A Hoops Journey

Episode 96 - Nathaniel Mitchell

We have current Raptors Assistant Nathaniel Mitchell joining us on the podcast for Episode 96! He has just served most recently as the Canada Senior Men's Basketball Head Coach at the GLOBL Jam, but is known throughout the Canadian basketball community. Mitchell also served as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse’s senior men’s team staff for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament which took place in Victoria last summer. We chat with him about his basketball journey from the T-Dot, and how a nose-to-the-grindstone attitude and work ethic has helped carve his role in the coaching world. We touch on his time with recurring guest Scott Morrison in the G-League, his NBA coach influences and advice to younger coaches in this fantastic episode!

Episode 95 - Scott Morrison (Round 2) and Draft Day

Welcome back to A Hoops Journey! We have a returning guest: former Lakehead University, Maine Red Claws and Perth Wildcats Head Coach, former Boston Celtics assistant and CURRENTLY the Salt Lake City Stars Head Coach - Scott Morrison. We chat with Scott about his WILD journey since his episode aired, the struggles and challenges he faced, and some advice for young coaches. We then end the episode with THREE fun drafts: All-Time Canadian Players, All-Time NBA Non-Allstar Draft, and an "Actors Draft". We bring in Friend of the Podcast, current Winnipeg Wesmen Media and Operations Coordinator David Larkins for these 3 drafts. Who has the best starting 5? Whose island would you want to go on? Those questions answered in this episode of A Hoops Journey!

Episode 94 - Juan Mendez

Welcome back to Episode 94 of A Hoops Journey! We chat with Montreal-raised, former Niagara University Purple Eagles player, former Canadian National Team player and professional player throughout Europe and Asia; Juan Mendez. The highest scoring Canadian in NCAA Division 1 history and inducted in 2014 into the MAAC Naismith Hall of Fame (1st Canadian), we talk to him about his journey. His story covers his transition from the YMCA's of Montreal to a prep school in Florida, and how that changed his life. Embracing fatherhood, learning the ropes of the game through some former guests and Canadian basketball icons, you do not want to miss out on this episode!

Episode 93 - Bruce Langford

Welcome back for Episode 93! Today we have longtime and current SFU Women's Basketball Head Coach Bruce Langford joining us on the podcast. Bruce Langford has been a fixture in the British Columbia basketball community for 30 years, having coached 21 years in the B.C. school system. He coached his teams to three provincial championships and one Reebok Canadian National High School Championship. His teams have been undefeated twice, and SFU advanced to the CIS National Championship tournament every year under Langford, winning five CIS national championships. We chat about his upbringing moving around the country, his foray into coaching girls basketball, his transition to the post-secondary level, his relationship with his daughter and chatting about her success; this is a fantastic episode full of great insight!

Episode 92 - Joel Anthony

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian listeners! We have a great episode for you today; former Miami Heat center, two-time NBA champ, former Canadian National Team player and currently the General manager of the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL): Joel Anthony. The Montreal-native talks about his long-winded journey to the NBA, from Dawson College, to Florida, to playing with the Big 3 in Miami. An amazing story from an extremely humble, thoughtful person. You do NOT want to miss this episode!
 
 

Episode 91 - Johnny Berhanemeskel

Current professional player for Chorale Roanne Basket in France's top tier and former Ottawa Gee-Gee's player Johnny Berhanemeskel joins us for Episode 91. The man known to some of us as "Johnny Buckets", he sits down with us to chat about his still growing career, starting in Ottawa as youngster. We talk to him about leaving Ottawa as its all-time points leader, the grind to earn trust from coaches, the transition to pro ball, representing Canada at the University Games and much more!
 
Sounds by: Zapsplat, Storyblocks
Music: Storyblocks, Youtube
Produced by: Corbin Castres

Episode 90 - J.D. Jackson

The current Head Coach of the French team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque: J.D. Jackson joins us for Episode 90 of A Hoops Journey. A successful coach overseas but to us in British Columbia and in Canada, J.D. Jackson is so much more than that; a proud UBC Thunderbirds player where he racked up FOUR CIAU (now U SPORT) All-Canadians and two-time CIAU Player of the Year awards with a decorated high school, university, National Team and professional playing career. We chat with him about all things basketball, playing for some legendary coaches, coaching for a famous NBA player, jersey retirements, ketchup chips and more!
 
Sounds by: Zapsplat, Storyblocks
Music: Storyblocks, Youtube
Produced by: Corbin Castres

Episode 89 - Jevohn Shepherd

We have current CBC Basketball analyst and Ottawa Blackjacks GM Jevohn Shepherd joining us for Episode 89! A longtime member of the Canadian National Team and a proud, former Michigan Wolverine, Jevohn's journey takes him from the T-Dot to all over Europe as professional player. We chat about the difference in NCAA recruiting from back then to now, Jack Armstrong naps, making (and getting cut) from the Canadian Senior National Team, public speaking classes and so much more!
 
Sponsors: Goodlad Clothing and Parkside Brewery
Sounds from: Zapsplat, Youtube, Storyblocks
Edited by: Corbin Castres

Episode 88 - Deb Huband

Longtime UBC Women's Basketball Head Coach Deb Huband joins us for Episode 88. A graduate of Bishop’s and UBC (Master’s of Science in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology), Huband was a three-time U SPORTS All-Canadian and was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Basketball BC Hall of Fame in 2017. Huband is one of the few Canadian basketball players to participate as both a player and coach in the Summer Olympics. One of the finest our country has ever produced, Huband joined the national team as a player in 1978, and was the starting point guard and captain of the Canadian squad that earned a fourth-place finish at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She was also the starting point guard of the bronze medal-winning world championship teams in ‘79 and ‘86. Deb is also the all-time winning-est coach in Canada West history and she is the only Thunderbirds basketball head coach, male or female, to win to three U SPORTS championships. We got an amazing episode filled with great advice and stories, this is a must-listen for hoop fans!

Episode 87 - Junior Cadougan

From the Jane and Finch neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario we have Junior Cadougan joining us for Episode 87 of A Hoops Journey. A McDonald's All-American at Christian Life Center Academy (Texas), a 2013 Big East All-Academic Team player, a professional overseas in Europe, longtime Junior and Senior National Team member, and currently playing for the Newfoundland Growlers in the CEBL, Junior has an incredible hoops journey. Dealing with tragedies, adversity, hardships, injuries and so much more, Junior's story is as close to the definition of A Hoops Journey as you can get. Being Jimmy Butler's roommate, playing for Buzz Williams, playing for former guests Kyle Julius and Doug Plumb, being a part of the National Team, the move from Toronto to Humble, Texas, we have some heat with this episode tonight!
 
Sounds from Zapsplat
This episode is produced and edited by Corbin Castres