Eugene Rapay
@erapay5
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Iowa State University 🌪 sports beat writer for @DMRegister & @USATODAY Network | @VUHoops Manager/Editor | @USBWA Member
Joined February 2012
I will be starting a new adventure with the @DMRegister/@USATODAY Network covering Iowa State college football, basketball, and wrestling in October, and I'm excited and grateful for this next chapter in Iowa and the Big 12!.
Today is my last day at @lohudsports. Major thank you to @Dave_Rivera & @JoshThomson22 giving me my first full-time shot. I've gotten to meet so many great people and learn a lot along the way. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read anything I wrote.
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"Collin is a legend, he's what Villanova Basketball is on the court. Even off the court, he's a near and dear brother to me. A friend and a brother to all of us. When I came here, he welcomed me with open arms like I've known him my whole life." -Caleb Daniels on Collin Gillespie.
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'Big Game' Jermaine Samuels named the South Region Most Outstanding Player.
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"I was just sad to not play in the Villanova jersey anymore. I just thanked Coach Wright for everything. at the end of the day, I just loved Villanova." - Eric Paschall, choking up talking about the end of the game. #LetsMarchNova.
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"Justin had his surgery at 6:30 this morning. I want to give a shoutout to our team doctor, Mike Duncan, and Dan Erickson our trainer, got everything set up on Sunday morning. He came out of surgery and it went well." -Jay Wright on Justin Moore.
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"It's really a family, and I loved every second of it. I have brothers that'll last me a lifetime now, and coaches that I'll be friends with for life. I'm just super grateful to be a part of this. It's bigger than me, and it's just a really special place."-Gillespie.
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"That Final Four, that was about Collin, Jermaine, and these guys and what they did. That's what kept us going, we were like, these guys are awesome and they deserve it. Same thing, with last night . 'Please don't make this about us, make this about these players.'" - Wright.
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"Just tried to cheer him up. I've been in that position before, and I know how it feels. We don't know what the injury is yet, but I don't want to see him by himself and he's done so much for this team. A lot of our guys ran over to him because we're not here w/o him"-Gillespie.
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"One of the things that we really try to focus on at Villanova is authenticity. We don't try to be Kentucky or out-Duke, Duke. We have great respect for those programs, but we have always -- even in the old Big East -- tried to be the best Villanova we can be." -Wright.
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"I have no animosity for Louisville, I hope on the inside, they hire Kenny Payne, the assistant of the Knicks. I believe he can unite the whole Louisville again." - Pitino on Louisville coaching situation.
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Alan Griffin just hit one of the hottest stepback fadeaway three I've ever seen. The way the Stepinac product/Illinois recruit is able to shoot off the dribble and score in volumes. makes me wonder how he didn't get more love on the recruiting scene. Fighting Illini have a GEM.
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"This was the last time I was gonna put the jersey on, go out there and play with these guys, my teammates. They're the reason that I came back for my 5th year, for my teammates & coaches, just wanting to be around them & have an opportunity to play in games like that"-Gillespie.
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Jay Wright shares a story about how Fr. Peter didn't know it was his 600th win, until midway through the TV broadcast and that he bundled himself up and scrambled over to the Pavilion late in the second half.
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"I shot thousands of 3s this year in practice and by myself in the gym, so my teammates expect me to make the shot when I shoot it, and I just raised up and shot it." -Eric Dixon on his crucial late-game 3.
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My dad has become a huge Villanova fan, that he'll brag about players' accomplishments to other people like they're his sons. Dad: Did you know Caleb Daniels is a scholar-athlete? High school valedictorian, 4.0 GPA at 'Nova?.Me: Yeah.Dad: Yeah, better than you.😑.
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On this day, six years ago, @Smoove2you_ pulled up from the logo!. Jenkins finished with 21 points and shot 5-of-6 from the arc to help Villanova defeat Miami, 92-69, in the Sweet 16. @VUhoops
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"Fr. Peter already threatened me, we need to bring back suits, but we'll talk about it as a staff. (At Fordham,) we wore suits." -Kyle Neptune.
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Footage of Jalen Brunson vs. the Big 5 circa 2015-2018.
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"No (won't be able to travel with the team), but it's what we've been working on. We're working on getting (Moore) a flight. There's concern about blood clots, there's a certain amount of time after surgery, but he'll be able to go down Sat. AM. We want him there with us."-Wright.
