Behind the scenes of college recruitment and Dalmar Ali's inspiring journey to the NCAA

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:04] Speaker B: Welcome to the Canadian Basketball show, your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball. I'm your host, Lee Ben Osman. College recruitment season is underway, and on a trip recruiting some of Canada's best talent is one of the first Somali Canadians to coach in the ncaa. He was a graduate assistant at Florida State under Hall of Fame coach Leonard Hamilton and is now the assistant coach at Long Island University with Rod Strickland. My guy, dmr Ali. How you doing, brother? [00:00:35] Speaker C: I'm good, man. I'm good, man. How are you? [00:00:37] Speaker B: Good, good, good. Welcome to the show. [00:00:38] Speaker C: I appreciate it. Thank you for having me, man. [00:00:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:00:41] Speaker B: You're here to scout, obviously recruit some Canadian talent. How many offers you about to give out? [00:00:45] Speaker C: Hey, man, it depends, man. It depends. Honestly, you know, just seeing what's out there, seeing what we need, you know, always love showing love to the Canadian kids. You know, being from Toronto myself, just love to show show love back to the guys that are from the city. So hopefully we can get some offers out this weekend, see some guys in the baby blue next year. [00:01:05] Speaker B: Yeah, we were talking prior to you recording five Canadians. [00:01:08] Speaker C: Yes. [00:01:08] Speaker B: On liu's roster. Why is your program recruiting Canadians so heavily? Obviously you're from Canada. You just talked about being from Toronto, but why has Canada become a priority for. For the program you're at? [00:01:20] Speaker C: Well, I'm gonna be honest, you know, Canadian kids, they get under recruited a lot and whole nil game has changed recruitment and the portal and Covid year changed the game a lot. A lot of juggle kids are not getting recruited. A lot of high school kids that are not highly ranked are not getting recruited how they used to be. So Canadian kids are kind of falling down, you know, the totem pole. If they're not highly, you know, regarded, maybe five star, four star. So, you know, a guy like me comes in and scoops up a bunch of them and brings them over to Long island and, you know, success is what they see with those kids. So we found success with a lot of Canadian kids. So, you know, Coach Strickland's like, man, you know, keep on bringing them over, you know, we'll take them all. [00:02:00] Speaker B: Yeah, we're going to go through your journey, becoming NCAA coach. Talk about the ins and the outs of recruitment. Maybe advice you have for some players to get noticed by you and some other coaches. And your story, I feel like, is very unique, inspirational, and how you ended up where you're at. Did you always know you wanted to be a coach in ncaa? Tell me the origin Story. [00:02:21] Speaker C: Nah, honestly, it's crazy. You know, you know, growing up, everybody has, you know, that one dream they're trying to achieve and what they're trying to do. And I'll be honest, you know, a lot of people, you know, they'll say from when they were young, I always wanted to be this. When I grew up coaching never really crossed my path. You know, it only came to true light maybe When I was 21, 22, you know, 23 years old, you know, I was, I was at Ryerson, I dropped out of Ryerson. I was taking economics and finance. [00:02:48] Speaker B: How was that? [00:02:49] Speaker C: It was, it was horrible. That was, you know, you know, Somali household. You know, your parents want you to be in something, you know, really that's, what's the word to say, basically high academic stuff. And it just wasn't for me. I was more of a hands on person. [00:03:02] Speaker B: I relate. My parents wanted me to do become an accountant or lawyer. You know, my dad still asked me, when you going to law school? I'm like, I'm a journalist, I feel like I'm doing pretty good for myself. But you know, he's asking that question. [00:03:14] Speaker C: But yeah, no. So it was dropping out of, I dropped out of Ryerson my first year. I told myself, you know, I met Kerr hall playing basketball every day. I'm taking those student loans, what am I really doing here? So went started working at the airport and then, you know, did that for two years. And a lot of people like, man, you're young, what are you doing here? You know, you just can't be here for the rest of your life. So that ended up me ended up going playing soccer at George Brown where I met, you know, one of my biggest mentors, Coach Johnny. And you know, just seeing him and how he mentored us and took care of us and everything, it honestly just started from there, you know, playing for him, just being by his side, seeing how he took care of young men and just trying to mold them. And from there my brother, my best friend, etu, you know, a lot of people in Toronto know him, Ahmed Ali, he was playing juco ball in the States and I used to go watch him all the time. And then he went division one and you know, when I went to go visit him, that's when it really clicked into me. I'm like, yo, I really want to get into college basketball. So that trip I really believe was the thing for me that really clicked and said, yo, I want to get into college basketball. Just seeing those, those coaches, their day to day life because I went out there and I stayed with them for, like, a couple weeks, almost a month, I think. And just seeing his everyday life, and I'm just like, yo, I can really change people's lives using this orange basketball. So that's what it was for me. And I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna take this thing and really go for it. [00:04:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:04:32] Speaker B: Shout out to ETU Ahmad Ali, if you know him. I did a story on him a few years back in the Toronto Star, just about his journey and how I feel like he's inspired a lot of people especially. [00:04:42] Speaker C: Definitely. Definitely has his footprint in my journey, you know, because of him, I've met a lot of coaches who also introduced me to other coaches and helped me get where I'm at today. So, you know, big, big, big gratitude to him. [00:04:54] Speaker B: Yeah, he dropped, what, 103 points in the game? [00:04:55] Speaker C: 103 points. [00:04:56] Speaker B: Drake. Drake dropped him in a song or two, I think. [00:04:58] Speaker C: Put on his jersey on tour in Florida. [00:05:00] Speaker B: Yeah, he's a legend, man. [00:05:01] Speaker A: He's a legend. [00:05:02] Speaker B: You talked about working in the airport. Tell me how that came about. And then also just like, what were you doing there? [00:05:08] Speaker C: So it's crazy. Everybody was trying to. Everybody had this plug where they can get you into work at the airport as a ramp agent. You know, it was good money. You know, at that time, when you're 19, 20, making 20 bucks an hour, back then it was like, yo, I'm making money, man. I don't care about the school stuff. So, you know, you're doing that, but then you start seeing older dudes with gray hair that are there, and you're just like, damn, this is seniority list. And you're seeing people's seniority number that's like maybe 13x yours. And you're like, damn, these people have been here this long. Am I really about to do this? So they're like, yo, get into trade school. Da, da, da. And that's how I really got into George Brown. I studied construction engineering over there, and from there, you know, I met a lot of people. You know, I met my coach, obviously, who basically took me under his wing. And, you know, I have a lot of gratitude for him because, honestly, my life could have gone two different paths, but because he took care of me and he helped me and he guided me, I was able to, like, you know, really see this and that. That lead up to me becoming an assistant coach at George Brown men's basketball. A lot of people don't know that part of my story. I was Playing for the soccer team at George Brown. [00:06:08] Speaker B: What was that like? [00:06:08] Speaker C: And I was assistant coach for the men's basketball team. So it was kind of crazy, you seeing a student who's playing and being an assistant and it was a cool experience. Playing at George Brown was really cool. You know, I won two gold medals, silver medal and a bronze medal. [00:06:22] Speaker B: What was your position? [00:06:23] Speaker C: I was right wing. [00:06:24] Speaker B: Right wing? [00:06:24] Speaker C: Right wing. You know, I didn't play as much as I wanted to, but, you know, I took a lot from it. I was a sponge, man. Yeah, I was a sponge there. I learned a lot, you know, made a lot of good friends there. You know, it was. It was the learning experience for me that really. That I really cherished from that school. And it helped me get to where I was because I graduated there twice. It helped me end up getting my bachelor's degree at Laurentian, which I did online when I decided to leave Canada and go to the States and chase this dream. [00:06:52] Speaker B: How did that decision come about? [00:06:53] Speaker C: So. So, honestly, it was crazy. So I was at. I was in my last year at George Brown. I was assistant coach. Yusuf was done playing at Ryerson, and he became the head coach at Toronto Basketball Academy. And he said, yo, come coach with me. [00:07:06] Speaker B: Yousef Ali now officially announced at West. [00:07:08] Speaker C: Virginia as an assistant coach. Big kudos to him. You know, that's big moves. But he retired from playing. He became a head coach at Toronto Basketball Academy. And he gave me that call and he said, yo, I need you. I need you to come work with me. And to me, it was a no brainer, you know, got there. We had a hell of a year. Unfortunately got cut short because of COVID And that whole spring and summer, we were just trying to figure out how we're going to get our kids signed. So just phone call after phone call, just calling schools in the States, trying to get our sky signed. And one coach, you know his name, Zach September, he was at Tallahassee Community College. I'm having a conversation with him. He's just like, yo, man, like, do you ever plan on coaching in the States? And I'm like, that's the goal. I'm like, you know why? Why do you say that? He's like, man, the way you're selling your players, I need somebody like that on my staff. And I'm like, hey, man, I would love to come work for you. And word forward, this is what he said to me, man, I got a spot for you, but I ain't got no money. I got nothing. I got a place for you to live. And that's all I can offer you. I told him, man, that's all I need. And just that moment right there, I decided I was going to take that chance and just leave. So packed myself up. It was middle of COVID Drove to the border. They sent me back from the border. They said, you can't go across the border with your car. You got to go by air or anything. I jumped on a flight. That was the last