Ready for a slam dunk episode? The fellas are beaming from ear to ear as they sit down with NBA World Champion and current Phoenix Suns Head Coach Frank Vogel. Tom questions Frank’s dental practices, while Curley and Frank talk about managing high expectations… And you just knew Biz was going to ask for some Suns’ merch.
As the conversation bounces from the past to the present, the guys talk to Coach Vogel about this upcoming basketball season, the secret to a winning team, his reflection on his time at Juniata and the bold move he made to Kentucky. The crew also welcomes a surprise guest… Frank’s Juniata teammate and former pod guest, Casey Craig. So listen in for an episode filled with nuggets of wisdom, fascinating stories, and a whole lot of basketball banter. You are not going to want to miss this episode of The Juniata Men’s Basketball Podcast!
Special thanks Tim Frank and our sponsor Eat4Free. Help Juniata Basketball Class of 2018, meet his goal of raising $1,000 for Eat4Free and Feeding America. Learn more at https://www.instagram.com/eat.4.free/
The Juniata Men’s Basketball Show is brought to you by Spaceman World Media in conjunction with @juniataeagles and hosted by Tom Frank, Drew Besket and Juniata Men's Basketball Head Coach, Greg Curley. Send in your questions for the show, please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, leave us a rating on Apple and spread the word #JuniataNation.
Ready for a slam dunk episode? The fellas are beaming from ear to ear as they sit down with NBA World Champion and current Phoenix Suns Head Coach Frank Vogel. Tom questions Frank’s dental practices, while Curley and Frank talk about managing high expectations… And you just knew Biz was going to ask for some Suns’ merch.
As the conversation bounces from the past to the present, the guys talk to Coach Vogel about this upcoming basketball season, the secret to a winning team, his reflection on his time at Juniata and the bold move he made to Kentucky. The crew also welcomes a surprise guest… Frank’s Juniata teammate and former pod guest, Casey Craig. So listen in for an episode filled with nuggets of wisdom, fascinating stories, and a whole lot of basketball banter. You are not going to want to miss this episode of The Juniata Men’s Basketball Podcast!
Special thanks Tim Frank and our sponsor Eat4Free. Help Juniata Basketball Class of 2018, meet his goal of raising $1,000 for Eat4Free and Feeding America. Learn more at https://www.instagram.com/eat.4.free/
The Juniata Men’s Basketball Show is brought to you by Spaceman World Media in conjunction with @juniataeagles and hosted by Tom Frank, Drew Besket and Juniata Men's Basketball Head Coach, Greg Curley. Send in your questions for the show, please subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, leave us a rating on Apple and spread the word #JuniataNation.
I'm Tom Frank. I'm Drew Baskett.
Speaker 1:I'm the head coach, Greg Curley and this is the Juniata and Men's basketball Show. Welcome listeners. I'm Tom Frank and I'm joined each and every week by Drew Besket, aka biz Juniata Men's basketball coach, Greg Curley. As we talk, all things Juniata Men's college basketball. This episode Juniata Men's Basketball basketball Show is proudly sponsored by eat for free, a fitness community that's about to revolutionize your relationship with running but what makes this sponsorship even more special is the personal connection we have with our sponsor.
Speaker 1:Eat for free was co-founded by none other than Marcus Lee, former basketball player, proud alumni of Juniata C ollege. To learn more about how you can support eat for Free and join their life changing mission, fellas, get out your phones and make sure to follow Eat. 4free on Instagram There you'll discover a supportive community with invaluable training resources, motivational content and exciting giveaways that will fuel your run and feed the world how we doing fellas hey man, it's a beautiful Thursday afternoon.
Speaker 5:What could be better than doing a podcast with you two lovely gentlemen?
Speaker 1:well, we have a hell of a show for junior out of nation today. Last week, I wore this very shirt for good karma. Apparently the gods were listening guys, because we have on this very program today the one and only Mr Frank Vogel. And, in case Any of our listeners have been under a rock for the past five years, coach Frank Vogel won NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and he's currently the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Not bad.
Speaker 5:He's got some expectations, like our Juniata Eagles.
Speaker 1:do that, it's what you're telling a little bit, a little bit. But before he gets all that, let's get, let's get, let's get a few housekeeping tidbits underway. Apparently, Curley has come through big and there's going to be a link to this very show on the junior out of men's basketball website Very, very soon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that should hopefully be up in the week, depending on how compatible what we have is. But yeah, to appreciate the support there, so another way to access all we have going on here.
Speaker 1:That's. That's very exciting, and another two other exciting tidbits. We are creeping closer and closer To 8,000 followers on the ground.
Speaker 5:Yeah, baby.
Speaker 1:I think we might need a party or something for if we hit 10,000. Yeah, I agree that we have to figure out something something like a big ball balloons got a drop or something.
Speaker 5:I think it will all coincide with that alumni weekend.
Speaker 1:Oh, I think we're getting there before then, this All right.
Speaker 5:How about the beginning of the season? We do a kickoff show on. I think we're getting.
Speaker 1:I think we're there by the end of next week.
Speaker 5:I mean with our guests that's coming on. There could be we could be talking a hundred thousand.
Speaker 1:We could be going to that farm. We could, we could. And then I got a third announcement our, our, our good friend Marcus Lee. Oh, so suit this his pursuit of a thousand dollars fundraising for eat for free and for Was it feeding. America. He is only. He's a hundred. He's a hundred dollars short. That's it. He's at nine hundred.
