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!
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Juniata Men's Basketball Show
Beyond the Court: Alumni Weekend Part 2
Join us for part 2 of our heartfelt journey through the legacy of Juniata basketball irecorded during a vibrant alumni weekend. Delve into the deep-rooted bonds of our Juniata family, including Nate DaCanal, Cameron Keck, John Kelly, Chase Husted, Jeremy Hayes, Evan Eisenhart, Dino Brown, Kohl Bernarding, and Gabe Guidinger as they share their personal experiences on the court and beyond. From light-hearted banter recalling past games to honest reflections on individual and team performances, we explore the significance of alumni connections and traditions.
Hear firsthand insights from alumni and coaches about the challenges facing the current team and their aspirations for the program's future. This episode invites listeners to celebrate shared memories and reflect on what it truly means to be part of the Juniata basketball community.
🎧 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 go! 🏀
I'm Tom Frank. I'm Drew Beskett.
Speaker 2:I'm the head coach, greg Curley.
Speaker 1:And this is the Junior Atta Men's Basketball Show. Alright, junior Atta Nation, let's dive right back into part two of our alumni weekend episode. Get ready to hear more of the amazing alumni that are part of our men's basketball family.
Speaker 3:Those are pretty good man. Each group of players is in their own one.
Speaker 1:I think we got everybody that came in, everybody that is here, is on there. Yeah, alright, we're going to start by introducing yourselves.
Speaker 4:Nate Dugganow, class of 2021.
Speaker 5:My name is Cameron Keck, also class of 2021. So you guys played together, we did.
Speaker 1:We had one team blue, one team gold, team gold.
Speaker 5:We were kind of upset about it, to be honest.
Speaker 3:I learned from last year.
Speaker 4:I was upset, but I'm not upset anymore.
Speaker 5:He was going to demand a trade this morning, by the way.
Speaker 1:I would have been open. Who would I have traded?
Speaker 3:I let him coach. We had a couple plans. What were your?
Speaker 1:plans. I would like to hear this. Yeah, let's hear behind the scenes.
Speaker 5:I don't know if we should say it yeah, let me see if I would have agreed to it.
Speaker 6:I think there were some talks of trading Ev for myself.
Speaker 3:Ooh.
Speaker 1:That was a trade show, all right, that would have been an interesting trade. I hope you listened to that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that.
Speaker 1:That would have been an interesting trade. I hope you listened to that. Yeah, that would have been a very interesting trade. The agents would have gotten involved. Here's where I thought my problem was. I had a bunch of shooters who all liked to shoot and who were all the lead shooter on their given era. Yes, so it was a little bit of like who should shoot at any given time.
Speaker 5:And we just went cold.
Speaker 1:We were cold and we were cold. Yeah, what do you think the shooting percentage was?
Speaker 5:From three. I'd say maybe 12%, 15%. You think it was that bad?
Speaker 1:I think you're probably right. It was pretty bad how about.
Speaker 4:We shot about 30%. We probably hit five.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we were on it man, Once we started getting in the lead, we got a lot of shots Once we started working
Speaker 1:out great shots.
Speaker 3:Actually we were on it, man. Once we started getting in the lead, we got a lot of shots. Once we started working out good shots, Actually there were a lot of really good shots.
Speaker 1:We had open shots all day long Open shots.
Speaker 5:Even the last one. We were down with the open look Damon had.
Speaker 1:I thought it was great, look, I was already running down the court.
Speaker 4:Yeah, when the shot went up, I thought that was in. It was on target I thought that was in.
Speaker 1:It was on target.
Speaker 4:That's how it should have ended. No no not at all. I don't know about the clock situation at the end of the game. That was a little sketchy. Yeah, that was sketchy. Were we going back on the clock.
Speaker 5:No, I think it was.
Speaker 1:we had, I thought, it was 5 seconds on the clock it was like 4.7, yeah. Yeah, that's what he was wrong at that point it was a late whistle, a lot of clock-eyed discrepancies. I'll say it again the refereeing was terrible, terrible refereeing.
Speaker 3:Actually, what happened to the other official? The other official had a high school game he had to officiate.
Speaker 1:He did, but how do you know that?
Speaker 4:He just woke up and realized that the game you can't do that.
Speaker 3:I mean, hey, man, I don't disagree with you.
Speaker 9:Very upsetting. I think that helped our guys.
Speaker 10:I told the guys there's only one ref.
Speaker 3:He's not going to see it all. Oh, so you cheated.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he cheated. How many times do you guys get back? Do you get back for every alumni? You were both here last year.
Speaker 4:We've been back since we've graduated Every year. Yeah, I think the first year though there wasn't a game, it was just me. We just kind of came out and just watched Juniata.
Speaker 5:Yeah, Okay, but oh no, I always we have the same. We've had the same Airbnb for three years now, the lady always looks forward to us, oh, that's cool when we get it and stuff. Yeah, it works out.
Speaker 3:Now how many guys jump into that?
Speaker 4:I think we have this year probably eight, and it definitely does not sleep in.
Speaker 3:It works out. It's awesome, that's good. Well, that's pretty cool that you guys can all just get together Cuddle up with the guys.
Speaker 5:It's a guys weekend. You need that.
Speaker 2:You need that every once in a while.
Speaker 3:Hey, just give me a corner of the room and something soft to sleep on. I'm fine.
Speaker 5:I'll try just a pillow on the floor.
Speaker 1:I'm good man this is a good time though Alumni weekend every year.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, you got a nice bag.
Speaker 1:No, it's awesome.
Speaker 4:Especially with you guys kind of enhancing it. It's been great.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 3:We got the live show this year, but we figured this might not have been the year.
Speaker 1:This might not have been the year for that.
Speaker 3:What do you guys think of this year?
Speaker 4:Do you watch the team regularly. I myself have watched, but I follow the scores usually every night or every week. I'll just check in to see how they're doing.
Speaker 5:I've watched a couple games. I talked to Curly briefly. I think the team's talent, like talent wise, I think you think they have it. It looks like it's there just when you're playing. So young, yeah, and I don't think people like I don't think a lot of people realize how hard it is to like win a basketball game, like just in general, like it is very very hard and when and when things don't align and you've got young guys and trying to put it all together, you can have seasons where it turns out where it's just like, yeah, it's hard.
Speaker 4:I do see they're very young, so I hope they stick with it and come out on the other side. I mean, I think they will.
Speaker 1:I mean you're going to figure out. You're going to figure out who sticks with it and who doesn't.
Speaker 3:This kind of thing really can weed out, because they've got a lot of freshmen. How many?
Speaker 1:freshmen Eight, ten, nine, ten.
Speaker 5:It's a tough league.
Speaker 3:That's another thing.
Speaker 5:The teams are so like Scranton Drew, I mean they're always good. The transfers guys coming in guys staying for five, six years, like they're just always good Well, it seems like everybody else, this year is like Juniata was last year. All seniors, they got all the everybody's back and it's like top-loaded.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of like graduate students too.
Speaker 1:What's up with that? Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3:Is this the last COVID?
Speaker 2:Is this that? Yeah, I think is this the last covid.
Speaker 4:Is this the last year? Well, I mean it's got to be close, because covid happened.
Speaker 1:Our senior year and we've been out of school what four years. I think this is the last, so it's got to be close. Yeah, you know what team we never talk about that I personally hate more than any other team. What catholic, oh, yes, yeah why do we not like? I don't like catholic but you guys also.
Speaker 5:Yeah, they're very good who was on their team our freshman year? Who was the guy?
Speaker 4:Yeah, he played in the G League.
Speaker 7:Oh, really yeah.
Speaker 4:After he played at Cal. He was very good. We actually beat him twice, though.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we beat him to go to the conference championship.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't know if it's currently a research story, but I think was it Will.
Speaker 5:Yeah, knocked his tooth out. Oh no, tell us the story. I was. It was like during the game.
Speaker 13:It was home, it was at Juniata, it was the conference Conference semifinals, yeah, semifinals.
Speaker 5:And you know Curly always found a way to get fired up and stuff and would talk about him. You know he's a great player. I remember Will like I can't remember how he knocked it out Eleanor or something knocked it out, flew across the court. His mom was down grabbing his teeth off the court, oh my God, and we ended up beating him.
Speaker 1:It was like how many teeth did he lose? I think just one. I think just one. I was thinking teeth.
Speaker 7:Well, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3:He's a good storyteller.
Speaker 5:Yeah, absolutely Lots.
Speaker 3:Lots of teeth, yeah.
Speaker 5:But I don't know, that was probably. That was a fun year, man, that was a really fun year. That was a fun year, yeah.
