<![CDATA[MINI BOOKS - Jump Ball Journal]]>

<![CDATA[MINI BOOKS - Jump Ball Journal]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 17:53:52 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[February 23, 2026]]>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:27:20 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/february-23-2026

Sneak Preview:
Bounce Back: Azzi Fudd's Remarkable Journey

By Anthony Price

Azzi Fudd on the cover of her mini book: Bounce Back

Up close after a basketball game, Azzi Fudd’s dark, expressive eyes and toothy smile connect in an aw-shucks, I-can’t-believe-I-did-that way. Her round cheeks, with companion dimples, are welcoming.

She lets you into her world—even if it’s only 15 seconds to sign an autograph or give a fan a high-five. It looks genuine from afar. The rapture works every time. She connects when posing for selfies with young fans, leaving them mesmerized.

Then she’s off to the next fan. It’s not transactional, but there are so many fans waiting for her, lining the lower level of Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.

But there’s more to her than that. She’s skilled at controlling her emotions and not revealing exactly what is on her mind. She conceals the past that played out in public for years: Her life could have been a Netflix medical drama series.

Basketball has taken her around the world on a ride to stardom, where she reached the pinnacle of winning a national championship, and devastating injuries that kept her off the court for lengthy stretches of her career.

Fudd never anticipated the lows. The French have a saying, “c'est la vie,” which translates to “such is life.” While she may not know French, her life has felt like a roller coaster, and often she didn’t recognize who the person was in the mirror as she faced injuries.

Without a basketball by her side, she plunged into a black sea of despair. Her emotions and self-doubt were pulling her down. Family, friends, her love of the game, and optimism would help her bounce back.

Celebrate Azzi Fudd's career and order now before it's too late.

]]><![CDATA[November 17, 2025]]>Sun, 16 Nov 2025 05:27:46 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/november-17-2025

Spencer Haywood Fought the NBA and Won—Now He Wants Recognition

Anthony Price

NBA legend Spencer Haywood played for the Supersonics from 1970-1975.

When former NFL star Ahmad Rashad introduced Spencer Haywood, the audience applauded politely.

It was a Friday evening, September 11, 2015. Savoring his moment, Haywood, who was dressed in a blue suit with a white pocket square, strolled through the crowd and up the six steps to the stage of the Springfield Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. Soaking in the smiles like sunlight and exchanging fist bumps, those were the slowest steps his long legs ever walked.

Haywood, who is 6-foot-8 with broad shoulders, looked the part of a basketball ambassador ready to be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. With a bald head and clean-shaven face, he cut a dashing figure on the stage with his brown skin juxtaposed against the red curtains behind him.

To his right on the stage were his three presenters: Hall of Famers Charles Barkley (’06), the late Lenny Wilkens (’89, ’98, ’00) and the late Bill Walton (’93). They are enshrined legends, but on this night, they seemed to be sentinels welcoming him to the pearly gates of basketball immortality.

Dick Bavetta, John Calipari, Dikembe Mutombo (deceased), Jo Jo White (deceased), Lisa Leslie, Louis Dampier, John Isaacs, coach Lindsay Gaze, coach Tom Heinsohn (deceased) and coach George Raveling (deceased) were also being enshrined on this night.

But this was Haywood’s moment, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away without telling his story. His neck craned to reach down to the microphone, like a giraffe nibbling on leaves.

He looked out into the sea of people and began to tell his story.

A Long Wait

His wife of twenty-five years, Linda, his daughters, Zulekha and Shaakira, and his brother, Leroy, watched with pride. It had been a long time. Haywood last played in the NBA for the Washington Bullets during the 1982-83 season, averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds over 38 games.

On his mind tonight was the small town of Silver City, Mississippi, where he was born—back then, it had fewer than 400 people. He looked out into the sea of people and began to tell his story.

He and his nine siblings and mother picked cotton for 12 hours a day in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta as sharecroppers, he said. It was inhumane work that tortured the human spirit and paid a meager wage of a few dollars a day, starving the body of nourishment.

The Cotton Field. Photo: Shawn Escoffery

Haywood was 13 years old in the early sixties. His father died months before his birth. He and his family were on their own, struggling to make ends meet.

“We didn’t have money and food, but we sure did have a love for God,” he recalled from the stage. “We had a special relationship with God, and many times we would be so hungry, and we would be so desperate, but every time God came through for our family.”

He tapped the podium to mimic the sound of someone knocking on his door. “Somebody would walk up to us and say, ‘Eunice, I got some beans. I got some rice.’ We were able to eat,” he said, holding back the stream of emotion in his heart.

We had a special relationship with God, and many times we would be so hungry, and we would be so desperate, but every time God came through for our family.

Go North

Haywood left Mississippi after his sophomore year and moved north to Ohio to live with his brother Leroy. After living with him briefly, he moved to Detroit to live with James and Ida Bell, who were the parents of one of his teammates.

Will Robinson, who would be like a father figure to Haywood, coached him at Pershing High School. By his junior year in 1966, he was 6-foot-7 and averaged 29 points and 17 rebounds per game. In his senior year, he grew to 6-foot-8 and weighed 220 pounds. He averaged a quadruple-double: 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists and 12 blocked shots. His team won the state championship in 1967.

After high school, during the 1967-68 season, Haywood played at Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colorado. He averaged 28.2 points and 22.1 rebounds, earning him the Junior College Player of the Year award.

The 1960s were turbulent times for the Civil Rights movement. Blacks faced discrimination and racism in all facets of American life. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) fought to empower Black people and change America.

The Olympics is a world stage with millions of eyes watching. Elvin Haynes, Wes Unseld and Alcindor didn’t try out for the American basketball team that year as part of a broader boycott of the games for the treatment of Blacks in America.

Spencer Haywood goes up high at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Haywood participated in the 1968 Olympics, winning a gold medal at 19—the youngest player ever to make the team. He shot 71.9% from the field and scored a record 145 points in the games—a record held for 44 years until superstar Kevin Durant broke it with 155 points in the London games.

This was the Olympics where track and field athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos came in first and third in the 200 meters. And on the medal stand, they wore black gloves and saluted Black Power with their fists in the air, and their shoes off—an iconic moment for the Civil Rights movement.

This was the Olympics where track and field athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos came in first and third in the 200 meters.

Tommy Smith (1), Peter Norman (2) and John Carlos (3) at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

The Four-Year Rule

Haywood transferred to the University of Detroit Mercy Titans after one year in junior college. The plan was to go there, and within a year, coach Robinson would take over. That’s the deal he thought he arranged with the university. When coach Bob Calihan retired, they passed on Robinson and hired coach Jim Harding.

Haywood was upset, but it didn’t impact his play on the court. He averaged 32.1 points and 22.1 rebounds per game for the University of Detroit Titans. After his sophomore year, he decided it was time to go pro.

The National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association both had rules that prohibited players from entering the leagues until four years after high school. The difference was that the ABA had a hardship exemption that allowed players to bypass the rule. Haywood’s hardship was poverty.

Haywood entered the ABA at the age of 21. He played for the Denver Rockers, averaging 30 points and 19.5 rebounds in 1969. In his first year in the league, he won Rookie of the Year, league MVP, and MVP of the 1970 All-Star Game.

The following year, he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, which violated the NBA’s four-year rule. The NBA obtained an injunction preventing Haywood from playing for 10 games.

Fans were not happy that Haywood was playing in the NBA. They thought he was destroying college basketball. He was booed and harassed.

The NBA, the University of Detroit, and the NCAA all considered suing Haywood. Instead, Haywood fought back and sued the NBA. Lawyers on Haywood’s behalf argued that the NBA rule violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.

His case would go all the way to the United States Supreme Court, where he won. It was official: Players didn’t have to wait four years after high school to play professional basketball.

High school players Darryl Dawkins (No. 5 in 1975) and Bill Willoughby (No. 19) opened the door for young players to enter the NBA.

From 1995 to 2005, some of the game’s greatest players skipped college to play in the NBA: Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard and LeBron James—all Hall of Famers, except James, who is still active in the NBA.