day I lived in Toronto, man. I flew all the way to Tallahassee, Florida, and I was named an assistant coach at Tallahassee Community College. And that's where my journey started. [00:08:30] Speaker B: Did you know what to expect? [00:08:32] Speaker C: I have not a clue. I never heard of Tallahassee, Florida, day in my life, anything. I just knew that there was opportunity, and I said, I gotta go out there and take a risk and just see what, you know, what it can end up being. So I'm glad I did it. I would have done it 10 out of 10 times. Learned a lot. We had a hell of a season. We, man, it was. It was. It was a great journey because that was the first time in my life where I really was away from my family. [00:08:55] Speaker B: What was that like? [00:08:56] Speaker C: It was tough, you know, just, you know, obviously I'm from a Muslim community going somewhere like that and just there's not many Muslim people out there. You're on your own. You're, you know, it's just you're not with your family no more. It was tough, but also, it was also, you know, a good life lesson. And going through that really helped me build the character that I have today. You know, I got to see what it was to be on your own. You know, no more Hoyas crib, no more fridge full of food. You gotta make ends meet. So I was. I was. I really enjoyed it, you know. You know, a lot of people say they get homesick. I never got homesick. I just kept on getting more motivated. Cause right next door was Florida State. I seen Florida State every single day, and I'm like, yo, I want to get there. I want to get there. I want to get there. So after one year, I grinded, I graduated. I got my bachelor's degree while I was coaching. So the crazy thing is, I was going to school while I was coaching at Tallahassee Community College. I was taking 20 credits a semester while coaching full time. So I finished my bachelor's degree in one year, and then I applied to go to grad school at Florida State and to become a graduate assistant There you have to know somebody who can get you in. And big shout out to Will Russell. Ro Russell connected me with Leonard Hamilton. [00:10:03] Speaker B: We had him on a podcast. Shout out to Raul Russell, legend. [00:10:05] Speaker C: Rossell connected me with Leonard Hamilton. They had me work a camp for two weeks to basically, you know, see if I'm qualified. Sad thing is, I never made it. That's the. That's the best part of the story. I never made it. I didn't make it. I don't know what happened. They just said, you know, what, you. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Know, like an interview process. [00:10:21] Speaker C: No interview process. You just work at camp. You work at camp for two weeks. And I guess, you know, they just took the people they liked. I was the only Canadian. Maybe because I was an older dude. These kids were all younger guys that are graduate assistants. I was 26 or 27 at the time, but Ro Russell made a call, Rossell made a call, and I was in the next day. So big shout out to Rossell. [00:10:41] Speaker B: Russell has that power, man. [00:10:43] Speaker C: A lot of people don't know, man. He's the godfather of this stuff, man. He has a lot of pull, he has a lot of juice, and people respect him. You know, he's done a lot in this game. [00:10:52] Speaker B: I was going to ask you because you obviously went through that experience. How hard is it for a Canadian to get a job in the States now? I'm seeing it. It's gotten 10 times worse with all this Trump stuff right now, especially with all the visa situations, that kind of stuff. What's that like? What was that like for you? [00:11:06] Speaker C: It's hard, man. It's hard. You know, I'll be honest with you. The GA thing and the assistant coaching, those are all easy because I was a student. You know, I'm on student visas. It's very easy. But when it comes to becoming a coach and really trying to get a job, it's like you versus 99. It's the 1V99. It's hard. You know, if you look, there's not much Canadians in college coach coaching. You know, there's dudes like Jamie McNeely. [00:11:31] Speaker B: Shout out to him. [00:11:31] Speaker C: You know, Manny that's at Western Michigan, Obviously the other coaches, but a lot of them, some have connections to United States. Maybe they're married to an American or they've just been in it for so long and, you know, they've done their. They've done their time, you know what I'm saying? So it's really the luck of the draw or who, you know, but it's really Hard if you. You know, if you're trying to get into it, especially now, it's really difficult, especially with all the visas and stuff like that. But it's. It's just as tough as a Canadian kid trying to get in. You know, the Canadian kids have a better chance of making a team. But being a coach is hard, man. It's. Your back's against the wall, and you're trying to prove why you're more worthy than the average American that coaches in college. [00:12:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:08] Speaker B: Because there's so many of them. [00:12:09] Speaker C: Right. [00:12:09] Speaker B: So many people want this job, and it's like, okay, we don't want to deal with all this extra visa situation, having to pay or whatever that is. And, like, obviously, it's just easier to take. Sometimes it's not even, like, the most qualified person. [00:12:19] Speaker C: Right. [00:12:19] Speaker B: So you could just take the person in the States. [00:12:21] Speaker C: No, that's true. And I felt it firsthand when I finally graduated from Florida State, and it was time to find a job. I. I remember the other gas that were in my class, they were all landing jobs, and I was just, like, panicking because I'm like, I ain't come this far, sacrificed all this just to go back to Toronto because somebody doesn't want to take me because of my passport. And I remember just going through it. And then finally, you know, Long Island University comes up on, and Coach Rod Strickland and assistant coach Coach Smith and Coach Jones, they. They pulled some strings. They talked to coach and coach. Man, he didn't care if I had a Canadian passport, if I had a Mexican passport. He didn't care. He said, man, you know, I'm gonna hire you. And once I got that opportunity, I knew I'm. I was gonna give everything I got because somebody took a chance and gave me an opportunity they can easily gave to an American. And honestly, I could say it worked out pretty well, you know, until today. [00:13:10] Speaker B: Yeah, we'll get into that. More just about your time at liu, But Roy Russell makes that call. Where do you find out, like, okay, it's officially joining Florida State. [00:13:19] Speaker C: I can't make. I can't make this up. And I. And. And this story, I haven't really shared it before, but people close to me know it. Rossa calls me, yo, did you make it, Coach? I didn't, man. I'm packing my stuff. I'm on my way back to Toronto. He said, what you mean? I said, man, they called me. They said, and I'm not getting a call from Coach Hamilton. It's, you know, the operation People are calling me, and literally he's like, I'm gonna call you back. Six minutes later, I get a call from the operation guy telling me, yo, Coach Hamilton wants you to, you know, be here for this day, this that. I'm like, holy crap. Like, Rossell got to juice. So I called Ro. I told him, man, I owe you a steak dinner, man. You know, he's. He's. He's. He's the og, man. He helped me get in there, helped me, you know, pave my career and help me get to where I was. So it was big time. So it was literally maybe seven minutes and found out that I was going back. [00:14:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:05] Speaker B: So you end up staying. [00:14:05] Speaker C: Yep. [00:14:06] Speaker B: What do you remember about, like, day one? You get there. I'm guessing you've been around for a bit, obviously doing the camps and that kind of stuff. But what's day one, like, when you're officially graduate? [00:14:15] Speaker C: So day one, Day one. So. So when it comes to schools in Florida and stuff, they start in August. So I get there, and first thing I'm encountered with is, you see Scotty Barnes, you see Terrence Mann, Devin Vesel. They're all here for some workouts. They're all here. I'm like, holy crap. Bunch of pros are here. And, you know, I'm watching everybody else and everyone's acting cool. And I'm like, okay, yeah, you got to act like this is normal, because clearly this is normal to these people, because everyone's here and these guys are just participating with the players. They're in practice trying to get better. And from day one, it's just like, yo, you gotta. It's competition. There's seven of us, eight of us. It's a last man standing match. Like, who? Like, show your show. What's your worth? So it was. It was really cool. I just seen that professional nature just from day one and just seeing how things are operated at a high major level and just going through it. You know, I go from staying at George Brown, we're taking buses everywhere, to now we're flying private planes to games. You know, we're back, same night. When we play, it's just a whole different experience. You got hot meals everywhere. It's crazy, man. It's night and day compared to what the average athlete goes through. But just going through that experience, it was really cool just seeing the coaching level, just being able to learn from legendary coaches who've coached in the NBA and in college at the highest level, it was pretty cool experience. [00:15:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:29] Speaker B: We talk about Leonard Hamilton, hall of Fame. What was the biggest thing maybe you learned from him or just being around the program, seeing how he operates things? [00:15:36] Speaker C: Honestly, the biggest. One thing about him. I look at him like more than just a coach. He helped mentor me as a man. You know, just going into his office all the time and just listening to stories from him, asking him questions. One thing I. One thing I. I always, you know, love about myself is I'm never scared to ask a question. So I would always go and just ask him questions. Because Coach Hamilton is a pretty old dude, you know, not to say that. [00:16:01] Speaker B: He'S got stories, though. [00:16:02] Speaker C: Coach has stories. He's been through segregation. He's been through. He was one of the first black head coaches. He was at Kentucky, man. He was. He's seen it all. So, you know, whenever he was around, I tried to be a sponge and just try to learn as much as I can from him. And the one thing he told me is, you know, you got to go somewhere and write a story that has never been written. He's like, today, you can graduate from Florida State. When I was finishing, he's like, you can. I could keep you here, give you a job, but what can you do here that I've never done? And he's not saying it to be cocky, but he's just like, you gotta write your own story. Like, you come here, you're just going to be another person who just worked