Speaker 1:You guys had good teams. I mean, yeah, did you ever have any bad years?
Speaker 4:Our junior year. Our junior year was kind of a little rough year, but we started out what?
Speaker 8:did you say we?
Speaker 4:were. I think we were like every game we just lost some close games. The ball didn't bounce our way a few times, but but I think it. You know. Then our senior year was covid and we ended up only playing six games. Yeah, that's right, you guys were in that. We had a very good team.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I, just I, yeah and we're able to develop a full season. Yeah, I think if we would have had like a normal you know out of conference schedule and then went into conference, like I think, we would have really had a good year. Just the way it worked out that was just a weird stupid. Yeah, it was exactly, it was yeah, but beyond me I can't even, especially now. You guys sitting here, we're like what's right, you don't even hear about this stuff anymore yeah not at all, no just yeah, it just completely went from one thing yeah
Speaker 5:no fans.
Speaker 4:We played with masks on it was a weird year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was gonna say man, you're uh the one picture there's a guy with a mask shut up, he's got yeah, we would play like on a friday night against drew here and then saturday at drew.
Speaker 4:That's how we would do the games.
Speaker 5:It'd be friday, saturday, oh how do you even like it was the weirdest thing?
Speaker 4:because, we played at home, then we had to drive to Drew because there was no staying over in hotels, and then it would be like next Friday it would be home versus Catholic or like vice versa at Catholic it was a weird year and only a few teams were in the league that year. Some teams just decided not to play. We did make the playoffs. I think there was five teams in a row that took four.
Speaker 1:So we did get in. So the one team who didn't really has got to be ashamed of itself.
Speaker 5:But it was just. I think I told you guys before. I remember somebody had a mask down during our preseason oh, yeah, this is good. I remember the story I remember. Curly texted us and was like we need to have a meeting. We met and he was serious at the time obviously, and I remember he was like who?
Speaker 3:has your mask now.
Speaker 5:And I was like nobody was standing up. I was like I'll just take the plane. And I stood up, took a beat for a little bit.
Speaker 3:Do we have one to this day who actually did it?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I got suspended.
Speaker 3:You had to shoot outside, or right? Yeah, yeah, I got suspended, you had to like shoot outside or something.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I was down at the park behind lines shooting around, you know. But it was like, yeah, I understand it because, like you had to, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's just the way things were, but yeah it's weird I was like yeah, that was crazy.
Speaker 4:To answer your question, I don't know who actually had their mask down. Who actually had their match down. Has it ever been?
Speaker 5:I don't think it's ever been Anybody that was on the team. You know what?
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, I might have left shortly after.
Speaker 1:So you know, you don't have to say. You don't have to say I was in the gym, I was in the gym. We'll keep it under wraps.
Speaker 5:I don't even remember the names, that's fair. It definitely didn't turn out like they didn't play all four years.
Speaker 1:How did you guys as players when they had the alumni game, what was that like? Having the guys that maybe you didn't really know that well, but you knew of the names from?
Speaker 4:practice.
Speaker 1:How was that having them? Here, and having them at the game. Was there any extra juice in those games? What was that like?
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure, actually, sure, actually, we just talked about that back in the airbnb that our junior year, like we just said, we you know we didn't have the best record yeah, and we played, drew. I think they were number one in the league at the time. Yeah, it was at home. Probably on paper they were a better team, but that was another game at home. I think we ended up losing by. We just looked at the score, it was like four points or something. That was a game that we probably could have won, should have won, but also a game we probably shouldn't have been in. But with the extra motivation, the extra crowd noise, it was always fun. It was always good to just hear the names too and put faces to the people that.
Speaker 5:Coach.
Speaker 4:Curley would talk about was always pretty neat.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you hear the stories about guys playing with torn ACLs you know what I mean and it's like, hey, that's that guy.
Speaker 2:He gives you definitely a little bit more juice.
Speaker 5:So I'm hoping today we can.
Speaker 3:That's what I was going to get to. Do you think that's going to happen today?
Speaker 4:I guess I only know the seniors, I just know because they played. We didn't play with any of them anymore. Yeah, I would love to. I'd love, you know just shaking their hands after the alumni game, just telling them good luck. Yeah, Hopefully that means something to them and brings some energy to the gym.
Speaker 11:Yeah.
Speaker 4:We need a win today. We need a win.
Speaker 1:We got to have a good one. This is the game. This is the game. If we can win one Alumni weekend two, it's Scranton, scranton.
Speaker 4:And we didn't play. Looking at the scores, we didn't play Scranton horribly the first time. No, it was a close game. It was a close game.
Speaker 1:A lot of games. Well, some of them have been blowouts, some of them have been very close. I guess you can't say much about that, but I think they got it yeah.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I just yeah, I hope they they just figure it out and just buy in commit, whatever that means. But because you like I'm hoping they see like the connections here and they're like, okay, this, the guys have figured it out. Like we just need to figure it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Put it together and go from there.
Speaker 1:What I think is pretty cool is obviously you guys all have your own classes. Yeah, you have guys that you know better, but when you watch even the alumni game on the court, you guys all kind of still run. You all know what each other is going to do just because you're all in the same program together, it's pretty cool to watch.
Speaker 4:It's funny too. I think it's probably the only alumni game in America that the score's in the 50s, because there's actually playing hard defense.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying. I that's what I'm saying. I've never seen a game like defensive effort in it, just a fun.
Speaker 1:I'm like these guys don't want to take it. I don't think we had as much defense last year.
Speaker 4:No, I think the score was in the 80s.
Speaker 1:last year it was actually 80 on the dot.
Speaker 4:Did you get?
Speaker 1:to 80?
Speaker 4:Yes I called a timeout at the end of the game Because we pressed, yeah, we pressed, we got to 80. We did do that.
Speaker 1:I still am the all-time leading coach with the most points Points Ever in the alumni All right.
Speaker 3:Congratulations. Thank you, you're welcome. I still have that record. We're still one-on-one. We're one-on-one, there we go.
Speaker 5:How was Curly when he was younger, when you guys were growing up and stuff like that, was he as intense, intense, serious, yeah?
Speaker 1:oh yeah, oh yeah, that's what I mean not intense, not intense, extremely intense, right, yes, but that's why it works. That's why it worked yeah oh yeah, he'd get.
Speaker 3:We do uh friday night play friday night uh touch football, yeah, at uh where we'd go on campus and play. Oh, yeah, he'd be. He was way intense in those games, like I'd be the first and second down quarterback and if I threw him a ball on second down he'd like drop it so he could be the first and second down quarterback. And if I threw him a ball on second down, he'd like drop it so he could be the third and fourth down quarterback.
Speaker 1:Yeah he's very intense guy. He also was a lot shorter than okay, he was skinny too, like jumped up out of nowhere he did like him and I were always at the same height. Yeah boom, I don't know what happened wow I don't know.
Speaker 5:I just remember when I was on my recruiting visit here, there was only one, I only had one basketball school. I was a junior a bunch of football schools and I remember and I remember he like called me up because I was being recruited for football too, and he called me up to his office to stop in and we sat down like his table and he just looked at me and he was like so when you, when you come? And I was just like looking at my mom, looking like, uh, I'm not sure, yet you know this thing.
Speaker 7:And he's like okay, yeah he's just like that laser b, it's like michael jordan kobe bryant actually curly.
Speaker 3:Uh, he helped me get better in my golf career because these guys all worked at you know, Toff Trees and State College.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that's where we all worked, so they were on the grinds and I didn't because.
Speaker 2:I didn't want to wake up that early.
Speaker 3:But they got to play free, like 4 or 4.30 every day. Yeah Well, curly, all he wanted to do was go work on his game like hoops. Yeah, all he wanted to do was go work on his game like hoops.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there were three of them. This was Curly. It was nice to play.
Speaker 3:So he helped me with my golf career because he was so dialed into his hoops career. That's awesome yeah.
Speaker 1:The problem with playing at Toff Trees as a guy who worked there is I always had to turn the water on right, so we'd turn it on at the tee and you had to make sure you got to the green and off the green in like three to four minutes. Okay. So now to this day, when I play golf, I'm always waiting for people because I don't take practice swings. I hit the ball, I run to my next ball, boom, boom, boom, I'm off the tee because, that's how we always play.
Speaker 1:People are always looking at me like what's wrong with you? Enjoy it. I'm like I don't know.
Speaker 9:I got to hurry I got to get to the next hole.
Speaker 1:That's how we played golf. Some people would appreciate that nowadays it's such a popular sport, people would take it.