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"Collin's surgery went extremely well. He's in Philly. We communicate with him every day, FaceTime with him. I personally gave him an assignment as a coach and gave him a due date to have a scouting report. I got it the night before last at 2 a.m." - Jay Wright.
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"By the time he came back, we had our rotation set. We don't play a guy just to play them or make them happy. Guys understand that they're getting better every day in practice. He has learned a great deal, and I think he's ready to step in." -Jay Wright on Bryan Antoine.
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'Nova really either. A) Goes all the way.B) Loses in the R32.C) Loses to the eventual champ. Kinda scary.
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Jalen Brunson doesn't smile much, but Jay Wright was just asked, "After three straight losing seasons at Hofstra, did you ever think this coaching thing wasn't for you?". And Brunson lost it. He's still trying to not laugh. #FinalFour #LetsMarchNova.
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"Thank you for keeping the culture strong & the tradition alive this season, rather than go in for your own personal glory. On behalf of the whole Villanova community--thank you. On the court/off the court, they were gentlemen & leaders." Jay Wright, on his message to the seniors.
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"There are other guys, Chris Arcidiacono, Bryan Antoine and Trey Patterson, those guys will get opportunities. All of our guys that come off the bench will get more minutes, even Eric Dixon. We believe can be a really good team without him, but we know how good Kansas is."-Wright.
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"BBQ. I think we like BBQ." -Jay Wright on the team's success to winning NCAA Tournament games in Texas. "I don't know, we've played some great games down here against really good teams. We love Texas, it's always nice weather, everybody's so friendly.".
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"I told him to keep his head up, you'll be back here again. Those guys have done so much for me as a team. so much as a group." - Phil Booth on his post-game moment with Jermaine Samuels. #LetsMarchNova.
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Today is my last day at @lohudsports. Major thank you to @Dave_Rivera & @JoshThomson22 giving me my first full-time shot. I've gotten to meet so many great people and learn a lot along the way. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read anything I wrote.
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"Extremely appreciative. Back then it was just amazing to watch those guys on the sidelines. It was like front row tickets to some of the best 'Nova basketball players ever. You take all the experiences and you try to emulate them and be them." -Samuels reflecting on 2018 + now.
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"They had a stretch where they were hitting shot after shot, and we just said 'Attitude.' We stuck together, came together and just told each other let's get this next stop and try to make the next play." -Collin Gillespie.
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"Proud of our team. We were good enough to beat them, but (Baylor) just played better down the stretch. I think down the stretch, their defense just got to us and wore us down, and it made a difference in the game." - Jay Wright.
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"Collin is--there's probably not been one player that's had such an impact on a team in a year, as Collin does here. He's our spiritual leader. Work ethic, he's our leader. Character-wise, he's our leader. He's tough to replace, we're gonna have to grow up real quick." -Wright.
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In addition, here's the all-tournament team: Jamal Shead (Houston) and the rest are from Villanova -- Collin Gillespie, Caleb Daniels, Jermaine Samuels (MVP) and Justin Moore.
'Big Game' Jermaine Samuels named the South Region Most Outstanding Player.
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Jay Wright: Tell him how [Gillespie] got hurt.Jahvon: Collin got a concussion.Jay: Tell 'em how it happened.Jahvon: I hit him in the head (laughter all over the room).
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"Liddell is a beast and Branham was a handful. I'm proud of these guys, I'm proud of their leadership. Collin and Jermaine, the way they've been great leaders all season for this team, and their whole careers. Eric Dixon--he's got guts. Big time shot." -Jay Wright.
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Transfer Portal opens today. Dishon Jackson had plenty of positive things to say about his year at Iowa State. He also had this to say about his future plans/final year or eligibility: "Just seeing what the sentiment is around my name, testing the waters a little bit, but I.
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"We're here. We're here. He's screaming it every day. He's one of the biggest supporters out there, cheering for us every day, so it's amazing to have somebody like that in the front office be that in tune with what we're doing. Makes it a lot more fun." -Randle on World Wide Wes.
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"Shoutout to them, we miss them." - Jay Wright, opening up with a salute to co-captains Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Collin Gillespie, who he noted are home in Philly and not in Indy.