here. But if you go somewhere now and you create your own narrative, the same way when I came to Florida State and I built it, he's like, that's when people are going to remember you. And I look at that every time I think about that. I remember when I was leaving Florida State, I was. I was. I was mad. I'm like, damn, I gotta leave for a state. Everything's so nice and sweet there. But what he said rings bells in my head every day now. Because I come to LIU and we're like, you know, obviously, it's a new coach. He's trying to build this thing. No one's talking about us to now. You know, everyone has projected us first seed in our conference. They want us to win the conference. Everyone thinks we're going to win the conference. We got a chance to go to NCAA Tournament. It's like, okay, yo, we really built something. We really wrote a narrative that wasn't here before. [00:17:19] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:17:20] Speaker B: What was the day to day like as a graduate assistant? Because I think a lot of people want to know. Some people want to get advice to how to do it how to get there, because I see a lot of Canadians now are entering that path. We talked about Manny at Western Michigan. He was a graduate assistant at Michigan State beforehand too. What was that grad assistant like? [00:17:37] Speaker C: It's a grind, man. It's a grind, honestly. You know, we wake up in the morning. You know, a lot of us go to class. Most of us have class either early morning or we have classes late at night. I was in the group that had a class late at night. But during the day is making sure guys are in gym, making sure guys are going to class, making sure guys are in the gym getting workouts. You know, we're there to rebound workout guys. And then on top of all that, we got to make sure all the scouts we work on, pre scouts, we're cutting film for coaches. It's a lot of stuff behind the scenes stuff, the dirty work. But it's what gets you ready to really, you know, become a coach. So we. What they did is each coach had a scout group, so we were assigned to an assistant coach. And we basically helped that assistant coach with a scout. We would cut film, watch film with them, give suggestions. So I was with coach Cy my first year. He's an associate head coach at Miami now. And we were in the film room till probably 2, 3 in the morning almost every night. We had some pretty big scouts. We had Duke when Mike Shashepsky's last game, Apollo Bankero, AJ Griffin and those dudes. So I remember we were watching film till three in the morning, and I'm sitting there like, yo, my eyes are burning. But he keeps asking the same question, did we crack the code? And in my head I'm like, I need some sleep. I don't know about crack the code. We ended up beating them at home. It was pretty cool. They were ranked fifth in the nation at the time. It was. It was pretty good. But just going through that. And now as me as an assistant coach, I'm looking back at it, I'm like, wow. Like, you know, I get what dude was going. Trying to put in our brains, just trying to see the game. We would literally watch a game and he would click, rewind to the beginning. I'm like, what are we watching this game for again? We got. I understood it because he was trying to watch the game from so many different angles. But our day to day was just strictly, man, grind, work, workout guys, go home, get some rest, start again the next day. Seven days a week, no days off. We were in there every single day. And the tough Part about it is a lot of people don't understand is a lot of schools will fund their gas, meaning they'll pay for their tuition, they'll pay for housing. We didn't get anything. Our housing wasn't paid for and our tuition wasn't paid for. And a lot of these kids are American, so they're taking out loans and stuff. I wasn't. I wasn't a Canadian. I wasn't American. So I don't get no loans. So everything I had to pay out of pocket. So I had to pay rent out of pocket. I had to pay housing out of pocket. And it got to a point where I had no more money. So it was hard. So I'm doing all that, and a lot of people don't know. I was working a side job. I was working concessions at a softball stadium. So after all that, I would scoot over to the concession stands, work that for like four or six hours just so I can make ends meet. And it's crazy because even after I graduated, I still had to continue paying my tuition. I paid. I think my schooling cost like maybe 50,000 U.S. that's crazy. So I was. Almost paid it off. Still paying off a little bit, because that's. It's a lot of money, you know, so it's tough, you know. But the one thing I say to myself is if I went there three years prior to the. When I went there, I probably would have said no. I probably was young and dumb and didn't really realize the opportunity because all that really prepared me. [00:20:31] Speaker B: I was gonna ask you, was there any point that you thought this might not be it for me? Because a lot of people in your situation would have quit. Would have quit. They would have been like, this is insane. This shouldn't be the requirement. This shouldn't. Like, I shouldn't have to do all this just to get a chance to be able to learn and be a graduate assistant. But you did that. Tell me why you. That didn't even cross your mind. [00:20:55] Speaker C: I'll be honest. The reason why I never crossed my mind is because I remember the day I left my house. My mom said, you really going to go to America to coach basketball? So I said to myself, I come back. And she says, you did all that just to learn that that wasn't. I didn't want it. I didn't want no one to have any reason for them to say, yo, you failed. You went there to waste your time. And once I seen what I wanted and I seen what it took, I'm like, man, this is just. This is just a test, you know, I just got to go through it. If I can get through this, I said I can get through anything. And I told myself, what's the point of leaving? What do I gain? What am I going back to? If I go back to Toronto, what is there for me? You know, I want to coach. Coaching is not an option in Canada, unfortunately. These schools don't pay enough for someone to make this a living. And I don't want to work in something else and have to go back and forth. I want to really put all my eggs in one basket and really work on this coaching thing. So I really looked at it, like, it has to work. There's no such thing as failure. So if it meant I had to go work concessions, if I had to go do something on the side, I did it. I said, I gotta make it through. And, you know, I worked out. [00:22:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:00] Speaker B: How did you. I was gonna ask how did you make yourself stand out? But I feel like that's kind of what you just talked about. Kind of. But what was that like, going to practices? Did a lot of people know you're also doing this on the side? And, like, how did you make yourself stand out in those settings where obviously you're still doing all this work behind the scenes, but you also gotta, I feel like, be. When you're in that setting, act like you're attentive 24 7, you know, like, you know, I'm saying, like, it's like a lot of. While you're there, you can't. All the stuff that you're doing outside of that has to just kind of, like, go away for a bit, right? [00:22:33] Speaker C: So the biggest thing for me was, and it kind of rubbed people the wrong way in terms of maybe other gas, some coaches. But, you know, I wouldn't. I would have done it the same way. I was very passionate about letting people know that I can do more than. More than just this. What the GA does. When it came to recruiting, when it came to, like, players and connections, I made sure, like, funny story. So my first year there, they don't know me. They just saying, this Canadian ga, no one really knows me. And I'm going to coach Hamilton. And this is fresh. I'm like, yo, you got to recruit Shaden Sharp. I'm like, you got to recruit Shane Sharp. This kid is nice. This kid's nice. And he's at uplay, going off. Everyone's like, we don't know. We don't know. We don't know. Kid end up going to Kentucky. [00:23:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:17] Speaker C: NBA player. [00:23:19] Speaker B: He's the number one ranked player, I think by the end of it all, high school. [00:23:22] Speaker C: And it's crazy because they're like, yo, who was bringing up that kid? And then fingers got pointed to me. So then it became not only him brought up Leonard Miller, they went down and went to go see Leonard Miller. [00:23:32] Speaker B: They were. Yeah, they were there. [00:23:33] Speaker C: Amir Ali just kept on bringing up players names, and I just kept on saying, coach, you know, we gotta look at this kid. Gotta look at this kid to the point where it was like, yo, this. This annoying guy bringing up some good names. Let's. Let's take a look. So I was trying to be valuable in a lot of different places, rather just. Just sitting in the role of what a GA is. And I was trying to show people I can bring more to the table. And, you know, sometimes it rub some people the wrong way because they're like, yo, this dude is doing too much of this. But I really wanted to show people that I wanted to do this. And I was not just gonna sit here and just wait for someone to feed me something, but I was gonna go take whatever was given. [00:24:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:06] Speaker B: Any favorite moments from that time as a ga? Any late nights workouts that you had? I'm guessing you also build like a lot of relationship with the players too, or any, like, favorite moment playing Duke? People talk about crazy. [00:24:20] Speaker C: Duke's up there. Dude beating Duke is up there. [00:24:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:22] Speaker C: Going to all these arenas, you know, when you're a kid, watching it on tv, we were watching on tsn, NCAA tournament. Going to Dean Smith Arena, North Carolina going to. Man, it was. Going to all these arenas is big time. But like, I feel like the biggest thing is the relationships that I was able to. To gain. Like a lot of the kids that played on those teams I'm still close with till today, I built a relationship with them. Like, they reach out to me when they're in the portal for help. Anytime they're going through anything, they hit me. And just the relationships, just knowing the coaches at the time, some of them thought I was doing too much to now, you know, hearing them when they call me, saying, man, I see the good work you're doing just. Just having those relationships, man, it's. It's. It's different, man, because you see people when they see you, when you first got there to where I'm at today. And when they call me and they talk to me about things, it really. Like, for example, Coach Hamilton, he's retired, calls my phone Maybe once or twice a week. Trying to help polish my game, trying to help me become a better coach, trying to help me. He's like, man, he's like, I