Speaker 4:There's nothing worse, it was a very nice course, I really enjoyed that course, I think it was the first year after we graduated. You went to top trees, the ones we graduated with.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we all just met up there and played up there. We had some good times at Top.
Speaker 1:Tours. Carly didn't like to drive the cart so I was always the designated driver. But unlike Carly, I don't like following the rules, so I was all over the place. I can't tell you how many times. Carly probably flew out of the cart.
Speaker 3:Well, that's because he knew how to rig the governor too.
Speaker 5:We'd crack that governor. Yeah, you know that. Rigged the governor. That's awesome, that's sweet.
Speaker 4:That's what we need to do. We need to have an alumni golf outing All right, that's next. Raise some money for the basketball program.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right.
Speaker 4:If that's allowed, I don't know if you can even do that.
Speaker 3:There's a golf course here right With the Whatever the hell, we want, oh yeah, the golf course of the year is very nice, the Huntington Country Cup.
Speaker 4:We actually have two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I thought that was really good so what was the other?
Speaker 4:one called Scotch Valley.
Speaker 5:Huh, what was the other golf course called? I don't know. It was bought and then they changed the name of it.
Speaker 3:But it was nice, it was cool. So we just can't do it. Just come out to Pittsburgh, do we draft?
Speaker 1:teams Do it the same way. Maybe we do that.
Speaker 3:I'm a little bit more at a disadvantage of that.
Speaker 1:I don't remember the last time I swung a golf ball If you know what a handicap is that could hurt or help you. That's true. I can still drive the ball though.
Speaker 11:I'm sure you can?
Speaker 1:Alright, guys, we've got to get, that's true I can still drive the ball though.
Speaker 2:I'm sure you can.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm going to drive it. All right, guys, We've got to get a win today. Yes, we've got to get loud, we've got to figure this out.
Speaker 4:Throw stuff at the Scranton guys, yeah, we'll be loud Make sure, yeah, let's make sure we're there, we'll be loud.
Speaker 5:We'll sit behind a bench, probably say a few things to the other team.
Speaker 1:Encouragement some discouragement, wait now are you sitting behind Juniata or behind the opponent?
Speaker 5:It might work to sit behind. I don't know, We'll probably sit behind Juniata.
Speaker 7:If we sit behind the opponent. We can have a runner, like when they're drawing up plays somebody runs over and tells Curly Quick, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm not wearing a G&N. That's what we need.
Speaker 3:FaceTime right. Yeah, sits behind their bench with FaceTime, FaceTime, facetime, yeah.
Speaker 5:It's going to be a cross screen, cross the middle.
Speaker 1:Here you go Double that Curly. They're going to bring in a Danzig off the bench.
Speaker 3:Another. Maybe they made not another one.
Speaker 1:We were just talking about too many Danzigs in the world. We played against two.
Speaker 4:We played against two of them. Yeah, Everybody has a Danzig.
Speaker 5:Yeah and they look the same Kind of play, the same Play the same.
Speaker 4:I mean they were very good, yeah, they were Whatever, we got to beat them today.
Speaker 3:We got to beat them today.
Speaker 4:Screw Scranton. Not a podcast to talk about Scranton.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:All right, you guys got to go tag the next two guys. Well, I appreciate it. Thank you guys for keeping us going. You know what Get us? The team blue. Yes, sir, team blue. Yes, we're keeping the same teams except for Doug, no, because he's the magic potion.
Speaker 3:I know, We'll figure this out.
Speaker 4:Hey, Doug make sure you sign my shirt over there. Yeah, sign the shirts. We'll design the shirts, we'll do it. I appreciate you guys. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3:Get the two team captains over here. I will.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we need the team captains. Thank you, yes, sir.
Speaker 3:Seriously appreciate it, we have fun. We're talking about keeping the teams the same for next year.
Speaker 1:Hold on, are you? We should? No, I'm recording. I started recording right away, we'd be fine. So we have the two captains of the team Two team captains, introduce yourselves.
Speaker 8:John Kelly, class of 2022.
Speaker 10:Chase Husted, class of 2024. Winning alumni today with our coach Biz here, Team Gold.
Speaker 1:Team Gold what happened 54-52. What?
Speaker 3:happened, john Kelly, what?
Speaker 8:happened. I mean, it was a tight game the entire way, it was a tight game it was. I mean, the 10-point spread was kind of crazy. But just down at the end couldn't make shots, that's all.
Speaker 3:Happens A lot of early ridicule on my draft Chase, and you know you're part of that this year.
Speaker 1:So they were ridiculing us.
Speaker 10:There was a lot of ridicule. I thought it was fair they were. I think they counted us out at first.
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely counted you out. Oh yeah, Just a disrespect.
Speaker 10:I think you got the guys fired up on team goal.
Speaker 3:I think it did. Yeah, the 10-point spread was out of control. I didn't set it. You know the guy who sets it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, it was a good game.
Speaker 1:Here's what we're debating. Do we run it back next year with the similar teams, year with the similar teams? There might be a couple of new guys guys who aren't here I kind of think we do, I agree.
Speaker 10:It was an even squad, I think teams were here.
Speaker 8:It was very even.
Speaker 1:It's a good game 54-52 final Can't get much better than that. There'll be some new guys that we'll have to bring in. There'll be some guys who probably won't be here.
Speaker 3:I think it all works out.
Speaker 1:I think we do it.
Speaker 3:We say whoever's here, we keep, and then we draft the new guy. All right, all right.
Speaker 10:Yeah, I like it, I agree, I like it. Good call there, you guys are the captains, so you'll be.
Speaker 8:We wanted to think about making Engel the captain. He was the MVP out there.
Speaker 1:But you're stepping down as captain.
Speaker 8:No, I'm not stepping down. You know what I'm saying? Fitz, out there, he did.
Speaker 1:You provided him a little spark. You took a shot at him at one point.
Speaker 8:Many times.
Speaker 3:The one time you dropped him, you hit him in the head.
Speaker 10:I did get a head and a nut shot at the same time. I think John got me high and I think Kyle Ruggery got me low.
Speaker 3:Those small guys, man, they always come in low.
Speaker 1:They were coming after you, which is what is supposed to happen.
Speaker 10:I was ready for it.
Speaker 1:And you did hit your free throws. You were the only guy on that team to hit free throws. The free throws at the end scared me. Chase is my catalyst in it.
Speaker 10:They were Kept it a scary game, but pulled out with the win. That's all you can ask for in a game like that.
Speaker 1:Here's what we have to do with this group of four. You haven't announced your MVP of the game. Oh, the MVP of the game You've got to give it to just one guy, Chase.
Speaker 3:who are we giving it?
Speaker 1:to. I have thoughts.
Speaker 3:I have a thought, I have a thought. What do you think he's good? Yeah, I agree, I like Gabe, ricky had a good game too.
Speaker 10:I think all around Gold Squad everybody.
Speaker 1:I mean Griffin-Lacarge defense. No, Griffin-Lacarge defense, the other day.
Speaker 10:Yeah, on Jeremy Hayes, that's a tall task.
Speaker 3:Hayes had a couple balls and then I said Griff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can't dance around this, you need one MVP.
Speaker 3:I mean we're going to get you know Griff, everybody played great.
Speaker 13:He knows.
Speaker 3:You know, but I think Team the guy who there's no team, it's an MVP, it's all team, the guy who stood out just a slight bit above everybody else, a slight bit Gabe Gidding.
Speaker 1:I agree. Gabe Gidding Good call, so he'll be our second winner of the MVP. I think we need a trophy next year.
Speaker 3:An actual trophy for the MVP and I think we need a trophy for the game. All right, I'm in on that. The captain gets to keep the trophy, all right.
Speaker 1:It's like the Stanley Cup, but I think it's something special like.
Speaker 10:It needs to be something. What symbol? A big golden eagle.
Speaker 3:Tom's got that kind of money we're going to go buy a cheap eagle and I'll spray paint it gold.
Speaker 1:It's got to be kind of weird.
Speaker 3:Does Coach Curley have any sayings like row the boat or pound the sledgehammer?
Speaker 1:Coach Curley has a bunch of sayings Is there anything that is like an object, an object, a hammer, like you know, build it with bricks.
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 10:Everything turns on a trifle.
Speaker 8:Everything turns on a trifle. What the hell is a trifle?
Speaker 10:Oh, that's the question Curley asked you. There's your homework. That's exactly what he would say.
Speaker 1:What is a trifle?
Speaker 8:No, he would tell you that you're home for the next practice.
Speaker 1:Oh, we all ask for a trifle. We're going to come back and say what a trifle is.
Speaker 8:Yeah, all right, we should Can a trifle be a trophy no, no, probably not, definitely can't.