Players with college eligibility left to turn pro, not just high school players. In 2005, the NBA and its players agreed to a rule requiring players to be 19 years old and one year removed from high school.

LeBron James circa 2003-2004.

He Changed the Game

In 2023, Theresa Runstedtler, a professor of African American history at American University, published the book Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA. The publisher describes the book: “Against the backdrop of ongoing massive resistance to racial desegregation and increasingly strident calls for Black Power, the NBA in the 1970s embodied the nation's imagined descent into disorder.

The press and the public blamed young Black players for the chaos in the NBA, citing drugs, violence, greed, and criminality. The supposed decline of pro basketball became a metaphor for the first decades of integration in America: the rules of the game had changed, allowing more Black people onto a formerly white playing field, and now they were ruining everything. But Black Ball argues that this much-maligned period was pivotal to the rise of the NBA as the star-laden powerhouse we know today, thanks largely to the efforts of Black players in challenging the white basketball establishment.”

Black Ball book cover featuring Spencer Haywood in a Seattle Super Sonics uniform.

In the foreword to the paperback version of the book, Haywood describes asking Wilt Chamberlain why he didn’t challenge the four-year rule. “I wasn’t as stupid as you,” Chamberlain replied.

“I went to the ABA to get my mother out of the cotton field because she was still picking cotton for two dollars per day,” Haywood said in the foreword. “She was dragging a sack for all of her life, since she was five years old, and her back had gone pretty bad. I just wanted, before something serious happened, to get my mother out of that brutal work.”

Haywood’s successful court challenge forever changed the game. Billions of dollars of contracts have gone to players because of the Supreme Court decision. “So, I see the impact,” he said from the stage, mentioning LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. “I see what I’ve done, and by the grace of God it has happened for me.“

I went to the ABA to get my mother out of the cotton field because she was still picking cotton for two dollars per day,

He left the audience with one more message: “And remember, guys, I had game. It was not like I did this Supreme Court thing [because I couldn’t play]. I had some serious game!“ The crowd roared as if he were back on the court.

Today, Haywood wants one thing: recognition. He planted a tree whose shade he never sat under. But now he wants that tree to be named after him: the Spencer Haywood Rule. This is his last fight.

“I don't think the players today understand the sacrifices I made,” he said in Black Ball.
“I have been begging the Players Association to help me get proper recognition.”

His dream is to see the rule named in his lifetime—thanking him and his family for his work.

And if today’s players know and appreciate him, he will have accomplished more off the court than on.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[November 5, 2025]]>Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:47:51 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/november-5-2025

No. 4 UConn Opens the Season With a Hard Lesson From New Haven

By Anthony Price

University of New Haven players stand for the National Anthem. Photo: University of New Haven Athletics.

On Monday night, No. 4 UConn beat the University of New Haven, 79-55, to the elation of over 10,000 fans at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

Last season, Coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies lost to Florida, 77-75, in the second round of the NCAA tournament, ending a 13-game tournament streak—and resulting in a man-made river of tears in the locker room.

On this night, the Huskies would protect their turf. While most fans went home happy, Hurley wasn’t satisfied. “That was excruciating,” Hurley said at the postgame press conference. “Games like that are tough. I mean, these games that we play are way more stressful than BYU or Kansas on the road.”

Hurley continued, “We played better in the two exhibitions against Boston College and Michigan State, who are significantly better than New Haven. “But credit them,” he said.

His thoughts overflowed like two weeks of dirty laundry. “That game sucked to have to sit through,” Hurley admitted. “For the coaches, it was painful. It was miserable.”

As the consummate motivator, Hurley’s words carried more than just frustration. “But I also love the team. I think the team will get a lot better from this. In a way, it will be a wake-up call.”

Games like that are tough. I mean, these games that we play are way more stressful than BYU or Kansas on the road.

Different Directions

New Haven made the Husky fans squirm in their seats as the Chargers attacked the rim with fearless energy. UConn responded by swatting and scrapping, but every time they did, New Haven came back swinging.

It was a matchup between two programs at opposite ends of the NCAA hierarchy. The Huskies, a blue blood perched at the top, have won two national championships in the past three years and developed a pipeline to the NBA.

New Haven, meanwhile, is fighting its way up, working toward DI status. This year, the Chargers will take on Penn State, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Seton Hall, and a few DIII teams.

Their roster features 12 scholarship players and five non-scholarship players. To reach the top, New Haven must be creative in generating revenue—the lifeblood of any program. Monday’s matchup was a buy-in game, meaning that UConn paid New Haven for the appearance. That check will go right back into building the Chargers’ future.

UConn versus the University of New Haven at Gampel Pavilion. Photo: Anthony Price

The Game

UConn was without two key starters: junior Tarris Reed Jr. and freshman Byron Mullins, both sidelined by injuries. Reed’s presence in the middle and Mullins’ shooting ability from deep behind the three-point line will make a noticeable difference when they’re healthy.

The starting lineup featured Alex Karaban, Jaylin Stewart, Eric Reibe (freshman), Silas Demary Jr. and Solo Ball. Riebe, a 7-foot-2 freshman center from Germany, and point guard Demary Jr.,a transfer, both made their Huskies debuts.

The usually potent UConn offense, which has been lauded by coaches nationwide over the past three years, struggled to find rhythm for most of the night. At halftime, the Huskies led only 37-24.

UConn missed open looks at the basketball and shot 8 of 23 (34.8 %) from the 3-point range—numbers they’ll need to improve against top teams. Karaban led with 19 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Ball with 18 points, Stewart with 11, and Demary Jr. with 10.

New Haven’s Unique Talent

When Chargers sophomore Andre Pasha graduated from high school, he wasn’t ready for college. “My grades weren’t the best, so I decided to stay closer to home,” Pasha said calmly over the telephone.

He enrolled at Mohawk Valley Community College, 54 miles west of his Syracuse home, and played for coach Harley Fuller, now an associate coach at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

I think that was like one of the best experiences ever, that year in JUCO.

Under Fuller, the team went 29-1, and won the NJCAA's Division III National Championship in late March. Pasha earned First Team All-American honors. “That wasn’t the expectation coming into [college],” he said. “I wasn’t thinking of a national championship. I think that was like one of the best experiences ever, that year in JUCO. It got me very prepared for physicality, I’d say.”

Making an Impression

UConn quickly learned who Pasha is—and who he isn’t. He’s not the typical bruising center anchored in the post. “His center was driving the ball,” Hurley said, half in disbelief. “He was playing like a quarterback, like a point center.”

Pasha, a 6-foot-9 forward, was a thorn in the Huskies’ paw, scoring 17 points on 8-for-16 shooting and grabbing six rebounds. He hit mid-range jumpers, finished tough shots over 7-foot-2 Reiber, and played with a confidence that belied his experience.

“There were some nerves at the start,” Pasha admitted, “but as soon as I got playing, I knew we could compete at a high level. We are going to compete with everybody.”

New Haven's Andre Pasha dribbles. Photo: University of New Haven Athletics.

The jump from community college to Division 1 is steep, but Pasha handled it with poise. “It’s a lot different playing against my guys in practice and then going out there against the No. 4 team,” he said. “We knew what we had in store, but I think we definitely competed.”

He wasn’t surprised by his success because it hadn’t come overnight. “I can say not in the slightest bit because, obviously, working every day, I’m in the gym twice a day [and] at night. Preparing for the shots I know I’m going to take, and the ones I know I can make.”

Pasha made impossible shots look effortless—a mini version of Nikola Jokic. “I like playing against bigger players. That’s something I thrive in,” he said. “I prefer playing against a seven-footer than somebody who is 6-6.”

Off the Court

Pasha is from a basketball family. His brother, Marcus, plays basketball at a JUCO, and his sister, Erykah, played in high school.

He understands that winning starts with mindset. “We had nothing to lose out there. It’s our first game,” he said of the matchup—a typical buy-in game that most top NCAA teams avoid scheduling.

People call him Dre—and he sees future upsets. He has goals: “Obviously to shock a lot of people, knowing that we are a first-year DI [program]. I’d say just to make history, man.”

I watch a lot of sports. I watch hockey, MLB, NFL, a lot of college basketball, and a lot of NBA. I’m really just a major ‘sports head.