see something in you. And just hearing that, it just makes you feel good because you know how much pain you put in this. [00:25:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:23] Speaker B: Especially from a hall of famer. [00:25:24] Speaker C: 100%. [00:25:25] Speaker A: Right? [00:25:26] Speaker B: After being graduate assistant, what happens next? Tell me about looking for a new position. You talked about, like, other GS getting jobs at Florida State, and you're panicking, kind of wondering what's next for you, but you end up getting the job at lau. What was that process like? I'm guessing you're reaching out to schools. Tell me. Just about. I'm guessing you're preparing, too. Like, this is about to be the end. I need to look for my next gig. [00:25:51] Speaker C: It's crazy, because when. When I was. When I was done, I'm reaching out. I'm. I'm talking to. Because your. The assistant coaches usually make calls for you, the head coach. So I'm going to them with the most outrageous job, saying, coach, I can get it. I'm older. I can do this. Like, take it easy, man. So I'm trying to get assistant jobs all over the country, and I'm getting coach to call, and I'm persistent. I'm in that office every day, Coach, please call this guy for me. I need this job. I need that job. And they're like, yo, this not the right one for you. And in my head at the time I'm sitting like, man, what do you mean it's not the right one for me? How do you know? You don't want me to eat? I'm like, y' all just want me to be bro for the rest of my life. But then Liu comes up, and Coach Smith said the craziest thing to me. He's like, yo, you will flourish under Coach Strickland, because your story, the way he is, you guys will match. So I'm like, okay, can I get the job? We got to work on it. So it took some time. Like, I remember my first conversation with him was, like, beginning of maybe June. I didn't get the job until, like, July. So, like, it was a long. I had a phone call, interview with him, and I'm just sitting there, weeks going by, weeks going by. I'm praying every day. I'm like, yo, please let me get this job. [00:26:55] Speaker B: What do you remember about the first phone call? [00:26:57] Speaker C: It was. It was pretty cool, because, funny story, my roommate, he's also A legend. Yes. Yes. So my roommate. My roommate left after my first year. He was a GA too. He was the video coordinator at liu. He took the job at LIU to be a video coordinator. So he calls me. He's like, yo, they have a spot open. The most I can do is put your resume on the table. That's pretty much it. You got to get the coaches to put the icing on the cake so that connection happens. You know, Coach Strickland gets a call from coach. You know, we have a conversation. Coach Strickland has a conversation with me. I'm trying not to be a fanboy at the time, because I'm like, damn, I'm talking to Rod Strickland on the phone. This dude. This dude is like, basketball legendary, you know, So I hear from, like, for weeks. Finally I hear back from him. He said, man, you know, welcome on board, man. That was like, the biggest sigh of relief ever, because I'm like, damn. I finally got an opportunity, and I've gotten a really good opportunity. So I got hired as director of basketball operations, you know, moved down to New York, said farewell to all my people in Tallahassee. It was sad, but, you know, it was time to move on. I get to New York, Brooklyn, and it's. Man, it's wheels on the ground right away. Day one, I remember I'd even move in. We came straight to practice, and from there on it's been. Now it's going into year four. I'm going to year four. [00:28:10] Speaker B: You like the. The weather over there compared to Tallahassee weather? [00:28:14] Speaker C: Like, Tallahassee weathers. [00:28:16] Speaker B: Was there beach nose by nearby? [00:28:18] Speaker C: No beach, but there's no snow. It doesn't get that cold either. It's perfect. Warm weather all year long. And summertime, it gets hot during the year. It's warm. No snow, doesn't get cold. It's good. But New York is Toronto, man. It's Toronto 2.0. It just doesn't. Doesn't. Doesn't snow that much. You know, it's. But it's Toronto for you. [00:28:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:34] Speaker B: What was that phone call like, when you got the job officially? [00:28:37] Speaker C: It was when he hit you up, you know. You know, you could feel some tears in your eyes, but you. At the same time, you're trying to hold it in because you feel so excited because you're like, yo, my hard work is finally starting to pay off. There's a lot of GS that don't end up with jobs, you know, some G's got to go volunteer for a year and stuff. Like that. So for me to be able to get that job and get that call, it was like, yo, it was such a sigh of relief because, you know, first thing, I called my mom. You know, I remember what you said, leaving here to go to the States to coach basketball. Now I'm making good money, and I'm working. I'm close to home, too. It was really big. It was huge. It was a real sigh of relief. [00:29:12] Speaker B: I was gonna ask you, who was the first phone call you made? What was her reaction? [00:29:16] Speaker C: She was happy for me. You know, my first year leaving, she didn't really understand it, but as you know, Toronto at the time, it was really hot. A lot of gun violence, a lot of stuff going on. You know, her me being away from the city was kind of her sigh of relief. And, you know, she's starting to see I graduated. [00:29:33] Speaker A: She. [00:29:33] Speaker C: You know, she watched my graduation from TV at Florida. So it's just her seeing me do these things. She started to realize, yo, I really went there for something, you know? You know, a lot of people just leave their home. Some people just leave to leave. But she really seen that I was getting something done, and she was really happy for me. And when I told her I got that job, she was proud of me. You know, she was telling me, okay, now you have to start saving. You want to buy a house. You know how parents get. They start going crazy and talking about a lot of things. But just seeing her be happy for me and just knowing that, you know, I made the right decision and she supported it. It was. It was really good. [00:30:02] Speaker B: You get to liu. What's your first impressions? [00:30:06] Speaker C: I'm not a GA no more. I got responsibilities. It's not, oh, I'm gonna throw it on another GA or I'm. Nah, this is this. This is me. I'm in charge of this. And being the director of operations, a lot of things were put on my shoulder. You know, the team's budget, team's travel, academics, making sure these kids are applied, register for school, guys are into school compliance. It's a lot of stuff. A lot of people just think, yo, it's just Coach X. Nah, man. No, sir. It's a lot of work. You got to make sure everything checks out, transcripts are in, make sure that these kids have their deposits put in. It's. It's a lot of work, man. So going. Going from being a GA to that first year was tough. First year was very tough. You know, adapting and just trying and going from Florida State. You have so many people. You can depend on. You got like 10 gas, seven managers. We had two managers and me. I had to figure it out. Travel, everything. Oh, it was crazy. But you know, everything's a learning experience. [00:30:58] Speaker B: Well, what's that change like too? Because you'll see the, the coaches. I feel like the Raptors now have like 20 coaches on the sidelines, which is some really at least 20 coaches on the sidelines. What are your thoughts on that? Do you feel like it's all like that many coaches? Because you're in it, you've experienced it. How needed is that? You think, you think it's very needed? [00:31:14] Speaker C: I'm gonna say it's needed. [00:31:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:16] Speaker C: Reason being, you gotta remember you got 15 guys. You know, if you have five guys on 15 guys, the numbers start to get. You know, each person can only handle so much. When you have more people, you're giving out more hands to the players. You know, you always want to be able to give the players what they need. And having more people around, much better. Because let's say somebody's not feeling well on a five man roster or someone's going through something. Now you're down to four with 15 players. Or when you have 20 plus people, the access for the players to you guys is much more easier. So I really, I'm for it. I'm for the big staffs. I think it's really good and I feel like it really be able to understand your team better. [00:31:53] Speaker B: Yeah, that's interesting because I just want to get your perspective. I see that all the time. I'm like 20, 20 people on staff. But then it's also you're managing the player relationships, right. So it's like this person can go to this person, they have their guys, that kind of stuff. Right. So you get there. How long were you in that role as a director of basketball operations? [00:32:10] Speaker C: Director of basketball operations. My first year I was under that for a year. My second year I started in it, I got promoted to assistant. So I was doing both those jobs. [00:32:23] Speaker B: What was that like? [00:32:24] Speaker C: Honestly, I would say it wasn't really much different to me because from. From day one I might. I was. My job was to be the director of operations, but I would throw a name or two on Coach's DEs. I would get on the court. When you're at a smaller school, you're doing a lot of stuff. So I was already on the court helping with stuff. But when it came to year two, it was different because I got a scout or two. I got the HADU scout report, got to workout Guys, it was recruiting. What made way more during that offseason, you know, signed three Canadiens that summer. So it was big time. But then finally, like, coach is like, yo, you know, I'm gonna make you full time assistant. I want you to, you know, really working. And coach really was like loving the recruiting that we were doing. So he was like, man, bring the names to the desk. Let's talk about it. Let's all see if we agree. Let's do it. So it went from dobo to assistant coach by year three. [00:33:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:14] Speaker B: What was the. You talk about scouting wise was that you feel like the reason why in terms of like, okay, this guy, he's throwing a lot of names at me and he's giving me names that I've never probably heard of. Canadian wise, too. What do you think? Was it. Was it that aspect that. [00:33:31] Speaker C: Honestly, I would say it was the. This is just a educated guess. I think it was the players just being able to show that I can recruit at that level and bring in really good talent and just having that relationship with the players to be able to coach them, to be able to hold them accountable. I think that's what really got him to. And another thing I'll say is we had a lot of change in staff, you know, a lot of people. So