Juniata Men's Basketball Show
Join lifelong friends Tom Frank, Drew "Biz" Besket, and Head Juniata Basketball Coach Greg Curley as they talk all things Juniata Men's College Basketball and give unprecedented access to players, alumni, parents and every challenge that a coach with 23 years of experience and 300+ wins debates. It’s informative, inspiring and most importantly, a lot of fun!
Got a question for the guys? Please contact us through Instagram @JuniataBasketballShow. Please subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, leave us a rating on apple and spread the word #EaglesNation. Juniata College basketball is part of the The Landmark Conference, an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III.
The Juniata Men's Basketball Show is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Let your story take the mic. Learn more at https://merrick-studios.com
Juniata Men's Basketball Show
The man most responsible for Juniata's “Legacy of Seven"
When Tom returns from an Ocean City vacation, the fellas can't help but reminisce on their questionable choices in beach hotels. Has anyone else called the the Plim Plaza or Monticello home for the week?
Curious about what goes into scouting and recruiting at summer basketball tournament? We break down the ins and outs of attending basketball showcases around the region, including dodging parking fees at Spooky Nook.'
And most importantly, don't miss our engaging conversation with Neil Rager, a proud Juniata basketball alumnus and now the Associate Director for Counseling, Eligibility, and Compliance at Penn State Athletics. Neil opens up about his journey from a small high school to a supportive college environment, his roles within the basketball team, his impact in recruting and his successful career at Penn State. We also explore the evolving landscape of college athletics, the impact of the transfer portal and the key to fencing.
Tune in for a mix of nostalgic stories, recruiting insights, and expert perspectives on the future of college sports. 🦅 It's all happening on the Juniata Men's Basketball Show, brought to you by Merrick Creative, @juniataeagles, @JostensInc and @Eat.4.Free and hosted by Tom Frank, Drew Besket, and Juniata Men's Basketball Head Coach, Greg Curley.
🎧 Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you catch your podcasts! Got a burning question for the guys? Hit us up on Instagram @JuniataBasketballShow and show some love for the show at https://juniatabasketballshow.buzzsprout.com. Let's hoop it up! 🏀✨
I'm Tom Frank. I'm Drew Beskett.
Speaker 2:I'm the head coach, greg Curley.
Speaker 1:And this is the Juniata Men's Basketball Show.
Speaker 3:Welcome listeners. I'm Tom Frank and I'm joined each and every week by Drew Beskett, aka Biz, and your Juniata head basketball coach, greg Curley. As we talk, all things Juniata Men's College Basketball. What's up, fellas?
Speaker 4:Not much, tom. It's, you know, getting in the throes of summer here, man, and the days are getting shorter by a minute, which is a sad time.
Speaker 3:Now, I just got back from my little vacation, which makes me sad now, because that means I have no more vacation the rest of the summer. So I don't know if summer's over or if summer's just getting started.
Speaker 4:You know it's good to get it out of the way and then you just kind of float the rest of the way through summer. Now you're refreshed. You know there's two trains of thought to that. How was the weather all week? Was it a good week?
Speaker 3:I was in our old stomping grounds of Ocean City, Maryland. We saw the picture. We've all been there before and I showed my kids exactly where we stayed and they were kind of appalled that wasn't the worst place we stayed, man you think there was a worse place in the plin plaza?
Speaker 4:oh yeah, remember that place we stayed at. That was like down off the uh, it was off the boardwalk right behind the dough roller I can't think of the name.
Speaker 3:I don't even remember that place they tore it down.
Speaker 4:Here's a little story. So we went down. I went down like later on after our, our fun college days, and we stayed at a hotel a couple blocks away and I mean, they, I can't remember the name of that place, man, probably good thing and I'm like, oh, they tore down the whatever. And like the lady who owned the hotel we were staying at, she's like, yeah, we all went to high ground when all the rats and the mice like scurried out after they tore the hotel down. That place was bad Wow.
Speaker 3:I haven't blocked that place from my memory I remember it, it's the Monticello I do remember that place now. Yes, I remember that name. I remember that more than I do the.
Speaker 2:Plymouth Plaza. How do you not remember the?
Speaker 3:Plymouth Plaza.
Speaker 2:I remember the Plymouth Plaza.
Speaker 3:That Davis would come out in the mornings because the rest of us couldn't get out of bed and he would come out and get his coffee and his newspaper and he'd sit on the little deck area and watch all the people walking up and down the boardwalk, the. Plim. We only did that one year, Scary place.
Speaker 4:Then we found the Monticello.
Speaker 3:Monticello. All right, yeah, the Plim Plaza is a scary place, though I don't recommend that to anybody who's listening.
Speaker 4:Well, hey, we were college kids with low income. We needed to save our money for beer Come on, that's true.
Speaker 3:The Brass Balls is still there.
Speaker 4:Oh, is it Fantastic.
Speaker 3:And Anthony's. Do you remember, anthony's, the liquor store? It was the big liquor store. That's where we would go. I think they'd sell anything to anyone.
Speaker 4:Oh, there were some good times, man.
Speaker 2:We could do a whole show, just reminiscing I think Biz, didn't you, I think I took Jane, I think we were there for weekend 20. I mean, this is a long time ago To Monticello, one time it didn't go well.
Speaker 4:No, I did the same thing, but you tried to take With my ex-wife.
Speaker 2:I mean, you don't remember what it was like, I don't know. I just knew a place to go and it was fine. It was awful.
Speaker 3:So you guys, without other guys, decided you were going to go with your significant others to the Monticello.
Speaker 4:Hey, rookie mistake.
Speaker 3:I mean, I could have told you that right from the beginning that wasn't going well.
Speaker 4:No 23 or 24-year-old Tom, would have done the same thing.
Speaker 3:Come on, I don't know I. I don't know.
Speaker 4:Hey, it was a cheap vacay. I'm going to Ocean City. Yeah, that didn't, yeah. Well, it's gone. Rest in, we all have stories.
Speaker 2:We have stories to tell. We have stories.
Speaker 3:That's right, that's right. Well, ocean City is still there, still a fun place.
Speaker 4:So hey, our coach was at a couple of good tourneys this weekend. Give us some highlights Curls yeah the last couple weekends.
