19th at Susquehanna. All right. So our first our first our first conference game is at Susquehanna. On the road. Wednesday 19th. Then we Saturday the 26th, we got Drew coming in.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Drew Drew needs to come in for Drew.

SPEAKER_05 19:52

Drew's gonna be good, right? I mean, Drew had a hell of a year last year.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

I'm always good, baby.

SPEAKER_05 19:56

Yeah, Drew Drew won the league outright last year and went undefeated in the league. And how did they how the I I don't remember, was it a lot of seniors or yeah, they did graduate a few.

SPEAKER_06 20:05

Uh their coach left, so he's at Ithaca now. Remember, we talked about that. Um but their coach coming in, he's an experienced, established guy. He's a good coach. He had coached in the league, he was an assistant at Screen for a while, and then was a head coach. So um That was another Danzig, is it?

SPEAKER_05 20:20

Wait, so Ithaca, so he decided he he has a great year at Drew. He uses that as a stepping stone to Ithaca?

SPEAKER_06 20:28

Yeah. Yeah. Ithaca Ithaca would be considered uh, you know, I mean, it depends how you look at it. Obviously, we're landmark schools. Yeah. But I think uh from an academic fit, and if you talk to uh Cooper Albert, Greg Albert, right?

SPEAKER_04 20:42

Oh that's a good point.

SPEAKER_06 20:43

Ithaca. Um still division three. I was surprised. Yeah, I don't I don't I didn't see I mean Drew's been really good. Uh but I and I don't you never know what's going on, you know, what what family situation or those things. Yeah. Uh Coach McSboy, he he was been in the league for two or three years. I I didn't know him. I mean, Rekquaintances got along great, think he's a really good coach, but not probably didn't have the same relationship I have with some of the other guys to have uh any real idea.

SPEAKER_05 21:12

And then we and then we jump into December. Uh we got so we we have basically three home games. We go to Susquehanna, then we have Drew at home, and then on Wednesday, December 3rd, we have Catholic at home. Oh. And then that's that Saturday, December 6th, Scranton at home. Holy crap.

SPEAKER_06 21:30

So we got that's that's when you say dipping your toe, you say dipping your toe into it.

SPEAKER_05 21:36

I I'm not sure if uh anybody can describe it quite that way. At least they're at home, though. There are at least you got the big boys at home to start.

SPEAKER_06 21:45

Now that that's gonna there can be graduations. When you see our schedule of the second half of the year, it kind of backloads some road games, but uh I mean the first game does. That's what I'm saying. But I would rather have the games at home, I think, early. Well, I I don't I mean, I'm not sure. I care uh that early where where they are. I mean, home's good, but I I think we're at Susquehanna, so that's not that's definitely not a home game. I think I I've looked at it again. I mean, we're so young. We have three juniors, everybody else is fresh from sophomore. Um so I I think the chance to get these games uh under our belt right away, I I I I honestly look at it as a great benefit for a young group. Uh I think when we're talking about honest and immediate feedback, we will get it. Uh we will have an idea of where we're good, where we're not good. Um, and I I think it gives us a lot of information earlier. Uh if we can, you know, a lot of this is are we you know tough enough to kind of handle that stretch? I mean, it's a tough stretch for anybody, any year, no matter you know, the years we were expected to compete to win the league outright, um, that would be a really, really challenging stretch. Um, but uh this is what life is in our kind of league. And, you know, one of the things as coaches, you know, we're playing 18 league games, which is a lot. You only have seven non-league games. Um to get prepared to play league games in three games uh is almost impossible. Uh you try to play young guys, get experience. Like the Centennial just went to divisions, so they play less games, so they play 11 league games now or somewhere in there. Ah, that's interesting. And part of it is, you know, is it just too soon and too hard? Now they have the same challenge, uh, but I know for us as coaching staffs, it's challenging. Um I mean, we're all saying this game playing the same schedule, so I don't I don't really have a great opinion that way, but I will say uh that is early and very difficult. Uh, you know, Catholic went to the Elite Eight last year, uh, finishing second in our league. That's how good our league is. Uh Scranton has a lot of those guys back. I think uh Turnaby, uh, who was the rookie of the year in the league, will be back. Um, you know, uh they're gonna have very good guard play. Uh Susquehanna, this should be, you know, they have returned pretty much everybody. Uh they should be exceptionally good. And then now Drew, you know, went to the NCAA tournament for first time school history, won our league outright. Um, you know how success breeds success. Um they have confidence, the guys that are there. Um and I I do think they had some roster shifts and changes, but they still have a core of guys that are exceptionally good players and expect to win. Uh so yeah, I mean that is that is a heck of a I mean, and arguably that could be stretched. That could be the top four teams in our league. Uh right there. I mean, I think um I think the league's good. So Moravian would be in there, Wilkes would be in there, we keep going down the line. Uh I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 24:38

But Drew's gonna be interesting. A new coach. I mean, so you never know which way that could go. I mean, that could go, that could say, hey, we had a little bit of luck, we had a little bit of success, we'll keep having success, or it might be a setback. Just don't know.