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"We were on the other side of this & it feels great, and it takes a lot of hard work to get to where Kansas will be Monday night. We want to make sure we give the credit they deserve. I know we have to talk about some of the things we didn't do well, but they played great"-Wright.
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"I was proud of our guys, having experienced guys play in that environment like a true road game. (Houston) making a run, a really good team that you know can get on runs, but for them to keep their composure, get stops, hit big shots, having veterans is the key." -Jay Wright.
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"It's actually surreal. Haven't really thought about it yet honestly, but it's pretty cool. I'm not gonna lie." - Jermaine Samuels on reaching the Sweet 16.
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"This season is unlike any other I've been a part of. There was plenty of ups and downs, but the greatest thing of all is that no one felt sorry for themselves. NO one dwelled on anything, everybody just kept a forward mindset and kept their attitude." - Jermaine Samuels.
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"I remember Dana O'Neil asked me at a press conference, what do you think Coach K is thinking about how this is his last game? And I knew exactly what he's thinking." - Wright.
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"Arch is definition of Villanova Basketball. This kid brings it every single day in practice. ISometimes people see, oh, kid's not playing. He's not great. Arch is really good at basketball. You've seen that in the past 2 games that he's played his heart out." -JRE on Chris Arch.
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"I was really proud of his effort. We ask a lot of him on the defensive end, guarding Dickinson a lot. Then on the offensive end, we were trying to move Dickinson, which sounds good unless you're the guy that's got to do it. He never wanted to come out." -Jay Wright on Samuels.
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"I'm gonna miss the games and the practice. Kind of what I'm excited about is the relationship with the players. I don't have to yell about Eric Dixon getting into a stance, we can actually talk about life." -Wright.
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"It just proves our commitment to Villanova Basketball. You know, there's a lot of things that are going to happen throughout the season. We may have gone through rough patches, but at the end of the day, we're going to get better as the season got along. - Jermaine Samuels.
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"It's tough because we know how much dedication he has for Villanova Basketball and how much work he's put in for 4 years, and he's someone we all see a as a leader, so when we see something as devastating asthat happen, we just know we got to step up." - JRE on Gillespie.
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"These other guys, they're not playing not because they're not good enough--they're not playing because the other guys are just so good. This is just their opportunity and I think that's what we're going to take from this and how we're gonna approach it." -Jay Wright on reserves.
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"We couldn't get Justin or Collin in ball screens, couldn't get them post ups. They took it away. It was hard to get them involved, get back door cuts, they're a great defensive team. They took away our two leading scorers and other guys just had to step up." -Jay Wright.
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"Just knowing that my brothers are going to find me on the perimeter, just constantly being on attack for 40 minutes. But it pretty much started defensively, stepping up for each other. That's pretty much what got me going 2nd half." -Caleb Daniels.
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"When (Gillespie) stood up on the floor, he told me, 'I'm good. I can play.' Then I saw his knee came out, so I knew it was serious. We were just hoping it wasn't ACL, so when I heard MCL, I was happy for him because I know he'll be back at 100% by June." - Wright on reaction.
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For the first time ever, 8 Villanovans are currently on NBA rosters, and 6 of them are getting their first taste of the new season tonight.MIL (DiVincenzo) vs. CHA.ATL (Spellman) vs. NYK.TOR (Lowry) vs. CLE.SA (Cunningham) vs. MIN.PHX (Bridges) vs. DAL (Brunson).#NBA #NovaNation.
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"All I can say is thank you. Thank you for all you've given to this community. You will always live in the heart of Villanova, and 800 Lancaster Avenue will always be your home. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat." -University president Fr. Peter Donohue.
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"It's just us being connected defensively. We're not going to be perfect, but we're together, and I think that's the beautiful part about our program. Obviously, it wasn't perfect, we missed some shots, messed up some coverages, but we stepped up." -Daniels on clamping Houston.
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Robinson-Earl will be taking his talents to the Main Line, choosing 'Nova over Arizona, Notre Dame, Kansas, and UNC.
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"If you haven't done it, it's hard, you can panic, but all these guys have been there. I think the Big East Tournament provides that for them. Our game at UCLA or Baylor, against Purdue, those games provide that for you and it's really valuable" -Jay Wright on high-pressure games.