our coach, Coach Strickland's coaching tree dudes tend to leave after one year and get better jobs because we do so well. So a lot of dudes left and you know, when they leave, somebody has to really fill in this, fill in the, the gaps that were left behind. So right now, I'm the longest person that's been with Coach Strickland and all his staffs been here with him for three plus years now. So just being able to be that guy he can depend on and lean on is really big. [00:34:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:21] Speaker B: What's it like working with him? Because I remember you saying one of the assistants at Florida State said you and him would work well together. Talking about four years now. What's that relationship like? And the working dynamic. And I'm guessing you guys kind of bounced off each other first year. [00:34:36] Speaker C: It was. I was trying to learn him, trying to learn how what the type of person is things he likes. Because as a, as a coach, Dobo ga. You want to make sure that you are doing whatever your head coach needs. You got to make sure your head coach job's easy. And Coach Strickland's a very, you know, laid back guy. He really lets us do what we got to do, you know, as long as we're doing under his vision what he's looking for. Coach Strickland will let you do what you got to do as long as you run it by him and just try to make sure that, you know, you, you're matching his vision of what he wants to do. So working with him honestly has been one of the greatest things ever. You know, I say it all the time, man. I want to work for him forever if I can. He's, he's very. He gives you so much freedom to work. You know, he's always teaching. You know, him being a point guard, a legendary point guard, you see how he sees the game, especially when he's teaching the players. Just watching him go through the workouts, still being able to do all those ball handle moves. I'm not saying he's old, but just seeing him being able to still do those moves and everything and just the way he coaches the players and then even just the stories he'd be telling us in his office, just hearing stories from a guy who's played in the NBA for 16 plus years, it's just, it's really, it's really, it's, it's a different experience and I really enjoy it, man. It's, it's, it's been a hell of a ride. [00:35:50] Speaker B: How respected is he in New York? I know he grew up in the Bronx. What's the, like, oh my. So I'm guessing you might be walking with him and it's like, oh, that's roster. [00:35:56] Speaker C: Sometimes I say I'm his personal security. Like we be at games, people are trying to jump from the crowd, just running up to him and I gotta like, stop them sometimes. I'm like, yo, coach, we got off the bus. People are standing with their cars trying to get autographed. I'm like, yo, coach, you still got a juice? Is that. How long ago did you play? He'd be like, yo, don't, don't, don't be calling me old. I'm like, my bad, coach. But it's just, it's just a cool experience because everywhere you go, even when I'm wearing this logo, yo, you work for Rod? I'm like, damn. Yeah, I do. I do. We go to the deli. They, man, he's, he's known, man. Coach Strickland got a real, real respected aura in New York. [00:36:29] Speaker B: Yeah, because I know he, he spent some time too managing the, the G League. [00:36:34] Speaker C: Ignite. [00:36:34] Speaker B: Ignite. Doing that stuff there. I think I spoke to him maybe for a story I was doing. Maybe it was On Leonard, I think it might have been, um. But yeah, Rod Strickland, I think he's also the godfather of Kyrie. Does he pop out to. To Liu often or. [00:36:47] Speaker A: He, he. [00:36:48] Speaker C: He used to come before I got there. You know, he's close with Coach Strickland, Coach Strick's kids. But, yeah, they used to do camps and stuff like that. But, man, so many people come in the gym. You, you, you lose track of how many people come in. [00:37:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:02] Speaker B: Obviously, we talked about being on a recruitment trip to Canada. I want to know, just kind of go through it with you. How does that all work? How does the recruitment period work? When does it start? Obviously, you're here, I feel like, for the next few days just to scout some of the Canadian talent. But when does that period open up? And how do you decide on, like, okay, I'm going to take a trip here to Canada for the next few days and watch some of the Canadian talent. Tell me just about the entire process. And when do those periods open? We'll kind of go through it all, but. [00:37:31] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:37:31] Speaker C: So I'm gonna start with, like, where you're gonna. Where you go to recruit and stuff like that. So it all depends on, like, your, your geographic and what you. What you know, you can go recruit and what you think. You're not going to go somewhere and try to recruit somebody you have no chance of getting. You know, for example, me, I'm big on recruiting in Florida and recruiting in Canada, the two places that I know. You know, being in Florida, just knowing a bunch of people there and then recruiting Canada home base. [00:37:55] Speaker B: That's what you're saying. [00:37:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:57] Speaker C: So in your staff, guys will tend to go different places. For example, I'll go Canada whenever we go to Florida, me and another coach named Coach Gillian, we'll go to Florida together because he's from Florida. [00:38:08] Speaker A: We'll. [00:38:08] Speaker C: We go there together. It all depends on, like, the area, you know, especially you'll go where the kid that you're recruiting is at. So. And then there's a lot of events, and then obviously there's a summer circuits where you're gonna actually go. No matter where the location is, you're gonna show up because you wanna go see those kids. But when it comes to, like, during the year when season's going on and stuff like that, recruiting kind of dies down a little bit. It's more heavier for the bigger schools, obviously, chasing the five stars in them. You gotta go to all their games and stuff like that. But when it's for us you know, right now, for example, like this is the first trip I've done so far in the fall. Next week I'm going to go to Orlando to go catch a bunch of juco teams. A couple Canadian teams are coming down from here too. So I'm going to go to that. Then I'll go to some other juco tournaments and then in season we'll be in Miami. A bunch of teams are going to be playing there. So it all depends on where, who you're recruiting and what connections you have in that area. So that's what it basically bases off. Now when it comes to end of year, like recruiting periods and stuff like that. Each year they bring out a calendar. It will show you the dates that are blocked off. You can go recruiting. The days that you can go recruiting and tech, usually it's during the summer where there's a lot of the blockage. Like for example, Christmas break, you can't go recruiting. The obvious, you know, during the summer sometimes when there's workouts, you can go, you can go recruiting. Peach Jam, for example, you can go recruit in the last three, four days of Peach Jam. But the couple days before that they're playing coaching. I allowed to go out there. Yeah. [00:39:32] Speaker B: Because I was at the first session and then there was only NBA scouts there. There was no dead. Yeah, I think it was Memphis. There might have been a period where people are allowed to go in. [00:39:42] Speaker C: Yeah, I forgot. No, there's the first session. Usually I don't think that coaches are allowed. Then the second and third. Yep. Then Peach Jam. The first couple days no one can go. And then they open it up for the last three, four days. So the dead periods, you'll know. It's highlighted on the NCAA calendar. Quiet periods. No one can come on campus. You can have conversations, but you can't come on campus. And then there's complete dead period where you can't contact them, they can't contact you. You can't do official visits, none of that stuff. [00:40:10] Speaker B: How long are those dead periods? Are they, are they usually like a while? Like say you're having a conversation. It's like the dead period pops up. Can you just like, you stop texting sometimes? [00:40:18] Speaker C: Sometimes, yeah. You can't, you can't really say anything. It's. It's goes quiet for a bit and. But the players know because, you know, their high school coaches are also educated on this stuff. So they'll keep, they'll keep them in conversation about that and they'll keep, let them know what it is. But It's. It's. They'll be locked in season two. You know, kid will come in, an official visit, they'll get mail from us and stuff like that. But, yeah, the recruiting process is different, man. A lot of people think they can just jump on a plane and go see, man. It's not like that. [00:40:44] Speaker B: Yeah, because I've seen. I'll give it to Alabama. They're playing A.J. debanza was playing Fort Erie, in Fort Erie. Might have been, like, two years ago. Alabama, I think they probably flew on a private jet, you know, like, because they got that money. Alabama's different. They flew on a private jet. And then the next day, I see them in practice video, and I'm like. And then I see them. Like, you'll see them at different spots because they have that luxury. But your program, I feel like, finds the hidden gems, you know, finds the talent that go under, recruited, that kind of stuff. Are you, though, allowed, like, a set amount of offers that you can give out? What's that process? [00:41:20] Speaker C: No, you can give as many offers as you want, honestly. You know, a verbal offer. Honestly is just a verbal offer. [00:41:27] Speaker B: I was gonna ask you that because, you know, I hear. You hear certain people, like, they. They get offers, but I'm like, is that a real offer? [00:41:33] Speaker C: So that. That's. That's the thing, you know, verbal offer, honestly doesn't really hold much weight until you actually, you know, come on official visit. And, yo, we really want you, you know, we want you to sign. Like, we have a scholarship offer from us. Let's. Let's get this done. So a lot of schools will throw a lot of offers on just because they see their opponent's school is offering a kid or they're recruiting that kid. So. And the kid has a lot of hype. They'll call, oh, I want to offer you. So it's. It's tough the way. The way I recruit, and I. I don't like sharing my secrets, but, of course, yeah, it's. It's. I. I make sure that, you know, one. I'm recruiting a kid that I've actually went and gone and seen. You know, I know somebody that knows the kid, had multiple conversations with the kid. I know the kid's background, really, really feel like he can fit us do something. And I like the underdog story. I like a kid who, you know, who feels like he's not been recruited, you know, fairly or doesn't feel like people have seen him. You know, I feel like