Speaker 2:So with the NCAA now there's high school or scholastic weekends where there are live periods. Division three doesn't deal with live periods but when it's a live period that means division one and twos can be out recruiting. So a lot of those events now have the top teams, top players or they're the most populated. So last weekend it's been the last two weekends and or, yeah, the last two weekends Philly live, dmv live. So I was out in Philly, coach Hager was down in DC and it's pretty cool. It's kind of and out. Obviously those areas are as good a basketball as you'll find, so probably top players, top prospects on the East coast and a ton of coaches and a lot of games, a little bit of century overload when you sit in those gyms sometimes with all this stuff going on. And then I was able yesterday there was also East Coast Nationals at Spooky Nook on the way back and Gabe and Nat Curley were playing in that. So I got a chance to see my nephews play on the way back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they did.
Speaker 2:Now there's a boys' and a girls girls division there, so I thought I might see your team, tom, but didn't.
Speaker 3:But yeah, so it was a lot of bad people. Made the weekend off hey let me ask you something about Spooky Nook.
Speaker 3:Do you pay for parking when you go there or not? No, now, biz. Here's why I asked this question. Biz, it's a great question. When you come in to Spooky spooky nook all right, maybe our guest knows this too when you come in this spooky nook, you just come in and you park right, and then you go inside and then they try to tell you you have to pay like 30, 25, 30 bucks to get a car to get you out. And so the first time I did it, and then I started thinking, wait a minute, here, nobody's checking when I'm coming out. So now I decided I'm just going to start coming out and no one ever checks. I don't know why you pay for parking at Spooky Nook. Nobody's ever checking on the way out.
Speaker 2:Well, the key is you have to park on the backside there. The other side is a gate, so you got to park on the backside by the field hockey fields.
Speaker 2:That's where I parked, yeah Well. So the other thing is I usually just you just kind of walk in and act like you're supposed to be there and and and don't pay. Now, this isn't the best way to go, but uh, for this one I was just coming back through. When we're going to regular events and stuff, I pay and cause we're there all weekend and you can expect you gotta get lists and stuff. But this one, um, cause I was just stopping by to see one game and I had wristbands from all other games.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I walked in first time, got through, all right. Well, then, uh, gabe played early and that didn't play till later. So we went to get something to eat, came back and they stopped me, right, and then I just said, hey, I'm a college coach, here's my information, and they sent me over and they actually this one, cause this isn't. No one really goes to this. So they gave me a band and I got in for free and stuff. My brother was with me and he was all upset because he paid. But I was like that's because you're walking around with your kids, they don't trust you at your college coach You're recruiting. I had my stuff on from what I was doing. But on the way out and I'm sitting there because I got there early and I kept watching I felt like I was in like I don't know, like a heist movie or something like I was, you know, scoping a place out to see when they left the parking lot, to see if they ever took the ticket.
Speaker 2:And they didn't, they didn't well then when I'm on my way out the last time, this guy's like flashing his thing, like and making sure, checking what the things are. So I'm like man, I don't feel like, and it's all the way on the other side. I don't want to do this and I got a Juniata college car, so it's like all right. So I paid for parking and I get out there and there's no one there at all. So it was 10 bucks. So my advice and we got it from a local coach in that area. He's like I just walk in. I was like man, you must in and tell them you're with field hockey and you never have to pay. That's how he does it.
Speaker 1:So there's, there's some good knowledge.
Speaker 2:People might come after us now and they might ramp up security. I mean, we are the top. Division III podcast.
Speaker 4:Hey, listen, right now we just probably you know what, this is a test we probably gave up the goods. This is a test of our power the next time, if they have changed, we've influenced that entire team, we've influenced parking.
Speaker 2:All right. So I mean, we did do that, I paid and I did show my credentials and they waved me through and let me through Tom, go buy a field hockey shirt.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I am going to get one, maybe a Juniata one. Why not wrap the college?
Speaker 4:That's right, curly, send us some Juniata field hockey gear. I don't even go, but I want to try this. All right, girls, anybody you see, stand out, not for you, necessarily, but in the whole world of basketball, like the next LeBron James or anything you see, any of those guys?
Speaker 2:I didn't. Actually, nick was at DMV Live. He was at a few of those. For me I think it was actually later Saturday night. There was a couple where all the top guys were there, but I didn't. Honestly, I'm not that locked into that world of who the high school guys are. When you're there it's pretty obvious you can tell how good guys are. But there were a lot of I mean I don't know how many players. I haven't looked up. You know there's four courts going all the time in one gym, six in the other all day. That's fun. The cool thing is you get to see them instead of AAU environment. You get to see them with their high school team, which is a little bit more productive, it's better right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, this is high school, these are high school teams.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this is a scholastic weekend and then there's grassroots weekends basically. Then there's other live periods where it's all AAU events. That'll be mid-July. So the weekend after 4th of July, like the 11th or the 12th or the 15th, is one of the biggest grassroots weekend and Nick will be at Atlantic City. I'll be in Harrisburg, hershey, for three days and that's where everybody will be.
Speaker 2:At those and that's a little bit different. That you'll know what AAU teams, the top-level AAU teams, that's where guys will follow around. It's kind of funny Part of if you want to know what level a guy is, because for us I actually got asked by a guy the other day, what level do you think my son is, and those kind of things actually got asked by a guy the other day like what, what level do you think my son is, and those kinds of things. And it's a little harder for us sometimes to uh evaluate the from the top down in terms of level, because if you think about it, we're trying to always just push the envelope and get the highest, but our, like our ceiling is set by others. So like we're going to take our guy unless somebody gives them a scholarship, right, yeah'm at the scholarship level. I have to know who is at this level, because if I make the mistake and and dip too low, then we're not going to be good enough, right? So we don't really set the level. So it's we look at it a little bit different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, so it it's kind of interesting, but when you go, one of the things we'll look at besides talking to coaches and like who's talking to them uh, particularly the guys that are, that'll move the needle is who's there? Like you watch and say, oh, this guy's telling me he's getting this, but I was at three of his games and no one's there watching, whereas if a guy, a guy is, is kind of a real one, you know what I mean. Like you'll go there and you'll see like four patriot league coaches. You can spot these guys, you can spot these coaches. If you're sitting there watching and you'll see like four Patriot League coaches, you can spot these guys.
Speaker 3:You can spot these coaches if you're sitting there watching and you're looking at, because you know those things like jam packed right and you're just scanning the area and you know those coaches.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, most of them are wearing their school gear. It's pretty obvious and honestly, it's not that big of a Lacrosse gear or field hockey gear apparently, yeah, but of a lacrosse gear or field hockey gear apparently yeah. But I mean, if you, if you think about it, I'm in gyms with these guys all the time. There's not that, there's 1200 colleges and there's, you know, 3600 coaches in the country. So, um, you know a lot of guys, uh, you know most guys, uh, or at least who they are. Um, you may not know them personally, but you've seen them, or you know who they're with uh, or somebody knows who they're with I.