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Jeremiah Robinson-Earl shares that he will be having the NBA conversation later. Just enjoying some R&R, seeing his family for the first time after being in a bubble since August, and relaxing.
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"It all comes down the players. You can talk about (next man up), but then when you get your opportunity, what are you going to do with it? I'm very impressed. I can't say we're surprised." - Jay Wright.
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FINAL: @Bcliff_6th_man 50, @hastingsports 49. Taijon Tribble. AT THE BUZZER. FOR THE WIN. Nothing but net. @lohudsports @lohudinsider @KDJmedia1 @PeteRuf12
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Curtis Jones (illness) and Keshon Gilbert (muscle strain) are day-to-day, but both will be traveling with @CycloneMBB today as they head to Oklahoma State for a game tomorrow night. Both guys missed Saturday's game v. Houston, but Jones will be traveling with the team this time.
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"Painful loss, I hate it for our players, but lets give Villanova credit for how they played, particularly in the start of both halves. I thought they were really critical stretches, so give them credit and congratulations to them for moving on." -Ohio St coach Chris Holtmann.
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The good people have waited a year for this
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"(Nate Watson's) always been a problem. We had JRE, and he's a NBA player. We've had so many guys go against him, and he's been a problem every year. I know a young guy like Eric Dixon, he's gonna learn a lot going against him." -Jay Wright on PC standout center Nate Watson.
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"He's got the highest GPA on our team, which says a lot, by the way. I know he'll come back and complete his degree is right. I'm excited to watch him grow in the NBA, he's got incredible potential . it's the right time for him to enter the process." - Jay Wright on JRE.
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". My teammates gave me confidence and it wasn't easy at all, wasn't a smooth ride. I could've gave up plenty of times, but this culture alone kept me going. The guys kept me going. There's so much I could say, honestly, but I'm just grateful to have this jersey on my back.".
"I thought I came in knowing I knew basketball and everything about it, and I realized I didn't. Coach Wright was patient with me every step of the way, I had guys that were older that showed me the way, kept encouraging me. " - Jermaine Samuels (1/2).
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.@shannonbeckerr had always told me the biggest thrill was getting to represent Mahopac, and she's out here inspiring the next generation @lohudsports @LoHudSoftball
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"He's guarded every position, plays every position except the 5. He's underrated in terms of his value to this team & what he's done this year. He's one of the most complete players in the country. I want to say this first b/c I don't want to undervalue who he is to our team.".
"Justin had his surgery at 6:30 this morning. I want to give a shoutout to our team doctor, Mike Duncan, and Dan Erickson our trainer, got everything set up on Sunday morning. He came out of surgery and it went well." -Jay Wright on Justin Moore.
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"We do have a week here to adjust what we do without him, which is unique about a Final Four, and you only have to play two games, if you're really fortunate. It gives us a chance to adjust, but it's definitely going to change our game plan offensively." -Wright.
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Hot off the press -- @CycloneMBB just landed another portal commit in Virginia transfer Blake Buchanan. @DMRCyclones. The 6-11 forward played in 66 games, including 28 starts over his first 2 years at UVa. Averaged 5.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.1 bpg, while shooting 53.4% last season.
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"X-ray was fine, no broken bones. Probably not good for Justin. We're going to get a MRI when we get back, but probably not good." -Jay Wright on Justin Moore's last-minute injury.
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.@step_basketball's 5-star 2021 F Adrian Griffin Jr. had Calipari (UK) and Wright ('Nova) in the building. Two schools with different recruiting philosophies. will it impact Griffin's decision?. The 6-8 wing affirms it doesn't matter, "I only prefer winning." #BBN #NovaNation
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"I didn't even think about that. We're just happy to be moving on." -Collin Gillespie. "Same as Collin. I didn't think about it either. That team is very battle-tested, and they'll be ready to go." -Jermaine Samuels. On full circle moment facing Michigan again in San Antonio.
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Some great insight from Slater on Cam Whitmore earlier (1/2):. "He came in w/ one of the craziest surroundings, all the hype, media and all that -- that can get into somebody's head, but for him, he's the most selfless guy. With all that coming at you, he's handled that well . .