we share something in common. You know, the underdog story of just knowing who we are and what we were capable of doing. Then, you know, we come out of nowhere and we, you know, break, break, break news. [00:42:38] Speaker B: Yeah, I was gonna ask you what's that feeling like? Because I feel like you do it a lot because you're tapped into the Canadian scene, you know, the talent coming up. You watch it. You probably speak to a lot of coaches, too, and just keep an eye on that. And I feel like you offer a lot of kids their first offer before they, you know, they become household names. What's that like giving their kid a kid their first offer? [00:42:58] Speaker C: It's honestly a really good feeling, you know, just hearing that excitement in their voice. You know, I talked to a couple kids this past summer, and just giving them their first offer and just hearing in their voice, and the one thing I say to them on, you know, you can ask any kid is, don't let this be your last offer. You know, I'm not looking to be that guy to say, yo, don't accept it. Nah, don't let this be your last offer. Don't take your foot off the gas. Keep working, keep pushing, keep going. By the time I have another conversation with you, I want to see you have a bunch of offers, because at the end of the day, kid can have 20, 30, 40 offers. How you recruit them is how you're going to land them. You know what I'm saying? And, you know, if a kid just gets one offer from you and just feels like, okay, yeah, I have one offer, I'm good. You don't want that kind of kid. You want a kid who's going to really, you know, show who he is and fight through everything and, you know, is really that. That guy? You know, I'm saying, yeah. [00:43:46] Speaker B: How early are you allowed to reach out to the players? When does it start? Like, because some kids are expecting offers, you know, like, very early on, but then some guys won't get offers to. [00:43:57] Speaker C: Like, finally, I think that. I think the rule changed recently. I believe you can start reaching out to a kid now that's a Junior or Great 10, they're at the end of their great tenure, I believe. [00:44:08] Speaker B: Makes sense. [00:44:08] Speaker C: Or junior. It's one of the two. [00:44:09] Speaker B: It's different with Canada, right? [00:44:10] Speaker A: So. [00:44:11] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah, it is. Because the system is a little different out here. [00:44:15] Speaker A: Y. Yeah. [00:44:16] Speaker B: What's that like, too? You talked about it. Are the NCAA strict when it comes to, like, calls, texting, reaching out to kids? Like, how are they tracking that? I've always wondered. [00:44:24] Speaker C: So you. Everything you're self reporting. Everything is self reporting. And NCAA goes in and looks. We use a software called arms. You got to put a kid's name in, you know, before you even have a phone call with them. Just gotta let everything you do, like, if you go see him, like any kid I go see right now or I go watch, I gotta report it. I gotta put it in the system. I went to go watch this kid. I spoke with this kid. I had a phone call with this kid. I'm planning on having an official visit with this kid. You gotta put everything in the system because at the end of the day, when they go back and look back at it and. Right. Information is not there. That's NCAA violation. [00:44:56] Speaker B: That's interesting. Okay. I never, like, knew about. [00:44:57] Speaker C: The whole problem is a real thing, man. And that's serious. [00:45:01] Speaker B: Yeah, we talked about contact periods, quiet periods, dead periods. What's that like, too? When you're watching a kid, you want to reach out, but then it's like, okay, I gotta. I gotta wait this out. What's that process like? And then officially offering them. What's your process to do? You wait till, okay, I can officially offer this kid. And then when you're talking to them, like, do you wait till, like, okay, I know this guy is ready to play in ncaa. Like, what's your process when you're talking to a kid? [00:45:31] Speaker C: Honestly, the process is I want to go see him first. You know, I could see everything on the Internet. You could see the highlights and everything. But everyone, everything on the Internet is made to look good. You know, I make sure that I go see the kid in person. First. Second is talking to the people around the kid, because the kid is who he's around, you know, so you got to figure out, you got to do your research on these kids, man, because at the end of the day, you're giving a kid a scholarship for four years. You got to know what you're investing in. So you got to talk to his people around, parents, if it's guardians, AU coach, high school coach. You just got to really go and observe and be an observer and see what you're doing. Then, then that's when I get. I never get myself too excited just watching a highlight tape and say, oh, I got to offer this kid. I learned, I learned the hard way from that. You got to really do your research and do your due diligence. Because the end of the day, if you get. If you just go based off a highlight tape, man, you can get yourself in some serious, serious problems. [00:46:21] Speaker B: You get Scammed, man. [00:46:21] Speaker C: The holiday says highlight tapes are made to look good. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Yep. [00:46:25] Speaker C: When you go see it in person is when you going to find out what the real truth is. [00:46:27] Speaker B: Yep, yep, yep. What's the challenge you feel like, obviously, maybe not for you just in terms of like recruitment, but maybe first stuff you heard from coaches about getting up to Canada during periods or like evaluation periods, because scheduling is a bit different, I feel like here maybe, maybe you can speak on it now, being in the States and like, with how your schedules run compared to like how the Canadian systems run, because I feel like the high school season, probably in the States, it runs in a path that's allows the college coaches to come out. Maybe it's different in Canada. What are your thoughts on that? [00:46:59] Speaker C: It was, it was much tougher when we were coaching. When we were coaching. And I can maybe say that before, when we were coaching, when me and Yusuf were coaching TBA and people before us teams didn't really go to America a lot. Now these kids are. These schools are going to America religiously. [00:47:14] Speaker B: So why do you think that is? [00:47:15] Speaker C: They know that they need to go if they want their kids to get recruited. If they stay behind the border, it's very hard. You're gonna have the 12 schools that come and play here, but if you don't go over there and play, that, that level of talent, people are not going to take your kids serious. It's just the truth to it. So now that these schools are coming out there and playing, and for example, like for Erie, beating what's a team? AJ Was on Utah Prep, going over there, beating them. That's big. [00:47:39] Speaker B: Not once, twice. [00:47:41] Speaker C: Yeah, that's big. Because now people are like, yo, okay, there's some talent over there. Now you're seeing the schools coming in, their private jets coming down, coming to see these kids in our Canadian gyms is the reason why they're doing that. It's because of them seeing what's going on and saying, okay, these guys are serious. Let's, let's go see what, what's this about? [00:47:58] Speaker B: Yeah, when, when the recruitment period opens up, do you feel like oftentimes or is it now like, what's the gap? Do you feel like Canadians are still behind when it comes to the US Still? And how do we fill that gap? [00:48:11] Speaker C: Filling that gap's tough because everybody, everybody thinks they have the solution to it, but really look at it like this. It's a numbers game. There's what, 50 something states in the United States and there's what, nine, 10 provinces in Canada. I'm. Don't quote me. I'm. I'm not good with my numbers. [00:48:27] Speaker B: Something like that. [00:48:28] Speaker C: There is at least 100 different high schools per state. And then here, how many prep schools that are actually like basketball schools. So you play the number games. There's a major disadvantage. So if you're not a kid who's highly ranked that's not on the boards, you're automatically not getting recruited. Now it's about the coaches who are actually good at doing their job that can tell. Identify talent without having to look at a board and say, oh, this kid's a five star, this kid's a three star. It's the eye test, watching these kids and seeing this. So the kids have a disadvantage because a lot of people depend on all these subscriptions and oh, this kid is ranked this. Or this guy thinks this of this kid. But it's the people who are really going there to watch these kids that can really tell you, okay, yo, they. There's a lot of hidden talent out here. There's some hidden gems. [00:49:09] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:49:09] Speaker B: How has the portal impacted Canada in your thoughts? [00:49:15] Speaker C: It impacted the high school Canadian kids a lot because now that a kid can just go into the portal easily, people are going for older kids. They're not really, you know, aiming high for the freshmen, but schools that are at our level really take advantage of it because a lot of good high school freshmen are available and, and schools like us are able to come in and sweep them because a lot of schools are looking to get older guys in the portal. Now these kids are looking to still play Division 1, so we can come in there and soup and get a couple kids. So, you know, it's tough because I know some of these kids deserve to be at higher levels, but they just got to take a different path to get there. [00:49:50] Speaker B: What are your thoughts on just the portal in general, being able to enter after, like, what's the process, do you think? [00:49:57] Speaker C: But I love record. [00:49:58] Speaker B: You love it. [00:49:59] Speaker C: I love. [00:49:59] Speaker B: Why do you love it? [00:50:00] Speaker C: The poor, you know, a kid shouldn't be penalized because he transferred more than once. You know, if it doesn't, if it doesn't fit, right? Because at the end of the day, these NBA players can demand a trade. You know, they can buy out of their contract. They can do all these things. Why can't these kids, you know, why. Why does a kid have to suffer and stay at a school for multiple years just because he doesn't like it. [00:50:18] Speaker B: In the red shirt? [00:50:19] Speaker C: Exactly. So it, it helps you as A player grow, you know, put yourself in a better situation. There's been a lot of great stories that have come out of the Portal. There have been a lot of bad stories that come out of Portal. You know, obviously the money part changes it a little bit, but it gives a lot of kids a second chance. And you know, that's what, that's what I, I love about the Portal is going in there and being able to recruit kids