Speaker 3:All right, does he do anything with like shovels or anything? No, no shovel.
Speaker 10:No hammer.
Speaker 8:I'm saying I mean, when Duck was playing too, he had something about ropes, but Ropes Hold the rope, or something like that. Oh he did, but that's on a stable one. That was like Duck brought that in.
Speaker 10:All right, he did quote.
Speaker 12:hold the line from From what was it? Braveheart? Yes, braveheart, hold the line. Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1:Braveheart.
Speaker 10:Maybe, it's something a A.
Speaker 1:Celtic something or other.
Speaker 8:Oh, Scottish Celtic.
Speaker 1:You get a kilt, a golden kilt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's not a bad idea. The captain's got to wear that knight.
Speaker 3:That knight no the captain wears the.
Speaker 1:MVP, not the captain.
Speaker 8:The MVP. I was going to say I'm definitely losing every game.
Speaker 1:All right, how about the MVP?
Speaker 3:And then we can decide who to get the MVP to. I agree, you don't have to wear it like tradition, you just got to have it on. No, you have to wear it traditionally. You could just do like a hard hat.
Speaker 8:Dude, we don't want to see that.
Speaker 10:The hardest working team, the hardest working team. Heart, a gold heart.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was their. Heart, you guys break the heart, right yeah break it down on heart.
Speaker 8:All right, we'll do a heart A giant.
Speaker 1:The hard hat's cool. The hard hat's cool. The gold hard hat. A golden one with an eagle, a heart, yeah.
Speaker 8:A heart eagle. Yeah, you can do all the decals.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll do all the decals.
Speaker 3:I'll take care of this. Yeah Well, you're the creative guy, all right, he's a genius.
Speaker 1:So we play the alumni game we're hanging out here. This is cool Game. Afterwards, what do we got to do to get a win?
Speaker 10:Hey man, it's just what I said the other day on the podcast. Just got to hone in. You know these guys have been here for four years. They've been through it. Look up in the stands, look at these guys.
Speaker 1:They're here to support you. You got to have a presence there Absolutely Right behind the bench Right behind the bench.
Speaker 10:All game, supporting them on, you know, giving them a little push, you know that's what they need to do.
Speaker 8:Get some good sound bites from Coach Curly too, for sure. Now you guys are pretty close.
Speaker 3:Like you haven't been here in a long time. I'm wondering if there's stuff that he'll say there's like guys from like three different classes, like I remember that.
Speaker 8:Like, does he keep it different for every game? Yeah, I mean, stuff doesn't change for the most part, right? He keeps it the same year in, year out, For sure. So yeah, we definitely know kind of what's going on when we're watching. So that's good All right, yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean 20? What 23 years? This is 24 for him 20 years, 24,.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing. All right let's get the win today. I hate Scranton yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 10:God.
Speaker 8:I hate Scranton, I hate those.
Speaker 10:Royals Hate them.
Speaker 3:The Royals, the Royals. What is the Royals? Kansas City.
Speaker 1:I got to change our focus for a minute, but John Eagles or Commanders Eagles.
Speaker 8:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:What shirt do you have on underneath?
Speaker 8:John, it's a green shirt. It's like a sports league shirt, but it's not an Eagles shirt. I have my jersey and my hat.
Speaker 1:Give me a prediction of score right now.
Speaker 8:Well, selfishly, I need five and a half, so let's go. 28-21.
Speaker 1:28-21. Is that what the spread?
Speaker 8:was or did you tease me? No, that's what I got. I put it in on Monday. I feel very confident about it.
Speaker 1:28-21? Yeah, I don't feel confident. For you I'm going to say 31-28,.
Speaker 8:Commandos. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely going to be a challenge. For sure, chase is quiet. His team's over in Cancun. The Steelers.
Speaker 10:Chase. Yeah, a little vacation in Mexico.
Speaker 1:Now did I tell you I'm going to the game? No, way.
Speaker 3:As long as Mike Tomlin's there, that's where we'll be. Listen to what happened.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I've got to give a shout-out to my cousin Tim Frank Last night. Paul says I got you four tickets you better be able to get there. Yeah, that's awesome. So 5 am leave him today, Tomorrow, yeah, Heading home picking up everybody and we're going.
Speaker 10:That's a good cousin right there.
Speaker 1:That is a good guy right there. That's a good cousin.
Speaker 10:Yeah so.
Speaker 8:I'll be there. That's exciting and I'll be ready. You're wearing commander stuff loud and proud. Hell yeah, you'll be fine, you'll be fine, they're not that bad?
Speaker 1:Oh, they're bad, they're horrible, they're bad, they're horrible. Now, keep in mind of the four of us. Two of us will be wearing Commanders, two of us will be wearing Eagles, so you're fine. You're fine, I think I'll be all right.
Speaker 8:Yeah, it's 50-50. That's a good group.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're fine, you got it covered, man.
Speaker 1:You got a little wager on the game. What do?
Speaker 8:you want. Maybe we do a beer next year, absolutely Just a beer, because I just want to be able to tell you you want to hold something over your head for 365 days. I like it. I'm excited the same way he's going to hold this over me for 365 days.
Speaker 3:Listen, it's not a whole hell of a lot, because you did that all I did it, I admit it. I admit it, I'm a much gentler man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you are All right, fellas, let's get a win today, let's bring it all together.
Speaker 3:Let's unite for a win Now, Chase, have you been?
Speaker 10:talking to the guys on the team, I did I talked to the guys today.
Speaker 1:I saw them today.
Speaker 10:Okay, mason Hardy and Tyler Lapton they were my boys for three years?
Speaker 3:How are they doing? How are they hanging out?
Speaker 10:They're good. I know they're frustrated too who wouldn't be frustrated right now? But they're confident. They think they can get a win here and turn it around. They want to. They want to bad, I know they want to and I know they have it in them. I got a lot of faith in those guys. I think we're going to see a win today?
Speaker 1:I do too, and then we do post-game. Yeah, that would be awesome.
Speaker 3:And then we go and enjoy the victory celebration with two ways.
Speaker 10:With the garbage. I'm so excited for that garbage can fry. I can't even tell you how long I've been thinking about it.
Speaker 3:I told my team I'm buying a round of beers for the victory, victory. We didn't get a victory. Well, I mean you should buy them a round of beers you did to those poor guys.
Speaker 1:Alright, you guys got to go pick two more guys.
Speaker 10:Absolutely. Thank you guys, Appreciate you guys.
Speaker 8:Always a pleasure.
Speaker 3:Fun times. We'll get them next year.
Speaker 8:Johnny, absolutely. Thank you, johnny, these are sweet. Take a poster, take a poster. Yeah, take a poster, chase sign the shirt.
Speaker 3:Chase, yeah, sign the shirt.
Speaker 6:Sign the shirt.
Speaker 3:All right, you ready Vince, yeah, here we go.
Speaker 1:Hey everybody sit down.
Speaker 3:Yes, everybody sit down.
Speaker 1:All right, take a picture. Get them in there. Get them in there. We got Team Blue on this side, Team Gold on this side.
Speaker 6:Yeah, team Gold on the side. This is awesome. Winners on the right. There you go. I remember my first alumni game win. What do we got About 10 years ago?
Speaker 1:All right, fellas, so we had a good game. It was probably. I can just say it was probably one of the better games in recent history, would you agree?
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah, I would say last year was a bit of a blowout. Team Blue took on the dub Real easy, real smooth. Had some drinks later that night.
Speaker 3:Two years ago, though, we got our feet wet. I brought back the core of my team because I knew they were hungry.
Speaker 1:You, stuck with us, that's right. I picked up a new guy here. This was your first ever alumni game. What did you think? What I love that game. What did you think?
Speaker 11:What did you think? I mean, it was fun, you know, getting out there playing with some guys we used to play with. But, you know, aside from not getting the dub, you know, I thought we had a good time, yeah, but yeah, not the best performance from the blue team this year.
Speaker 1:We were one shot away, one shot away.
Speaker 3:We were one shot away from just running him. That's a good point. We hit one shot and then that snowballs it out.
Speaker 11:Yeah, we just couldn't buy a bucket.
Speaker 3:You did get an open look.
Speaker 11:We did get the open look.
Speaker 1:We had a couple that was not open at the end it was 6-9,.
Speaker 6:hand all over me he might have been hand-checking me. Let's review the footage on that for next year.
Speaker 1:I mean one.
Speaker 9:I give the award to the guys that yelled at the ref the most to these two guys. We definitely expected that. That's kind of been a career-long thing, even in practice where there are no refs.
