PREP Athletics Basketball Podcast

In this episode we chat with Coach Damien Williams, Head Prep Basketball Coach at The Kiski School. Kiski is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Coach Williams discusses recruiting against the New England prep schools, college recruiting, the advantage of prep school open gyms, how to email a college basketball coaching staff and much more.  What You Will Learn: [2:58] What made Damien want to...

In this episode we interview Coach Roger Cox who is the head boy’s basketball coach at the Rabun Gap School.  Roger shares why not being in New England is not a disadvantage for his school, the league they play in that has included Zion Williamson and the Curry brothers, the benefits of a multi-cultural school, Rabun Gap’s circus program and more.   What You Will Learn; [4:00] Why Roger chose bask...

In this episode we interview the Winchendon School’s Head Boys Basketball Coach, Kevin Kehoe.  Kevin has won a NEPSAC prep school title and coach of the year award.  In our conversation we discuss the benefits of playing at a prep school, how to choose between colleges that are recruiting you, the single statement that if a guard does it will get them a scholarship, and much more.  Kevin is a pers...

In this mini episode I discuss the three things I would tell my high school self to do if I could go back into a time machine.  While this is not realistic, current high school players and coaches might get some insight into the benefits of these suggestions.  Here they are: 1) Meditate for 10 minutes a day 2) Incorporate Ice Baths/Sauna (Laird Hamilton + Wim Hof) 3) Be present and enjoy the high...

Brady Bergeson is the head coach of Regis University in Denver, Colorado.  He played at D3 Chapman University before coaching D1 at Sacramento State.  He then became head coach at D2 Western Oregon before becoming the head coach at Regis in 2015.  In this episode Brady will tell us about the benefits of playing at the D2 level, how scholarships work at all levels, the differences between each, and...

Wilbraham and Monson Head Boys Basketball Coach, Mike Mannix has coached at the D2, D3 and NBA levels.  He has been at Wilbraham and Monson since 2009.  In this episode Mike talks about working for the Indiana Pacers as a video scout, being the director of basketball ops at Drexel, why the NEPSAC AA prep school league is so special, coaching current NBA player Wenyen Gabriel, and much more.    Wha...

 John Mahoney is a former D1 assistant coach at programs such as West Virginia University and Michigan.  After coaching in college he took over the national post grad team at IMG Academy.  Recently John started 212º Sports Academy.  In this episode John talks about knowing what college coaches are looking for and how to develop his players so they will be attractive to coaches at the next level. ...

Adam Finkelstein is the founder of the New England Recruiting Report as well as a national high school scout for ESPN.  Adam has experience coaching at the D3 (Western Connecticut State),  D1 (University of Hartford), and prep school (Choate Rosemary Hall) levels.  In 2012 I reached out with questions to Adam about the prep school world and he was kind enough to take the time to lead me in the rig...

Coach Raphael Chillious has coached at numerous programs during his tenure.  He played collegiately at Lafayette before coaching at West Nottingham, then onto South Kent.  After sending multiple players to the NBA and D1, he took his talents to the University of Washington.  He has also coached at UCONN, Villanova, and East Carolina before heading back to the helm at the South Kent School.  During...

Coach Turner has been the head coach at Gonzaga College High School in downtown Washington, DC since 2004. Coach Turner was honored with the 2017 Gatorade National Coach of the Year Award. He has coached players who have played at Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Harvard, Michigan, Cornell, Brown, Miami, and many more programs at all levels. I was an assistant on Coach Turner’s staff for two years...

Joe Mantegna is the head coach at Blair Academy where he has been since 1999.  Coach Mantegna has coached five NBA players and works with USA Basketball and the South Sudan National Team.  In this podcast we discuss his background, the characteristics that his eventual NBA players shared, changes he would make to the NCAA, and hearing from the actor also named Joe Mantegna.   What You Will Learn:...

Coach Ben Farmer is the head coach at the Williston Northampton School.  Coach Farmer is a former D1 player, as well as an assistant at Wesleyan and the University of Hartford.  He completed a post grad year at St Thomas More for Coach Jere Quinn, before playing for Marist.  His older brother Jeff also played D1 basketball.  In this episode he will discuss his background, how both he and his broth...