that need a second chance and bring them to a place where they can feel comfortable and feel like they can re rebrand themselves. [00:50:45] Speaker B: How has like Nil impacted your program? Because obviously so much schools like the Alabamas can come and throw, say a player does amazing, right? They could throw X amount of money no matter what. What's that like to deal with? And it's like talking to the kid. It's like, obviously you, you want the best for them, but then it's tough, man. [00:51:01] Speaker C: I'm not going to lie to you. NIL has changed the game heavily, you know, especially at our level. You know, as, as a staff. You know, we talk to kids over the phone and we're recruiting. And it be. It used to go from coach, how much playing time I'm going to get to the first question being, yo, how much can you pay me? It's crazy because that's how much a lot of these kids start the conversation. And we're not a school that can afford to pay kids. You know, we're not in the. We're not in the whole Nil. Let's drop some money. We're not. We're looking for guys that fit us, that fit our program, that have the same vision as us. So when it came to recruiting our roster, it was based off relationships and just finding the right pieces that fit us. So, for example, like you say, like the big schools will come in and try to get the smaller schools in our conference, majority of the scores, top scores were, you know, went high major. And our best players won in the portal. You know, gratefully they came back. You know, they had a really good relationship with coach Strickland. You know, they went out there, they seen what there was to offer. But at the end of the day, it takes a smart kid to really realize what they have in front of them and what they don't have and what the grass not always green on the side. You know, you can go easily to a high major, they'll throw you a couple hundred thousand. But are you going to be happy? Are you going to be playing? You're in Your last year of college basketball, do you want to put yourself in a position where you get to continue playing how much you were playing, putting up good numbers and be able to put yourself in a good situation for pro, or do you want to go sit on a bench, not be happy? Yeah, you get a couple dollars. But now, when you want to go pro, you don't have film that's going to tell these teams, yo, this guy's who he is. [00:52:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:28] Speaker B: You talked about the grass not being always greater. What made you talked about Player State? [00:52:33] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:34] Speaker B: Why do you think? It was obviously the relationship with Rod Strickland, but, like, what was it about? [00:52:39] Speaker C: So we had. We had. We had. We had some guys on our team. Malachi Davis, he came second in our conference in scoring. Jamal Fuller, they both played at Central Tech. Cool story. They're both Toronto kids. Yeah, they were. [00:52:50] Speaker B: I watched those kids play it out. [00:52:51] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah, man, they were really good. [00:52:52] Speaker B: Malachi, who was a dunker. [00:52:54] Speaker C: Yeah, they had really good seasons with us. You know, Jamal came from Division 2. Malachi was. Came from Arizona State. Didn't have a good year over there. Just didn't work out. They both come to liu. Malachi finishes all first team conference. Jamal Fuller finishes second team all conference. Had hell of a year. Great duo. Won 17 games. You know, we were one game away from the NCAA tournament. Left a sour taste in their mouth. Went in the portal, went to go see. And, you know, the biggest thing that, you know, for them was, you know, is there anybody else there, like Coach Strickland out there that. That they can really play for? Who's gonna let them, you know, rock out, you know, help guide them, put them in a situation once basketball is done, to really, you know, chase their dreams. So them coming back was huge. You know, the conference people talk about all the time. You got two guys who could easily win High Major coming back and saying, let's run it back and let's get this job done. They're both in their last year of college basketball, so it's huge. They're close to home. You know, obviously, I'm happy, you know, being a part of the. Being a part of them coming to liu, it was huge. So I'm happy they're back. Also, Shadrach Lassu, he was a young freshman, man. He was not. He was not recruited by anybody, man. He's from Winnipeg. Yep. Wasn't recruited by anybody. Had a breakout year as a freshman. Nobody really knew who he was. You know, he's a star. People know who he is. He Was all freshman first team. I have a big season ahead of him, too. [00:54:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:17] Speaker B: Talk about five Canadians on your roster. [00:54:19] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:19] Speaker B: What can we expect from LIU this year? [00:54:21] Speaker C: We're going to. We can expect a lot of great things, man. You know, the dream is to go to the NCAA tournament, you know, turn the dream into a reality. You know, we got Max Fraser, who's a freshman out of West Vancouver. We just added Caleb Johnson late. You know, he's from Nova Scotia, played at Jacksonville State last year. He's another big piece. He played at father Henry Carr, same time Malachi and Jamal were at Central Tech. Big body three man who can do a lot, can play the three, four, two. You know, just having a bunch of older dudes on our roster. We also picked up a lot of great pieces in Greg Gordon, Jomo Goings, Isaiah Miranda. So we're deep this year. You know, this is the first time I've been here where we've been this deep. You know, obviously everybody's projecting us to be first and, you know, sometimes that comes with a little bit of a iffy feeling, you know, when people. [00:55:10] Speaker B: Expectations like pressure. [00:55:13] Speaker C: Honestly, personally, I don't feel the pressure. I feel like we, we're gonna do it, we're gonna get it done. But honestly, you know, everybody's different. The players can feel some different ways. You know, the coaches can feel different way. But seeing what I see every day in practice and just the culture and knowing how Coach Strickland is gonna handle this team, I really believe, you know, we're going to go dancing, you know, we're going to go to NCAA tournament. We have what it takes. I know those kids know what it felt like losing that game last year and, you know, not being able to go to the NCAA tournament, I. I see the hunger in their eyes and, you know, I feel like we're going to get it done. [00:55:44] Speaker B: Obviously, the program, I feel like, has been on a up trajectory since you've got there. I know you don't want to take probably credit for that. You got Canadians on the roster to making huge impact. Why do you think that is? Obviously with Strickland, why do you think the program has been increasingly on the high? [00:56:00] Speaker C: I think the biggest thing is the, the personnel matches each other. Coach Strickland likes these players. These players love Coach Strickland. You know, it's a good mesh. And just having somebody like Coach Rod Strickland be able to coach a kid like Malachi Davis, a crafty guard who really puts the ball on the ground, does all these dribble moves, scores the ball. And, and honestly, a lot of people don't, don't, don't really understand how valuable to have a coach who's a former player, especially at the highest level, being able to coach you and guide you through this. It's so, it's so huge. And I think it was a match made in heaven, you know, just seeing how everything matched perfectly. Personalities, you know, our culture. Just having myself, a Canadian on staff, just everybody just meshing with each other. You know, we all joke around and everything. But honestly, I think the personalities and the, and the personnel really match perfectly. [00:56:56] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm guessing you maybe Pacific might have a lot of Canadians too. [00:57:00] Speaker C: Pacific beat me up, man. [00:57:01] Speaker B: How much they got? [00:57:01] Speaker C: They got six. [00:57:02] Speaker B: So. So where you guys rank in terms of Canadians? [00:57:04] Speaker C: Second? We got five. I really thought we were one. [00:57:07] Speaker B: So which Canadian team should we root for? [00:57:09] Speaker C: Liu, man. [00:57:09] Speaker B: Liu. [00:57:10] Speaker C: I love Pacific. I love those guys at Pacific. They're doing a hell of a job. [00:57:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:13] Speaker C: Shout out to Coach Smart. Got a lot of rings to celebrate, man. We let, we gonna get ours. We let him Donovate Carlton. He had his run, you know, he had his run. [00:57:21] Speaker B: He still doing his thing. But what's it to. We talked about Nil, obviously. As a coach at ncaa, I'm guess you hear a lot of stories about kids making X amount of money. What's your thoughts on that? Do you feel like it's insane? Because I hear stories about potential draft picks late in the first round. Be like, you know what, I'm going to go back to school because I'm going to make 10 times more than I would of my rookie contract deal. Like the second round doesn't exist anymore really in the NBA unless you're a four fifth year, fifth year player, you know, unless you're 22, 23 years old. What are your thoughts on just the Nil? [00:58:03] Speaker C: I'm for it. The NCAA makes a lot of money. These kids do deserve a piece. What I'm not for is not teaching these kids financial literacy, you know. You know you're going to be putting all this money in these kids hands. But you do know at the same time putting all this money in their hands, you can put them in situations that, you know, they're not built for. So maybe before giving these kids all this money, you kind of teach them about what money is, financial literacy. Just trying to show them because obviously what are these kids, 18, 19, 20, 21 year old throwing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars at them. You know, every coach makes a Joke. The Nil starter pack. They get the chain, the grill, the watch, the Hellcat, and, you know, a lot of them don't know taxes. A lot of them don't know put something to the side they don't know about a rainy day. So just. Just seeing that, I feel like that's the only downfall of this whole Nil thing is not giving them the education they need on the finance part. But in terms of paying these kids, man, these kids deserve it, man. They put on a show. They put their blood, sweat and tear into this, man. The NCAA wouldn't be nothing without these kids. So, you know, I'm. I'm for it. [00:59:07] Speaker B: What do you think? The. Should there be contracts? What are your thoughts on the regulation? [00:59:11] Speaker C: I do think. I do think it needs to be handled a little bit more better. You know, just handling of not having kids go crazy in