Speaker 3:He'd be crying to. Curly, did you have practice yelling at spaces where refs would be?
Speaker 11:No, I don't know Mentally, maybe you were just trying to get through it. I got into reffing myself. I'm trying to help the cause.
Speaker 1:I can't see you as a ref.
Speaker 9:That's a PIAA official right there.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 9:I'm a quality ref.
Speaker 11:You're a quality ref. What do you do?
Speaker 1:high school games, yeah, all over. Where Just York?
Speaker 11:County.
Speaker 9:You and.
Speaker 11:Damon, he doesn't do it in York, I would assume. Oh, okay, wherever he's from. Yeah, he raps, doesn't he? He does? I thought it would bring me some perspective.
Speaker 3:Did it? No, it brought you some peace. No, that's what he told me today.
Speaker 11:No, so when somebody complains to you because you were just on it, yeah, I mean it's a call what you see.
Speaker 7:Yeah, Evan claims he's never gotten yelled at by a kid ever so far.
Speaker 2:I don't know if.
Speaker 11:I really believe that but never, a player.
Speaker 7:Have you had to tee?
Speaker 11:anybody up yet I've given out two tees oh really Two tees In my career. All right Coaches or players. I had to give one. He made a vulgar statement that we couldn't allow.
Speaker 2:We couldn't allow. I won't repeat that yeah, coach.
Speaker 11:I had a fifth-grade boys game and less than 60 seconds into the game he was screaming about our travel. Oh man, if you call up your travel in a fifth-grade game, we're going to be there.
Speaker 6:You'll be there for two days. What did you say? You call what you see, that's what you got to do so if you let a couple slide. That's not calling what you see you got to let it slide. Integrity.
Speaker 1:Integrity, so as the elder statesman what do you think of this? You come back every year.
Speaker 6:Just depends if I'm in the country. I guess, yeah, I don't think I've missed an alumni game yet. I graduated 2014,. Maybe missed one early on but, I was back.
Speaker 6:Hager was still playing, cannon was playing Jazz, yoda was playing Some kind of like the premier players through the whole program. And then we kind of made it like an older versus younger thing. So, kind of like the last year's group. My year had seven guys, so legacy of seven, shout out to us because you know we won two ac ecac championships versus. You know the grade eight or whatever wins one. I'm not today, you know I gotta stick up for my, my class, but at the same time.
Speaker 6:So we would go older versus younger and it made it a lot more competitive because then, um, whoever lost had to buy rounds of alcoholic beverages for the winning team after the dinner portion happened. So, all right, that made a lot more competitive. Um, and as the years progressed, people have families and kids, but it's been fun to get back on campus. Um, yeah, this year was definitely. It was a good game. Just, I think it was a little bit more balance of like a skill and old and young blend, because I mean, even like, talking to some of the older guys was, like you, we don't have the legs that like a lot of younger guys do, even lungs as much anymore, but like it's just fun to kind of get out and compete and sorry if I can cuss but talk shit a little bit, and just, you know this is unsanctioned.
Speaker 1:Unsanctioned.
Speaker 6:So, but it was. I mean, this year was good, one-sided, but like two years ago, I remember we uh it came down the same situation and, uh, one of us hit, a, hit, a little running float I'm not gonna say who, but you know, and we ended up winning that game.
Speaker 6:But it was uh, it was fun. It's just cool seeing it, uh kind of progress because, like I mean, from years past to now, as with with you guys, with the podcast, having the draft, and now having coaches, it's a little bit more than just kind of like pick up them. So it's just I don't know, in my mind I think it's a little bit more fun, I like and by coaches.
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, yeah, because we do know coaching I don't know about you, but I did a lot of coaching, although I did say the one.
Speaker 3:I said get it into chase. They didn't. He scored, all right, yeah so now you guys have been over under one minute. Like how much since last year have you been thinking about this day? Redemption.
Speaker 9:Daily. I would say Okay, that's what I like, that's why I brought you back. Yeah, fairly highly competitive.
Speaker 3:I knew that last year. That's why I wanted you back this year.
Speaker 9:Yeah, bad taste in our mouth from last year.
Speaker 1:Well, we're tossing around the idea that May Stick is keeping running it back, because there's no way I'm going to lose two in a row with these guys.
Speaker 11:All right, we're only at two guys for next year.
Speaker 1:Split them up.
Speaker 9:Yeah, that'd be perfect. Put Marty and Tino on a team yeah.
Speaker 1:All right and I'll get the number one pick next year. You will, so I'll have to make a. I'm going to be, watching today.
Speaker 9:All right, they've got to earn their spot. I like it, I got it. That'll be good.
Speaker 1:So what's your take you as a recent grad? What's your take on what's going on this year?
Speaker 11:I mean, I think it's definitely a tough year. Tough year, yeah, you know, you lose eight guys you know five, six of which they played significant minutes. You know their whole career. It's just kind of tough to rebound from that. You know it doesn't help that the league is pretty well rounded. Yeah, most of the years that we were there there was a couple games that you know we can kind of just roll over. You don't really have any of those even last year was kind of fading away from that yeah and we went into goucher and got stomped by 20.
Speaker 7:I mean, that was just something that nobody would have ever thought about yeah, right, but yeah, I mean it's tough, yeah, and I think that kind of you know goes back to a schedule last year, like we were.
Speaker 11:I think we finished 17 and 12 or 11 something, um, but we played a lot of tough team. I mean we were a good team.
Speaker 9:Yeah, we played a lot of tough teams I mean mean we were a good team.
Speaker 11:Yeah, we played a lot of tough teams. I mean we had some injuries, but yeah, I mean it's just, they got a lot of young guys this year and you know.
Speaker 3:I mean it's hard to mesh in right, like I mean we were even talking about last year when you and Rigby graduated. I mean you guys had a tough start just because filling their two roles it's two guys and now you lose eight. It's like man.
Speaker 11:It's hard to replace roles year in and year out, but it just kind of comes with the trade. I guess I'm sure he's got it figured out. I'm sure he's putting the time into it.
Speaker 1:Do we get a win today?
Speaker 9:Oh my gosh yes.
Speaker 6:I was even talking with him last time at practice. I was there halfway through him last night at practice.
Speaker 6:You went to practice last year I was there halfway through practice and had to get some shots up. Afterwards them old legs got to get loose. You could just kind of see the consensus. It was low energy. It's just hard to bond together when you're losing. I understand that. But at the same time, does winning cure everything? No, but it helps for sure. I'm like, don't focus on like the long term. When we got to finish out the rest of the year strong, I'm like how can we figure out a way to get one just how do we finish out one game?
Speaker 6:and I think that's going to come from and my perspective, mason, I think, has to be kind of the vocal leader, because he's been through it all the ups and now he's kind of in the downs area and uh, so what I would like to see him kind of do is rally the troops around him because, like and you guys have heard it, I mean playing for curly.
Speaker 6:Like I know it's all the cliches and all that stuff, but like, when you can hold yourself accountable, that's huge, great, everything's going right. It's now, if you don't, it turns into like the players are driven so like okay, especially Meyer in 2014. Like we had Luke Malott. Like he was just a tough-nosed guy that just was going to hold everybody accountable for their mistakes, including his own. So that was great to have somebody like kind of keep all of our egos in check type of deal. But then I'm like, as soon as it trickles out of that to now, it's coach-driven. It's kind of like, is it players against coach? Like how is the logistics of it all working? But, like, what I would love to see is how could they just like fight and claw their way to get one?
Speaker 6:If they can get one, okay, great, now let's figure out the next one after that.
Speaker 1:Got to get that one.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and, like you said, today could be a very doable opportunity. I mean, some of these teams in the league are unreal this year and I know their schedule was extremely tough too it's way top-heavy, sure. But at the same time I'm like all right, well, hey, put yourself in here and fight out of the fire a little bit.
Speaker 6:So, I think they're in a good spot to only build from here, and so hopefully today against Scranton will be a good opportunity and figure out how to put two good 20-minute halves together and go from there. But I just think too many times we look at it as such a long oh, we need to be really really good at the end of the season. Well, yeah, but how can we get one and then just kind of transition and move from there. So that's kind of my take on the team so far, and outside of the half of the practice and like the box scores, I haven't seen a whole lot but me of practice and like the box scores, I haven't seen a whole lot but me being through it so long. Like I've I kind of know the transition of maybe where these freshmen are at with their head and like, oh, now I actually have a coach who's actually gonna get on me for a mistake and I think that is probably the biggest key, uh, to a team success. Yeah, a coaching transition.