Speaker 2:That's kind of how the coaching world works. Or then you talk to the guy next to you and he knows the guy and said like, like, who's really looking at this guy? Where are they? Well, he's been off, you know, and so it's a lot of part of that. So for us, it's kind of centering on through the next week, like we've kind of probably identified now it's more evaluating and looking at that stuff to know who is really going to be available for us and where are we going to use our best time, who is really higher and then who was on the fence. People are talking, but I don't know If you can get those guys. Those are the guys you want right there. The needle moves. As much as you can, very insightful Speaking of insightful Biz.
Speaker 3:We got an interesting. We got a very interesting fellow that's coming on here today. He's a Juniata basketball class of 2007. This guy is currently the Morgan Academic Center Associate Director for Counseling, eligibility and Compliance for Penn State Athletics. He serves as an academic counselor for men's ice hockey, softball and men's and women's fencing. We need to ask him about that. He also assists with the review of continuing eligibility for NCAA and Big Ten benchmarks, as well as the transfer review process. We need to know more about that. He has been with the Morgan Center since 2017.
Speaker 3:As an undergraduate at Juniata, he majored in social studies and secondary education while serving as team manager and student assistant to the basketball team. After beginning his coaching career at Alfred University, he returned to Juniata, serving as assistant coach from 2008 to 2010. He and his wife, courtney, whom he calls the ultimate teammate, friend and mom, are the proud parents of daughter Kenzie and son Corey Kenzie. 2024 Excel Gold Junior Division State and Regional 7 champion in gymnastics. Corey led his 8U ice hockey team in goals and is one of the top peewee baseball prospects in Center County. Ladies and gentlemen, the man most responsible for Juniata basketball's legacy of seven, please welcome Mr Neil Rager.
Speaker 5:Neil, welcome. How's that for an intro? That is quite the intro. I don't think I've ever gotten that in my entire life.
Speaker 4:That's impressive. You've never been on a podcast this uh powerful just like this correct yeah definitely
Speaker 3:I don't even know where to start.
Speaker 4:I know where we can start, do you? You know one of our old classmates, todd Kolka. Do you come across Todd at all?
Speaker 5:I do. Yep, we are in the same office in the Morgan Center. He's down a separate hallway. But yeah, I see Todd every single day.
Speaker 3:Well, you got to tell Todd on Monday that the Junior at a Basketball Show says hello.
Speaker 5:Yeah, absolutely, I would definitely do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and if he's not a listener?
Speaker 4:he sure as hell better be a listener. Well, he's been mentioned, so let's go he's been mentioned.
Speaker 3:He's got to be on now. Yeah, all right, we got to start here your time at juniata. How did you get to juniata?
Speaker 5:so I got to juniata. Um, I'll be honest, um, one of my older cousins, uh, went there in the late, I'd say mid 90s, um, and always talked about his experience there. And then, actually, coming out of high school, had a couple older friends that went to Juniata and wanted to stay somewhere close from the Evansburg area, about an hour from Huntington. So it was one of those opportunities where I went and visited a number of different schools but felt like going to Juniata, coming out of a small, small high school you know we had like 85 in our graduating class so going to Juniata it was felt comfortable, felt like home. So I think overall was, you know, one of the best choices I made.
Speaker 3:I always wondered about if, going to a smaller school, we went to a big school, relatively big school, right In State College. If you have 85 guys, you're playing every sport possible because they have to have you play the sport right, or they can't play the sport and that's 85 people, so only 50 guys or so.
Speaker 5:Right, yeah, and I'll say I think enrollment now you know I think is at BC is I don't know. I think they graduated like 30 or 40 this past year. So it's definitely low for a Catholic high school. But yeah, I mean enjoyed, enjoyed my time in athletics and knew that was always something that you know, if an opportunity presented itself to kind of stay involved and do some different things, something that I want to want to be able to take advantage of, you know, kind of later in life.
Speaker 3:So did you just wander over to the basketball court and that's how you got involved in this whole craziness? Yeah, no.
Speaker 5:I tell you what. So there is, there is an email you know, I don't know if it still happens. You know daily email announcements, that sort of thing and it was actually Nate Hager was the assistant at that time and they were looking for for a basketball manager and I was like, perfect, I wanted to get into coaching. It's kind of what I wanted to do, like I can make a little bit of extra money. So I go in and I meet with Nate and, you know, in typical Nate fashion, he's talking a job up like this is the greatest thing in the world. And he's like we'll use all your work study, we'll do this and that. Like you know, I'm like this is awesome, like I'll love it.
Speaker 5:Next day he comes in. He's like, hey, he's like we can only give you a little stipend. He's like I was off on the work study part, the way off he hooked, he hooked you, and then he that was like yeah, I'll do it. And uh, you know, like I said that that was my, my freshman year and you know that that really led, uh, you know, you know kind of led into you know, some other opportunities that were given to be a student assistant. Um, you know, and kind of my my sophomore junior and senior year, so it was awesome, it was a good start, so all four years.
Speaker 3:You you were part of the team. Tell us about that team. Who was all on that particular team? That's 2007?
Speaker 1:No you graduated in 2007, right.
Speaker 5:No, that's before right. Yeah, so 2007,. My graduating class Chris Jaziota, aaron Chamberlain, nick Hager, neil Holloway was on that team because he was there for another year. I think who am I forgetting in that class? I mean, I think those were the seniors that year and then we had, like, brent Furco, kyle Opitz, brian Cannon oh okay, All those guys were in their junior year that year.
Speaker 3:Okay, so that team after you left. That's Cannon's senior year. That was a pretty good team.
Speaker 5:Yeah, well, right, we were senior year as well. You were senior okay.
Speaker 2:That was the first year we went to the finals, Probably top to bottom probably I mean heck of a team, and then the guys with his class graduated and then Cannon's group went to the finals again the next year. But I think that junior group, that group, 2007 group, is one of the probably the best teams to ever be here. Ooh.
Speaker 1:One of the best ever I said one up, one up.
Speaker 4:Okay, one up Trying to edge it on something he always leaves the loophole in their tongue.
Speaker 3:So how was it then that you went for? So you went to Alford, when the heck is.
Speaker 5:Alford, so it's in the middle of nowhere in western New York. It's about an hour south of Rochester, all right, and I obviously wanted to get into coaching. They had a graduate assistant spot up there. I think Curls knew, because the head coach was Jay Murphy, scott Cooper was the assistant right Scott Cooper, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Scott is a very, very successful head coach in the Midwest right now. So, yeah, he's done well.