Speaker 5:I mean, if we can't get to another hundred dollars after the show posts and I mean I've donated. Did any of you guys donate, or I did.
Speaker 1:I did all right, because I was the first one who donated.
Speaker 5:Well, I put a little moniker on mine that I had to break, you know that, that 12 minute mile. So, and I did, you know I will be. I do believe I'll be signing up for the Lemieux 6.6 K in October.
Speaker 1:Wait a minute. Oh, they do it as a 6.6 K because of his number. I mean, you're not?
Speaker 5:the brightest guy in the room for nothing.
Speaker 1:Well, it took me. It took me a minute, I took me a minute.
Speaker 2:Does that mean 6k? What is it you keep?
Speaker 1:going. Yeah, what do you do I?
Speaker 5:Mean you just stop at 6.6 K. They designed the course and write it, you know.
Speaker 1:I guess the finish line is appropriate. Is he out there? What is Mario do these days?
Speaker 5:plays a lot of golf.
Speaker 1:He's not like a part owner of anything.
Speaker 5:I think he still has a little piece of the penguins, but he sold out and he's enjoying life. His son is Trying to get on the pro tour golf. Yes, that kid can hit the ball. I got the joy of playing with him once and he can mash it.
Speaker 1:That's good.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so look out, but yes, so I'm gonna be running and then next summer will all do one together, because we promised we did.
Speaker 1:I Gotta get back to the running.
Speaker 5:Well, hey and Marcus, they're gonna supply a training regimen for us, so you'll be able to do it.
Speaker 1:I need that. I need a training regimen.
Speaker 5:Yeah, but donate a hundred bucks. Come on people hundred dollars.
Speaker 2:It's not too far, goes to great cause, supports Marcus and his group. Big day here, though we everybody's moved in, so a bunch of guys filtering in, like our upperclassmen last day moving in today's classes start tomorrow morning, so Pretty cool as a coach. When the guys come back rolling in, energies up. Guys are excited. So you know, see the whites of their eyes, get back to class and and a couple weeks here, we'll be able to get out there as a group and start moving towards hopefully pursuing a landmark championship.
Speaker 1:You should have invited them into the office. They should have been sitting right off to your left hand side.
Speaker 2:They could have, they could have a couple guys were in there earlier, but we're actually have more of the house on Sunday, so do we'll get together there to get?
Speaker 5:who's at the basketball house.
Speaker 1:It would be the new basketball house drop a little bit different version.
Speaker 2:A lot of chaos there too, but not quite the same kind of chaos is the old basketball house biz we might be out of ask our guest about the basketball. Was the basketball house and existence back then now I think that came in actually probably with Nate Hager and his group of guys.
Speaker 5:Okay, we need another basketball house. Is there like a basketball apartment somewhere? I mean, all your guys have to live on campus. What's the situation?
Speaker 2:now. Yeah, they've lived like I think eight of them live last year and was a pink house which is a college own house. I think I don't. Six. Eight of them are over at mission this year, so in summer and triples or summer in East apartment style will be. So it still kind of happens. It's just not a standalone pink house.
Speaker 5:Is that a John Cougar Mellon camp style house Little?
Speaker 1:pink house. Come on, guys, I like the reference, I do, I do.
Speaker 5:So was everybody accounted for, greg? Because the last couple episodes you've told stories about we still have a couple guys to see.
Speaker 2:But between talking to guys who, have you seen who's around, who's open? We know they're all kind of mingling around here.
Speaker 4:Gentlemen, cool to see them come back.
Speaker 2:You remember how neat those days were coming back, moving back in settling in.
Speaker 5:Oh dude, I just moved my daughter in this past week. It's nothing like calling I wanted to stay, I wanted to send her home and just stay in.
Speaker 1:I believe we're going to have a guest join us here, and when he does, I'm going to give him a nice little intro. This guy is currently the head coach for the Phoenix Suns. He has previously served as the head coach for the Orlando Magic, the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020. He began his career as an assistant coach for the Pacers, philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, but here's what we're really going to get into today. He grew up in Wildwood Crest, new Jersey, and during his eighth grade year and I'm going to ask you if this is true or not, because I found this on Wikipedia and this is kind of amazing me he was featured in an episode of Late Night with David Letterman during this stupid human trick segment in which he spun a basketball on a toothbrush while brushing his teeth. That's pretty impressive. What?
Speaker 1:After graduating from Wildwood High School in 1991, he came to Juniata College to play basketball. He played here for three seasons before packing all his stuff up and transferring to the University of Kentucky in 1994. He served as the student manager for the Kentucky Wildcats men's team under head coach Rick Petino in the 1994-95 season. Then, following the season, petino resurrected the school's junior varsity team. He played for that. He graduated from Kentucky with a BS in biology in 1998. And here he is today. Welcome to the Juniata Men's Basketball Podcast. Coach Frank Vogel, how are you Coach?
Speaker 4:What's up, guys, I'm good. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1:So just to set the scene here because I don't know if you're an ad-vid listener of the show or not. If you're not, you need to be moving forward.
Speaker 4:But Twice a week.