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First time in program history, first time since conference realignment, and the first time in the Big East since UConn in '99 that a team has started Big East play with a 10-0 record. Villanova has done just that with the OT win over Creighton #BIGEASThoops #NovaNation.
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Good luck mask?. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl mentions that's the same exact mask he wore in 8th grade, when he previously broke his nose. Mom dropped it off in time for today. Masked man with a super performance: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal & a block in win vs. St Joe's.
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Consensus top-25, 5-star prospect Nico Mannion (2019/Pinnacle HS, Ariz.) has trimmed his list down to four schools: Duke, Arizona, Villanova, and Marquette. Mannion is a crafty guard with a quick release and explosive bounce. Averaged 23.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.8 apg as a soph last yr.
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"Coach Wright always says everybody's role is different, but everyone's status is the same. My role now is just to make sure we keep this culture together, make sure we have the standard of what coach's created here, and I'm ready to do it." -Kyle Neptune.
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A morning after takeaway: Collin Gillespie might have a future in coaching after his playing days. Tasked with providing a scouting report on Baylor, submitted it at 2 a.m. the same day, ‘Nova holds top 3pt% team to just 3-of-19 from deep and clamp Butler and Teague.
Tough loss for ‘Nova, but given everything that’s unfolded over the last year, grateful that the ‘Cats were in a position to compete in the NCAA Tournament and reach the Sweet 16. Baylor’s second half surge was the difference maker. Game recap:
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"This was a team that dominated us a couple weeks ago in Philadelphia. I told Kyle after the game, the job he's done navigating all the injuries, guys coming back and losing guys -- that's hard for a coach. I've done it 35 years. It's his first year, he did an unbelivable job.".
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Put some respect on his name, JAMES BRANDON SLATER. "When I play like Brandon, (Neptune) gets on me, but when I play like Jimmy, it's like BRUH." -@jbrandonslater, clarifying James is his real name and why Neptune referred to him as Jimmy.
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"I think we've got a lot of room to grow, we got a lot of potential, but I'm really proud of this group. I think our guard play's got to improve. We got a lot of room for improvement, and we've got a lot of guys that can do it, and I like the guys we have coming back." -Wright.
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"The day after my surgery. This is home for me." - Collin Gillespie, the moment he knew he wanted to come back for the 2021-22 season.
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"Playing at the Dunk is definitely one of a kind, especially when we go up there and play, you know it's gonna be sold out, a hostile environment. You're not going to be able to hear yourself think, and that's the beauty of the Big East." -Jermaine Samuels.
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"Everybody was just focused on stepping up. Next guy up. Attitude. Let's do it for our brother. Let's do it for him." - Moore on the mood/message in the huddle following the Gillespie injury.
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"I remember myself saying before Houston, what an amazing job Kelvin (Sampson) did, losing two of their top players and I remember saying I can't imagine what that's like. Now, shoot, we're in the same spot." -Jay Wright on Moore and Longino injuries.
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"I just wanted to stay mobile, and I understand that my team is right behind me. (Hunter Dickinson) is a phenomenal player, so he's gonna get great looks, but knowing that I have teammates behind me gave me all the confidence." -Jermaine Samuels on defending Dickinson.
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"I think I put them in a tough spot. We never gave up in that Baylor game, and we learned things from the Creighton game. After that, we got it going. Turning around -- I never thought we got down, we just knew we had a tough preseason schedule."-Wright on back-to-back Dec losses.
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On a Zoom, repping @TheKnicksWall, with Julius Randle, who is fresh off of a big extension with @nyknicks. "For me, it was a no brainer. It was security, but for me, I just truly enjoy being a Knick." - Julius Randle
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TJ Otzelberger on Momcilovic: "Cast is off. He's doing strengthening exercises. What are we at, Week 3? I would say 4 is probably aggressive but we'll see. It's more just do the strengthening, hopefully this week get some form shots up and see where we go from there.".
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"I've talked to all of them. I think we've had great conversations and we'll continue to talk over the next couple of days." -Kyle Neptune on the three-man incoming recruiting class.
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Ryan Arcidiacono raises the regional trophy, not a bad birthday present.
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"I'm really excited just to do it all over again. We have almost the same group, except for Jeremiah and Cole, but we're adding some freshmen in, so it's going to be fun. And just putting on that Villanova jersey, just the culture." - Jermaine Samuels.
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