On the phone, Pasha is relaxed and thoughtful. But before games, he transforms. His pregame playlist? Loud and heavy—Lil Baby. Rio Da Yung OG and G Herbo. “Stuff that gets me pumped up,” he said with a laugh.

Future opponents might hope he changes his musical diet to something quieter—for their sake.

Postgame Presser

When asked about Pasha, New Haven coach Ted Hotaling smiled before saying, ”No, I don’t want to talk about Andre Pasha, not in this world of college basketball.” It was a joke, but a telling one. In today’s transfer-portal era, protecting emerging talent matters.

“Yes, Andre Pasha is excellent,” Hotaling eventually admitted. “Andre was recruited to be a Division II player at New Haven. The one unique thing about him is he has a [more] unique skillset than most bigs because he can dribble.”

University of New Haven Coach Ted Hotaling at the postgame press conference. Photo: Anthony Price.

Hotaling added, “And I don’t think his passing showed up as well tonight, just because UConn’s defense is so good, it’s hard to get back cuts.”

Defensive Reflections

UConn got beat on straight-line drives to the hoop. Hurley hopes his defensive woes are just early-season kinks the team needs to work out. He attributed UConn’s shortcomings on defense to the smaller bodies and spacing of the floor.

“But sometimes, you know, the buy-games, the games are very different,” he said, as if thinking out loud. “When you play high-major teams, the court is just spaced differently. There are so many small perimeter players on the court.”

It’s clear Hurley’s mind is already working on a future solution. He prefers the challenge of bigger, more physical matchups. “When you’re playing Michigan State and different people that are high-majors, there are bigger bodies out there,” he said. “Not to make excuses, but that may have something to do with the brutal defense. Because we guarded Michigan State better than we guarded New Haven.”

Happy Learning on the Job

New Haven has a tough road ahead. Monday was their introduction to the big stage—a moment not lost on the Chargers graduate student Maison Adeleye, who sat next to Hotaling.

“I think a game like this is truly a blessing just to come out here and play against the Basketball Capital of the World,” said Adeleye, who transferred from DII UT Permian Basin.

University of New Haven's Maison Adeleye at the postgame press conference. Photo: Anthony Price.

Now in his sixth year of college basketball, he has perspective. “Honestly, so, I feel like it can only just make us better—me as a player and of course as a team as well,” he said, his voice barely audible. Najimi George scored 14, and Adeleye scored 13. The Chargers had only three assists on 23 made baskets—a reminder that to compete at the DI level, they’ll need more ball movement and shared offense.

Hotaling knows the challenge. “It doesn’t get any easier,” he said, noting that New Haven will face Columbia on Friday and Penn State at home on Saturday. “But those are the games these guys want to play in,” he said.

Hurley said, “It’s going to be fun, I think, to watch him (Hotaling) build that program into a team fighting for NCAA tournament bids.” Then, with a wry smile, he summed up his own team’s uneven night. “I think the team is going to be awesome this year,” Hurley said. “But tonight sucked.”

For both programs, opening night was a reminder of what November basketball is all about—learning, adjusting, and believing that the next game will be better.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[October 30, 2025]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 20:31:35 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/october-30-2025

Southern Connecticut Women Fall to No. 1 UConn—But Win the Hustle Game

By Anthony Price

Southern's Marisa Lee, #24, and Ally Sentance, #3, battle UConn. Photo: Sophia Close.

For the UConn women’s basketball program, it was business as usual.

A UConn home game is a spectacle, like the Colosseum in Rome—a battle against the odds. They have a multimillion-dollar coaching staff (two former Huskies), a marching band, Jonathan the Husky, an army of workers on the payroll, and a fan base across the country who watch on television.

In an exhibition game of disparate opponents, UConn, the defending national champions and No. 1 team in the country, beat Southern Connecticut State University (unranked Division 2), 105-39, in front of over 9,200 fans at People’s Bank Arena in Hartford.

After the game, the players formed a line at midcourt and exchanged high-fives. The UConn players were giants and walked with swagger, after scoring 46 points in the paint, 36 points off turnovers, and 25 fast-break points. It was total domination—but Southern viewed it differently.

As the Southern players walked toward the locker room, their faces didn’t look deflated. They weren’t defeated. Quite the opposite. They were beaming with pride in the effort they put forth on this big stage, which included a television broadcast, UConn’s band, and a spirit squad. Even Jonathan, the Husky, was there watching. Not Southern’s typical game.

Inside the locker room, they waited. Coach Lynch arrived wearing a cream-colored blazer, aqua-blue fingernails, and sneakers. When she closed the door, the room erupted with a thunderous roar—as if they had won their second national championship.

I thought we did a lot of really good things.

Jillian Martin watches as coach Kate Lynch writes down instructions. Photo: Sophia Close.

The Game Within the Game

Lynch exited the locker room. She looked like she could be a Southern player.

With a smile on her face and optimism in her eyes, Lynch said, “I thought we did a lot of really good things. For us, we are not focusing on the score.” Their goal was to hold UConn to 105 points or below—mission accomplished. “So that’s a win for us,” she said with a chuckle.

Lynch, an ’08 Southern graduate, is in her 13th season as head coach of the Owls. She is a two-time All-American and the program’s all-time leading scorer at 1,779.

In 2007, she led the team to its first and only DII NCAA national championship. Assistant coach Stephanie Hiriak Lund was on that championship team with Lynch and is now in her 10th season at Southern.

Lynch’s focus was “the game within the game.” The team metrics that measured success for them included tipped balls on defense, offensive rebounds (the Owls grabbed 10 and UConn 11), defensive rebounds and taking offensive charges. “Those types of things were points in our scorebook,” she said.

It was all about hustle and effort.

“I thought we got out in transition a few times,” Lynch said. “And if we can get out [in transition] a couple times on UConn—and [we] scored a couple times too—imagine what we can do at our level? So, we really tried to focus on the things that we want to be good at this year, and even if they seemed like failures, they were not, in our eyes.”

The UConn game has become something of a rite of passage at Southern—this is the second time in three years the teams have played. Southern lost 97-38 at Gampel Pavilion on November 4, 2023.

I mean, UConn to me is the standard.

Lynch played UConn on November 6, 2007, when she was on the team at Southern—a game in which she scored 16 points in a loss, 119-58, in Hartford, on a team that featured future Hall of Famer Maya Moore.

“It’s an incredible experience to be able to step on the floor with the defending national champions, the number one team in the country,” she said. “I mean, UConn to me is the standard. “

The Players

Senior guard Ally Sentance, from Thorold, Ontario, said, “Growing up, I was always a huge UConn fan. They were the team to look up to. I think that was a surreal moment.”

When asked about the roar coming from the locker room, she said, “We did everything that we wanted to. We won morally, which is awesome. We did what we needed to do. We were excited about it.”

The game was more than the final score. “This was about us growing and playing together—this is our second game,” Sentance said. “So, for us to put up almost 40 points—something like that—and the way we worked together, I think that was really awesome for us.”

When asked what she will take from this game into the regular season, she replied, “That we are very capable. That was a really, really good Division I team—obviously national champions.”

“If we can do stuff like that. Have them force turnovers, hit shots on them, do the things we did, and when we get to conference and Division II, we should have no problem with everyone, and we are going to win our conference,” Sentance said. “I’m really excited to see what we can do this season.”

Senior guard Ally Sentance and UConn's Azzi Fudd make contact. Photo: Sophia Close.

Senior guard Hope Fox, a Guilford, Indiana native who shares an off-campus apartment with Sentance, played against UConn in her sophomore year. Three other players from that game are still on the Southern team: Jillian Martin, Rheyna Steinauer, and Maya Henry.

“It’s an experience not many Division II women’s basketball players get to experience,” Fox said. Just being on a big stage and representing Southern and our program—it means a lot to past players at Southern, and also the future.”

“Yes, there is reason to be nervous about playing UConn: they are bigger, faster and stronger. Very skilled players. At the end of the day, it’s really just to have fun and compete at a very high level.”

