LINKS: Georgetown’s Malik Mack Interviews, Cooley and Willard Talk

A quiet summer, news focuses on tournament expansion, coaching salaries, and NIL

Fans of the Georgetown Hoyas are patiently waiting for any news out of the Thompson Center right now. With Kenner League up in the air (and not likely at McDonough), the July discourse is not what it usually is. The optimism in the fanbase is not as high as normal without the run-and-gun games between Tombs, Clyde’s, Quashie Family Dental, et al. Still, Zach Schumaker gave the people another type of glimpse into a new Georgetown star-to-be via a 30-minute interview with Malik Mack.

The full interview is available on YouTube.

Here are some thoughts:

• Hungry Team: “Everybody here hungry… everybody’s got a chip on their shoulders… you got expect us playing hard for sure.” (referring to himself and his Georgetown teammates)
• Shock Value: “I wasn’t a guy who was known so I think the shock value of it is gonna be something something that you got to see…” (referring to his performance coming from the Ivy League)
• Development and Improvement: “Drew Fielder improving his game from last year… Drew McKenna improving his game from last year… a lot of people ain’t get to see you know uh the development piece but but our guys’s been developing for sure…” (referring to his Georgetown teammates)
• Favorite Memory (so far): “Probably when we went to his house [Coach Cooley’s] to go watch the NBA Finals game one… that was the cool moment just having the whole team in there…”
• NIL Landscape Impact: “A lot of schools have collectives… that’s probably the biggest difference… I’m not sure who has a Collective [in the Ivy League]… I know at Harvard we did not have a collective…” (referring to the difference between the Ivy League and Big East)
• NIL and Potential at Harvard: “I feel like if Harvard or schools in the Ivy League had collectives then it’ll be it’ll be tough for recruits to say no… I feel like if they had collectors then then they’d be a force to be reckoned with…”
• Staying Focused (on Basketball): “I try not to focus too much on the money aspect… I mean I didn’t really I wasn’t making any money before before this year… I feel like if you too focused on the money then then your production won’t be the same…”
• Motivation and Work Ethic: “I always love the game and I I kind of I won’t say it’s a fear of failure but I can’t see myself not being successful on the court so I try to eliminate that by putting the work in…”
• Something to Prove: “I just want to prove that what I did last year wasn’t no fluke… I’ve been doing this for ever since I came back from injury in high school…”
• Areas for Improvement: “The main thing for me is to win… next thing probably just just in my consistency with my jump shot…”
• Life After Basketball: “I’m not sure what I’ll be doing after basketball… I know for sure that once basketball is done I I’ll definitely pick up on something that I enjoy doing…” (also talks about wanting to sponsor kids at his old middle school)
• Legacy at Georgetown: “For the people who know me or work within the building, um just I just want them to remember my character… that’s the main thing…”

Here are some other links and news:

On the importance of the Georgetown-Maryland game:

• “This is a natural basketball game for the people in our community…” (quote starts at 0:28)
• “I think it’s a great challenge and it’s a great honor…” (quote starts at 2:28)
• “…to keep the best players in the DMV at our at our college and university…” (quote starts at 3:36)
  On the DMV basketball scene:
  “You can feel it…the angst of people wanting Georgetown and Maryland to be great…” (quote starts at 4:30)
• “…when outside looking in…what have you noticed about the DMV and hoops…” (quote starts at 4:03)
  On his relationship with Kevin Willard:
  “We’ve come up in the business together…” (quote starts at 7:09)
• “…I have such deep love and admiration for Kevin…” (quote starts at 7:04)
  On coaching against Kevin Willard:
  He’s one of the best in the country coming out of timeout…” (quote starts at 6:43)
• “…we’re going to recruit against each other…” (quote starts at 6:56)

Five significant reasons why the NCAA should pass on expanding the Big Dance and stick with 68 teams | CBS Sports (Matt Norlander)

The only reason we have a 68-team field is because the NCAA floated a trial balloon 14 years ago about bloating to 96, only to be roundly mocked and ridiculed. Sixty-eight was a compromise to appease the most powerful commissioners and conferences in the sport. Now those same type of people are back and trying to scrape more for themselves, using bogus logic.

Here’s the problem: If you go to 72 or 76, many coaches at the high-major level will not be motivated to schedule the most likely challengers to those at-large bids: high-end mid-majors. It’s already hell for the top 20-30 non-power-conference programs to get a game against high-majors. By cracking the door ajar even more by allowing a few more teams in, it will likely breed the wrong instincts from power-conference schools. Remember, expansion of any kind impacts the regular season. I think a major unintended consequence of going to 72/76 is how much worse it will get for teams in the WCC, Atlantic 10, Mountain West, Missouri Valley, etc.

Five things to note in new contracts for Dan Hurley, UConn men’s basketball assistant coaches | Hartford Courant

The deal, which runs through the 2029-30 season, is worth about $50 million over the next six years and includes opportunities for additional compensation in the form of performance-based incentives…

Associate head coach Kimani Young signed a three-year deal with a base salary of $400,000 and a supplemental salary beginning at $400,000 for the first year, then $425,000 in Year Two and $450,000 in the final year of the contract.

Assistant Luke Murray, credited for much of UConn’s offensive creativity, also signed a three-year deal with a $400,000 base salary. He will receive a $300,000 supplemental salary in the first year of the contract, then $325,000 in year two and $350,000 in the final year of the contract.

Kenner in Serious Question | Hoya Report (Rivals)

For over 30 years all games have been played at McDonough Arena, Georgetown’s venerable on campus facility, with a brief, mid 2000s hiatus at Northwest neighbor the University of the District of Columbia (UDC}. Kenner, which actually began in the early 80’s, and McDonough are linked in the collective consciousness.

Prepare for some mental anguish – Nike Pro City Kenner League in all actuality will not be at McDonough this summer. In fact, it may not happen at all…

Digging on both sides of the divide – Georgetown Athletics/Facilities vs. Pro City Kenner/ Director Van Johnson – revealed a significant gulf between parties. Finances and relationships, or the lack thereof, ruled the landscape…