Speaker 1:Oh nice.
Speaker 5:So I was able to get connected with him and went up and visited and said, hey, this would be a cool opportunity to be able to work with another program and see if it's kind of if coaching was was what I wanted to do.
Speaker 3:How different was that program from what Curly has run at Juniata it?
Speaker 5:was significantly different. I think it was a little bit more, I'll say, laid laid back. You know, maybe you know, and again, I think every coach has their own style and personality. But that you know, it was just a you know. Maybe you know, and again, I think every coach has their own style and personality. But that you know, it was just a you know.
Speaker 5:And being at juniata for four years prior to that, I think you know, you kind of knew, hey, you know, this was kind of what you knew of of a program and how it was run. I think it was a good experience to get up there and and work with some different coaches and things like that to kind of see, see their philosophies are, you know, and hopefully kind of take a little bit of what they did. You know, if I wanted to kind of have a career in coaching, you know, obviously I think the more experience, the more people you can kind of surround yourself with, you know, the better opportunities you're going to have in the future. But, yeah, a little bit of a different style than it was at Juniata.
Speaker 3:Than the intensity of Juniata.
Speaker 4:Hardest working team in basketball.
Speaker 3:That's right, biz, that's right, that's right. So how'd they lure you back in? Curly realized, hey, I shouldn't have let this guy go.
Speaker 5:He's getting kneeled back, I don't know. I mean it was I think towards the end of that season and we were talking and there you know there was, you know, possibly an opportunity that would open up where you know the assistant coaching job was going to be available. You know, over the summer and you know something that we talked about and you know just kind of gauged my interest in and you know I think it opened up and went and interviewed in June, I think of that year and probably the most difficult interview I've ever been in in my whole life. Oh, expanded.
Speaker 4:It was, it was a challenge.
Speaker 5:It was good. I mean he he questioned challenge really you know, asked really good stuff and uh, you know it was, I think he was. He was obviously wanting to make sure I was prepared for that role and you know that I knew kind of the obviously the importance of it, cause definitely, you know, definitely a different vibe from being a student assistant to to to be in there and being being a full-time guy and we'll be right back Looking to skyrocket your business's visibility and drive growth.
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Speaker 3:Curly were you trying to?
Speaker 4:break him yeah what's the story behind that.
Speaker 2:Let's go on your side, Biz maybe I should interview you, Biz, and see if you'd make it through. I wouldn't. I don't actually remember that, to be honest, because I think I probably knew I was hiring Rager.
Speaker 3:That's a pretty big statement, though, that he just made there. Something was going on with you.
Speaker 5:I felt like I was going to get the job, but I don't think you ever want to go into a situation and just assume that was going to happen. That's true. You know what happens when the other guy isn't prepared for it.
Speaker 2:The other thing is we're trying to help prepare these guys. So instead of just calling them up and saying, hey, you got the job roll down here, it's better for him to go through that process, prepare, and so when he has the next opportunity or whatever's involved, he, like he just said, it's easier. So that's, that's part of the whole deal. I don't think we interviewed anybody else.
Speaker 5:Did we know? I mean, you don't even remember, I don't think so. I think you told me you were going to, but I don't know if that ever really happened or not.
Speaker 3:So then you get there and it's a wait. A minute Is your, is your first recruiting class, the legacy of seven.
Speaker 5:No, the first recruiting class was like Alex Raymond uh Nate Higgins uh Tim Darnell Wiley and I think Mike Walker was in that in that class. I think those were the first, the first five of that, of that recruiting class. It's pretty good ones in there too Pretty good ones in there.
Speaker 3:So then the next one is the is the big one that you went after. Yeah, five of that recruiting class. It's pretty good ones in there, too, pretty good ones in there. So then the next one is the big one that you went after. Yeah, yep, the next one, and he's given you all the credit for this one. So how does this happen? How does this happen? Who was first? You got seven guys. Let's run down these seven guys and give us your opinions on them from day one when you met them.
Speaker 5:I mean. I on these seven guys and give us your opinions on them from day one, when you met them. Uh, I mean, I don't know probably who committed first, but it's a. I mean, if we just start start with any of them, I would probably start start with hayes first. I think I spent more time in west virginia that year than I have my entire life.
Speaker 4:Um, yeah, hey, that's stuck out with him, though man he uh, he did, he mentioned that yeah.
Speaker 5:I mean, I think that that was a cool opportunity there and and and I think you know one of the things that I think back on, you know, from that kind of the, a big difference from that first recruiting class and that first year to the second year is, you know you were just more comfortable doing it at that point. You know you, you knew you know you knew you were you had a great group of guys that you wanted to bring in and you know really being able just to kind of talk to them about you know how Juniata could benefit them. So you know, from an athletic standpoint, from an academic standpoint, you know, I think that just made it a lot easier. You know, if I think I would have had that transition or you know, kind of come or come to that realization earlier on, maybe that first recruiting class would have been a little bit stronger, but I think it just became a little bit easier in year two.
Speaker 3:So how does this really work? Is Curly and the two of you figuring out the guys you're going to go after? Or are you showing up at a gym and you're calling him, saying holy crow, I just saw this kid in the gym. You got to come down and see this guy. How's it working? Do you already know going in, or are you going somewhere and identifying someone and then calling back to the head guy?
Speaker 5:I mean I think it was a combination of things. I mean I think there were definitely some guys that we knew from talking to coaches from the previous recruiting cycle that hey, you know these are guys you know you want to keep an eye on, you know. So I think the number of the guys were on our radar from the beginning, you know, but you know. But, as coach said, you know just kind of from where he was over the past weekend, you know, going to all these different events and things like that you know, to see so many guys play and get a better sense of who's going to fit with your program and who you want to go after with that. I think it was probably a combination where we had some of these guys identified but then in the summer, that summer going into their senior year probably saw more of them play. Summer going into their senior year probably saw more of them play.
Speaker 5:You know, like I know there was a couple of local guys. You know Pat Cassidy, lucas Malot was in that group as well. You know those guys were local. So I think we probably knew, you know knew about them. You know, probably earlier on in the process. You know Brian Sholly as well, where a guy you know, you know, probably like Jeremy Hayes, trying to think who else was in that class. You know, we probably saw a little bit later, just given that those guys were a little bit further away.