Speaker 1:But so we have your current head coach of Juniata, Greg Curley. Down here we got myself and Drew Baskett we call him Biz who are longtime friends of Coach Curley, and decided Juniata basketball needed a podcast. We needed to put Juniata on the map and we needed to get this guy who is the Are you the longest tenured coach now at Juniata and the?
Speaker 2:winningest. Yeah, this is actually going in my 23rd year, so yeah.
Speaker 4:I should be winning this.
Speaker 2:I've been here 23 years, but yeah, I've been here a while.
Speaker 4:But that would mean you coached me right, Because I'm not quite that old when I was there before you.
Speaker 2:Actually, coach, we played against each other, so I'm a.
Speaker 4:I think somebody told me that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you played in a tournament at Allegheny College PNC Classic and I played at Allegheny and I was looking it up the other night. I think we Allegheny won 96-93. Ooh, that's a shootout. So I'm a burner at the David Mead Fuer, that is a shootout. How about that?
Speaker 4:I have a feeling you came up big in the clutch in that game.
Speaker 2:I don't know about that. I had a pretty good game, but I wasn't our main guy, I was, you know, role guy. But yeah, I had a pretty good game in that game and I had a chance to look back and it was pretty cool. Casey Craig, who also played on that team, has been on our podcast here Another junior at a great that we connect to. So we talk about that every now and then when we see him.
Speaker 4:Casey's the man and a good friend, and congrats on your long tenure there, coach. That's awesome. Yeah, I appreciate that. You wouldn't see that in the NBA.
Speaker 5:That'd be a hell of a run.
Speaker 1:We got to start with this, david. Is this David Letterman thing for real?
Speaker 4:For sure. Yeah, just started circulating around Instagram recently. I get a bunch of people started sending it to me like is this really you, did this really happen?
Speaker 1:Who even thinks about brushing his teeth with a ball? How did this even happen? I thought of that. How?
Speaker 4:everybody did it. If you're a basketball player, no, it was just a trick that I learned at a camp. You know if anybody in the South Jersey area remembers Boo's basketball camp. There was a lot of life lessons at that camp, not just skill, work and fun. But we had an instructor named Mike Gatley who ended up coaching at Keene College in New Jersey and he came in with a speech about you can put, you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, and never, never, no matter how crazy it may seem, and never be satisfied with achievement. So he used spinning a basketball and controlling a basketball. It wasn't just the spinning drills that he did, but all the ball handling drills that you see guys do all the time pistol, p type stuff, and, uh, you know, use those as an example for those life lessons.
Speaker 4:Spinning a basketball on your finger wasn't good enough. What's the next thing I can accomplish? Try it on, you know, all five fingers. Try it on my left hand. Kick, you know, bounce it off my head, bounce it off my knee, what else? What's the next challenge, you know, and when can I start? Spinning on objects? Spinning on a hairbrush, on a fork, on a pencil, on a toothbrush and you know, it was just a neat way to just kind of push the envelope of how much you can achieve in a certain skill set. I took the lesson to heart and had a lot of free time on my hands as a youngster in Wildwood Press and mastered these tricks and you know my mother was.
Speaker 4:You know she was a server at one of the restaurants down there in Wildwood and you know some of the cooks said they used to live in New York City and they used to try to get on the Letterman show all the time for stupid human tricks. So they're like they don't want guys like us. They want you know, genuine acts. Like you like genuine tricks. So they gave us a number and a week later I was on the show.
Speaker 1:I thought you were going to say your mom was a dentist and that would have just brought it full circle for me.
Speaker 2:That would have been perfect, that would have been perfect so let's start back at the beginning.
Speaker 1:I got to know how in the world did you get to junior at Like? What was the connection? How did that come about?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I just played a. I played at some of those exposure camps. I think it was the Jim Ratz camp at Germantown Academy in Philly. You know there's a strong connection obviously with the Philadelphia area in South Jersey, so I played in a camp there. I was not heavily recruited at a high school, you know, but I did have a goal to try to play college basketball. I knew I wasn't a D1 athlete Coach Curley right, we were not D1 athletes but we, you know, we're passionate about the game and a good skill set. So I just my high school team's best player was being recruited by the then coach, junior Attacoach Jim Zauzy, and you know, while he watched my teammate play, saw me play as well, had a need for a backup on the card and started recruiting me as well. So that added to my list of being recruited all the way up to two, I think maybe three colleges that recruited me, and you know that, combined with a strong pre-med program, which Junietta has, you know, led me to Junietta. So who?
Speaker 1:so was that your coach? Then Did he stay. He stick around for those three years, yeah.
Speaker 4:Oh, ok, yeah, he was there all three years.
Speaker 1:And how was the team? What was Junietta basketball?
Speaker 4:We were mediocre.
Speaker 1:You were mediocre, we were very good at mediocrity.
Speaker 4:We were terrible. We had, you know, we were basically around 500, I think each year, you know. But we were competitive and we had a whole lot of fun, you know, just just playing college basketball competing in the Mac, and that's right, because you guys were in the Mac.
Speaker 1:You were the Mac yeah extended our basketball career. So you got to give us some memories from from from back then, like I mean teammates that you remember, big games, just the town of Huntington itself.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, started at Tussie, Tussie and Terrace. I think Terrace was my first dorm. You know the locals, you know the kids that are there now. They'll relate. I think it's still there, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we actually today's we have most of our guys moving in, so we have some guys, some young guys, going in there. That don't mean a lot to hear that they might be in the same room as you. That's right, I think it was 212.