SPEAKER_06 24:50

Yeah, I mean, talent's talent and talent that's one, um, and experienced talent. Uh they have a couple of those guys. So and again, they're getting an experienced coach that's been through this, and he's been successful. So I think um for on their part, I think their success breeds success, right? You bring in a really good coach um to replace another good coach, and sometimes you can get better.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

So sometimes you can get better.

SPEAKER_05 25:13

And sometimes you can't, Biz. Sometimes it might ruin the entire situation.

SPEAKER_06 25:19

Yeah. I I think what we need to focus on is whether their situation is good, bad, or indifferent as ours, and how much better we get and how we're playing and what we're doing. And I do think right there through seven games, we're gonna know an awful lot about ourselves and we're gonna know where we are. And uh, you know, again, uh a lot of this is is uh it's a long season. That's not even a full third of the season. It could feel like it right there. So a lot of this is just gonna be um us staying together, um, working through it. And you could experience success in there, and that that could be fool's gold with as much as left, which is much left in the season. So uh, and I think we will. I think we'll have our share of both, uh, and we'll just have to draw as many lessons as we can from it and moving forward. Obviously, coming off last year, you know, our real focus right now is to deserve the win through how we approach things, to deserve, we've talked about that our guys, to culturally be, you know, i you know, show that we're where we're supposed to be in terms of how we approach things and how we play. Um, we're still gonna be one of the younger teams in the country. I mean, it's hard not to be with where we are. Uh, but you know, like if we can just keep getting better, which we are, uh I I mean we have absolutely continue to make steps. If we just keep getting better, we keep getting uh coming together, we learn the lessons that games provide with wins and losses and in-betweens, um, then you know, eventually we become the veteran team and we have the the experience in this kind of stretch comes back to help you because it doesn't get any more challenging than this. Uh I guess if they were all on the road would be the only way, but uh the way conference schedule is set up, that's pretty hard to happen. Now, second semester, we got a few stretches there that are pretty tough on the road. Uh, but uh I think that's all perspective, and we're we're talking to our guys about that. Let's go take this stuff head on and see where we are. And we'll be right back.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Welcome to Merrick Studios, where stories take the mic and culture comes alive.

SPEAKER_05 27:13

We're not just a network, we're family, bringing you smart, soulful, unjectured conversations.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

And this season, we're bringing the heat at our biggest lineup yet. Whatever you're into, music, sports, business, we got you covered. Merrick Studios, where the conversation starts and keeps going.

SPEAKER_05 27:29

Check out our full lineup, including Unglossy with Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and myself, Tom Frank. Now streaming at WeRMeritStudios.com.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

Master the art of lyricism with Pendulum Mink, the first school for rap. Learn elite techniques through immersive lessons, real world exercises, and guidance from hip hop icons. This is where MC sharpen their skills and glow boldly on the mic. Ready to level up? Visit pendulummink.com and start your journey today.

SPEAKER_05 27:57

And now, back to the show. So then part three of this uh this schedule, I kind of see as like this is kind of just the wildness here. Because you you got you got a bunch of non-conference games after you've dipped your toe in. All right. Right? We have uh December 10th, it's a Wednesday versus Bethany in West Virginia. So that's got to be a little bit of a road trip. Well, that's home. That's home for us. Oh, that one's a home one. So they're coming to you. How far is that from from them?

SPEAKER_06 28:27

That's about three three, three fifteen. They're in the same league as Westminster. Uh we used to play them. Uh we've played them sporadically on and off too. It's been a while, uh, but it's the same one. Uh they at Coaching Change were looking for a game. Um, we were looking for a game, and the timing worked. Uh little bit of it with our 18 league games and a little bit of how stuff lays out. A lot of this is just getting together with people that need games at the same time. Yeah. Uh that's almost most, that's pretty much all scheduling. Uh, and it's a little more, again, it's it can be a lot of things are more challenging uh for us. You know, there's no guaranteed games for us, you know. And we talked about that last year. And, you know, uh, I think the major division ones, a lot of people that are exposed to, they can have down years, but um they can they kind of buy their way through or manage the schedule in the offseason and still uh present enough, you know, show enough. And the the talent disparity is big enough at that level between the haves and have not to be able to do it. You can't do that at our level. You can't do that. No, you can't do that. And that's why young teams, uh, it's really hard to be young uh any level, but it I think it's probably more difficult uh you know, here um and particularly how we do it and how we play together and what we have to do and how we have to develop that.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

So that that game is on the 10th of December. Then you have a 19-day stretch where you don't play. Is that just because of a break, or could you have scheduled like a game on the 15th or the 16th?

