Deep 3 with Vlad Moldoveanu

Episode 27 and the end of season 1 of the " Deep 3" podcast brings us a special guest, Gheorghe Muresan. Romania's 2nd NBA player after Ernie Grunfeld and NBA's Most Improved Player for the 1995-1996 season. In the NBA he played for the Washington Wizards and New Jersey News, now he is the President of Giant Basketball Academy. In this episode, you will her from Ghita about:

• How he started playing basketball
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• His move to Pau Orthez( France) from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 
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• What it means to be a foreign player and the language barrier
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• His first NBA training camp
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• Why practices for him were never hard!
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• What was his mindset the year when he earned the "Most Improved Player" in the NBA award
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• What did he like most about the NBA and what he misses or does not miss about the NBA
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• His thoughts on the Romanian National Team and the future of it

You can find George Muresan on social media: 

Twitter: @GeorgeMuresan77

Make sure you follow on IG/Twitter:

Twitter: @deep3vm

Instagram: @deep3vm

This entry in the Deep3 Podcast series is very special to me as I'm hosting my fellow AU Alum, Angre Ingram. Andre is currently playing for the South Bay Lakers and has been recently selected as President of the NBA G League Players Union. He's also played with the Los Angeles Lakers.  Here's what we'll be discussing in episode 25!  

▶️ Time spent at American University and transitioning to the Pro game. 

▶️ What made Andre stay in the G League 

▶️ Giving meaning to Andre's decision to stay in the G League, income and having to work other side jobs to support his family. 

▶️ The feeling of getting the call up to finish a season with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

▶️ Differences between the G League and the NBA as far as court basketball. 

▶️ What's on the top of Andre's agenda regarding the G League Players Union. 

▶️ Goals and future plans for the G League? Is there interest in competing with European leagues? 

▶️ Mentorship and how Andre got started on his way to becoming a mentor.

Episode 24 brings me face to face with Toddrick Gotcher. A Texas legend, ranked #2 in the State of Texas coming out of High School, playing at Texas Tech under 3 different head coaches and currently in ABA League with MZT SKopje. A deadly assasin from the 3 point line and a terrific defender, TG is creating his own story in Professional hoops. Has played with success in some of the top leagues in Europe.  His mindset is performance ready and we talk about his time in each team but also about goal setting, mindset of a role player and getting out of your comfort zone. 

Toddrick has also played for Besiktas Istanbul, Ifaistos Limnou, Cholet, Koroivos. 

• 1:25 - Relationship with current Texas Tech- Head Coach Chris Beard
• 2:50- Sticking through 3 head coaches at Texas Tech- Adapting each year- Transfer culture
• 5:45 - Becoming a vocal leader, getting out of the comfort zone
• 7:25- Transition from college to professional basketball
• 9:05- Adjusting to France coming from Greece
• 11:15- Moving back to Greece for this 3rd year to play for Ifaistos Limnou and his time on the island
• 13:15 -Growth Mindset off the court and improving areas of his life with the time off the court
• 16:10- How he copes without his family overseas
• 18:00- Time in Besiktas
• 19:20- Playing for Coach Dusko Ivanovic
• 22:25- Advice to younger players
• 27:35- Preparing for life after his professional career
• 29:20- 3 Must have’s for a college head coach
• 37:45- Book recommendation

For this episode I had the great pleasure to talk with sharpshooter Trevor John and his unique story. A Cal Poly and Drexel University alum, Trevor grew up in a basketball family( His father was a collegiate coach). He also had some bad luck coming out of college as he faced an injury and broken promise( contract) from a European Pro team. Then he missed out on his first year as COVID came and leagues got cancelled. We talk about his story, mental toughness and how he got through a rookie year where he did not have a chance to play. How important his mental approach was to the game, to stay sharp, get better and stay ready for his first Professional contract. 

• 00:30- Talking about coming over and transition as a rookie during COVID times 
• 01:50- Expectations- coming over for the first time over from the US 
• 02:50- Coming from a basketball family- How has that helped and shaped him as a basketball player 
• 05:10- How does having a coach in the family, help a player understand coaches 
• 08:30- Transition from HS to College basketball 
• 13:40- Understanding your role and preparing for your role and also expand your game. 
• 19:30- Talking about Drexel and his grad transfer from Cal Poly. Why Drexel? What was the adjustment to being a main player on the team. 
• 26:45- About his rookie year deal that fell through, then approach after not signing the very first summer out of college. G League tryouts and challenges 
• 33:45- Expecations from this year for himself and the team Min 38- Few things he had time to do in Constanta

Aaaaand I'm back from the podcast hyatus with a treat for you guys. A great talk with Mike Morrison, currently playing for Yalovaspor in Turkey.  Here's the rundown.