Speaker 4:If.
Speaker 4:I actually can remember that I think I was in room 212 in Terrace and stayed at Tussie. I actually moved into the Cloisters for a minute because it had us in triples the first year. So I had a great time living with some upperclassmen in the Cloisters dorms. I got real close with, obviously, casey Craig. You mentioned earlier Rob Sharkey, who played in my rival high school, wildwood Catholic. So it was. It was interesting to be become teammates with someone that was a rival growing up. He became a good friend and man. There's a lot of a lot of names that I've got great relationships with. You know, rob Chappelle and Gary Black were two of my first teammates. The Stoner Brothers Instones that's her name, the Instones that's quite a lot of Stoner Brothers not any other.
Speaker 5:Got to be careful with that, jeff.
Speaker 4:Burns. Yeah, just a lot of good friends, a lot of good memories, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juniata.
Speaker 5:So one of those guys? Tree was Tree. One of those guys Isn't that?
Speaker 1:Mark Patrick.
Speaker 4:Yeah we heard about.
Speaker 5:We heard about Tree in Casey's spot.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he came in, he left, he left. I think that the year that I left or maybe the year before I left, you know he was there for two years and then transferred. He was from Youngstown. I've lost touch with him. But another good dude, Josh Adams also was was came in and when I was a junior he was a freshman. Another really good player, Dirk Reminschneider, was our assistant coach. Six 11 guy out of Lev Val. I don't want to say it was Lev Val, Suit him up.
Speaker 1:Your dream is to play basketball in college. You're the big man on campus. And then what happened? You decide to pack your bag and make a big jump. I mean, that's a, that's a big deal. Like you left, I guess, after your junior years.
Speaker 4:All right, yeah, and it was a big leap of faith, you know, and it was a. You know you're raised to take risks in life, you know to reach some of your goals and to dream big. And you know, this was really the long shot of all long shots for me to think that I could, you know, talk my way into a position with the Kentucky Wildcats. But Rick Petino had become by far my favorite coach. He and Coach K actually were. You know, we're one and two and you know that, that that Kristen Laitner game.
Speaker 1:That's what got you up.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was really a pivotal moment. I remember watching it at Cloister Dorm Cloister Hall, I guess it's called and I remember watching it and just leaving that game thinking, man, I love playing and being where I'm at right now, but I want to be part of something big. I want to be part of that level. You know, the March Madness bug had really, had really hit me and my passion for the game was was greater than at any point in my life. I was, I was not really excelling in my premed work, so you know, the doctor path wasn't looking so good.
Speaker 1:So it could have been Dr Frank Vogel. Instead, we got Dr Vogel. Yeah, I was going to be in North.
Speaker 4:Out of high school I was going to be an orthopedic and I would just coach my kids in high school and grade school and stuff. But you know, when I got to junior out and I was playing college basketball and I was seeing you know the passion with March Madness. I never dreamed of the NBA, honestly, even though I grew up a huge fan of the NBA in the 76ers. So I just decided at that point to to take a big risk and compromise or sacrifice my final year of eligibility. I was the captain of the team. My junior year would have been again my senior year. I knew I was giving up a lot, but it was. It was something that I really had a strong interest in, in pursuing. You know, either being a walk on at Kentucky or just a manager, or just I knew that. You know this business is about who you know and not so much what you know, at least to get in the door.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I didn't really know anybody I'm not the son of a coach or anything like that I knew that if I had stayed at Division three I I likely would have had a fun and happy career, but at the Division three level and I just had a I don't know. I had an itch and a passion, to you know, to see a bigger level and to be a part of that, so made the decision to transfer down. I had to had to do some things, to you know, to get in touch with Coach Patino. I wrote some letters, typed up letters, mailed them, not email.
Speaker 1:Got a bunch of letters. That's right. You guys don't realize that are listening. It's not as easy as finding a number online, an email, Instagram, a tweet you got to like actually correspond with a written word A little different.
Speaker 4:Yeah, print it out, get your, get your stamps and send it, and do it several times. And I got some form letters back. I knew it wasn't coming really from from Rick's. I knew I had to get in front of him. So I had I played at a five star basketball camp but I knew he would be there recruiting. So I started writing letters to them. I said let me, you know, let me go and work your camp and you know, in the hopes that I could get in front of him and meet him and express my interest in coming down there. And and I played out that way, howard Garfinkel introduced me to coach with Jim O'Brien, who I ended up being even closer with.
Speaker 4:Basically said well, if there's anything we can do to help, if you decide to come down, just let us know. And at that point that was enough for me to take a risk.
Speaker 1:The next day you jumped in the car and went to Kentucky.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's crazy Careful what you wish for, guys, that is do you keep in touch with any of these, these teammates?
Speaker 1:I mean you spent three years with a lot of these guys with that class that you came in with. Are you in touch with any of them still?
Speaker 4:Yeah, a few of them have reached out over the years and just exchanged a few text messages and phone calls. I'd say Casey and Rob Sharkey are the ones I'm most in touch with. There's a football player at Junie out of named Ben Straub who I end up being really close with and end up being a roommate with me in Boston. That I'm also in touch with played golf with him this summer out here in LA. Those are probably the main three, but we get text messages from those guys from time to time. It's always great to hear from them.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you mentioned one of those guys, because we thought we'd have a little surprise for you here, I like to you know why not take an NBA coach and throw a surprise at him? We have one of your former teammates who wanted to come on and say hello. I'm glad you mentioned him, because if you wouldn't have mentioned this guy it might have been a little awkward. But Casey Craig is going to join us.