Speaker 6:So, and that's what I told curly last night, I was like, okay, for as good of a career as maybe I had here in high school, I could kind of do whatever I wanted Dribble, give me a ball screen. I'm just going to play and then just figure it out. But now, as soon as you get into a system, especially in the Curly system, it's like you've got to think. But think really quick on the fly and you better know what the hell is, because if not, it's going to be a tough transition moving forward from your freshman to sophomore year. So then I'm like okay, well, now do the sophomores have it all figured out? I've been here for a year. I deserve some more playing time. But you've got either transfers coming in, you've got recruits coming in. It's just tough. So I want to see what kind of nucleus for these next, what nine games, what nucleus we can have, and then how they can kind of bond together and figure out, like I said, how to get one and then kind of go from there.
Speaker 6:But I think it starts from Mason, the head of the snake, and then he's got to be vocal, got to pull some other guys along with him and be like hey, find five, six, seven guys, and that's who we're rocking with for now, and then slowly pick off one or two and bring them on. And bring them on by the end of the year great, we got a nice squad. But yeah, I think today could be a really good opportunity.
Speaker 1:What do you guys think.
Speaker 9:Yeah, you know, cole, and I can attest to like having a tough year.
Speaker 3:I was going to say you guys. It seems like every class kind of did that right.
Speaker 9:I think it's just the right of passage. It's just what happens here.
Speaker 9:You don't have a transfer portal in Division III like you do in Division I. You have it, but it's not the same thing. So it's like he came in as a freshman. I was a sophomore. We didn't have anything figured out right, we were young, we were playing, we won what six, seven games, something like that, and lost some close ones that we could have won. But I think that year has made our junior and my senior year, and then what that group was able to do and come up, those were the years where I think it builds that foundation of what Juniata basketball is. It's not always pretty.
Speaker 3:That's what we were saying too. It's like the bad times weed out the wann wannabes and it galvanizes the guys.
Speaker 7:Yeah, because I mean you only had two guys like you and yeah, it just ended up being me and rick. How many guys came in with seven?
Speaker 9:okay, yeah, into it's me and john okay.
Speaker 3:So I mean it's like, yeah, it's, it cuts it down, it gets sure, because I mean it probably takes a special guy to play for coach girl.
Speaker 2:I mean, we grew up with the guy, so yeah I can't, we know for sure we wouldn't have been able to.
Speaker 6:No, no but even still, like I tell, still tell people now, and like the line of work that I am in with the fatal fitness and everything is like I give a lot of credit to curly because I'm like, okay, well, when you come in you don't know what the hell to expect. So then when you play for somebody that detailed I think, but also that disciplined, well, you make one mistake. It's kind of he's kind of gonna let you know and and now in a different manner maybe right, but at the same time, okay, that's his livelihood that's his job like his job is to to win basketball games okay, but I I think for me, going through it all, I'm like as a freshman life sucked.
Speaker 6:But, I'm playing, okay, great, now how can we figure out how to translate to the wins and as just my years progress? I'm like, well, okay, if Coach is yelling at me and getting on me, that only means he truly cares and sees something in me, right, and like I think he's at a point now where it's like he's still pushing and like, especially in practice, I'm like getting on these kids of all mistakes, of all everything, because he's not going to just give up. No, but that's what I kind of like tried to reiterate to him. I'm like man, like trust what you've built for the last. How long has he been here? 85, 20, 23 years, 24?
Speaker 3:years.
Speaker 6:And I'm like, trust what you've built because, like he's an all-time winningest coach.
Speaker 2:He's got people especially.
Speaker 6:I mean all the alumni that are here today like I don't think we would have came back if you know we didn't respect the guy or respect the program or anything like that, for sure.
Speaker 6:Okay. So there's so many people that are coming to support you. Like, how could you figure out a way to like get these new kids bought in? And I know that's tough because they've had some opportunities to put a W but like it just hasn't gone their way this year. But I'm like, how could you figure out a way to get kids to just buy into the system? And that's what you guys have said, it was like all right. Well, how can we get the actual nucleus of a core to kind of like stick together those people that may not want to be here, like I think it's. It's going to become very evident, if it's not already now of like are they going to make it through the end of the year? They not?
Speaker 6:yeah so I think that's tough, but I think I mean that's what I told greg was like, hey, how can you just like keep going? But also I know you've lost some games, but how can you stay positive into what you're doing and continue building off of what you're? Doing I'm like because the second you kind of throw the hat in.
Speaker 3:Now it's like oh, you know he's not gonna throw that no, no, no.
Speaker 6:But I'm like I want to see him, kind of like, ride out this year and build something positive, moving forward in the next years.
Speaker 3:Well, the cool thing is it's.
Speaker 11:It's always worked sure everybody's had success yeah, every class has had it well and that's kind the nice thing like the opportunity that comes from not having great years. Then you know, where do you go from there? I mean you can't really go any further down, no. So I mean, yeah, I think next year they'll be bringing guys back and just you know, get guys ready.
Speaker 1:I mean they get a deep freshman class. We'll have to see what they're like. I mean, I don't know. I still can't figure this team out.
Speaker 11:Yeah, I mean, it's tough, Like my class was super blessed with the guys that graduated in 2021, I guess that would have been, you know, Biff, Cam, Duck, Marcus, you know those guys were good leaders. So it was kind of we came in and you know the tone was kind of set.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 11:With only two guys that have played, you know, significant minutes, really, maybe three. Um and ty is a sophomore, but yeah, it's just going to be tough to kind of get a whole whole eight, nine guys on the same page to to go out and beat another set of eight nine guys who have been doing it for right however long, which is every other team in the conference, for god's yeah, yeah, have you kept in touch with the seniors?
Speaker 11:yeah, yeah, I talked to mason and tyler at least once a week probably. We text and stuff, yeah, yeah, I mean, you know they're kind of hanging in there, it's tough, it's tough man.
Speaker 6:It's tough.
Speaker 11:You go from a team whose expectation is you know we're going to win a championship, or you know that's the bar. To kind of okay, how can we, you know, rebuild this and you know, help it be better than what it was?
Speaker 1:yeah so what, what is, uh, when you guys were playing, what is alumni saturday meant to you guys? Like seeing, like those guys that you heard all the stories about? I mean it had to be a little extra juice in the game, right, I mean, did it, did it, did it play a role at all?
Speaker 7:yeah, good, cool, yeah, I would say so, like I. It's kind of a big thing, and especially with like curly loves it, like he loves having the guys back. So, like he definitely, you know, kind of helps juice that up as well. But I mean as a player, yeah, I mean come back, watch the alumni game and just meet some guys that you know were older than you and yeah, you can't really miss it, like it's a great time.
Speaker 2:I always enjoyed it and it's awesome now being part of it.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I think it's been huge. I mean, this is my what 11th, 10th, 11th time You're getting old. Oh, believe me.
Speaker 2:Don't start with that.
Speaker 6:I understand my knees already feel it and I had a minutes restriction. I told him eight minutes a half is great.
Speaker 13:Yeah, no, I'm just kidding, but I let's be honest here.
Speaker 6:I like that.
Speaker 1:Hey, the best part of our team. I set my starting five, I went out there and John comes back and goes hey, he's out there. What should we do? I was like I don't know. John, I guess you're sitting because he's starting. You're the captain.
Speaker 2:We did have that discussion back at the.
Speaker 7:Airbnb. I was like John as the captain. I'm like Did you choose to come off the bench? And he was Airbnb. I was like John as the captain. I'm like, did you choose to come off the bench.
Speaker 9:He was like yeah.
Speaker 7:But I gave a little jab about that.
Speaker 6:He was getting on me. I guess that could turn into coaching, but as a player-driven coach, I just jumped in the fire. I will say one thing I do really. I mean it's cool to get back on campus with these guys, because now me being in the weird generation gap because it's like you got Furco and then you got Berkey that are here those guys are both older than me. And even Hager is older than me as an alumni.
Speaker 6:But then it's like so many of these younger guys are like I don't truly know all about their life because I was never part of that era type of deal. But one thing I wish we could do again and I know the NCAA nixed it, but we used to do an alumni scrimmage at the beginning of the year and it was awesome.
Speaker 3:So we would actually play against the team.
Speaker 6:A scrimmage against the actual team Against the team, so that we would have 10, 12 of us alumni play a scrimmage game against the team.
Speaker 1:That could have been very interesting this year. Awesome, why can't you do that?
Speaker 6:Then the NCAA came out Now. This might have been geez six, seven, eight years ago. Because you get what? Two sanctioned scrimmages.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then they said, wait, couldn't that be just an unsanctioned game?