Speaker 2:Dimitri, kevin Snyder and Kevin Stapleton, I think that's everybody. So I mean it's a little bit. There's three I mean first. I mean you evaluate. You go out to camps, clinics, you talk to coaches, evaluate, try to find numbers, then you identify the guys that are going to be the ones you can recruit and then you go recruit. So it's a three-step process and it just depends and it's a mix of both.
Speaker 2:I was trying to remember where we saw Hayes the first time the other day and who saw him. Usually saw Hayes the first time the other day and who saw him usually can remember that if I had a little I was thinking about, I'm sure it'll come to me at some point. But uh, uh, coach Sholly, brian Sholly, was in that group also. You know the more local ones. Um, you know we really try hard here to make sure we're out a lot at local stuff, just so we're around and uh, so we know. So we sort of knew about all these guys for a while. Uh, luke Malottat, southern Fulton, was an exceptionally good program, a single-A program, but very, very, very good. Their coach, who's since now their AD, but was very, very good, and so we knew all those. I think Indiana played at the Hollidaysburg Summer League and that's where we saw Stapleton and Snyder and that's where we saw Pat and I think State College might have been there at that time and so we knew all those guys. Dimitri, do you remember where we saw Dimitri?
Speaker 5:I want to say maybe like at Hoop Group or something like that, I think it was an event you went to and a lot of the events have changed.
Speaker 3:Where's Dimitri from?
Speaker 2:He's from the Richmond area, virginia, that's right.
Speaker 3:That's right, he was the Virginia guy, yeah, so okay, let me ask you this then you have your legacy of seven. We just had our grade eight In their prime. Who wins that game?
Speaker 1:This is like a Mount Rushmore question. That's a tough one.
Speaker 3:It is.
Speaker 5:I mean I would say it's tough for me to judge. I mean, I've obviously seen this past group play in person maybe once or twice, watch them online a little bit, so, you know, really didn't get, you know, have that good of a feel. I mean, I think you know both groups you know were really strong. Obviously, I think with this past group, if you know, if you take out COVID, you know that probably could have changed a lot for them as well. So I think that kind of handicaps, how you want to rank them if they're going up against one another, that'd be an interesting matchup, yeah, and both groups accomplished a ton, so I don't want to take anything away from either group.
Speaker 4:He pulled from his coaching background to answer that. Well done. I don't know. That'd be a good matchup, Because does the seven? Do they have somebody who can match up down low?
Speaker 2:Well, it depends what group, If you allowed Raymond and Higgins to play with that group. But honestly, higgins and Malott were probably the two best post defenders we've ever had by a long shot, and they're not big but their quickness and ability to bother guys I mean elite of elite and two of the toughest best leaders. So there's some stuff there it would be cool to be able to do in their prime. My question is who would have the advantage in game prep and scouting between the assistants, between Nick Hager and Neil Rager? Who would have the edge? That's a good question.
Speaker 4:Yeah, because you guys would have to coach the respective teams, because currently couldn't coach them both right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, huh, in this make-believe game that we're coming up with.
Speaker 2:So I could coach both.
Speaker 5:It'd be, different, that'd be too hard. Honestly, I'd probably have to give that edge probably to Coach Hager. He's definitely got more of the basketball IQ than I do so I'll give him that All right. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Chase would be a hard matchup down there.
Speaker 3:He would be a hard matchup.
Speaker 4:The guards would be a hard matchup.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the guards would be rough.
Speaker 4:It'd be a good game.
Speaker 3:All right, sorry, continue. So how many games do you get back to? You're at Penn State, so you're not too far away.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I don't get back to nearly enough that I'd like to, Obviously. I mean with the kids' schedules, gymnastics, ice hockey, all those different things going on, most of those meets and games and things are on the weekend. So you know, like I said, I'd like to get back more often. But you know, I think with having the games online now, it's always nice, no matter where you're at, you can watch it on your phone or at least follow along, you know, with the live stats and always try to kind of keep a pulse on on juniata basketball nice.
Speaker 2:Do you have a flow sports subscription or not? Did you get flow sports? I did not yet yeah, just do it.
Speaker 4:Uh, do it. Yeah, wait till the season starts and then dump it when those gymnastics lessons are expensive, man.
Speaker 2:We can't be cutting into that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, of course. Again, my kids picked the most expensive sports. Oh yeah, very expensive.
Speaker 4:Hockey stuff? Well, gymnastics. Is your daughter watching the Olympic trials? She is.
Speaker 5:She is actually in Minneapolis for the Olympic trials.
Speaker 1:Oh, no doubt my wife went out. Oh she is. She is actually in Minneapolis for the Olympic Trials. Oh, no doubt. Oh, that's cool.
Speaker 5:Oh, really, On Friday they flew out and got there to watch the women's competition Friday night. They watched the men's championship last night and then they'll be there, that's pretty exciting.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's really cool. That's cool Watching it on TV. Man, that's a cool time of year with the Olympics.
Speaker 3:Hey, do we have anybody at a Juniata who's ever been in the Olympics? Oh, I don't know. Coach, you've got to figure this out, do some research.
Speaker 4:You've got to get them up.
Speaker 2:We need an Olympic special this Olympics starts right, we might have some bar games guys, some bar game finalists for the Olympics.
Speaker 3:That's where it ends, actual Olympics.
Speaker 4:Oh, I could totally be in that one. You guys, you guys called me the shit game champion.
Speaker 3:I could win all this stupid unathletic stuff.
Speaker 4:All right, let's talk about ice hockey here. So do you, do you go to all the games? I mean, are you part of that?
Speaker 5:Yeah, so we're there for for most of the Penn State games. I try to go out to as many of the competitions for the teams that I work with. Obviously, hockey is a sport within our family that we really enjoy. Most weekend series we're there at the rink to watch the guys Again, really cool environment. I don't know if you guys have ever I haven't been yet been to Pagoula for a nice hockey game. It's awesome.
Speaker 4:I had the pleasure of being the first game in Pagoula against Army. That was unbelievable. Nice.
Speaker 3:Oh, against Army, that would be fun.
Speaker 4:And I was at when they made the first NCAA tournament.
Speaker 3:I went down to Cincinnati to watch. That was unbelievable. I've only been there for women's. Remember I had a cousin, Sarah Wilkie, who played for the women's team a couple years ago. Yeah, so that was kind of fun to go see her play there, but I've never been for a men's game. I heard that's a whole other level, it's cool.
Speaker 4:Well now, you have an inside track on tickets, because you are, yeah, we need some tickets for a game?
Speaker 3:Maybe we can. Yeah, we need to time a basketball. Yeah, we need to have an overlap session there, Biz.