SPEAKER_06 29:52

Well, it yeah, it uh so our finals are later this year. So I think our last final is done the 19th or the 20th. So it it uh whatever that Friday is. So a lot of it was exactly what we talked about. We have later finals than almost everybody. So it made it difficult to schedule uh there. And we could have squeezed one in, but then you don't have the prep and practice time. I think part of it for us, we just talked about the the league schedule we have, those first seven games. I think this period of time is our real chance to get better, uh, to take the lessons we learned and see where we are and really have some time to really focus. Uh, there's enough game play in there and there's enough opportunities with the games. Uh, you know, I think that's what three or three of four are at home, uh, which is good. Um, but that's gonna be a really, really important time for us uh to really focus, get better um and lock in. And I think the way the schedule lays out gives us that chance. I also think, you know, we're a little younger. I think a little bit of a break right there is not bad coming off finals, um, you know, and and to to work through that and stick through that. So I think actually this year, when I looked at it, you know, and you kind of go away from this stuff and then you come back to it. I I I like how this lays out. Um and it I think just the mix of teams we have as well is good for us. Uh and and and the tournament setting, we always talk about that. I like tournament games, it teaches you a lot. Uh you're playing first game to get into finals. If you make that, you're playing for a championship. If you don't make that, you're playing to not be, you know, there's there's things you're playing for in those games, and you find an awful lot out about guys in your in your program. And then the quick turnaround, I think you find out some more about your guys too, particularly who you are, what kind of team you are, what your attitude and approach is. Um we've been fortunate over the years. Most of the time, those answers have been good for us. Um, and I think um if we're where we want to be again, um, I think uh I'm looking forward, excited for those opportunities this year, too.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

So so we have the dock green tournament, which will be the 29th and 30th, which is a Monday-Tuesday. Uh there's this do we know do we know ex who we're playing in the Dock Green?

SPEAKER_06 32:04

Is that finalized? We play Central Penn College in the first round. All right. It's a little bit of an unknown. Um they're kind of new on the Division III landscape. Um and so uh Where in the world is Central Pennsylvania College? They're in Pen in Har Harrisburg. Um they've been they've played as a as a junior college, but they've now moved to like a four-year school and are playing four-year schedule. Uh the challenge there is we're playing them over winter break, and who knows who kind of rolls in and is on the roster when we play them then. Um that could be that could be uh Wait, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by that? Well, so uh some schools, and when you play over winter break, that's when transfers can come in, mid-year transfers. And some schools probably have more of a pension or ability to do that. They have a new coach that's from that area. My guess is he's pretty tapped into kind of that scene. Um and again, that's one of the you know, you're in a city like that or place like that. Where would these guys be coming from, though? Would they be coming from division what uh whatever could be anywhere? Yeah, I mean, like I I told you when we played Lancaster Bible, the one year after Christmas, they had a guy on their roster that was a out of high school, he was an ESPN top 300 player. And he had hadn't played. And so we we knew he was coming, but he was a 6'9 three top 300 ESPN player. I forget where he went out of school. He might not been a non-qualifier and Gonzico, but we were looking up um his highlight tape uh from high school. Yeah, and it was it was uh uh now I I think we got him the right time. He had just we we had found out he just got to school. He had better a couple days. It took him a little while to get um you know everything under his belt. There's a reason guys are are are coming in these situations, but oftentimes um, and it's not just Central Penn, it's anybody we play, anybody in those tournaments. Uh just over the years, there's just things that walk in and you find out there's a difference in roster. I think it lends itself in a place like Harrisburg, bigger area, you have more kids that fall back or come back to the area that are just looking that are looking for something close. And that's why that um that's one of the benefits um in those areas.

SPEAKER_05 34:13

But in theory, you could have a guy show up, or or does that not something you guys would ever consider doing?

SPEAKER_06 34:19

Uh we've we've we've tried, we've looked at that, but again, I I don't think there's a ton falling back into Huntington County uh that we're at a higher level or we're we're uh top 300 ESPN guys. Um so yeah, I think it's just a numbers game and uh the right up in an opportune moment into being tapped into that stuff. Um we've had our share of uh uh you know uh positive situations like that, but for us it's not usually mid-year. Um I think it's also with us the way we're structured. So they were they've worked as a like a two-year school a lot of times, junior college. So I think there's a flexibility of their curriculum that they're aligned to do that, get guys in and out and move them places. Um the way we've always been structured isn't the case. We can take transfers and a little more uh beneficial, but to get guys on track and to see where they're academically, mid-year transfers don't always make the most sense. We're always working at those things, we're always looking for those things. But I I think this one, um uh it's just uh, you know, where you are, what school you're at you're at. You know, they're not getting mid-year transfers in the Patriot League or the Ivy League. You know, they might get them other places. Um and so um that one, and we just don't know enough about them. We don't even know what their roster is really gonna be, and it could be really high level. I'm not sure if they give money or not, where they are there. So it's gonna be an interesting uh it'll be an interesting thing.