“It’s more of an experience—obviously, we know we are not going to win—but we are going to go out there and play our hardest. And even our coach said this, it takes a lot of courage to step out and play against UConn. Some DI schools don’t even want to play UConn.”

Hope Fox is guarded by UConn's Sarah Strong. Photo: Sophia Close.

It might not have shown on the scoreboard, but we did win a lot of possessions on our measuring stick.

Southern focused on their “Hustle” stat line: They made note of UConn going under 10 seconds on the shot clock. They considered that a won possession. “Little things like that we kept track of,” Fox said. “It might not have shown on the scoreboard, but we did win a lot of possessions on our measuring stick. We did a lot of good things out there.”

The program has ambitious goals for the 2025-26 season, following its appearance in the NCAA tournament last season and first-round loss. “Our goal this year is to make it to the Elite 8,” Fox said.

Southern will remember this game for many years to come, and it may be the catalyst to achieving their goal of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Who would have thought a loss against UConn could be a win? The Owls from New Haven.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[October 23, 2025]]>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:12:47 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/october-23-2025

Gibby at the Cathedral: Sophia Gibson Brings Kentucky Grit to Yale Basketball

By Anthony Price

Freshman Sophia "Gibby" Gibson poses for a photograph. Photo: Anthony Price

It’s noon in October at Yale University, and the bright colored leaves and warm sunlight complement the Payne Whitney Gymnasium architecture: It’s depicting New England better than any tourism brochure could.

The gymnasium is a massive structure with over twelve acres of space inside. Yet, it is disguised in plain sight. It’s a paradox.

To find it, scan New Haven’s urban landscape for a 9.5-story Gothic Revival-style edifice built in 1931. Nicknamed “the cathedral of sweat,” it’s an imposing monument to athletics—ironically fitting for an Ivy League school where sports trail well behind academic pursuits in prominence.

Inside, the lobby is dark, cold and carved out of stone—a warning not to take sports too seriously at this academic beacon. It leads to the John J. Lee Amphitheater, where the women’s basketball team plays its home games.

Language Practice

Sophia Gibson is ready for basketball practice, but she won’t be on the court sweating it out with her teammates today. Nonetheless, she is wearing a smile as if it is part of her uniform. “I definitely think I’m high energy and bubbly, which people tend to say,” she chuckles.

Laughter pours out as she talks with her teammate, junior Ana Guillen, who is from Badalona, Spain. After being prodded by this writer, they have an impromptu conversation in Spanish. Gibson’s Spanish is rusty, and she struggles to keep up. The language was helpful for the team this summer when they traveled to France and Spain to play basketball and build chemistry.

“Don’t do this to me,” she implores Guillen. “I took four years of Spanish—[I’m] not any good at it.” The torture ends when practice starts.

The six-five Gibson is on an exercise bike, in a corner near the entrance to the gym. She slowly turns the pedals with a solemn look as if serving a punishment.

This is not how Gibson wanted to start her freshman year. But an unexpected medical condition forced her hand. She will have surgery next week and hopes to be back on the court soon.

I definitely think I’m high energy and bubbly, which people tend to say.

Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Photo: Anthony Price.

‘Gibby’

“Everybody calls me Gibby,” she says with a laugh. Her father was Gibby in high school, according to her. Then, people began to call her Gibby in high school. The name has followed her 735 miles east to Yale.

“And now, nobody knows my name is Sophia,” she says. The sound of bouncing balls and giddy chatter can’t contain her laughter.

Gibson’s father is 6-8 and her mother is 5-10. He played two years of football at Kentucky and then, after an injury, transferred and played basketball at Northern Kentucky University. He passed his love of basketball down to her, Gibson says.

Her brother, Sam, is a 7-footer who played D2 basketball. They used to be “workout buddies, all the time,” Gibson says. That’s how she got used to shooting over someone taller than her. “We’ve always been big competitors,” she adds.

Gibson is a throwback to when centers ruled the game, like Lisa Leslie and Bill Russell in their prime—and A’ja Wilson now. She is determined to make her play from the post position stand out.

I love being a post player, and I want to continue doing that.

“I love being a post player, and I want to continue doing that,” Gibson says. She feels the game of basketball has lost a true inside presence—especially with most teams launching three-pointers at record numbers. She wants to bring it back.

“Honestly, I love being inside, and that’s what I’m passionate about,” Gibson says. She’s comfortable in her skin. She has a soothing presence with big, green eyes.

The biggest difference from high school basketball to college has been the long practices, which Gibson estimates as 3 hours a day. Add time in the weight room and individual workouts, and it’s a long day.

“Gibby has an incredible personality. She’s a lot of fun to be around,“ Coach Dalila Eshe says. “She’s a true center at the end of the day. She doesn’t have a huge desire to stretch it out and shoot the three.”

“And she’s very physical,” Eshe adds. “She gets in there, and she doesn’t mind throwing her body around and going to get rebounds, and she plays really well with her back to the basket.”

Coach Dalila Eshe watches practice. Photo: Anthony Price.

The Bulldogs have seven new players from a team that was 4-23 last season. Over the past three seasons, under Eshe, the team is 25-56.

This is a big year for the team. You can feel the anticipation swirling in the air. “I’m just looking forward to getting our team out on the court and starting a new beginning,” Eshe says, before practice on Friday. She has wiped the slate clean.

As for Gibson, her goal is simple: “I just want to work on my skills and abilities, and grow, not only as a person this year but as a player.”

Home on Her Mind

Gibson grew up in Taylor Mill, Kentucky, about 13 miles south of Cincinnati. She was the team captain at Notre Dame Academy, where she scored 1,000 points.

In high school, Gibson played soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track (discus).

“Cincinnati is my home, and I miss it,“ she says. She doesn’t hide her pride in the city.

“Honestly, I watch a lot of football on my off day on Sunday. Big Bengals fan! I’m just anything Cincinnati. Reds, I’m there.” Her only disappointment about Cincinnati is that there is no professional basketball team in the city. “I think every state should be a basketball state, honestly,” she says.

Gibson’s roommate is from Minnesota and is a violinist in the Yale Orchestra. Two Midwestern girls who can help each other adjust to New Haven. She’s excited for the Harvard-Yale football game.

I really, really love animals. “They’re honestly the best thing on planet earth.

Sophia "Gibby" Gibson rides an exercise bike at practice. Photo: Anthony Price.

When not playing basketball, she loves watching volleyball and women’s ice hockey at Yale.

There’s a softer side to Gibson, away from physical play in the paint.

“I really, really love animals. “They’re honestly the best thing on planet earth.” She has a Boston terrier named Winnie. “She’s so bad, but I love her anyway,” she says. “I Facetime my dad every night to see my girl.”

Gibson gives of herself. In high school, she worked with children with disabilities as a service project. “I want[ed] to challenge myself in a different kind of way, and I learned so much from these kids.”

Optimized for Academics

Yale attracts a certain type of student-athlete.

Gibson had a 4.2 in high school, so the university satisfies her intellectual cravings. She attributes her success in the classroom to being organized.

Gibson registered at the last minute for a senior-level philosophy course this semester. “It is challenging, but I absolutely love it,” she says. In addition, she is taking an American Sign Language class. Some of her teammates have taken the course.

“It’s all about timing,” Gibson adds. “I have my days planned down to the minute.” She gets up before 6:00 a.m. daily. “Waking up early has helped me a lot. It’s all about time management, but also making time for yourself.”

“Waking up early is tough, and we have 7:00 a.m. practice some days. But honestly, you get used to it. I never used to be a morning person. But now I am.”

As a busy freshman, she still finds time to unwind. “This team is where I find so much joy.” And chatting in the locker room clears her mind.

The cathedral of sweat may have to wait a little longer, but when Gibson steps onto the court, the echoes will follow.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[October 11, 2025]]>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:40:03 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/october-11-2025

Legends Still Reigning: LeBron, Curry and KD

By Anthony Price

Lebron James wearing a Los Angeles Dodges hat

NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird once said, “Once you are labeled the best, you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around. If I don't keep changing, I'm history.”

Lebron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant must have taken those words to heart. For two decades, they’ve rewritten not only their own games but the game itself—stacking up ten championships between them and reshaping how basketball is played and watched.