Speaker 1:He wanted to say hello. We thought you know we get the two of you on here and we're diving into all sorts of interesting memories, casey Craig. Welcome to the show, casey Craig.
Speaker 3:Where's Fogel? I thought I heard being great at mediocrity and I like, got zoomed in.
Speaker 5:So you and Casey?
Speaker 1:you guys are teammates from what? How many years ago is that now? I hate the data, but a little while ago.
Speaker 4:I think it was when we were born in the 90s, right Casey, so I mean I had to be sometime. That I want to say 91 and 94. I was there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, 30 years, frank. I was telling these guys when you know coach would have guys coming and talk to the team and hopefully I'll have a chance to do that again this year. I really enjoy that. And they talk about guys playing in the 60s and 70s and we thought they shot on like a peach. And now we're those guys coming back, you're the old guard coming in.
Speaker 4:Am I the only one in the room that when somebody says something happened 30 years ago, I immediately think it would happen in the 70s? Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I'm with you 100%. You guys ever do that yes.
Speaker 5:Well, hey, the 80s music's oldies now.
Speaker 1:Yes, you asked Coach Curley about this and we should dive into this a little bit, but we are coming off a pretty solid season here. They made it to the conference championship. Most of the team is back. Here's the thing, though one regular I guess regular season championship and we're I hate to say this, coach Curley 0 and 6 in tournament conference championship games, including last year. So we're putting a lot of high expectation on this year's team because I think this could be the one first ever legitimate tournament conference championships and potentially a first time ever birth in the big tournament. Let's go.
Speaker 4:All that tells me is that you guys are due Coach.
Speaker 2:Well, I said everybody. Marv Levy has nothing on me. He was 0 for 4 and we're 0 for 6.
Speaker 2:So I figured I figured, just got to keep going. But yeah, no, we've had a pretty good run here regular season championship but at our level. You know, getting the NCAA tournament, you have to win the tournament and we've just come up short in probably every way you possibly can. But we've got a really strong group coming back and another good league. So now, if we stay healthy, put things together and the coach doesn't screw it up, we should have a pretty good chance.
Speaker 1:So, frank, you got to have some advice for these guys. I think you have a little championship in you, so what would be some advice for these guys? All coming back, a lot of expectations on them this year. What would you tell this team?
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, it's kind of the same speech I give our team this year. We sort of have an 82 and 0 expectation with our group in Phoenix and I'm not sure if people understand. The rest of the league is very loaded as well.
Speaker 1:They're all good NBA players.
Speaker 4:The. You know, the primary message for my championship team a few years ago was sort of along those lines that yes, we're talented, but there's a lot of talented teams and you know which team is going to be become greater than the sum of their parts. You know which team is going to become a team, a team first team more than the individual talents, and whoever achieves that at the highest level, you know that's going to be a difference maker. I mean, I've been with my teams all the time. You know what, what's going to separate two evenly talented teams. You know, and that's always the top answer is which one comes the most together and you know, plays hard and plays together.
Speaker 4:And you know, I think that's that, that, along with where you're at, coach, the persistence piece. I mean what a great story it's going to be when it happens, right, yeah, I mean having been there and lost and you know you're doing all the right things. If you're getting there every year, you know it. Just a lot of times it's just some some luck, some bad breaks, some injuries. You know, sometimes you hit a team. That's just better than you. But if you keep doing the right things like you're doing and you keep putting yourself in that position, you're going to have a great chance, and what a what a story it's going to be when you get there.
Speaker 1:We're looking forward to. I mean, me and business have been doing this for a whole year. Now we're ready for championship. Like I can't wait.
Speaker 5:I mean we're hoping to be the catalyst here.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you can't understate the podcast value like this guy you know this guy six, six championship games, you know, but post podcast. I think you're only oh and one or zero right, are we still?
Speaker 1:they lost last year. Oh and one. Okay, so we're all.
Speaker 4:we're all in one with the podcast but but the vibe and the energy was incredible. Now that we're a podcast team, you know, I think the program is growing and I think Tom Frank's going to bring some some magic to this year's championship run.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 4:I love it. That's the quote I'm using for the promo right there.
Speaker 1:We're going to keep that if you don't if you don't mind us asking about the team since you brought it up. I'm a huge Bradley Beale fan. You got him from my Washington.
Speaker 2:Wizards.
Speaker 1:What's the insight? What's the insight on the team? This is your back. It's your first year back. I'm sure you're eager and ready to get going.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I told him yesterday. You know, when he's shooting and making everything he put towards the basket, I just told all the assistant coaches. I said you guys realize how terrified I was of him when we played against him. You know, in two thousand I think 14, 15 in the playoffs. I mean this guy can beat you in every way imaginable two times 30 point, a game scorer and just a winner. And you know he's someone that we're really excited to have in our program Great IQ, toughness, competitive spirit and he's 30 years old. So we have a we really have with KD and Book and Brad really have a at least a three to five year run where we're going to be contenders each year and, like I said, if we're able to stay healthy and come together, you know I like our chances Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Hey coach, how did you just kind of coach the coach? How do you spend your year away? Was there anything you did in particular to prepare for your next opportunity? Who do you really study? Who do you really pay attention to?