SPEAKER_05 35:37

We gotta can we we gotta consider the Doc Green this year.

SPEAKER_06 35:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 35:41

It's a Monday, Tuesday between the you know, between Christmas and New Year's. I'm off. All right, we gotta think about this. Okay, now who's playing in the other game that you would have.

SPEAKER_06 35:49

The other game is uh Stevenson University, which uh I know Stevenson. Baltimore area used to be Villa Julie. Um their head coach just left to take a Division II job, so they have a new new head coach who was actually assistant Catholic. Um I don't know a lot about their roster, what they bring back. They're in the Mac, which is a good league. They're they're um you know, it's they're a landmark caliber team for sure. Um and then Franciscan University, who is a third team, they're from the pack where Bethany and Westminster play. Um they just had one of their better years in school history last two years. They have a guard that can really go and a couple other guys, so they should be pretty good. Um they have a lot back. Uh, I think they're an ECEC team last year. So um it should be a good field. Uh again, I think kind of right in the wavelength that that they're you know uh landmark caliber teams, so we're gonna find out uh the information we need about how we're playing and what we're doing. And I think this reset time, this opportunity to work, and then go play those couple games and find out some more and then prepare ourselves for the uh bulk of the uh conference season will be important. I think then we go uh after New Year's, we go to Messiah. Messiah for the last part of my part three.

SPEAKER_05 36:58

Yeah, and one more last, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 36:59

Yeah, and and Messiah will be cool. That's uh if you guys remember Jacob Fliegel, who we interviewed, uh Coach Fliegel, uh who was at Emory, and my assistant. Well, he he's the new head coach there. Um at Messiah. And his assistant coach is Kate Anzolevich. Guys remember Kate?

SPEAKER_05 37:14

So yeah. Oh, I didn't realize this is who we were playing at Messiah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:19

Where is Messiah? It'll be and they're in a they're they've had a historically really good program. Um now they're a Christian university, but right now in the landscape that is that there's there's certain benefits to it. Are they in the Harrisburg area? Where's Messiah? Yeah, they're in Grantham, which is basically Harrisburg. Um, okay. And they they've been traditionally good. They're a Mac team, so they're in a very good league, too. Um he he came from Emory. We're excited for him. Uh it was awesome. Cade was there as an assistant um and stayed on his another year's GA, so it's really cool uh for us to be together. Um it's one of those bittersweet ones you don't like to play each other because but but it worked, the date was good. Um we had been talking before, and then uh it just actually worked out. I we had the game scheduled before Jacob got the job. Um, so it'll be fun. Uh somebody will be happy. Somebody it'll be good luck, good news for somebody in that one.

SPEAKER_05 38:13

So I feel like do you ever feel like because I guess your advantage going into that game is obviously experience. Their advantage is going to be they kind of know the junior out of program. Not kinda, they do.

SPEAKER_06 38:25

Oh, yeah. I mean, I I don't I mean, we've been in that situation. I I think we played when Coach Hager was at Bethany and played them. Uh I'm trying to think we've had uh you know Brent Furko's an assistant in Susquehanna for a little bit. We've been in those situations. I um I mean players are what it is. Um but yeah, I would think, I mean, obviously Cade and Jacob know us better than I probably know them. Jacob went down to Emery. Um they're national ranked every year. Um obviously an amazing institution and they have a lot of opportunity. Um the guy he worked for was a was a Davidson came from the Davidson tree. Um he's an exceptionally good coach. They do a lot of cool stuff, they'll be up tempo and really get going. So um it's probably I probably know way less than they do about us. But, you know, one of the things about our stuff is uh the guys in our league know our stuff because you know we're we're kind of who we are. Um they know the inner workings a little bit better, like what we're trying to do here, what we're doing, and and and probably have a better chance to kind of break it down and talk about it. Um but you know, we're we always feel like if we execute well, we'll be all right.

SPEAKER_05 39:32

So do you ever have to change like vocabulary or the way you're calling stuff without the because because they would know that stuff, or does that not play a role at all?

SPEAKER_06 39:41

Um we haven't. Um you can. Uh some some guys get into that again, sort of how our system works and what we do. Uh we don't we've never really felt like it's necessary. Um we've kind of kept the same. I mean, gosh, my guys from 15 years could certain things we do. Now we we change things.

SPEAKER_05 39:59

I know that for a fact because at those alumni games, they have said that. No, I mean that the guys have said, oh, they know exactly because of the way you called it or whatever. They kind of know it.