Once, they were the hunters chasing Michael Jordan. Now they’re the standards the rising stars measure themselves against.

They may be graying at the temples, but don’t be fooled—these veterans are still running circles around the game’s younger players. And while they know their reign won’t last forever, they’re making sure the throne isn’t easily taken.

Basketball Gods

Today’s game is fast, physical, and often played above the rim. The best players don’t just play basketball—they levitate, like modern-day gods of the court.

There have been basketball gods before. Bird once learned that the hard way. After Michael Jordan scored a record 63 points against the Celtics in a double-overtime game at the Boston Garden on April 20, 1986, Bird simply said, “It’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”

Today, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is auditioning to be a basketball god. When in flight, he seems to defy gravity without a booster rocket, and seconds later, he hanging from the rim as if it’s a trophy he just claimed.

While Edwards basks in the moment, someone else is peeling himself off the floor—another mortal sacrificed to the basketball gods, their fate sealed in a viral Internet meme, forever immortalized with a chorus of oohs and ahhs.

It’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.

The Past

The game didn’t start with Edwards. Let’s rewind—or scroll back, for the tech-savvy crowd.

The National Basketball Association, or NBA, is 79 years old—not exactly ancient but not young—a reminder that age and youth can coexist to create the kind of living art that people will pay to see.

The league was born in 1946, when the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League, and it’s been home to the world’s best ballers ever since—players who entertain millions and get paid like kings.

It wasn’t always that way. Long before basketball came with Brinks trucks’ money, NBA players worked a job in the offseason like everyone else. While they didn’t get the “bag” as today’s stars say. What they got was the love of the game.

These were the men of the 1950s and ‘60s who played hurt, wrapped what ailed them and played the game. Legends like Bob Pettit, George Mikan and Bill Sharman set the standard, passing the ball—literally and figuratively—to Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell and Jerry West who carried the game into a new era.

Bill Russell, Boston Celtics

Greatness isn’t a single moment.

The Standard

The game’s greatest are enshrined in the basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts—names like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan.

Greatness isn’t a single moment. It’s a standard of continued excellence measured over a long period of time. Celtics great Robert Parish set that bar high—1,611 games, more than any player in NBA history. Lebron James is in reach at second with 1,562 games.

Basketball always pushes forward but never forgets its past. That’s how we measure how far a player has gone.

Right now, three future Hall of Famers are still defining that standard: LeBron ”The King” James, Stephen Curry “Chef Curry,” and Kevin Durant “KD.” Cool nicknames are mandatory.

In a league–and culture–that lauds youth, these young-at-heart veterans are still among the best—even as unruly gray creep into their beards like weeds in a summer garden. James is 41, Curry, 37, and KD, 37. That’s middle-aged for regular folks. In the NBA, it’s supposed to be ancient.

But they’re not just hanging on. They’ve redefined the positions they play. Lebron is the ultimate point-forward. KD, a long-limbed 7-footer who can dribble and shoot from anywhere, goes by the nickname “Easy Money Sniper” for good reason. And Curry? He makes long-distance three-pointers from the half-court logo and beyond. Physics holds its breath when the ball leaves his hands.

New Season: 2025-26

As another NBA season approaches, let’s not take for granted the greatness we’re about to witness from James, Curry and Durant.

Too often, we wait until a player is walking out of the arena for the last time to let them know how much they are appreciated. No one plays forever—just ask baseball great Leroy Satchel Paige, who became the first Black pitcher in the American League at 42 in 1948, and then retired at 47.

And yet, in ESPN’s 2025 NBA Rank, Durant sits at 9, Lebron at 8 and Curry at 7—still among the best players on Earth.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the Paris Olympics.

Kevin Durant watches.

Durant, a two-time NBA champion, is one of the most decorated international stars and the only player with an MVP in the World Cup, the Olympics and the NBA. He’s the first male athlete in a team sport to win four Olympic gold medals.

James is entering a record 23rd season. Already the game’s greatest scorer, his total—42,184 points—ticks like a taxi meter that never stops.

And Curry? The babyfaced assassin has made 4,058 three-pointers, the most in history. No lead is safe when he’s on the floor. And when he makes the “nighty night” pose, game over!

Curry and Lebron have each won four championships. The first one to five gets to retire on a mountaintop.

Physics holds its breath when the ball leaves his hands.

Stephen Curry, Paris Olympics.

The End Is Coming

Like iconic brands etched in our minds, the Big Three—James, Curry & Durant—are more than players. They’re benchmarks.

Their games are timeless because they studied the greats like historians studying ancient Greece. Their knowledge of the past propels them forward, and their relentless work ethic keeps them on top even as time tries to catch up.

The future belongs to Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Dončić—and to some kid somewhere who’s too young to drive but is already studying their every move.

For now, though, the Big Three remain the standards. So give them your full attention and love every minute of their games this season.

Basketball entertains—but it also teaches. And its greatest lesson is simple: no one plays forever.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[October 1, 2025]]>Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:20:43 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/october-1-2025

Nowhere to Hide: Sarah Strong, UConn’s Next Great Player, Has Put College Basketball on Notice

By Anthony Price

Sarah Strong dribbles. Photo: Brian Davey.

When the dust cleared in April 2025, the UConn women’s basketball program ended a Dust Bowl-like drought—they won their first championship in nine years, beating rival South Carolina, 82-59.

UConn was back at the top of college basketball, holding its 12th national title—to the annoyance of the programs chasing the Huskies.

Then-freshman Sarah Strong, the quiet superstar, emerged from the pack as the next potential generational talent in a long line of greats at UConn. Strong scored the second-most points (657) of any UConn freshman, behind only Maya Moore.

Her game makes noise, wreaking havoc on defenses with her bag of tools. She was named the NCAA Division I National Freshman of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Big East Freshman of the Year, amongst other accomplishments.

No. 1 Recruit

Last year, Sarah Strong was an 18-year-old freshman and the No. 1 recruit in the country, sharing a room with her teammates, KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen, attending classes, and playing basketball.

Coach Geno Auriemma isn’t one to do metaphorical cartwheels in the late summer or early fall. He was excited in his “I’ve seen everything” way.

With Paige Bueckers’ leadership, and a healthy Azzi Fudd shooting the lights out with her textbook form, Strong could be the X factor to push the team toward a national championship.

The coaches were like scientists examining a specimen under a microscope. They had a hypothesis: If the team jelled, stayed healthy, and if Sarah could be as good as they believed, they would be good—UConn-speak for a championship contender.

Coach Geno Auriemma isn’t one to do metaphorical cartwheels in the late summer or early fall.

Sarah Strong talks to the media after practice in October 2024. Photo: Anthony Price

Not Impressed

Strong first met the Connecticut media on October 3, 2024, after practice. The media was one of the few things in her young life she hadn’t dominated.

UConn, the biggest stage in women’s college basketball and self-anointed Basketball Capital of the World, is different.

Strong sheepishly walked toward the media in the lobby of Werth UConn Basketball Champions Center on campus—the home of both the men’s and women’s programs.

At 6-foot-2, Strong was wearing braces, an oversized hoodie, and sweatpants. Her long braids were her only shield. She looked toward the director of women’s basketball communications for reassurance and found none. She was on her own.

She appeared unsure of herself—despite being the best baller in North Carolina, leading her Grace Christian team to three NCISAA championships on her way to averaging 21 points, 16.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

The media was one of the few things in her young life she hadn’t dominated.

Sarah Strong talks to the media after practice in early October 2024. Photo: Anthony Price

The media fired questions at her like daggers. With TV cameras and microphones, they seemed to be tormenting her, judging by the expression on her face.

When asked about her Connecticut experience up to this point, she said, “Storrs is okay. There’s not much to do—everything is 30 minutes away. I like it. I’m getting used to it. Again, it’s definitely an adjustment.” That would be one of her longest exchanges all year.

Her answers were often one-sentence answers, unlike Auriemma, who can reply to a question by taking you back to his birth home in Italy, opine on the state of the game of women’s basketball, and talk about the Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs.