Speaker 4:All right, neil, we'll have our people get in touch with you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we'll be in touch. But what else? I mean you're also doing fencing, fencing, yeah, yeah, tell us about fencing they're world-class in fencing too, right, really yes. Are they like wrestling world-class, or are they just?
Speaker 4:where do they sit there? They've won national championships, right.
Speaker 5:Yeah, they have Trying to think the last time. I think they, since I've started working with them, I think they finished runner-up in the NCAAs maybe two or three times, wow, but it's been a program that has been has has been pretty, pretty, pretty successful over the years now, softball had their best year in a long time.
Speaker 2:This year, too, right softball had yeah yeah, yeah, yeah did really well.
Speaker 5:Made the ncaa tournament, um, I think, went one and two in their in their region, but first time they had made made the tournament in a number of years and you know, have a really, you know really strong, strong nucleus coming back for next season as well.
Speaker 4:They have a cool stadium too, man. Huge improvements over the past couple of years. Yeah, they built a stadium behind the IM building, man, it's top notch.
Speaker 5:It is. Yeah, it's really really nice. It's all Big Ten money right there.
Speaker 2:So the big question. So transfer portal on NIL, how's?
Speaker 4:that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get into this one Is that?
Speaker 3:is that becoming a?
Speaker 4:bigger focus.
Speaker 2:For you, your process might be just an ongoing, never ending. Can we get this guy eligible to play or this girl?
Speaker 3:Is that what you're doing? Is that you're the guy who may somebody, wants somebody through the?
Speaker 5:transfer and you have to make sure that it can actually work.
Speaker 5:Not necessarily, I mean, I think it's a it's a multi-step process. I think what you know, what I do in working with our, with our compliance offices, you know we'll take a look at courses, transcripts, things like that from you know, from other institutions of students who are interested in transferring to Penn State and kind of take a look at, okay, how can those credits fall into a major at Penn State? So how can we kind of maximize the credits they've earned at their previous school and also kind of keep them aligned with similar interests in major academic plan, things like that that they were on there. So it's a ton of collaboration, obviously know. Obviously, with our compliance registrar's office, a lot of our college liaisons across campus that really kind of you know provide their insight into their majors and how credits can be utilized and things like that. So you know, I think we've got a really good process and really good people that kind of help our student-athletes who are interested in transferring into Penn State and try to make that as an efficient process as possible for them.
Speaker 4:Now, do you handle all the sports as far as that goes, or are you in with the sports that you cover?
Speaker 5:No, so I'll handle. I work really with all 31 of our sports who are looking at transfer students. So you know, at least from the Morgan Center aspect, kind of the primary contact you know and, like I said, then working with our other resources across campus to you know kind of help with that evaluation process.
Speaker 4:Cool, now do you ever get any outside pressures at all Like, hey, we got to find a way to get this guy in from the from the bigger, I mean it's not.
Speaker 5:No, I would say we haven't. Um, you know, I mean, I think it's always. You know, we're always doing our, our best to to put student athlete in the best situation that they can be academically. So you know, a lot of times it's just, you know, having those conversations, figuring out, you know what they want to do. You know, after graduation and saying, ok, hey, here's, you know, if it's not a specific major that maybe they were looking at previously, hey, here's a different track that you can take that we can still get you to that same same spot in the next. You know, four semesters, six semesters, you know, whatever it is, you know, with their, with their remaining time at Penn State.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, I would say, you know we haven't had any pressure, you know, obviously. You know you want to make. You know, if possible, I want to make every situation kind of work out as best it can for the student. You know, give them the best opportunity. You know. So I think that's you know. I think sometimes we're putting more pressure on ourselves to try to find a solution, but at the end of the day, sometimes it works out exactly as you want and other times it doesn't.
Speaker 3:So what's your real take on this? We'll put Penn State to the side for a minute. You've got these people, especially basketball probably basketball more than anything every year are starting to now jump. So you've got a guy coming into basketball. He plays one year here. Boom, he plays the next year here. Boom, he plays the next year here. Is that going to ruin college athletics? Or what's your take on the future of what's going to happen here, because this is getting a little insane.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I don't know if it's going to ruin athletics. I think we had a conversation the other day of you know where, you know where, where's the, where's the I would say kind of the state of the student athlete in the next five years. You know, I I think that that that aspect of it is going to change. You know, especially, you know footballs, basketballs, you know. You know maybe other revenue producing sports, you know, so it's, it's probably gonna you, you know I'm not a fan of hey one. You know, one year at one school, one year the next you kind of go going along.
Speaker 5:I mean, I guess maybe I have an old school approach where, hey, you know, you, you know you got to find, find that opportunity and you know, if something maybe doesn't work out the way you want it, okay, hey, let's, you know, let's figure out what we can, you know what we can change, what we can adjust, you know. But I think overall it's, you know, it's for the benefit of the student. You know, if they want to make the decision that they feel is best for them, ok, that's, that's great, that that's their decision. You know, I think it's, you know.
Speaker 5:I would say it's probably more more challenging for you know, for for smaller Division I schools and things like that, where they find a really good group of individuals. I know at St Francis a couple years ago, I think, rob Krimmel had a really strong group and four or five of those guys then transferred. It's like if they would have stuck around, what would that have been like and talking to other coaches and other people in our field, kind of saying the same thing. It's just a challenge. But ultimately, you know, you know if I want to go and take a different job tomorrow, I can go and take a different job tomorrow. Yeah, you know. And if they want to move and kind of transition to a different school or play for a different coach, I mean it's, it's a challenge, you know. You don't, you don't want to say hey, no, you can't do that, when you know almost anyone else has has that, has that same opportunity to be able to do so.
Speaker 3:Right, Is the governing body of the NCAA going to fall? I mean, I know that's a big question but like, especially for a Penn, you're at Penn State For football, you have to. I mean, is it going? Is football not going to be under the same governing body at some point, and how would that affect what you do?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean I think it's.
Speaker 5:I think with any sport I mean, there's always going to be a governing body you know, to kind of set policies, regulations, things like that.
Speaker 5:I'm not quite sure, I don't know. I think it would be really difficult for the NCAA to kind of dissolve completely, just kind of, given its history, I think, maybe does their role change a little bit more than what it has in the past. I think that might be. I think maybe we're seeing that a little bit now, but I don't know if it's going to kind of go away 100 percent. You know, I think for the most part maybe we'll kind of continue to see kind of a combination of NCAA policies and then if there is, you know, kind of a governing body, let's say for football or basketball or whatever the case is, where you know they're kind of working, maybe not collaboratively, but kind of have have set policies that everyone kind of agrees upon. Hey, whether it's academics or whether it's recruiting or whatever the whatever the case may be that you know they're still going to have some some standards in in place overall yeah, because I'm starting to get in this school of thought division one football, division one basketball.