SPEAKER_06 40:06

So yeah, I mean, there's always gonna be common language. There's a few things. Now we sometimes cycle through stuff. Um like we got we might have one or two things coming this year that that we haven't run for a while. Um that I'm not even sure they're familiar with, but but our uh some of our older guys would be like, man, I remember that. And and uh in terms of some some stuff we might run or sets we we put in. But again, we're we're so emotion-based that a lot of ours is just playing, uh, but within our concepts and rules. And I I think if you really understand those, maybe that's an advantage, but you know, you have to translate that to your players in two game two days.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 40:43

Um sometimes you could overdo that. You think you know more and trying to do it, you know, to uh relay too much information. So I mean, I think there's still challenge in there. And uh I the other way to look at that is they do know us and they're gonna know a lot about us. So if we find success in that game, that tells us we're probably where we need to be. If we don't, they're gonna expose stuff again. So I always try to look at it like that's uh actually real positive. And I'm sure after that game we'll talk, we'll both talk to each other about what you try to do and what are you seeing on tape and try to use the game for both of us to help us go have success in our leagues.

SPEAKER_05 41:16

Yeah. I like it. All right. So part four and part five of this schedule is uh only uh really January versus February because it's all conference games the rest of the way. Yeah, and this is a this is we got some we got some good ones here. So we start jumping to the I guess mostly Wednesday Saturday game structure.

SPEAKER_03 41:37

Wednesday, Saturday.

SPEAKER_05 41:38

Uh with with with some exceptions in here. So uh January 7th as a Wednesday, we're at Wilkes. And then Sunday, January 11th, verse Goucher at the Palestra. Boom. I like that it's back. We are going to Misconduct Tavern, baby. We're gonna just make the statement right now. We will be having a happy hour at Buckle up Misconduct Tavern. So whatever the official happy hour is, don't go to that. Come to this one. Yeah. Because this is the unofficial official.

SPEAKER_06 42:14

Yeah. Well, we have a happy hour. Five o'clock tip. So it's been officially announced as a five o'clock tip. So that's we're gonna be in trouble. Sort of five o'clock tip.

SPEAKER_05 42:23

So I mean, where are we staying? I mean, we're gonna be, I say, I mean, we're probably there at noon, right?

SPEAKER_03 42:28

Yeah, where are we staying?

SPEAKER_05 42:29

It's probably like a five-hour tailgate show before the before the big game.

SPEAKER_06 42:34

I mean, I'll let you guys go California. You guys aren't making the post-game.

SPEAKER_05 42:37

I don't think this year. Oh, we're we expect to have full media credentials. Yes. Front row. We're gonna be calling the play by play again, and we're gonna get into that media room afterwards.

SPEAKER_06 42:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 42:49

With some very, very hard-hitting questions.

SPEAKER_06 42:52

Correct. I wouldn't expect anything less. But no, I uh listen, that's a good uh I mean we're in the middle of break then, uh a little bit longer break. Uh you know, we didn't know uh But you're still in break then?

SPEAKER_03 43:03

Yeah. The 11th their finals are until the 19th.

SPEAKER_06 43:06

That's a good point. Yeah, we have long we have a little longer break. Um so I think that Sunday, uh we our first class is that Tuesday of that week. So um, but we you know we didn't know we were in the Pluster game until um I think September. So that was news to us, and um, I think it's exciting. Guys are pumped. We have a lot of Eastern PA, a lot of a lot of Philly guys. Uh yeah. You could tell as soon as that got out, they were all pretty excited. They I think they know the significance, significance of it. Some of our guys, maybe not quite as much. We we have to let them know, but it's I mean, it's it's hard uh not to. And uh, you know, you start thinking about that again. And sometimes just when you first hear about it, it's like because I liked our schedule, liked how it laid out. We're losing a home game over for this. And you know, we're gonna have 14 home games.

SPEAKER_05 43:53

It's gonna be a home game because here's the challenge I'm gonna put. Biz, you're gonna try to pull all these Pittsburgh. Guys out for the Westminster game, which is your side of the state. Yes. I'm going to challenge the Philly guys. You need to count how many alumni show up at that Westminster-Pittsburgh game versus how many Philly guys show up in Westminster. You know what? Quite honestly, it's like the way our uh alumni teams divide. Well, here's what I'm gonna throw out there. I'm gonna throw out there that whoever has the most alumni come out, yeah. Your game in in Pittsburgh, my game in Philly gets an immediate two-point advantage. That's crazy. And the alumni get hey, it's Pittsburgh versus Philly. Fair enough. I two-point basket advantage to start the game. We put it on the scoreboard, two extra points, we count them. You have to put your number, you have to publicly state how many alumni show up. I might even, you might even have to get somebody to sign something. And I'll record it in Philly.