Speaker 4:Yeah, you know, it really is a study of the game from a different perspective type of year and I actually found huge value in it. It's actually the second time I was able to do it. They call it a sabbatical year. You know, I tell my team it's a sabbatical year and one of my players one time in LA asked me what does that?
Speaker 2:mean anyway, what's that sabbatical year?
Speaker 4:Coach Lino Hollins shouted out it means he got fired. That's the real way of saying it.
Speaker 4:But if you have, yeah, it really is you know when you're in your own program coach like you've done this for 23 years now you know how you do things and you can have conversations with other coaches, but if you're not in their program, you don't really get to witness that. So I spent both of these two years visiting a lot of teams, sitting at other staff meetings, watching other practices, seeing how others do the job that I do, and I was able to really pick up a lot of different terminologies, different drills, all those types of things, and you know to see there's a different way of doing things and I think that only strengthens you. So that was a big focal point for me. So I do have a couple of questions.
Speaker 1:We asked the team if they wanted to ask any questions to you and we got a couple of them, so I'm just going to grab two of them. So we have a sophomore guard, show Watson. I'm a big fan of show. I just like the name show. I like the name too. That's a good one. He wants to know what's the difference, what have you noticed? Players mentally, from those players that are really good players to those that are great players.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think the mindset is the number one thing and you know, being around Rob Polinka with the Lakers and obviously the stories of Kobe over those 20 years, that he was a Laker, a lava mentality, right Just to outwork everybody and be the best that you can be at whatever you're doing in life, but for all of us it's in basketball and the work ethic that Kobe carried with him through his career, that if you watch the USA basketball documentary that LeBron and Mello and Chris Paul and all those guys picked up from that just most recently watching Kevin Durant work in the offseason, it's just insane how hard these guys go and how committed they are to not missing a day and to being an expert at their craft and I think that's the number one thing that differentiates, like I said, evenly talented players Is that mindset.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And then I got one more for you, first year guard Jack Edwards. He wants to know what do you think was that most important quality that helped you kind of take that next big step and become a coach in the NBA, you know?
Speaker 4:I just think you know the quest for knowledge. You know the demeanor. I think the demeanor is a big part of it and if, doing what I was able to do, I had to really check my ego at the door to go down to Kentucky and you know, be a waterboy at times and wipe up the floor at times and be a student manager and do all the dirty work I mean I was literally doing the laundry for the guys. You know being the captain of my team at Juniata and that's what it took to get my foot in the door. You know, to work for an all-time great coach and you know you have to have a certain service mindset, service mentality early on when you're getting into coaching, that you'll do whatever it takes to help the program or to help the guys that you're working for.
Speaker 4:You know and I think that helped open the door and once the door gets open, you know, then it becomes I have the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm going to work everybody in sight. You know I'm going to make a name for myself around very important people and you know that's what happened in those three years when I was at Kentucky. You know everybody quickly established myself as the hardest working guy in the program you know and never left the office. And three years later, when Coach Bettino takes the job of the Boston Celtics, you know he felt like that was a valuable I would be a valuable asset to him in Boston and he brought me up to the Celtics and started my MBA career.
Speaker 1:And so both you and Casey ended up going to Boston. Is that right? That's right, yeah. I mean, how much fun was that yeah.
Speaker 4:Me, casey Stravitaj. Ben Strav shout out Ben Strav, here we go. That's a great times up there, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:I have you, casey, so you know, you've known Frank, you know before all this, right from Junietta through Boston. And now, like I mean what you saw on him or what it was, I mean Tom and I knew Biz when Biz was before. He was Biz Now. He's a good part of our story, right, and we have memories, but Casey, what did you see?
Speaker 3:Frank you know, for me with Frank and he's been an inspiration for me from you know, even though we obviously aren't as in touch as we were when we lived together, for sure. But you know I saw different. You know traits and characteristics of Frank from the time he was 18 years old and I told you all the story about him giving me a ride to JC Blair and sitting with me for three hours when I, you know, got an elbow in my first open gym. So this idea of being selfless is just a characteristic he's had literally since he was a kid. And then I had the privilege and he helped me actually land my job in Boston to live with him and see his work ethic and it was just like none I've ever seen.
Speaker 3:I mean, the guy literally kind of lived in a sweatsuit and was at the beckoning call of coaches that wanted to break down film and I think Frank and his staff were on the cutting edge, in the forefront with doing that and taking advantage of technology. And this idea of faith you know he mentioned that as well. You know who leaves Juniata College and goes to Kentucky a little bit on a whim to have that faith in himself and confidence was just unbelievable. And then, lastly and you all are seeing this firsthand whether he was with you guys now or with ESPN, he treats everyone the same, and he did that at Boston, whether it was you know the janitor or the IT guy or someone you know a little bit more behind the scenes with the team, all the way up to the CEO and the head coach and the all star players, down to the, to the 15th guy. I think he understands that everyone is important and he talked about team and being part of something bigger.
Speaker 3:He truly has lived that since he was 18 or 19 years old and so, although it was a leap of faith, I knew when he left he was, he was bound for big things. That I know he'd be an NBA champion and probably coach cheese. Almost 10, 12 Hall of Famers in the NBA Wasn't sure that was. I knew that was going to happen, but none of this for me is really a surprise, guys.