▶️ 1:00 - The College experience and the adjustments needed from High School to College

▶️ 4:05 - Leaving George Mason University and signing with Antwerp Giants even before graduating. How does that transition look like? 

▶️ 8:30 - First off-season. What were the expectations from his first year overseas? 

▶️ 13:00 - Going into what his 4 years in Frankfurt were like, and about winning the FIBA Europe Cup. 

▶️ 18:00 - The move from Greece to Thailand. The why and the how. Basketball and lifestyle-wise. 

▶️ 22:30 - Thailand work ethic and the pros of one long practice per day. 

▶️ 27:30 - What Mike learned from COVID and so much time off. "Might be fat when I retire" :)

▶️ 34:50 - Moving into a bigger role and what it means to shift your mindset from being a role player to being a star. 

▶️ 41:15 - Self-talk, or as Mike puts it "Controlling the converstasion in your head".

Today's podcast has me talking with another person who I have great respect, Mr. Thanasis Molyvdas, Assistant Coach for Ifestos Limons 2019-2020 season and also Assistant Coach for the Greek National Team for the 2019 World Cup.  

Here's some of what we'll be discussing. 

▶️ Coaching the Greek National Team at the World Cup. The pressure, and integrating Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

▶️ The differences between Giannis' style of play in a FIBA game and his regular scene. 

▶️ The Greek League vs the Lithuanian, Lebanon Leagues or the Euroleague. 

▶️ Playing in Greece, experiences and coaching approach, scouting and tactics. 

▶️ Plans for the upcoming season.

This week I'm hosting my good friend Brandon Goble of Juco Advocate and Verbal Commits. 

▶️ We'll first find out about Juco Advocate and how it started. 

▶️ What is Verbal Commits? 

▶️ Talking projects in Africa and the first organized camp in Tanzania. 

▶️ Finding diamonds in the rough and helping kids get to college in the United States. 

▶️ European Academies vs High School basketball. Which one is better? 

▶️ Future plans for camps, including the possibility of partnering up for one in Romania.

With episode 19, I have a special treat for you guys. An interview with the legendary sports journalist and reporter, David Aldridge.  Currently a writer for The Athletic, David has enjoyed an impressive career, working at The Washington Post, as a beat writer covering Georgetown University basketball, the Washington Bullets, the Washington Redskins and covering elite level events such as the Superbowl, the U.S. Open tennis championship, the Indy 500, Stanley Cup playoffs, the World Series and even the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, ESPN and TNT where he was involved in several projects and long-running segments such as "Inside the NBA" and as a co-host for "The Beat" on NBA TV as well as being a sideline reporter for both the NBA and the MLB.  

As avid fans and alums American University, together, we go over a series of events that have left a mark on David's career, his progression as a professional, an inside look on how US sports are viewed by the rest of the world and interesting (and sometimes hilarious) insight on some of the best to ever play or coach the game as well as some of his personal feelings on who the best basketball player of all time is.

n episode 18, I play host to Jerai Grant, a Clemson University alum, currently playing professionally overseas.  Today, we're talking about:  ▶️ What playing in the Israeli League "bubble" is like. 

▶️ DeMatha Catholic vs St. John's High School battles. 

▶️ Why Clemson? 

▶️ What Jerai learned from his father (Harvey Grant) and uncle (Horace Grant) playing in the NBA. 

▶️ Favorite overseas experience. 

▶️ How long running careers get shaped in Europe by players being put into "boxes". 

▶️ How Jerai developed himself and his game, taking to heart some lessons that Horace had for him during summer workouts.

Drew Adams, assistant coach at Bradley University is my guest in this episode. Drew is widely known for his key role in rebuilding this Bradley program and a key recruiter for the Braves in his 5 years at the school. This includes back to back NCAA Appearances and an almost upset of Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. 

This week's topics - Turning a program around/rebuilding. Player Development/Recruiting/Offering a scholarship when two players are somewhat similar- who gets the edge and why/Mountain West vs Missouri Valley Conference

Elston Turner Jr. Texas A&M alum and current European Pro 

Elston is a terrific scorer that can play multiple positions on the floor. He has a high basketball IQ and is the son of an NBA Assistant coach( Elston Turner Sr is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Rockets)

Topics of discussion for this episode: 

• Transferring from Washington to Texas A&M - Why sometimes transferring is the right thing to do. 
• Playing in Italy vs playing in Greece and Germany( style of play)
• Approach to playing overseas
• TBT talk  
• NBA- why people think there is no defense being played? How hard is it to guard an NBA player. 

Episode 15 brings us a lot of information about the National Basketball League of Canada and the 2x time Champs- the Windsor Express. 

Below you can see a few of the talking points - 

Windsor Express

• Scouting
• Traveling
• Player accommodation
• Practice schedule and games

NBLC

• League format and schedule
• Salary Cap
• Player contracts

Dan Engelstad, Head Coach at Mt. St. Mary's NCAA D1 joins us today with a great talk about:  

▶️ The challenges of taking over a basketball program. 