Strong has had many brief encounters with the media, but one stands out. After UConn beat Arkansas State 103-34 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Strong was asked about her performance, in which she scored 20 points (9 of 10 from the floor, including two 3-pointers), 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocked shots.

Strong replied, “It was a lot of fun being out there with my team. Everything was pretty much going our way, so that really helped. But I’m excited for the next one.” She looked at Azzi Fudd to her side and then Auriemma as if she might have done something wrong.

Auriemma gave her a look as if to say, “That’s it?” When Strong left the stage, Auriemma said, ”Very enlightening. Riveting. Sarah Strong, riveting.” This is probably one of the few times Strong didn’t live up to Auriemma’s standard.

Using Her Voice

Sarah Strong is now a sophomore and ready for the media. After a whirlwind year that took her to the championship, she has had plenty of time to practice. During her sophomore year, she wants to lead with her voice. With Paige Bueckers gone, this may be an important step in Strong’s maturation process—a welcome addition to reporters’ ears, who are used to her responses leaving silence like a bad joke.

In the last week of September 2025, on Monday, she was back in front of the media. With white athletic tape covering her earrings, she stood with her hands crossed in front of her, wearing her practice uniform and slides.

When asked what she wants to do more of this year, Strong responded, “This year, I want to step into trying to help lead the team. Use my voice more, whenever it’s needed, just be there for my teammates.”

Strong acknowledged that she was quiet last year, with a classic reply: “Yeah, for sure,” and smiled.

She is ready to speak up. She said, “Especially just talking to the freshmen, I feel like I’m doing a good job, actually talking, on and off the court.” She said this with more enthusiasm and emotion than she had when winning the championship in April.

Sarah Strong meets the media after the first practice in late September 2025. Photo: Anthony Price

She may never be the loudest player on the court or at a press conference.

A Generational Prospect

A generational player is defined as an athlete with exceptionally rare and groundbreaking talent who consistently achieves extraordinary success and has a significant, lasting impact on their sport, often changing how the game itself is played. They are defined by a combination of elite skill, longevity at the peak of their game, an impressive collection of awards and statistics, and a cultural influence that transcends the sport, making them the standard against which future players are measured.

Strong averaged 16.1 points per game and 9.1 rebounds her freshman year. Playing over 28 minutes a game, she fouled out once during the 36-game regular season.

She knows how to get to her spots to help the team win, whether setting a screen, posting up, stretching the floor by hitting the three, or getting a key steal.

Strong set the NCAA record for most points by a freshman in a single tournament with 114. She is expected to pose a challenge to her opponents this season.

She may never be the loudest player on the court or at a press conference. But her game stats scream talent, versatility, and a fluidity that doesn’t waste energy.

When her career is over, she may rank as one of the best in a program that has produced some of the greatest in the game: Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Paige Bueckers, and Nykesha Sales.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[September 25, 2025]]>Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:15:07 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/september-25-2025

Far from Distractions, Jere Quinn Built a Basketball Powerhouse at Saint Thomas More

By Anthony Price

Coach Jere Quinn talks to his team at the National Prep Championship game. Photo: Dayna Cass.

Saint Thomas More (STM), a college-preparatory boarding school tucked away in the small village of Oakdale, Connecticut, enrolls just 180 students from 26 countries. Yet, from this modest campus, one of New England’s premier basketball programs has emerged, producing Division 1 talent that has gone on to win NCAA championships.

The results speak for themselves. More than 660 former STM players have advanced to college basketball, with over 100 continuing their careers professionally overseas.

Some alumni have played in the NBA, including Andre Drummond, Eric Paschall, Omari Spellman, Yuta Watanabe, and Damion Lee, who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

Trinity College won the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Championship with senior Sean Macarchuk and head coach James Cosgrove—both products of STM’s program.

Syracuse University sophomore Tyler Betsey (STM ’24) is already making his mark, while his best friend, London Jemison (STM ’25), is a freshman at the University of Alabama. Together, they represent the ongoing pipeline of talent emerging from this small boarding school, which refuses to be overshadowed by wealthier rivals.

They are betting on themselves.

Putnam Science Academy and Saint Thomas More battle for the ball. Photo: Dayna Cass.

Young Globetrotters

STM’s National basketball team is usually all the buzz on campus. Made up primarily of postgraduates, the squad attracts players determined to sharpen their skills and secure college scholarships.

Sports are woven into the school’s curriculum. For basketball players, the formula is demanding: rigorous academics paired with daily basketball skill development and weight training—and the same commitment applies to other sports.

The 2024-25 team started their journeys from points in the United States, Japan, Australia, Turkey, and Ireland. “They are betting on themselves,” says long-time head coach Jere Quinn. His players are go-getters. “They are risk-takers.”

Quinn grew up in Queens, New York, and played under the well-known coach Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy, where his senior team won the CHSAA New York City Championship over Power Memorial in 1973.

After high school, Quinn starred at Central Connecticut State University, where he scored 1,006 points, serving as team captain during his junior and senior years. He still holds the single-game record of 18 assists.

Now in his 48th season at STM, Quinn has seen thousands of teenagers arrive on the school’s leafy 110-acre campus. For many, especially international players, the first challenge is not basketball but the culture shock of trading busy cities and far-off countries for life in the Connecticut woods.

The Lure of the Woods

The STM campus is a nature lover’s retreat, and for nearly five decades, it has also been home to Jere Quinn. He and his wife, Judy— married since 1980—live in a house overlooking the lake, where they raised two sons and two daughters and now welcome 10 grandchildren.

The land has always held a pull.  When Quinn’s father, Jack, first saw the property, he told his son, “You can never leave this place.” Quinn seems to agree. “It’s just a good way to live,” he says.  “I’m a morning kind of guy. I get up, have a cup of tea, and I open the gym at 6:30 in the morning.” Tired faces arrive to work out before classes start at 9:00 a.m.

We are away from everything.

Though Oakdale may feel remote, Quinn sees its advantages. “We are away from everything,” he admits, “but in the world of basketball this is a great location because they do so many showcases in New Haven, Springfield, Hartford, Providence and Boston.”

Over the years, opportunities have arisen for Quinn to coach at other schools, which some would call bigger and better jobs. But the combination of the setting and family ties has kept him rooted at STM.

“Did I envision doing this for 47 years? No,” Quinn reflects. “But I don’t envision not doing it either—because I still enjoy it and I still like coming to the office, and I still like trying to help kids work through the maze of college athletics.”

Jere Quinn looks out at Gardner Lake. Photo: Anthony Price.

Garnder Lake in late August 2025. Photo: Anthony Price.

Calm Under Pressure

Some of Quinn’s best work comes in the tensest moments, when the game is on the line.

In early March 2025, however, his team fell short, losing 92-86 to the No. 1-seeded New Hampton School in the semifinals of the NEPSAC Boys’ Basketball Tournament. Yet the season wasn’t over. The bigger goal—a national championship—still awaited.

On March 13, STM took the court at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. The shoebox-sized gym was crammed with students, while college coaches packed the sidelines three and four deep.

The semifinal against Cushing Academy was a competitive game. With 15 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, STM trailed 63-61 and called a timeout.

In the huddle, Quinn sat on a folding chair, his 6-foot-3 frame and white hair cutting a familiar figure. He was unfazed by the noise and the team’s predicament. Looking into the eyes of his players, he radiated the calm he always preaches. With 1,500 games behind him and not a single losing season, Quinn had been here before.

I know our coach had a good play call, but it was initially for Brandon.

Last Play

With a clipboard on his lap, Quinn diagrammed a final play with the calm precision of a surgeon on a battlefield. The ball would go to London Jemison or Brandon Benjamin.

Jemison inbounded from the sideline and made his way to the top of the key. Point guard Shuto Sakiham passed him the ball with 6 seconds left. One dribble, a step left, and Jemison rose up for a three-pointer. The shot floated through the net.

STM’s Kieran Mullen, a 7-footer from Vancouver, British Columbia, put his hands on his head in disbelief as the student section stormed the court. Chest-bumps, high-fives, and cellphones were everywhere. The referees furiously blew their whistles to restore order.