SPEAKER_03 44:53

Yeah. Yeah, you record them. And if you guys have Philly, I get that counts towards the. No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, all alumni that are in Philly are are I get the points for it. What if I bring alumni team down to uh Philly for this game? All right, that's fair. Right? I'll take it. I'll take the challenge. Send your Philly guys up to Westminster.

SPEAKER_06 45:17

You're being pretty generous with uh Westminster being Pittsburgh. That's close. I mean, it's it's closer than we've been. Hour and 10, depending on what part of Pittsburgh, right? Yeah, I that's because I looked it up on a map real quick.

SPEAKER_03 45:26

That's nothing.

SPEAKER_06 45:27

Yeah. That's nothing to him. I got my guy. The cholesterol, man. There's no more Philly than the Yeah, we're right there. You know, it it's uh I mean it's one of those things you you know, again, I was saying, you know, lose a home game, you know, and then you start thinking about it, man, what a cool thing. Uh and I phone listening to a podcast um the other day, Fran McCaffrey, who was the longtime head coach at Iowa and before that, Sienna, but he played. He's a he's a great from from Penn. He played at Penn and he's back there as their head coach. And he was just talking about being back, and he works in the plester every day, and he coaches there and what it means, and then you're sitting there saying, Yeah, that's cool. We'll be there and uh playing there in January. And uh, yeah, it's a pretty it's a pretty neat place. You walk in, you look around a little bit. Um and then the game starts, but even the game is is is an awesome atmosphere. But I I would say um, you know, it's good if we win it. Um it's good if we win it. Uh, you know, it'll be a big game for Goucher, too. So I mean it's one of those things. There are probably a lot of um Maryland Eastern, you know, people Philly, south of Philly will understand. Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of people coming up for that game. Yeah, they'll absolutely um understand. They should be if they you know I had a couple guys injured uh that were out, unfortunately, for the year last year that are very talented. So they they're gonna be uh uh a a really good team, I think. So it's yeah, it's gonna be a challenge, but uh it I mean not many people get to do it at our level, and it'll be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_05 46:50

Bez, I think the happy hour starts at one because that's an NFL football weekend. Oh, all right. We we whatever that one o'clock game is, we're gonna have it up at the misconduct. I'll get a hold of the misconduct taffering. Yeah, call our guy, man. We'll tell we'll call our guy.

SPEAKER_03 47:06

Yeah, he's our guy.

SPEAKER_05 47:08

All right. Then we go into the rest of the rest of part four here, which is January. That's my only separation, January versus February. We got uh January 14th. We have Elizabeth Town comes to town. Then we go on the road for a for a tough three-game stretch. Oh, yeah. Saturday the 17th at Moravian, Wednesday the 21st at Lycoming. And then the 24th at Drew.

SPEAKER_06 47:38

Yeah, I mean that's where that's where the shift to playing at the plastic hurts us. I mean, we have four or five on the road now instead of two home games in there. Um and that that's uh that's hard uh to challenge. I mean, travel is travel, and when you transl, you know, transition back to school, but I it's the same way I've always looked at it. I think when you're in those road stretches, any win you get is a good one. It's almost like there's nothing to lose. And if you come out of there with any wins, uh it's it's a plus. And uh a lot of times that can give you some momentum going into those home games and put you in a better spot and you kind of get them out of the way and find out where you are instead of uh waiting for them. So again, um my experience is you gotta play them at some point, right? Uh so if you're gonna go play them and you play them in a stretch, uh the big the important part is you play good basketball, heck, you might get a couple if you're in a good stretch, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:29

And so a lot of it is how much we've improved, um, the experiences that we have, I mean how we use um all of that stuff. But uh yeah, I mean, I think if you're you know, odds makers and looking at road and home games, I mean, there's something real to that. Uh, but if you can come out and pull anything out of it, then now you know you've got some home ones on the back end there that can help you and you've got some momentum from that.

SPEAKER_05 48:53

So then we got then we have the uh January 28th, Susquehanna comes in, and then we're right back on the road uh on the 31st at Scranton, and then we transition into my my part five, February at Catholic on uh February 4th, a Wednesday night, which you know I'll be there.

SPEAKER_06 49:11

You'll be there.

SPEAKER_05 49:12

I'll be there. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 49:14

I mean notes uh again, uh you you know, Scranton at Scranton, at Catholic uh any year is tough, right? That's a that's a tough one. Yeah, it is a tough stretch. But you know, that's that's why you're in a good league and you gotta go play them. And again, the same thing I look at, um, you got nothing to lose in those games. Uh, you know, when you look when you're looking uh talking about league play and stuff and talking to guys, I mean, any road game is a bonus. It doesn't matter who you play, they're all worth the same. So um, they're a bonus, and it's really about how well you play.

SPEAKER_03 49:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 49:43

And then I I have to think, I haven't heard this officially yet from Coach Hager, but I have to think alumni weekend almost has to be February 7th, because it's the only Saturday of this entire first stretch that it could be. So Saturday, February 7th versus Wilkes. Yeah, 2 p.m. game.