Speaker 3:It's almost starting to become semi-pro and the real college sports is happening at the D3 levels. These are the guys that are true student athletes. I don't know, that's a blanketed statement. I don't know if you can say that across the country, but I don't know. I think for Division III sports it actually could potentially help in terms of the competitiveness, in terms of the. I don't know. I think for division three sports it actually could potentially help in terms of the competitiveness, in terms of the the. I don't know. There's something there that I think is it begins the shift. It's going to be more pure at that level.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I think there's. There's just changes. You know it almost feels like like weekly anymore, you know, but again it's, I think right now you know it's kind of small changes. I think you know the next three to five years will really be, you know, probably telling of where you know what the direction of college sports is going to be moving forward.
Speaker 4:I mean pretty soon, the way things are shaking out. I mean, if you're going to bring in an athlete, they almost have to sign a contract because they're getting paid. I mean it's going to go to that right, like, hey, we're going to pay you, but you got to be here two years or something. I think that's where it's going to have to go.
Speaker 3:Could that ever happen, where you actually have a contract that you have to stay somewhere for X number of years because we are investing in you?
Speaker 2:That's what they're working out now. But yeah, I mean I think that's the push. Listen, he didn't realize he was going to get drilled by us.
Speaker 3:on all these NCAA we go deep. Rager's just trying to keep people eligible and make sure they have enough grants. I mean this guy who knows he could be the next president of the NCAA or whatever governing body is going to be there.
Speaker 2:We also don't want to lose the student-athlete model of Rager.
Speaker 4:They don't need an academic advisor if it doesn't matter anymore, yeah, but you know, that's true, you figure it's going to. It's like football and basketball would be the two sports that that would just kind of maybe separate. But for everything else, I mean, you're always going to need, you're going to need the NCAA for the softballs, the hockeys, the fencings. It's just football and basketball are different animals, man, they're money-making, yeah.
Speaker 5:And I think the one part, I mean there's always going to need to be some level of student athlete support. So, whether whether they're they're separation or not, you know maybe, you know, maybe kind of the academic side if it shifts, but there's going to need to be other you know other supports and things along the way with student athletes being on a college campus. So you know, I don't know if our, if our roles will eventually be obsolete or kind of go away, but I think they, you know they're going to continue to adjust. You know, as we move forward. I mean, I think back when I joined the Morgan Center, you know six, seven years ago, I mean it's a little bit different now. There's different conversations that you're having with students and things that are at the forefront every day that we're discussing that. You know, looking back, I probably wouldn't have thought, hey, we're having these conversations now, but you know it's just kind of a change in our role and I think that'll continue to happen, but not, not.
Speaker 4:I don't think our role will ever go away completely. No, I think it's probably even more important now.
Speaker 3:honestly, so are kids coming to you asking advice in terms of NIL money, or is that something that's not in your purview?
Speaker 5:No, that that's not, not in my purview, purview, good work. We'll kind of stick to the academics, what they're, you know what, what's going on on campus, ways that I can kind of continue to help. You know, help, help, help them be successful, um, but you know all that stuff there's, there's so many resources now that are available, um to assist those student athletes in that area that you know those are the individuals who are the experts on on those and not not anything that I obviously I know a little bit about it, but not enough that I would advise anyone one way or the other.
Speaker 2:So do you understand fencing now or not? Do you understand the finer points of fencing?
Speaker 5:A little bit. It's a little bit, I mean it's it's. It's still, it's a. It's a unique sport, you know, and it's more about, I'll say about, kind of honestly, with basketball it's more like a first quick, first step. You know it's not a lot of the moves and things aren't long and drawn out. If you can get kind of the kind of the reach and a quick move like that's going to give you the advantage you know really really within a match, and a quick move like that's going to give you the advantage you know really really within a match. But yeah, no, it's, it's a.
Speaker 5:It's a fun sport to watch and a great great group of students to be able to work with, um, a lot of international students. So I think that's a really cool opportunity to kind of you know, learn, learn from them and their experiences and the areas that you know, that, that, that, that, that that they call home Um, you know that, that, that, that, that that they call home you know. So I think that's you know, for me is always one of the one of the really interesting parts about it.
Speaker 4:Now have you, have you fenced?
Speaker 3:Have you ever gotten in the gear and gone out? You have to have, I would have had never thought about putting the gear. Yeah, I would try the heartbeat.
Speaker 5:I know I'm good, I'm good. My athletic days of doing anything like that are over, so no, that would be the last thing I'd want to try to do.
Speaker 3:Do they have?
Speaker 2:fencing at Juniata. We do not, not that I'm aware of. We might have had it.
Speaker 4:Dude, you were the AD for a while. I mean you probably would have known, right.
Speaker 2:They did not have fencing while I was there.
Speaker 4:Maybe it's a club Club fencing while I was there.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's a club sport.
Speaker 3:Club sport? I'm not sure. Man, if that's a club sport that'd be a good halftime show A little fencing Tom you and I. I'll fence you.
Speaker 4:Neil, can you get us a quick lesson so we can get out there? I can try to.
Speaker 5:I probably have a better opportunity to get you guys to a hockey game than maybe a fencing lesson.
Speaker 2:Than the fencing. Is it the act of fencing, or what is it what's like?
Speaker 4:so you said I'll fence you, is that?
Speaker 2:actually the right uh terminology. Probably do we know any of that stuff?
Speaker 3:no, I'm doubting it, I just make stuff up all right, we're bringing this back around the basketball here. This was pretty fun. Yes, you're. What's your? Take the current state of judugnata basketball. You are a big part of helping grow this program. Where are we today versus where you were when you were there?
Speaker 2:Rager feels like we've gone downhill since 2010. He feels like it's not been the same. I'll throw that out there.
Speaker 4:Besides that, right, I can see it yeah.
Speaker 5:No, I mean I think it's in's, it's in, I mean I, I was I was thinking about this the other day I think I think it's a it's in a much better position. You know, I, I think our, you know, going back to, you know, 2007, 2008,. That that group, you know, I think, really helped, helped, establish that foundation that they really continued to to be able to build upon. And you know, playoff runs and you know, within the conference, ecacs, things like that, I mean, you know those things up until that point hadn't happened, right, you know. So I think the you know the state of where it is right now is really strong and you know, has continued to grow in a really short period of time. Um, and obviously a ton of hard work, um, you know, from from coach and and from Nick and everyone along the way is has really kind of helped, helped it maintain that that strength.