Speaker 6:Yeah, they said if you do an alumni scrimmage, it counts as a scrimmage. So I understand, but like, so that was actually park somewhere. Oh, we could do that. We try to do like a, like a pickup, and it just kind of wasn't the same. But like, right, but we uh that would have been very interesting to do this year oh, it would be awesome you put these freshmen in there and you could have told you guys, beat these guys up yeah, just to get them, just to get them ready, because I don't know and I would like to ask curly, hopefully he doesn't answer to like listen to this beforehand.
Speaker 6:But so I was always like I mean pretty even mannered, like especially in a game. Now I'm an alumna, I can just talk shit whatever I want to say. You know I've been through it, I can do whatever I want, but I have a career total of one technical in my entire playing career. Well, it just so happened I was a sophomore at the time and we're playing in that whole alumni scrimmage. So now Curly is coaching us. I think Hager might have been at the time coaching the alumni or playing with the alumni whatever, but it was awesome. But it was like now Jazz is playing Cannon some of the best players that ever walked through here is like they're talking shit back to you but I can't say nothing. Like I got players that ever walked through here is like they're talking shit back to you, but I can't say nothing, like I play for my coach.
Speaker 6:So I think it was Dan Sikorski. Dan was a class of 2012. There was a something happened. I think the ball went out on I honestly believe an alumni, and they said it was out on Dan. And Dan like freaked out. I'm like halfway across on the other side of the court. Well then, freaked out, I'm like halfway across on the other side of the court. Well then, all of a sudden I get called for a technical. I'm just like standing there like wait a second, I didn't do a damn thing like, and all of a sudden curly just starts reaming me out about getting a technical and I'm like I would like to go back.
Speaker 6:I'm sure it's on film you think it's on film? Probably watched the clip the next day and then he chewed me out again. But like you know what I will state until the day that I die, I never got a technical, an alumni scrimmage, and it was on Dan Sikorski. All right, but I have to live with it.
Speaker 1:You want to get that out North. I want to get Dan out. Yeah, I want to see it wasn't even bad it was like a remark back to the referee, like that's our ball Suckers Kind of BS. Would, you tee them up for that? No, probably not. How many tees have you?
Speaker 11:met.
Speaker 7:You had a few, I had a handful of flopping technicals, which doesn't come to shock anybody that was Mr Eisenhardt.
Speaker 11:Well, you know these guys, they don't let you land what doesn't come to shock anybody that was Mr Eisenhardt.
Speaker 7:These guys? They don't let you land. What am I supposed?
Speaker 11:to do I should have seen him out there today. He tried a couple of times he tried.
Speaker 4:What about you?
Speaker 3:guys, any technicals I could totally see you.
Speaker 11:I had one last year Drew.
Speaker 9:I don't think in college I got quite a few. In high school I had some in high school.
Speaker 1:So zero on this side a lot on this side?
Speaker 8:No, it wasn't. I probably got one.
Speaker 1:One was a lot.
Speaker 11:I probably got 15 or 20.
Speaker 3:Zero Like college career, I played in 20. Oh, okay.
Speaker 6:I didn't know we were playing on green for a second.
Speaker 3:I played a lot of basketball, like if you got the.
Speaker 8:T Like when you got the T Drew was it? Because I kind of remember that and I think it was.
Speaker 7:Bogus, I'm going to say I probably like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean Like, but usually If somebody got a T man what happened, so usually you might be the all-time leader in Ts no.
Speaker 3:I've only got one in college.
Speaker 9:I've only got one.
Speaker 7:I don't know if you guys have John on yet, but he is possibly the most technical, really. Yeah, he's had the most technicals in Juniata I'm pretty sure he's at least up there Top five Wow.
Speaker 11:He tried to pick a fight with the one kid from Catholic my sophomore year. I can kind of see that man John's got like two or three, and I bet you that's up there all the
Speaker 1:time I can see that. Yeah, I can see that.
Speaker 9:The one thing I remember about my visit was Seth got a technical against Susquehanna and I remember Curly almost coming out onto the court.
Speaker 7:He couldn't get Seth quick enough you know, what I mean, and he was yelling at the ref.
Speaker 3:Have any of you seen Curly get a tee?
Speaker 11:Oh, hell yeah, Come on, I never saw him get a tee.
Speaker 7:I think only my freshman year is when he got one.
Speaker 11:No, because he made a big deal about it the one time, Like he was saying he was like I will not get a tee, or like he just didn't want to hinder our chances in the game.
Speaker 6:But he got a tee when you were playing. I had to.
Speaker 3:You know he's fiery. Sometimes, the tee, though that ignites the tee.
Speaker 11:Yeah, absolutely, Especially for the coach sometimes.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, oh shit, guy's got your back Like, hey, let's go.
Speaker 9:I'm not ready for the tee.
Speaker 6:I want to see one this game I'd like to be interested. We can't even watch today. Let's watch the curly mannerisms of at what time frame does the jacket come off? What time does the tie get loosened?
Speaker 3:up. There is no more jacket now. How many hands get thrown in the air?
Speaker 1:He's on the quarter zip now.
Speaker 11:How many baseline walkovers are we going to get?
Speaker 7:My freshman year was the last season that he did the whole suit. Covid happened. Covid must have gotten on the quarter zip trend.
Speaker 3:We always said he was the second best coach in college basketball, behind Jay Wright, behind the guy from Villanova. Yeah, get Gabe over here. We got to get the MVP out.
Speaker 6:Yeah it's not over here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got to get the MVP out.
Speaker 6:We got to wrap this up. All right, we're going to wrap it up.
Speaker 9:We're going to wrap it up, get a statement from the MVP. We we are wrapping it up. Make sure you guys sign the shirt. Yeah, sign the shirt.
Speaker 1:We are wrapping it up with our thank you guys.
Speaker 9:Thank you. Yes, thank you, I'll take it.
Speaker 7:Take Dino over. Hey, there's. Dino.
Speaker 3:Dino get over here. I got Dino right here.
Speaker 6:I'm back to back yeah that's true, that's true. So you're welcome.
Speaker 9:All right, we got Mr Brown.
Speaker 3:We got Team Gold pride in the house here.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you're here because we have to give an award out right now. Yes, team Gold officially wins. That's very hard for me to say.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, keep saying this and you have given your MVP to who the MVP of this year's game? To Gabe Gittinger.
Speaker 13:Thank, you, the Swiss Army Knife man? How do you feel about this game? He did it all. I'm very honored. I didn't think I deserved it. I didn't do anything exceptionally well, but we got the win. That's the most important thing.
Speaker 3:But you did everything very well, you hit all the defense shots passes, getting in the lane this guy.
Speaker 13:I couldn't do it without my teammates, especially Dino right here.
Speaker 1:What did you guys think? This is your first game back the maiden voyage.
Speaker 12:I thought it was great the gold team. We felt very disrespected early in the week after seeing that we were 10-point underdogs. We took that to heart. We hopped on a call the other day.
Speaker 3:My guys are doing calls.
Speaker 12:We knew those guys have big egos. They weren't as gritty and they didn't have the heart that we had today. So, we came ready to play. They didn't Nice Team Gold wins.
Speaker 3:You know they had all that connection in the Pittsburgh League, I mean you know, three or four of my guys are in the. Pittsburgh.
Speaker 8:League All right all right.
Speaker 3:And then I sprinkled in the veteran presence. How did that fit into you guys? I mean the vets just how was it?
Speaker 1:You guys have never played with some of these guys before, right?
Speaker 12:No, well, yeah. So we didn't play with the older guys, of course, but we played with Doc one year. It was COVID year.
Speaker 3:Okay, you guys crossed with Doc, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Hey and officially introduce both of yourselves because I don't think we've said your names yet and your class.
Speaker 12:I am Dino Brown, class of 24. Gabe Gunninger, also class of 24. Yeah, so we played with most of the guys. I didn't play with them, he didn't play with Doc, but he saw for a year.
Speaker 3:Yeah right.
Speaker 12:Yep, yeah, I mean, we work well together.
Speaker 3:The ball movement was spectacular, there was a lot of open shots and you know, next year they fall.
Speaker 12:Yeah, that's what I'm thinking Shot fell a little rusty, but next year it's a 20-point win instead of a 2-point.
Speaker 13:That's right 2-point win.
Speaker 1:Well, we have made an announcement we are going to keep the exact same teams and then we're going to lose a few guys. We'll gain a few guys and we'll redraft some of those guys, but I want a rematch. We're keeping the course.
Speaker 12:I want a rematch.
Speaker 1:I like that Because I got unfinished business yeah.
Speaker 13:I thought it was a very competitive game. It was a good game. Very evenly matched. It was a good game.