SPEAKER_06 50:01

It's our only um only Saturday game of that semester, the earliest one we have. It's late for us with the alumni game.

SPEAKER_02 50:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 50:08

Um, and you know, that always but I you know again, hey, you know the kind of w what's that what that means to our guys, and and and hopefully we can capture some of that again. I mean, I think that kind of that little later, you know, you're you're still got a little bit left in the season, but you're a little later in. Hopefully that uh comes at a good time for us. Uh obviously Wilkes, super well coached, really tough. Uh Lucas Lesco, one of the top players in the league. Um, they're gonna be good. Um again, the theme on the schedules are not many that aren't. So uh it really comes down to how good we are. We just we have to play.

SPEAKER_05 50:44

Who did you play? Who'd you play last year for the alumni game? We played Scranton. Scranton, that's right. But the year before it was Wilkes. Yeah. And that was one of the more exciting games I'd ever was ever at. That was a big game. That was a great game. That was a great game uh versus Wilkes in the alumni, that alumni weekend. So it'll be Wilkes again.

SPEAKER_06 51:01

Yeah. Yeah, no, and and uh uh uh yeah, it's always I mean, you know how it is. I mean, that's the the those are special weekends. I hope I hope the February weekend maybe we get more guys there. I don't I don't know how. Um I like shifting it around a little bit, and you get some different guys.

SPEAKER_05 51:16

And if I'm correct me if I'm wrong, but that was Ked with the big shot in that Wilkes game, one of the big shots.

SPEAKER_03 51:22

Yeah, didn't he came in? He called bank. Yeah, that was a great shot. I remember that. Yeah, it was. Yeah. In the locker room celebration, Tom. That's right. That's right. That was fantastic. Another team gold victory, two in a row. It's gonna be awesome.

SPEAKER_05 51:37

Well, I mean, now part of the I think the celebration of that big Wilkes win was we were coming off of the big team blue win.

SPEAKER_03 51:45

That was all forgotten once the team actually won. Yeah. Oh, okay. All right, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:49

Um, then we go on the road, uh, February 11th and February 14th at Elizabeth Town and at Goucher. I might make it up to Goucher.

SPEAKER_03 51:56

Goucher's a I can tell Terry that's your Valentine's Day date. Oh, yeah, that is a Valentine's Day. Goucher Junietta game. Yes. Yeah, like red seats, the nice seats there.

SPEAKER_05 52:10

Um and then we finish it off at home. You got two at home to finish the season February 18th versus Lycoming and February 21st versus Moravian.

SPEAKER_06 52:20

Yeah. All right. Yeah, Moravian, I mean, they have basically everybody back too. Uh Daryl, Daryl Keckler did leave. I mean, he is um so he they'll have a new coach, an interim coach, um, who's been an assistant there, played at Drew for Why an interim coach? Why didn't they just go hire a new coach? Well, Daryl, uh he left here in September. Um his wife uh is a uh she is, I believe, the new women's volleyball coach at Middle Tennessee State. Uh she was the volleyball coach at Lehigh. And I think uh she had taken that job in the spring, and I think he was gonna plan to stay, uh, but I think they have three three, four kids, and so I think in the end that became a choice that we're not sure how this is gonna work. And uh yeah. And so he's actually from, I believe he's from the Tennessee area too, and uh, he's a heck of a coach. Uh so but they have um you know Radcliffe and um McCratch and the guys they have back, they're they should be a really good team. So he's left those guys a good team. Well, they'll they'll be um, you know, he's gonna have continuity with the staff. I I know exactly why they needed an interim because he's experienced and they're they've got a good team in the making and the timing, and uh, you know, so they'll they should have uh a really makes sense now.

SPEAKER_03 53:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 53:38

Well, who knows? Maybe that guy will end up with a job, a D3 job in Tennessee, and that what a what a what a road trip you could have uh at the beginning of the year. Why go to Canada when you can go to Tennessee?

SPEAKER_06 53:49

Yeah, I'm sure he'll uh if somebody, you know, if he whatever he wants to do, I hope it works out for him. He's he's a really one of the good guys and a heck of a coach. So I I actually miss it's gonna be uh miss not having him in the league. And they've they've been really good. Uh but and it's an opportunity for some other guys here. So uh but you know, hopefully don't they don't play well at least one night this year. Two nights they don't play well.

unknown 54:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 54:12

That's fair.

SPEAKER_05 54:13

Well, that's our schedule. All right, big cholesterol game uh on the uh what is that the the uh on the 11th? We got alumni weekend on the seventh. Is that official? Am I saying that officially?

SPEAKER_06 54:25

I mean it is now that's that's the uh that is the weekend for the alumni game. That that's that's official.