the transfer portal because of money being the reason, compared to trying to find a fit, you know, maybe handling that part. But obviously, it's a growing pain that's going on. NCAA is still trying to figure out what's the best route with this whole Nil era. Obviously, it's going to still take a couple more years. You know, I say this, these kids that are enjoying it right now are getting the best end of the share. Obviously, it's going to get regulated to a point down the line, but they're obviously going to figure it out and find a way that it works for both sides. [00:59:45] Speaker B: Yeah, we've talked about this podcast, obviously, your journey coming up, that kind of stuff. And I mentioned it at the top. One of the first Somali Canadians to do what you're doing in ncaa. What's that like when you. [00:59:55] Speaker C: I don't. [00:59:56] Speaker B: Was there, like another Somali Canadian grad assistant? [00:59:59] Speaker C: There was no Abdi. He was at Ryerson. [01:00:02] Speaker B: Legend. [01:00:02] Speaker C: He was. He was a. He was a GA at a school in Missouri. I forgot the school's name. Yeah, he was. He was the first. [01:00:09] Speaker B: Yeah, he was obviously at Ryerson. I always see him. [01:00:13] Speaker C: He's. [01:00:13] Speaker B: He's coach on the. Roy Ryan. [01:00:14] Speaker C: Yep. Team Canada. He's done a lot. You know, he's also paved the way for a lot of us, too. Just seeing him do it and just being able to lean on him and ask him a lot of questions. But. But, yeah, no, after that, I think it was me. I haven't seen anybody else. Yusuf was an assistant. Straight to an assistant. Straight to an assistant. So, yeah, I was the only GA at the time. I think there's some others now. People are A lot of people reached out in the summertime asking me to. [01:00:37] Speaker B: I was gonna ask. A lot of people reaching out to you, your background being like, hey, how do I get into this? How do I crack the system? [01:00:43] Speaker C: A lot of former players have been reaching out to me. A lot of former players have been reaching out to me, just trying to figure out the whole pathway and to becoming a G. And one thing I must say is because I know there will be more people in the future who ask. Everyone's story is not the same. Everyone's not going to go to Florida State. Everyone's not going to be a G at a Power 5 school. You know, and I said this to one dude is just because I was at Florida State doesn't mean, you know, you're going to. I was at Florida State and I had to pay for everything. There's some dudes that are at mid major schools that don't have to pay for anything. They're gas. Everybody fits somewhere differently. You know, I, I, I told people, man, I can help you guys get into different spots, but not everyone's going to end up at a Power 5 school. I was lucky enough to end up there, but what I exchange it for an opportunity to, to be able to pay for some stuff and not be in such a financial hold. Obviously I would have, but you know, this is the only opportunity I had, so I took it. But to all the people that are out there that want to become GA's man, don't look at the logo, look at the opportunity, look at the situation you're going to put yourself in and try to see in the next couple years, is this something that's going to be maintainable that I can do? Is it something that can be sustainable? [01:01:48] Speaker B: Yeah, that's, that's great advice. Really great advice. You talked about it, you talked about Nook, we talked about Yousef. I'm obviously forgetting people. What's it like seeing this community? I feel like Somali Canadians now in this space. I'm doing, I'm like, I'm obviously a journalist, so I'm like, you have your part too. I'm doing my part on, on the side, you know. But what you guys are doing I feel like is kind of, it's trailblazing in a way. What's it like seeing a lot of people that look like us in this space getting the opportunity, that have played, that are now coaching? What's that like seeing all you guys in the space? [01:02:20] Speaker C: It's crazy because if you told us this maybe 10 years ago, when we were all chilling in Moxy's used to get them white chocolate brownies. None of us would believe it. I swear to God, none of us would be. If someone told me, yo, today you'd be assistant here. Yusuf's going to be assistant there, Nurse Team Canada Sharks is over there. Nobody would believe it, you know, but, you know, everything, everything happens for a reason. And because of the people we are and we know that we're go getters. Honestly, I'm not, I'm not surprised because I've seen everyone's path, I've seen my path and just being able to know that, yo, we don't take no for an answer. We're going to go and try to get to the top and be where we're supposed to be. And honestly, we've all helped each other in different ways, you know, every single one of them, we've. We've leaned on each other's shoulder for some sort of help, trying to get to where we are. So honestly, I'm proud of our circle. I'm proud of, you know, where we've come and how far we've come. There's a lot more to come. This is just a start and hopefully there's more to join us. [01:03:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:15] Speaker B: Talk about obviously coaching small team. [01:03:20] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:03:21] Speaker B: What are your thoughts on that. [01:03:23] Speaker C: National team? I feel like we're, we're entering a window where we can be really good. You know, obviously back then there wasn't much talent that was playing Division 1 ball, playing pro ball. Obviously Faisal Ayden was probably the first one to play Division 1 ball. Then there was a couple more. Then obviously Ahmed, Ahmed, a two made it to Division one. He was playing. And now, now you see there's three Somali kids playing high major Division one ball. One's at Auburn, one's at Kansas State, one's at Mississippi State. The tides have changed and I feel like this window is the, the biggest opportunity for us to do something with this because not only do we have guys playing at the highest level in Division 1, we have guys playing overseas at the highest level. And I feel like, you know, I think bronze medal was it. Bronze medal that we won it when we hosted Afro Basket and moktisho in the 90s. I forgot when it was, but that was, that was the only time we've metal then. I feel like your Olympics are here this summer. It's time to really lock in and make a push for the next qualifying zone and really put Somalia on the map. You know, it's. It's not going to be easy. You know, you've seen it with South Sudan, you've seen it with a lot of these other countries. There's an opportunity to do something big. [01:04:35] Speaker B: Are you interested? [01:04:36] Speaker C: Definitely, definitely, definitely interested. [01:04:39] Speaker B: We'll talk about it. What's your. Obviously the next phase. What's that like now going obviously you're going to be in Canada for the next few days. What are you looking for talent wise? [01:04:48] Speaker C: I'm looking for kids that are going to make. That are, that are not only about themselves but about making their team better. You know, we want kids that are go getters that are going to be hard workers, you know, that are, you know, I'm not saying don't care about the money and stuff like that, but really caring about really changing the narrative of your game. Just being a better person, better player and just using that orange ball to like really change your life. That's the type of kids I'm looking for. [01:05:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm excited to watch you and Liu. The five Canadians only watch a lot of games this season. Tapping in. I need you to send me a link to. [01:05:24] Speaker C: Oh, I got you. I got. [01:05:25] Speaker B: They don't, I don't, I don't know what it is about that they don't really streaming the games. [01:05:29] Speaker C: Yeah, no, I'm not. There's, there's a, there's a link that they, they, they stream all the games. Definitely gonna share that. It's gonna be a good season. You know, hopefully a lot of Canadians will be watching this year. You know, I felt like off topic thing. I felt like we had a good group of Canadians that were kind of snubbed this summer from the U23 squad. Hopefully this year people can tune in and really see what, what these Canadian kids on LIU are about and hopefully they'll get their call up next year. [01:05:55] Speaker B: Who do you feel like was snubbed? [01:05:56] Speaker A: All of them. [01:05:57] Speaker B: All of them. All three could have made an impact. [01:05:59] Speaker C: Definitely. [01:06:00] Speaker B: What's that like? Are you in conversation with Canada basketball? Just about you guys? [01:06:04] Speaker C: Not really. You know, spoke reached. You know, Canada basketball is huge. You know, there's a lot of people that, that have, you know, power and stuff like that. But I really truly believe and this is not, no, no shot against anybody. I felt like my guys had hell of a season and you know, for them to not even get a phone call, it kind of, it hurt them because having them come to me say yo coach man, how come I'm not on the team such and so was on this. I'm like, man, Listen, write your own race. It's all right. Ain't call you. It's going to be all right. We going to get our shot. You know what I'm saying? Our guys, our guys play hard. Our guys do well. I think Malachi was the number one score in all Canadians last year. That all Canadians and points scored. So they'll, they'll, everyone's got a sour taste in their mouth. They'll be back for some more this year. [01:06:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:06:45] Speaker B: Hopefully people listening to maybe someone within Canada basketball, hopefully they'll tap in. They'll, they'll watch you guys closely this year and, and see the season that you have potentially an NCAA tournament team for sure. We'll keep an eye on that. My guy Dahmer, I can't thank you enough. If you don't know he's. I feel like one of the rising coaches in ncaa. [01:07:02] Speaker C: Appreciate that. [01:07:03] Speaker B: Should be watching him closely. I could watch you talk for like five years, to be honest. The way you talk, I'm like, bro, just, you know, very. Just recruitment wise too. I see why Canadians go to liu. You could have convinced me. [01:07:17] Speaker C: I appreciate that, man. [01:07:18] Speaker B: But I can't thank you enough again for, for coming on. T. Where can people find you, man? [01:07:23] Speaker C: My social media is everywhere. Coach Del Mar. My number's there. Reach out, man. I got over thousands of dms. I try to get back to everybody. My emails on the school website. Hit me up if you need anything. Yeah, man. Very accessible, of course. [01:07:37] Speaker B: Hit up Dalmar. And yeah, can't thank you enough again for coming on. This has been the Canadian Basketball show, your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball. I got Dahmo. Thank you again.