Cory recorded this mini episode based on all the transfers that are happening at the college, prep school, high school and AAU levels.  In this mini episode Cory tells his personal story of transferring high schools in the early 1990s.   It was not as common at the time but this move changed Cory's basketball trajectory and without it he would not have played in a D1 program.  Check out his s...

This episode is a recording of a special Zoom roundtable PREP Athletics held w/ three AAU experts.   We discuss how to pick the right team, if tournaments matter, and do you need to play AAU to play in college, plus much more.  This was very informative and a must listen for families trying to navigate this sometimes shady part of the youth basketball world.  Dave Taylo r is a former D1 player and...

 Coach Sullivan grew up around Worcester Academy and has been with the school since 1998.  As head coach since 2011, he has sent players to all levels of college basketball.  In this episode Coach Sullivan describes not only his basketball program and his search for international players, but the local community and how his players can make an immediate impact.  Each year he looks for players with...

In this episode you will hear from Coach Jay Tilton who is the boy’s varsity basketball coach at Phillips Exeter Academy.  Hear exclusive details on: -the benefits of going to a school like Exeter -his experience coaching at the D1 level -his advice for players wanting to play at the collegiate level  -thoughts on how Duncan Robinson went from a post grad player to NBA star  What You Will Learn: [...

Chris Overbye is a senior partner of Hunnewell Education where he is a prep school consultant. Chris has his own experience attending Indian Mountain School and Salisbury School before going to Allegheny College. He has worked in everything in the prep school world from being a teacher, coach, director of admissions, director of development and head of financial aid. He has worked at the Meadowbro...

Why should you listen to anything I say about the prep school basketball world? For one, I attended a prep school for a post grad year. This led me to getting an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy where I played on the basketball team. In this episode I share my experience with choosing a prep school, my college recruitment and what I gave up to play in a Division 1 program. Connec...

Coach Myers is originally from Roanoke, VA.  He grew up in the gym under the watch of his father who was a coach.  He is familiar with the post grad year as he went to Hargrave Military Academy before playing at Shepard College.  Coach Myers started his coaching career at Hargrave, before becoming a D1 assistant at Radford University.  Massanutten Military Academy was his next coaching job before ...

Meet Coach Thomas “Tom” Messinger, who is the men’s basketball coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA.  In this episode Tom talks about growing up in an athletic family and his journey  to working at Hargrave Military Academy.  Tom tells us about their military structured program and the benefits of a post grad year.   Hargrave has sent 27 players to the NBA in the last 25 years.   What...

Meet Brandon Goble, the CEO of JUCO Advocate and junior college basketball scout. JUCO Advocate, helps players gain exposure to junior colleges and their coaches.  Listen in to learn the benefits of playing at a junior college and when it makes sense to go this route over a prep school.  You will also learn the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a player. What You Will Learn: [...

Meet Coach Mike Hart, the athletic director and basketball coach at St. Andrew's School outside Providence, Rhode Island. He’s been at St. Andrew's since 1994 and has been named New England Prep School Coach of the Year 6 times.  In this episode, he talks about St. Andrews School, the under-the-radar kid they’re focused on, and the diverse environment they provide for basketball players....

Welcome to the show NBA veteran, Brad Miller.  He attended a prep school in Maine for his senior year of high school before playing for 4 years at Purdue University. He later played 14 years in the NBA to include two times in the All-Star game.  In this episode, Brad recalls career moments from the very beginning of high school to the height of his NBA career. He explains why not getting drafted i...

Meet Andrew Gale, the head coach of New Hampton School in New Hampshire. He worked at Vermont as a lead student manager and assistant coach for 4 years, before joining New Hampton in 2016 as an assistant coach and then head coach.  In this episode, he talks about the New Hampton school, which is focused on developing kids into the top 100 players even though they do not always recruit top players....

Meet Coach John Carroll, the Head Coach for the Boys' Basketball team at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. He was a NMH student-athlete before joining them as the head basketball coach in 2001, making this his 20th year with NMH. In this episode, he describes Northfield Mount Hermon as a prep school where kids achieve highly in basketball and academics, with many making it to I...