Speaker 3:I could have used you two guys last year.
Speaker 1:I mean sure you could have, but the difference between last year and this year was we hit everything last year, although last year they were out there winning the regular game, that's true.
Speaker 3:What do we got today, guys? Are we going to get this today?
Speaker 1:Yeah, how do you guys feel about this? You're one year removed. You're looking back. They're having a tough season. What are some of your thoughts?
Speaker 13:You know, for me personally, I always thought every alumni weekend the game always kind of meant a little bit more to the guys. So I think it's going to be a tough, gritty matchup tonight. I think it'll be a closer game than most people expect.
Speaker 1:I hope so yeah.
Speaker 12:You know, I agree. I think I mean the energy is always different. Alumni weekend just having those guys there, so I hope they come out ready to go today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are weekend just having these guys there, so I hope they come out ready to go today. Yeah, where are we? Are we gonna sit right behind the bench?
Speaker 2:that's the plan yeah, yeah, you think that helps, pushes him a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah man, I want this win. Bad. Have you guys kept in touch with coach curly? What, what have you guys heard from him in terms of this year?
Speaker 12:I mean I talked to him. I came to a game early in the year and we talked to him and uh came to a game early in the year and we talked to him and everyone knew it was going to be hard, with how young the team is and everything, but just got to stay the course. We knew it was going to be a tough year, so we're planning for the future here.
Speaker 13:Yeah, kind of echoing off of that. It's definitely a process getting to learn the system and whatnot, but I did come up a few weekends earlier this year. I got to talk with Coach Curley and you know he's excited about the future. Obviously, they're not doing the greatest right now, but I think next year especially, everybody's going to come back. They'll know the system. It'll be a whole different story next year.
Speaker 1:And how are you guys doing? You're out, what are you up to?
Speaker 12:I'm in nursing school right now in. Duquesne. It's a lot, but I play basketball once a week in Pittsburgh and stay in touch with the guys. But yeah, so busy but getting through it.
Speaker 3:Hey man, welcome to the real world. Yeah, Gabe, what do you got?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I'm just working right now, but I also picked up a volunteer assistant job at Central York High School. Oh did you, my alma mater. Wow, how are we doing this season? They're one of the top teams in the state, defending state champions. Oh, all right, my brother was on the team last year. Okay, he was the only senior that played last year, so he's the only guy they lost.
Speaker 1:Where did he end up going? Where did he end up going? Because he was looking here, wasn't he at one point, or not? No, no, he's a D1 guy. He's at.
Speaker 13:Loyola Maryland.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 13:Apparently so yeah, he's.
Speaker 3:He's much better than I was at his age, so yeah, but you've got an mvp.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have an mvp of your first ever alumni. That's right, that's a big deal.
Speaker 13:That is a big deal. It's huge. You know, I wasn't expecting you either so yeah very honored all right, guys. Well, we're about to go watch tip-offs in 15 minutes coming up, we're gonna wrap up now.
Speaker 3:Thank you guys for coming out.
Speaker 1:I hope you guys are back every year for Alumni Weekend.
Speaker 3:You've got to keep defending that title.
Speaker 1:Make sure you sign the shirt. Sign the shirt and we're going to head in. We're going to get a big victory. We've got to take one at a time and this is the one we get right here.
Speaker 3:We're going to celebrate it tonight. Yes, sir, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you All. Right, biz, on to the game. On to the game. We may or may not be back, pending either a post-game interview or not, but man, this has been great. This has been great. I lost the game, you won the game, congratulations.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:We've had a good luncheon here.
Speaker 12:We're going to the game we're going to dinner afterwards.
Speaker 3:It's been fantastic. Yeah, all right, biz, until we talk again. Team Gold Champs, champs.
Speaker 1:You are the champs Team.
Speaker 3:Blue Out Championship.
Speaker 1:That was fun, guys. That was fun. Gotta love this group of men. Coach Curley, you've done an incredible job of building this alumni base. These are just good dudes. I can't thank you for both me and Biz to be part it, to get to enjoy it. I mean we feel like we're part of the team. I always think of us as we're in our junior year right now, biz, so we got one more year until we're seniors. In case the listeners may have missed it.
Speaker 1:I got to live with this for a whole year. The next alumni game can't come fast enough. Team.
Speaker 3:Gold Coach Biz, my boys, we're going to continue to shout this out all season and offseason long.
Speaker 2:I finally got to join Tom and Curls as having a win. Like I told you, Biz, right now you have one more win at home this year than I do, so that's a tough year.
Speaker 3:Well, curls. Now you have that carrot dangling Curls.
Speaker 2:Always motivated, you got to catch the best. Always motivated, you have that carrot dangling, charles. Always motivated, you got to catch the best. Always motivated.
Speaker 1:Hey, you might just do it this week. You got two games coming up at home right this week. Yeah, this is a good week. You got two games Lycoming and Drew.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, drew, he's an idiot anyway. Oh whoops.
Speaker 2:Sorry, we just need to listen. I think Just keep improving. Just keep playing well, we talked about it before. I thought you know, the alumni game and some things have kind of seemed to point us in the right direction. I think we've worked through a lot. I think we're starting to identify and look like ourselves and the team. You know we're getting better. You can see it. You can see it, you can feel it. We've had some more setbacks with injury. You know we had two more starters out right now. Uh, it's incredible.
Speaker 3:Uh, I have to go back it's been an unbelievable season for that incredible, just what? You guys have gone through this whole season. Yeah, so we have.
Speaker 2:We have two more guys out right now, um, how, how long? But we just, you know we can't kind of it's you should, but you shouldn't. You, you can't get wrapped up, but we need to just stay focused on getting better all the time. And you know, competing every play, and that's the way it is if you've won 20 in a row, and that's the way it is if you're where we are. So you just got to.
Speaker 2:We got to keep at it, keep at the process, keep kind of whittling down to the guys that really want to do this in the right way and the guys that have the same approach as the guys that you just heard from. And but, hey, listen honestly, this platform and what you guys have provided us, you know it's it's impossible to say that you guys haven't created some of the energy behind it and the opportunity for these guys to kind of tell their story and what that kind of does to validate our program, and I think that's an important message, more now than ever, on what we're about, we are down for sure in terms of wins and losses, but we still see ourselves as a championship program. Guys are developing champions for life, so we're still doing that and I think if we keep doing that, things will turn, and when they do, they'll continue to go the other direction. So we just keep doing the right things, keep having the right guys, keep approaching things the right way and good things happen, boom Well said Well, said again this guy.
Speaker 1:All right, biz. I want to say one thing to end this. We did declare that we are keeping the same teams for alumni next week, because it hurts me very much that I lost. So I want another run.
Speaker 3:So if, uh, if Marcus comes back and uh, you know, I get Marcus All right, so that's your first pick, and that's not my first pick.
Speaker 1:That's my man. You get Marcus. He wasn't on this year's team. What's her? Enough, fair enough, all right? All right, we'll get into interesting. We're going to get a W. We're going to get a W this week. I kind of feel it. I know I say that every week, but I truly mean it this week. Hey feel the power Curls, feel the power. Team goals.
Speaker 3:There we go. Don't forget my great coaching piece, mr Rigby. Out there, curls, you can feel free to use this too. Bub, feel free to use this too. But you know the the haze was starting to go off. All right, tom's going to keep feeding them. So I brought Rigby over. I said hey. I said he's the pocket. You're the keys. The keys stay in the pocket. Shut them down. Boom.
Speaker 2:Shut them down.
Speaker 3:There you go, biz, that's what I've been missing the whole time and see it's there now.
Speaker 1:That bit of advice leads us to a win this week, no doubt in my mind. All right, folks, Hope you enjoyed that. Follow the show on Instagram at JuniataBasketballShow. Subscribe to the Juniata Men's Basketball Show on Apple Spotify. Wherever you listen to podcasts, Leave us a comment on Instagram. And until next time, I'm Tom Frank. I'm.
Speaker 3:Biz head coach of alumni game winning team gold, and I'm the head coach, greg curr I'm team gold, team coach, winning gold biz do you want to do?
Speaker 1:you want to do that again, biz? Yeah, all right, we'll start over, here we go. That was terrible I'm tom frank.
Speaker 3:I'm team gold coach, the winning alumni team Biz.
Speaker 2:Can we do that again? That was horrible.
Speaker 6:I got it.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I'm Biz the alumni winning coach of the gold team, or something like that. See, that's why you're the pro.
Speaker 3:I'm the pro. I'm Tom Frank. I'm Biz head coach of alumni game team winning. God just fuck it. I'm biz Let it go. Wow, oh boy, Let me hit stop.