▶️ Implementing your own system 

▶️ Growing pains 

▶️ International recruitment 

▶️ Training approach in the time of COVID-19

This episode's guest is TCU Hall of Famer and former WNBA player Adrianne Ross.  

So what's up?  

▶️ What it means to be in the TCU Hall of Fame. 

▶️ How does professional basketball help when transitioning to other jobs, post-career. 

▶️ Some of the best experiences for a 10 year professional player. 

▶️ The basketball training business. 

▶️ Women's basketball versus men's basketball.

Today, we have Matt Miller, Assistant Coach at Mount St. Mary's for a guest.  

We'll be discussing:  

▶️ The approach when a new staff takes over a program. 

▶️ The differences between NCAA D1, D2 and D3. The infrastructure and the style of play. 

▶️ Dealing with player off-seasons and approach when dealing with tough times.

▶️ What a private catholic high school experience is like, versus a prep school.

On my 11th episode, I have as guest, Cody Henson, Director and Head Coach at Elevation Prep in Indiana.  

Here are today's topics:  

▶️ What is Elevation Prep? 

▶️ Why is High School basketball so important in Indiana? 

▶️ What the schedule and player development look like at Elevation Prep 

▶️ Recruitment

▶️ The Indy Heat AAU Program - Nike EYBL / Peach Jam games 

▶️ What Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daquan Cook looked like on Indy Heat

Episode 10 brings us a discussion with Richard Westlund, Head Coach for Great Lakes Christian College, ranked #1 in the NCCAA D2 in the United States, prior to the current season being suspended.  What we're going to talk about:  

▶️ What is GLCC. 

▶️ What is the NCCAA. 

▶️ What's the GLCC style of play.

▶️ How recruiting is done for this particular level of basketball. 

▶️ What practice is like for teams that go after running a fast paced game.

This episode I had the pleasure of talking with Jamion Christian, Head Coach at George Washington University. 

Jamion and I talked about various things:

• What it means to be a Head Coach at such a prestigious University such as George Washington
• His approach when he takes over a new program
• His coaching philosophy
• The way he likes to play on offense and defense
• The transfer culture that we see now in college basketball

This episode, I'd like to welcome my very good friend Tony Easley as we debate some topics we deeply care about as professional athletes. 

We take a look into the physicality of college basketball for big men, move on to how playing in Romania helped Tony on choosing his next destination and we also discuss how important mental toughness and approach are for professional basketball. 

We then cap it up with a look into what lifting weights does for your body and the importance of taking care of your mind as much as your body as a pro athlete.

The seventh installment in the Deep3 series has Bryce Simon, Head Coach for Syracuse High School as a guest. Bryce is an American University alum and 2x Patriot League Champion. He was the Director of Basketball Operations at American University and currently High School Head Basketball Coach .  

Our discussion topics are:  

▶️Comparing Division 1 and Junior College conditions and competition level. 

▶️Mental toughness and overcoming injuries. 

▶️American University stories and insight. 

▶️The challenges of coaching girls vs boys.

Jimmy Rhoades, Head Coach and International Recruiting Director at Get Better Academy in Prague joins me for this episode of Deep3.  

We're going to talk about:  

▶️ What is Get Better Academy and how they compare to US / European basketball academies.

▶️ How GBA develop players knowing the preparation for most of them, is for college basketball. 

▶️ What the schooling process looks like. 

▶️ What the player / coach schedule looks like, on a weekly basis. 

▶️ Costs and how possible recruits can get in touch.

NBA Scout & former College Coach Lamar Barrett joins us today to talk about what it means to be a college coach and the workload means to get it done.  We also have a look into what the recruitment process in College versus the NBA, how the NBA has changed over the years, what the draft process will likely look like this year and what difficulties arise because of COVID-19.

Today, we meet up with Alex Olah, international Romanian basketball player currently playing for Club Baloncesto Breogan in Spain. Alex is a member of the Romanian National Basketball Team and is a Northwestern University alum and NBA Summer League participant.  

We're going to talk about:  

▶️Moving from Romania to the United States. 

▶️Life at Northwestern and preparation for the NBA Summer League 

▶️Being a professional basketball player in Europe.

In this episode, I'm joined by Hoopdrillz Co-owner and Head Trainer, Marius Williams. We first find out some details about Marius's background and then move on into player development scenarios, including the process of developing professional basketball players in the offseason.

This episode covers a lot of important information. We talked about transition for NCAA rookies to European basketball, about scouting prospects for Spanish side Betis Sevilla, what professional teams look when they sign a prospect( 17-18yrs old), about what it means to scout potential players for a pro club are some of the most important topics of this episode.