Speaker 3:We have one barrier in front of us, One one hurdle. We have to win a landmark conference championship at an NCAA berth.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:That's that's it. It's a tournament championship.
Speaker 2:We need to win the tournament championship. We've won the regular season.
Speaker 3:Tournament championship, which gives you the NCAA berth.
Speaker 4:I still think it's more weight on the regular season.
Speaker 3:It's not how it works, Biz. You've got to win the tournament.
Speaker 4:Well, I know that I think the system's garbage Thank you, I don't, I don't. You get a team that's a tot for like two days, come on.
Speaker 3:Hey, that's how it works, man. It could be the other way around Juniata could sneak in and then boom out of nowhere wins it.
Speaker 4:I mean they could, but I don't know.
Speaker 3:All right, we got to end with this. You know what we're going to ask you. Oh, mount Rush Rushmore, of junior out of basketball, you are in a very, very interesting perspective that we need to hear from you, need to tell us, even if you want to say all your seven, you can't. You got to give us five, starting five, mount Rushmore.
Speaker 2:Or the Mount Rushmore Penn state fencing.
Speaker 4:You can pick which one you want. You might not be able to do that Might be worse.
Speaker 5:And he actually named five. I don't think I could give a Mount Rushmore.
Speaker 2:I mean five guys, I mean to even leave out anything. How many people are on Mount Rushmore? I thought there were only four.
Speaker 1:There's only four. We expanded our Mount Rushmore.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we can't just have four.
Speaker 2:The all-time starting five. My fault. Where have I been you?
Speaker 4:can put yourself on there. I mean, you recruited one of the best classes in the school history.
Speaker 3:It's not limited to just guys on the court. It's guys who have made the biggest impact in the program. I don't know.
Speaker 5:I think that's way too challenging of an ask. I mean, there's been so many great players along the way would definitely be be leaving so many people off who deserve that. You know, and I know my my phone would be be blowing up with with calls and texts and things like that. So, uh, that's the point.
Speaker 2:You're supposed to do it. You have to do that right. You can't get out of this.
Speaker 3:Hager started all this.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's nonsense. How about this, though? I'll make it easier for you. What's your non-player? Mount Rushmore, that's a little easier. Non-player Guys who have made the biggest impact that never stepped foot on the court or maybe they did, but you're giving them props for their non-playing portion. All right, I can do that all right, probably right now.
Speaker 5:So obviously, starting off with with coach curly, um, you know, with the foundation, the years that he's been there and so the success that he's had, that's definitely number one. Um, I would probably say coach black, um, because he's he's been around around the program and has had a ton of influence on that From a supporting standpoint. Ed Mansberger is probably on that list and then I'd probably definitely go with Nick Hager is on there as an assistant, just kind of with his time there, and then number five, I mean, if it's non-play his time there.
Speaker 4:And then number five. I mean, if it's non-players, we could keep them at four.
Speaker 3:No, no, biz, we got to push them because this is where the real this is the real knowledge I tried to get you out of this one. We need one more.
Speaker 5:I'm definitely not, definitely not putting myself on there. Um, so I don't know. I'd probably have to say Jen Curley.
Speaker 4:She's been there every single way. That's a good answer. I was thinking that one.
Speaker 2:Rager always knew how to work the system. He knew where to go to get the love. Look at this guy.
Speaker 3:Jen gets her first shout out for Mount Rushmore in Juniata basketball.
Speaker 2:Rager's always been the favorite assistant coach. That's the way it goes.
Speaker 3:That's the way it goes, Curly. How many assistants have you had in your 24 going on?
Speaker 2:I'd have to count them up. We forgot Shawls in there. Coach Shawley, Nate Hager We've got a ton of non. I would also say out of the student assistant managerial role, Travis Raup, Wade Brstetter are two of the three all-time greats in that role. We have one right now in Alex Mullen too. Obviously, you see what Neil's done and just hear him talk about what he does and how bright he is, obviously, and why he does so well where he is. What he's not saying is he was the Penn State athletic staff person of the Year. Ooh, Last year, the year before, for the entire organization, that's impressive.
Speaker 2:You know that's not doing it at. You know Walmart Tech or something like that. That's a pretty high level. Those are only top quality people over there, so that says something. So we've been incredibly fortunate.
Speaker 2:Honestly, the value of somebody in those roles is exponential and Neil knows that. You know what Alex brings to us now, what all those guys did, the behind the scenes work. They're as much a part of the team as anybody. I think clearly, when he says his phone's going to blow up, that's part of it. Right, those relationships are the same and I think it goes along with what we talk about. You know, all roles matter and they all matter immensely to what you're doing and you can't let what other people define as what matters and what doesn't impact what you do on a daily base. I think people behind the scenes really understand and know that and it's the power of kind of college athletics and those kinds of connections and what it does and where it goes from there.
Speaker 2:So you know, in terms of that list and those guys, reggard is clearly he would be the big face in the middle with little ones behind him for what he's impacted here. You know and he his work, you know organization how hard he worked to get those guys. I mean that kind of kept us going. He got here when we hadn't. It was like we got to get there, we got to get there and he saw us actually kind of break through and have success and then perpetuated and continued to do that. So yeah, I mean he's understating that stuff. Now he should step up and talk about the players, but he's not going to do that. That's fine, we'll let him off.
Speaker 3:All right, neo, I mean that was good, that was good. So here's what I got out of it. We got to coordinate a Juniata basketball game with either hockey or fencing, whichever you want to go to Miz, all right.
Speaker 4:Well, I won't go to hockey.
Speaker 5:It's fencing a mean, it's a sport. It goes across both fall and spring semesters, so they typically start sometime like around in November, and then their NCAA championships are in March.
Speaker 3:All right, bess, maybe we could hit all three, why not? We'll coordinate. All right, people. Follow the show on Instagram at Juniata Basketball Show. Subscribe to the Juniata Men's Basketball Show on Apple Spotify or maybe listen to podcasts. Leave us a comment on Instagram. And until next time. That was Neil Rager, the mastermind of the legacy of Sabbath, on with us today. We loved it. All right, I'm Tom Frank, I'm Biz, I'm the head coach, greg.
Speaker 4:Curley Boom. Awesome, there we go. That was fascinating.
Speaker 3:That was fascinating. No-transcript.