Speaker 4:Thank you, casey. There you go. I didn't expect this to happen either. I just wanted to be in Mars, madness.
Speaker 3:And more change to become right not to put pressure on coach Vogel here, but I'm excited about this parallel. There's two big seasons come.
Speaker 1:That's right. That's right, All right. So we brought Casey on specifically for this. I have two questions left for you and this one is going to be a tough one. So, Casey, you might have to help him out here a little bit. Now one of Curley's coaches started this precedence and he got himself in a little hot water because he started naming the his Mount Rushmore, which we call Mount Jr. Of the guys who have come from Jr. Now your name has been on a few of those. Casey's been on quite a few of those. So I'm going to ask and you can have, Casey, give you a little hand here with some of the more recent teams. But if you had to put together a Mount Jr guys who have come from this school, Casey, help them out. I'll give you a choice. You can either go that route or top five guys you've coached. I'll let you choose.
Speaker 4:Ooh, I'm gonna stay away from top five guys.
Speaker 5:I thought you would. That sounds familiar.
Speaker 4:Definitely offend someone.
Speaker 2:Coach, I won't even comment on the Mount Rushmore. Juniata, I get it. Man, you're not gonna mention that.
Speaker 1:Curly refuses to give us an answer on that one we accept.
Speaker 4:I actually I legitimately Put coach Curley in that top five, like he has to be. I mean, all time winning is.
Speaker 5:There, there we go.
Speaker 4:That's your spirit coach you know, maybe at the top. I mean, I don't know how many, how many players have you know Done that much or have had national records or anything like that. So, coach Curley, you're, you're the face of it now. You know so, well done, top of it, casey.
Speaker 3:What teammates we want to throw on there, casey, yeah, we talked a little bit about this, and I was put on the spot a little bit too. I'm awful with names, but You're gonna fit my head stone on that list and his brother Craig. You know Scott transferred in from Hawaii, as you right might remember.
Speaker 3:I mean he was playing D1 and came and joined our group. He was phenomenal. There were some old-school guys that would come back. You know. Wayne Paul I mentioned Rufus was another one helped out big. You rattled off a bunch of guys when I was in the green waiting room too. That were phenomenal players as well, and I got you on there, frank, I mean I do. I mean you were an extension of the coach, high impact for two years. Reek the leadership and thank you.
Speaker 3:And we're just. We're just a phenomenal player as well, to no surprise. And then I had a little bias toward my hometown area with guys like Martin Ozzie and Marcus Lee and some of those guys that came through. I think they showed a lot of the great pedigree that coach curly is instilled with toughness and and being team-oriented and having high work ethic too.
Speaker 1:There's been a goal list of great players that have come through Juniata and coach Vogaway, we're excited to have you on that list. And I'm gonna. One last thing you know and and this is something that I think you kind of probably have a unique perspective on but If you could give your best recruiting pitch to a student athlete considering Juniata, like what would you tell them about Juniata and about the experience you've had and why Juniata?
Speaker 4:Well, it's honestly. I mean, the ability to play Division three basketball at a great small liberal arts college is something that I wouldn't trade for anything. You know I've had a obviously a tremendous run in basketball, you know, when I got to some of the higher levels but the you know the lessons I learned and, honestly, that the fun and experience I had Playing D3 basketball was just incredible. You know, like we all, all of us high school players, you know, a nationwide all dream of playing big-time college basketball, but we don't always all have that physical ability. I mean, these guys are one percenters that that reads the high D1 teams and the NBA, and but that doesn't mean that you can't extend your, your playing career. You know, and you get around a fun coach, you know, and a fun bunch of guys.
Speaker 4:Playing college basketball was just an incredible experience for me and, and you know, for me like, one of the things that gave me confidence to go to Kentucky is I Felt like I could play with those guys. By the time I became a junior, you know, out of high school I had not really grown into my body yet, you know, and a lot of 17-year-olds haven't, you know. So you know, to be able to really just Reach your full physical potential as a player. You know, playing D3 was a great experience for me and, like I said, why not? Wouldn't trade for anything.
Speaker 1:Well, coach, I Cannot thank you enough on the behalf of all three of us and Casey for joining as well, just to have you as part of junior out of nation and helping us out getting on the podcast. Everybody's gonna listen to this. I think you're gonna turn them into a Phoenix Suns fan very quick.
Speaker 5:I think we're adopting Our official team, are we not? I?
Speaker 1:Think we have to. Official team of the junior Adam and Spodcast, that's right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, I think that means, I better send you some gear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I think there's a business.
Speaker 1:Oh, business was leading up to that, don't worry.
Speaker 2:Men's basketball podcast. Gear to buddy. Yeah, this is a jersey swap.
Speaker 5:We're gonna send you some of our gear. That's right. Our goal is to make junior out of basketball the Americans Division 3 basketball team kind of like the Cowboys, except a little small.
Speaker 4:But hey, the great school and a great program.
Speaker 5:So we're, we'll, trade, we'll get, we'll get.
Speaker 1:Gonna be a fun year.
Speaker 5:Yes. Yeah we'll celebrate two championships this year. What do you say, tom?
Speaker 2:Yeah, how about that?