SPEAKER_03 54:30

Oh breaking news.

SPEAKER_06 54:31

Breaking news we'll have to let you know the time. Now we play the first games this year, so we play the two o'clock game uh in the cycle. So um I'd imagine we'll play the first alumni game that that weekend. I think the women uh we usually try to manage to have it the same weekend, so I I don't know how they'll set that up, but we'll let everybody know. Sure Coach Hager is on top of it right now. Again, we're um again, I uh we sit here and do this, and generally I I wouldn't look this far ahead or think about this stuff. It it hits you like, all right, here we go. You know, like he just rolled off. It sounded like every game he said was away game the last uh two months. So there's a lot of weighing in there. Um that's where the at least half of them. Yeah, that's where the the Pilester game gets us. And so I think managing that um is gonna be really important. Um hopefully that's where the experience from last year, these guys have a lot of this quarter, they they've been all they've had life on the road. Um hopefully some of the continuity with some opportunities to play at home here early. We can get some momentum and some traction, and then that middle period, we have a lot of time, hopefully, to work on ourselves and be as prepared as we can for the stretch that's coming.

SPEAKER_04 55:38

It's all about growth this year. Growth and growth. Continued progress. Continued progress.

SPEAKER_06 55:45

Yeah, we're excited. I I mean we've had we had a a really good preseason. Um, you know, like our our guys, you know, coming off last year, you had ways to go, but I I think the choice um was pretty clear in how they've approached things. And so we're we're pleased so far. I mean, we're only as good as the next day right now, though, and that's the way it always is. So we have to uh again come in tomorrow. I think we're at 10.30 tomorrow morning is practice one, so we've got to come in ready to go, and and uh that's that's is where we're trying to keep our focus and we'll keep talking to guys about that. It's just the next thing. Um we just have to keep stacking days and opportunities. And we we again our our theme and what we talked about first meeting, you know, kind of thought of just deserve victory. Like that's gotta be our mindset that we deserve to win the game uh because of the work we've put in, uh, how committed we are to each other and what we're trying to do. Um, you know, having faith in what we're doing, believing what we can't see and where we're gonna go, and um, being completely committed regardless of um challenge outcome, uh individual, you know, we finding roles, um, you know, and then uh really, really uh, you know, working hard. And and I one of the things we talked about is acting integrity, you know, give the game what it deserves. Um, I think that's how you generate and build trust within a team is if you know guys work uh with the best intent all the time and in the right way, um, you learn to trust those guys and and just attaching it, attacking every day that way. And if we could keep doing that, we'll be all right.

SPEAKER_05 57:12

I like it.

SPEAKER_03 57:13

You ready for this?

SPEAKER_05 57:14

You ready to jump back in?

SPEAKER_03 57:16

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_05 57:17

I'm ready to go. Because I I'm I'm a little bitter from last year. I I I need it back. I need it back. We need to get rolling again.

SPEAKER_06 57:23

We all expected it. Yeah, I'm excited for these guys. I'm excited for guys to see the improvement guys have made. Uh I am too. A lot of growth, man. Um I'm excited for the new guys coming in. I mean, the one thing is there is opportunity. Um, and there's a ton to learn. Uh, but uh, you know, you can you got a choice to lose, use the situations we've had. Um we've really, really worked hard to um take every lesson from last year we possibly could and not lose any of them in terms of even how we're doing things, I mean how we're approaching things, um, what we've asked guys to do. Um and I I'll give them credit. They're they're uh I'm proud of them uh so far, and that's all we can be. And we talk about any five minutes, you know, any five minutes to come see us play or practice, or you can you figure out what we're about, and I think so far we've done a good job of that. But like it's one thing in peacetime, it's another thing in wartime. So when we start um getting in there, we we've got to go find out, and uh we've got to go through that stuff to really find out, and um excited for that.

SPEAKER_05 58:23

I like it. Here we go. We'll be back. We'll be we'll be back with some uh some tidbits about each and every player. We gotta get Hager on here before the beginning of the year.

SPEAKER_02 58:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 58:32

And then we're off. We're off to the races. We are off to the races. First game. November 7th. I like it. November 7th, home game. Here we come. All right. That's our show, folks. Follow the show on Instagram at Junietta Basketball Show. Subscribe to Junietta Men's Basketball Show on Apple, Spotify, or Wave Listen Podcast, leave us a comment on Instagram. And until next time, I'm Tom Frank.

SPEAKER_06 58:56

I'm Biz. I'm the head coach Greg Crow.

SPEAKER_03 59:04

Nice.

SPEAKER_05 59:04

That's it. I didn't even get into Franklin. I was I was I was hinting towards it.

SPEAKER_03 59:08

That's good.

SPEAKER_05 59:09

I stayed on it.

SPEAKER_03 59:10

We are we had our subtle franklining.