With 1.7 seconds left, Cushing heaved a desperation half-court shot after a long inbounds pass. It fell short. The Chancellors poured back onto the court to celebrate again.

After the game, this writer spoke to Jemison. “I know our coach had a good play call, but it was initially for Brandon,” he said. “But Brandon rolled, so I popped [to the top of the key]. And I saw that they were guarding me one-on-one, so I did a pull-up and made it.”

London Jemison shoots. Photo: Dayna Cass.

The Next Challenge

That night, STM faced nearby powerhouse Putnam Science Academy (PSA) for the national title. PSA’s roster, bigger and more physical, eventually wore the smaller and thinner Chancellors, pulling away in the fourth quarter, 79-72. It was the Mustangs’ third national championship in four years and their fifth overall, finishing the season with a record of 41-2. STM finished 27-12.

Quinn described the locker room afterward as “really upbeat.” His team had come within minutes of a national crown, and his focus quickly turned to what came next. “We finished the game, we’re going back to school the next day,” Quinn said. “We’re not headed to Disney World. We’re not getting a bonus.”

By Monday, college coaches were at the STM gym. For Quinn, the real work was still ahead. “My job doesn’t end until all of our kids are placed in schools that match their academic and athletic capabilities,” he said.

That honesty is part of his appeal. “The one thing about us is we are always going to be really honest with these kids,” Quinn noted. “I never tell a kid where to go. But it’s really important that kids go to places that match the way they play”.

By May, every player had found a home—at programs including Alabama, Pittsburgh, Fairfield, Western Carolina University, Lafayette, and Post University. Two others committed to playing professional basketball in Japan.

We’re not headed to Disney World. We’re not getting a bonus.

London Jemison and Tyler Betsey at Saint Thomas More graduation 2024. Photo: Dayna Cass.

A Former Player: Tyler Betsey

In mid-September, I asked Syracuse sophomore Betsey what coach Quinn meant to him. “He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Betsey said over the phone, “and he just pushed me until I was one of the best players.”

Betsey recalls an early conversation with Quinn. “I came to his office when I was a junior. He said, ‘I think you’re going to be one of the best players in New England. By the time you’re a senior, I think you’re going to be the best player in New England.’ And we had that plan, and we worked for it, and it became reality.”

Trust was key. “He had a vision, and I trusted him—he’s done it before,” Betsey explained.

Betsey left STM in 2024 as the two-time Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year. He played his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, averaging 3.3 points and 1.5 rebounds across 33 of 34 games. But the fit wasn’t right, and he entered the transfer portal. After considerable interest, he chose Syracuse.

His bond with STM teammate Jemison remains strong. “It’s crazy—we played together in middle school,” Betsey said. “We could only dream of things like this, but we’ve been friends every step of the way.”

Time Machine

The walls of Quinn’s office seem ready to give way under the weight of the photos, framed newspaper clippings and mementos from a lifetime on the hardwood. It is less of an office than a shrine—a daily reminder of what his players have accomplished and what the program has become.

Jere Quinn in his office at Saint Thomas More. Photo: Anthony Price.

Andre Drummond's sneaker sits on a computer in Jere Quinn's office. Photo: Anthony Price.

The place is rarely quiet. Current players drop in, alums stop by, and on one summer afternoon, his son Matt—now the head of school, and once his father’s player and assistant coach—poked his head in for a chat.

Quinn never planned on this life. After a pro team overseas folded, his playing career ended abruptly, before it started. With few options, he accepted an offer from STM founder James Fox Hanrahan in 1978. He’s been here since.

“I’ve always loved being a head coach,” Quinn says. “Not too many people get the opportunity to coach a nice program, as a head coach, when you’re twenty-three years old.” Then, with a laugh, he adds: “I started this job in the ‘70s, when I was in my 20s,” he says. “Now it’s the ‘20s, and I’m in my 70s! It’s kind of wild.”

Quinn deflects praise for the success of the basketball program, insisting the credit belongs to his players and others who helped him. When asked about his overall record at STM, he replied by text: “I believe 1185-360.”

Now, a new roster has arrived, eager to chase the same dreams as those who came before them. For Quinn, the cycle begins again, as natural as the changing seasons.

Basketball still sustains him. The kid from a Queens parkway now walks each morning from his lakefront home to the STM gym, breathing the fresh Connecticut air. “It’s a nice living,” he says simply.

In many ways, Quinn is a modern-day Henry David Thoreau. He went into the woods to build a basketball program and guide young men toward college—and in the process discovered that he had everything he needed to live a full, contented life, far from distractions.

###

Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[September 6, 2025]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:11:21 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/september-6-2025

It’s Stewie's World: Breanna Stewart Returned to Her Stage—the Basketball Court

By Anthony Price

Breanna Stewart shoots a free throw against the Connecticut Sun. Photo: Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

When Breanna Stewart returned to the court, fans exploded at the Barclays Center. The New York Liberty star—affectionately called “Stewie—was back after missing 13 games with a knee injury, and the energy in the arena felt like the greatest show not on Broadway.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Without their 6’-4” superstar, the Liberty stumbled to a 5–8 record, sliding from second place to fifth at 22-15. With her, they’re a contender again, and their sights are set firmly on defending their title.

For Liberty coach Sandra Brondello, Stewie isn’t just another player; she’s a once-in-a-generation talent. “Her being out was hard for her. It was hard for us,” Brondello admitted at the pregame press conference. “She loves the game of basketball, and she knows she can help us. She’s just got this relentlessness about her that can rub off on her teammates. She’s got the highest motor I have ever seen in a player that just keeps going and going—now tonight…she’s not going to be happy that I have to take her out all the time.”

For this game, Stewie was on a strict 20-minute limit. The goal was to help Stewie get her rhythm back, easing her back into the game. She would play for 20 minutes, 36 seconds.

“It’s just nice [she’s] out there,” Brondello said, “the vibe that she brings to the team and the confidence that she brings to the team—these are the intangibles that we’ve missed from this team this long month.”

The vibe that she brings to the team and the confidence that she brings to the team—these are the intangibles that we’ve missed from this team this long month.

The Young Sun

The streaking Sun pulled into Gotham City on August 23, the winners of three games in a row. With five rookies and no playoff pressure, they played with nothing to lose.

What followed was a thriller. The Liberty were up by as many as 17 points, only to see the fearless Sun close the gap with the game coming down to the final possession. With 2.2 seconds left, Sabrina Ionescu swiped the ball away from rookie Leila Lacan—who led the Sun with 22 points—as she drove to an open basket. Experience prevailed. Liberty 81, Sun 79.

Breanna Stewart plays defense. Photo: Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

Stewie led the Liberty with 19 points, though it wasn’t vintage form. She shot an abysmal 4 of 12 from the field but redeemed herself by nailing 11 of 13 free throws.

The Barclays crowd roared its approval, led by hip-hop legend Queen Latifah and R&B star Coco Jones flashing big smiles on the video monitor.

UConn Made

Stewie, a North Syracuse native, has been a fan favorite since coming to the Liberty in 2023 as the league’s top free agent. That same year, center Jonquel Jones left the Connecticut Sun to form a Liberty “big-three” alongside Stewie and 2020 No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu. The expectations soared in a city that hadn’t won a basketball championship since the ABA New York Nets in 1976.

The growing pains came fast. The Liberty lost 3-1 to the Chicago Sky in 2023. But by 2024, Stewie delivered, leading New York to its first WNBA championship, beating the Minnesota Lynx 3 games to 2 at Barclays Center.

Stewie’s resume is unmatched.

Stewie’s resume is unmatched. Drafted No. 1 by the Seattle Storm in 2016, she’s a three-time champion and has averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in her career. Her numbers are down slightly this season: 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. At 6’4”, with the skills of a shooting guard, she can play with her back to the basket and guard multiple positions on defense.

Before the WNBA, of course, Stewie played college basketball at UConn, where the program seems to produce only generational talents, under the tutelage of timeless wonder Geno Auriemma. In her four-year career with the Huskies, she won four championships and four NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards —this feat should qualify her as the GOAT.

Stewie, the only player to earn four, is UConn’s second all-time leading scorer with 2,676 points, trailing only Maya Moore.