Speaker 1:That's a great it's great being me and biz, we can just throw that stuff at you guys and yeah, we'll do it.
Speaker 4:You guys take care of it and we'll help celebrate coach, I think we, I think we both got a win at championship this year. You know, and we'll credit the, the podcast vibe.
Speaker 2:Forget the internal pressure. We got these guys. I don't push this over the edge. You are just getting started.
Speaker 1:Well, hey we wish you a ton of luck. We'll be. We'll be rooting for you. I'm gonna be watching. Thank you so much. You know, as I said, I love Bradley Beal. I love what you're doing. I'm just thrilled that you were able to come on. Give us some time. We appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Thank you guys, thanks for having me on, it was fun and we'll be right back Teams across the landmark conference, from your world-class athletes to your staff and most loyal fans, jostin's partners to celebrate your championship across the organization and beyond, all centered around the coveted championship ring. Check out jostinscom today for your jostins championship experience. And now back to the show. So, fellas, that was Frank Vogel.
Speaker 5:I mean there's probably a bunch of outlets that kill to have Frank Vogel on, and here we are.
Speaker 1:I mean, we make one call and we get Frank Vogel.
Speaker 4:And that's how it works.
Speaker 2:That was great and I said we proud ourselves of the Horseswork and Team of Bass. But I thought all the parallels and how similar he talked about what separates a good from great and how he got where he was was really built on the same thing. We're just trying to establish those habits in our guys and I think the path of success, wherever you are, our redefine is pretty similar in the same. So that was really really cool.
Speaker 5:And I do need to state two things. Number one he agrees with me that, curly, you're due. Due is a thing and you are due the due factor.
Speaker 1:And number two who did you?
Speaker 5:put on the Mount Rushmore Coach Curley, who said it first Biz? Yes, of course, and we're getting some free stuff too.
Speaker 2:He's dealing with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, bradley Beale, and he's gonna talk to them about being a better team and being a great team and working harder and coming together into some of the parts and it's the same speech as across the country and it really is about the guys in that locker room and that consistency and the stuff that carries on. I mean I think it just reiterates the value of this whole experience playing in college being a part of this. Hopefully all our other podcasts, you know. I mean, honestly, if he wasn't with the Suns, would you notice the difference between him and the other guys that we've had on here and kind of how they approach things and why they're awfully such successful, fruitful lives, and so I think that's a common theme. If anything, it's the timing of this. With our guys moving in today, it'll all hit them. I'm sure they'll talk about it, but to hear those themes and reinforce that just should give us all some confidence that we're on the right track and we just gotta keep at it.
Speaker 5:And then from Kevin Durant down to Show it's all about team man, doesn't matter, doesn't matter how big or small it's all about being a team and that is cool.
Speaker 1:I think I'm gonna enjoy this, though watching the parallels. So NBA doesn't start, I guess. And well, nba starts before you guys, right yeah?
Speaker 5:October, I mean it'll be a training camp here.
Speaker 2:Well, now, with as soon as the world championships are over. So I think they're in training camp and they'll be exhibition by the end of the month and they'll start games sometime before us, mid-october I think.
Speaker 1:So we'll see who loses first.
Speaker 2:I think 82 in a row probably tough, but it's cool that he and you see how comfortable he was with the expectation. Yeah, we gotta win 82 in a row.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's the way it is. There you go, there you go.
Speaker 2:Learn to take that expectation, yeah but he didn't roll with it, he didn't take it either way he just is like yeah, I mean yeah, but I think any coach, yeah, you play them all to win, it's a difference. There you go, that's right, and next one in front of you, you gotta win it. And that's kind of where his focus was, and so that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:So now that we got Frank Vogel on, like who's next?
Speaker 2:I think the part of the theme here is Shaquille O'Neal. I mean whoever we pull from the team, I mean we got great stories, compelling stories and the similarities and I mean that's the cool stuff. So Evan Eisenhart was in here today, just got on campus and he asked like who's left? And I was like the list is long. I mean it's really not hard for me to think of the next guy we want to put on here. I mean, if I had my way, every guy we had would have a chance to be on here to tell their stories because they're in their own way, they're really kind of amazing. It reminds you why you do this and, unfortunately, to be a coach, to be a part of the choices these guys make and just to kind of rub elbows with guys that go out and accomplish great things, I guess.
Speaker 1:What I was asking, though, is now I need a bone to go fetch.
Speaker 2:Oh, you need.
Speaker 1:I got who we wanted. Now I gotta figure out who to go get next. I need a challenge. I'll put it out to everybody out there. Give me a challenge, charles Barkley. Give me a challenge. Give me a challenge.
Speaker 2:Actually, you do know Barkley. You could get Barkley on, he probably would come on.
Speaker 1:He might be able to get Barkley. He's my favorite, that's.
Speaker 2:That's why we have you Bizz. That's why we have you Bizz.
Speaker 1:Bizz. I like that challenge. All right, All right, guys. Man, that was a good show that was a solid show. That was awesome. Follow the show on Instagram at Junietta Basketball Show. Help us get to our 8,000. Subscribe to the Junietta Men's Basketball Show on Apple Spotify. Wherever you listen to podcasts, leave us a rating on Apple. Spread the word Junietta Nation. I'm Tom Frank. I'm Bizz. I'm the head coach, brett Curley. Insert your question on the chat. Ask no-transcript.