Making Power Moves in Business

Off the court, Stewie has built a life as big as her game. She and her wife, former WNBA player Marta Xargay Casademont, are raising two kids while thriving in New York’s spotlight.

She co-founded “Unrivaled” with fellow UConn alumna, Napheesa Collier. Unrivaled is a Miami-based 3-on-3 league that pays its athletes six-figure salaries and puts players first. It’s already being hailed as a game-changer.

If her game has made her a star, her voice and vision may make her a legacy.

Her ventures don’t stop there. The Breanna Stewart Foundation supports women and youth initiatives in Syracuse through mentorship, sports, education and healthcare. She runs “Stewie 30,” an elite basketball camp for high school girls. Her apparel regularly sells out on her “Stewie’s World” website. She advocates fiercely for the WNBA union to get better pay. And she’s in constant demand as a corporate ambassador.

If her game has made her a star, her voice and vision may make her a legacy.

Breana Stewart and coach Sandra Brondello share a laugh at postgame press conference. Photo: New York Liberty

Another Championship?

At the postgame press conference, Stewie sat alongside Jones and coach Brondello.

Stewie wore a black Nike tank top. “I felt great,” she said, smiling. “I was trying to get Sandy to let me play more minutes.” Her joke had the seriousness of a tax audit. “It was great to be back with the team.”

Brondello wasn’t laughing about how close the game got. “They gave us a good battle,” she said of the Sun. “They are improving for a young group. They are young and athletic.”

The regular season for the Liberty will end on Thursday, September 11, against the Chicago Sky.
With Stewie healthy again, the Liberty have a real shot at back-to-back championships.

But every dynasty needs a rival, and this one already has hers: Napheesa Collier. Teammates in business, opponents on the floor—only one can own the spotlight when the curtain rises in October.

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Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

]]><![CDATA[September 03, 2025]]>Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:21:49 GMThttps://www.theminibooks.com/jump-ball-journal/jump-ball-journal

Big-Time College Sports: UConn Plays the Money Game with ‘Open Practices’

By Anthony Price

Summary: UConn begins new direct-payments era with "Open Practices"

Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center, Storrs. Photo: Anthony Price

The old college sports model is dead.

For decades, universities hid behind the label of “student-athletes,” offering partial or full scholarships in exchange for grueling hours of labor on the field and in the classroom. Players were expected to compete “for the love of the game”, while schools and the NCAA raked in billions.

It was a Dickensian system—created by the NCAA and controlled by its executive director and member school presidents, and defended by an army of lawyers. Fear kept the players in line, and amateurism was the iron rule.

That rule is no more.

In June, a federal judge approved the House vs NCAA settlement, a landmark decision that effectively ended the NCAA’s version of amateurism. The case—actually three class action lawsuits bundled together—represented more than 390,000 current and former college athletes. The plaintiffs argued that the NCAA’s restrictions on compensation were an antitrust violation. They won.

Fear kept the players in line, and amateurism was the iron rule.

The New Game

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, Division I universities that opt into the House settlement will be able to pay athletes directly.

NCAA President Charlie Baker told NPR, [the settlement] "marks a huge step forward for college sports." He stated it "is a tremendously positive change and one that was long overdue."

Importantly, this is not the same as name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, where businesses or organizations pay athletes for endorsements and appearances. NIL remains intact.

The House settlement allows direct university payments of up to $20.5 million per year, capped under a salary system that will increase over time. Unsurprisingly, most of the money will go to the sports that generate revenue: football and basketball.

As part of the settlement, over $2.7 billion will be paid out to former athletes who were harmed by the decades of NCAA restrictions, according to an NPR report by Becky Sullivan.

UConn men's basketball practice. Photo: Anthony Price

Cashing In: Open Practices

UConn opted into the settlement and now can make direct payments to its athletes. Whether those figures will ever be made public remains to be seen.

What has already gone public, however, is UConn’s new approach to generating revenue. In late July and early August, the UConn athletic department hosted two “Open Practices” featuring the 2025-26 men’s basketball team at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center in Storrs.

The events weren’t open to everyone. Admission was limited to men’s basketball season-ticket holders and members of the Husky Athletic Fund. The 100 or so tickets for the events were hotter than July weather and disappeared fast. One fan told this writer that she paid $200 just for the chance to attend one of the open practices.

(In contrast, a basketball practice last summer at Gampel Pavilion was open to the public and free.)

This time, exclusivity was the selling point. Super fans willing to part with dead presidents from their wallets got rare access to one of the top basketball programs in the country.

The price of admission included a Q&A with coach Dan Hurley, a tour of the Werth facility—home to both the men’s and women’s basketball programs—and lunch with the team.

The strategy is simple: give fans a personal, behind-the-scenes, experience and they will more likely to spend money on UConn-related activities. For UConn officials, it’s not just about engagement, but about future donations rolling in.

Tristen Newton, Werth Center stairwell. Photo: Anthony Price

The Show

About 20 minutes before the doors opens, fans lined up outside the Werth Center—some clutching basketballs and jerseys, hoping for autographs.

The building itself is a shrine to UConn basketball, from crystal trophies in the lobby to giant wall murals of Husky greats. Once fans’ names were checked off the VIP list—like entering an exclusive nightclub—they were ushered courtside, close enough to high-five Alex Karaban, Solo Ball or Tarris Reed Jr.

Inside, six championship banners hang proudly above the basket—with one blank space for a future banner. Another wall celebrates UConn’s NBA Lottery picks: Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Andre Drummond, Jordan Hawkins, Steph Castle, Donovan Clingan and others.

You can’t help but feel special being in the building.

Practice opened with a bang—literally— as players pounded on the door before sprinting onto the court to cheers.

The crowd was mostly white males, over 50 years—with a scattering of kids in UConn jerseys—the exact demographic that UConn hopes to court all the way to the bank. And so far, it appears to be working, judging by the smiles on faces.

Practice opened with a bang—literally— as players pounded on the door before sprinting onto the court to cheers. Hurley, in a white long-sleeve t-shirt, shorts and sneakers, let his assistants run the early drills, while he observed. The players moved nonstop, hip-hop blasting as coaches barked instructions and encouragement.

About 20 reporters watched from the bridge above, stripped of cameras and phones, scribbling notes the old-fashioned way.

The scrimmage, gray team versus blue, was the main event. Freshman Jacob Ross, younger brother of junior Jayden Ross, drove down the middle and dunked the basketball, which generated considerable applause. At 6-5, the Virginia native showed flashes of the energy he’ll bring off the bench this season.

Graduate guard Alec Millender also impressed; steady and experienced, he shot 43.5% from 3-point range last year and was ranked 12th in the country with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.95—something the Huskies could have used last season.

The team’s four freshmen— Ross, Braylon Mullins, Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy—will be valuable contributors to the squad

Practice wrapped with a flurry of elaborate handshakes, each one unique, each one memorized by teammates. This group appears to have a fondness for one another that could lead to a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Practice ended after about 60 minutes. Hurley took questions from the fans, then turned to the media. For a moment, he seemed more relaxed than usual. Don’t expect him to be this way once the games mean something—he can’t change his DNA. Hurley will be Hurley.

Dan Hurley talks to the media. Photo: Anthony Price

How Does UConn Stack Up in the Direct Payments Era?

In college sports, the Southeastern Conference sets the standard—especially in football. Think Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas.

At UConn, it’s different. Football revenue can’t keep pace with the SEC giants, so basketball is king here.

According to USA Today’s NCAA Finances report, Ohio State led all athletic programs in 2024,  with over $251 million in revenue. Five of the top programs were in the SEC, and the league’s grip only tightened when Texas ($239 million) and Oklahoma ($177 million) jumped from the Big 12.

UConn, ranked No. 50 at nearly $100 million in revenue, sits far behind. The Huskies will have to find creative ways beyond open practices if it hopes to run with the big dogs of college football.

The House settlement forever changed amateur sports in college. But one truth hasn’t changed: money still rules.

The Huskies may not match SEC football dollars, but they’re taking their shot in the new money game of college sports.

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Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Jump Ball Journal is basketball beyond the score.

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