After spending time with the Memphis Grizzlies and their G League affiliate Hustle’s training camp this past fall, former Kent State star point guard and Solon product Sincere Carry will officially begin his professional basketball career with Greek club Iraklis BC after the New Year.
As a rookie, he’s going to be entrusted midseason to help turn around an organization that is looking to climb the ranks and return to its former glory under a new, Cleveland-led ownership group headed by Broadview Heights native Bobby Mansfield and Carry’s longtime family friend Dennis Barba.
“Knowing the Barba’s and the owners being from Cleveland, it just felt like the right place for me to go,” Carry said in an exclusive phone interview. “It’s in Greece. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’m hearing a lot of good things about it, so I just felt like it was the right opportunity for me to keep this thing going.”
Barba and Carry’s relationship goes back to when he was in grade school. For close to 20 years, Barba played a big part in Ohio youth basketball. Along with Mike Duncan, he ran Ohio Basketball Club, an elite AAU program throughout the state that Carry joined during his high school days.
Their bond goes even further beyond that though, which made this an easy decision for all parties involved.
“I know his family. My son Andy has known Sincere and his brother Mike since grade school, and Andy and Mike were teammates and roommates at Duquesne. It just sort of all fell into place,” Barba said in a conversation over the phone. “We were looking to make a move. Bobby knew who Sin was. I’ve always been a big Sin fan ever since I saw him play in the fourth or fifth grade. I’ve followed his career and worked with him when he played for OBC.
“The kid is a winner. He loves the game of basketball. He competes. He’s an elite point guard. He was one of the best guards in the Atlantic-10 and then he went to the MAC and was Player of the Year and one of, if not the best guard in the Mid-American Conference.”
Duncan has been training Carry since those late elementary school days.
“Sincere is good at reading the defense well and he’s setting the offense up pretty well,” Duncan said in a separate phone interview. “Whatever the coaches want to run, that’s what he’ll run. His thing’s just winning. He competes. When I say compete, he competes. I don’t think he takes losing well.”
Sincere Carry celebrates with his Kent State teammates. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Mansfield and Barba are fully behind Carry to lead Iraklis back to prominence. Currently, the team is in the middle of the pack at 8-7 in the Greek A2 Basketball League, but only two games behind first place. Similar to soccer, Iraklis must finish in the top two to be elevated next season to the Greek A1 Basketball League, the highest level of competition.
“He’s a winner, man. He doesn’t cause problems. He don’t do any of that,” Duncan said. “You’ve got some people that wherever they go, they’re a problem. He doesn’t cause problems.
“They’re gonna like him over there. He’s gonna bring a winning attitude, ‘Come on, pick it up, let’s go.’ He’s gonna do all of that. He’s just gotta make that adjustment. Once he makes the adjustment, they’re gonna love him. Going over there is definitely different than playing over here. Going over there, you’ve got to get the trust of the new players, all of that.”
Carry is grateful to have earned that reputation and level of belief to lead as a rookie.
“It really shows my character, just how consistent I can be my whole life,” Carry said of Barba’s confidence in him. “He’s been watching me play since I moved to Ohio [from Pennsylvania]l, so just seeing my growth and still wanting to bet on me and take chances on me, It just says a lot. I’m just gonna try my hardest to win games and make everyone proud. I know how big they want to get to the Tier 1 League, so I’m just trying to make that happen for this team.”
On the court, Mansfield values the intelligence Carry has, believing that it will translate to the overseas game.
“European basketball, you see, [differs from] the NBA. It’s a very technical game,” Mansfield said over an additional phone call. “So we feel like even as a rookie, he has the ability because of his technical knowledge and the way he sees the game and the way he plays to adjust very quickly. So that was a big benefit.”
“To be honest, it’s gonna take about maybe two or three games. He’s got to figure it out,” Duncan added. “They play different than we play. They push the ball. We think we push the ball over here (laughs). No, they push it. I don’t think he’s gonna have any problems because he’s gonna adjust good. He’s alright because he knows how to get his shot off, so he’ll be okay on that end. And he put on about 20 pounds, so he’s got some good muscle. He’ll be physically ready.”
Carry’s college basketball accolades speak for themselves. He was a member of the A-10 All-Freshman Team at Duquesne, finishing at the top of the conference in assists per game (5.8) and in the top 15 in the NCAA in steals per game (2.4).
“He makes the other players better on his team,” Duncan said. “With Sincere, it’s not really about points. It ain’t because of points. Sincere just made everybody better with the right pass, the right open shot. In basketball, that’s what they look for. They look for people that win. The game is winning. It’s not about points. A lot of people got the wrong idea.”
“We can talk about D all day, but he has the skill level where he can pick somebody up full court and you’re not gonna beat him because he knows how to use his body pretty well to keep you in front of him. He’s aggressive on defense.”
Carry was also named to the All-MAC Team, All-MAC-Defense Team, and All-MAC Tournament Team in his last two years at Kent State. In 2021-22, Carry led the MAC in total assists (161) and the next season was second in the same category (167).
Among all of that, Carry averaged 17.7 points on 48.7 percent from the field overall with the Golden Flashes, playing nearly 37 minutes per game.
“In college, I was more of a true point guard. But I feel like now that I’m a professional, I’ll show the way I can score the ball more,” Carry said. “Just my energy. I play defense at a higher level, so guys always want to play with a guy who takes defense serious and takes pride in that. I know I have a high IQ. I know when to pass, when to shoot and I can just take control of the game. I’m a winner at the end of the day. I can impact the game at any level.”
“What I give him credit for, is he averages five rebounds. Think about it. For a guard, that’s a lot of rebounds,” Duncan added. “He’s about 6-foot-2, but he’s mixing it up. He’s not scared, no matter who’s inside. He ain’t scared of the contact, getting pushed, all of that. His thing is he’s a great rebounder for a guard. That’s gonna be good for the game because once he grabs the rebound, he’s gone already on the break. He never would sit there and wait for an outlet.”
With Iraklis in striking distance and the second half of the season set to begin on Jan. 13, Mansfield explained that the holiday break was the perfect time to make this move.
“Sincere is the last piece of the puzzle,” Mansfield said. “We added three new Greek players, and we also added another foreigner, and Sincere is the last piece.”
“When Bobby and I talked, you get kids that win like this and we think he’s really gonna come in and compete and play hard and try to help us win,” Barba added. “He’s performed at every level, and there’s no reason to think that he’s not gonna continue to just work hard and produce at this level.”
Kent State’s Sincere Carry reacts after making a shot vs. Ohio University. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Carry admits that things haven’t gone his way since training camp with the Hustle, and he has “come too far” to stop chasing his dream of getting to the NBA. He’s appreciative of his guardian Kevin Bekelja and his family being with him every step of the way of his journey.
“Nobody in my family has played in the G League or NBA or overseas, so we’re just learning as we go,” Carry said. “You have to trust people, new agents, new coaches and stuff. I feel like just having him on my wing, it just makes it easier.
“My family is a big supporter of me. My mom [Melissa] she comes to all my games, Kevin’s wife. My little brother [Mike] has followed me to every college, my sisters [Jordan and Dee]. It’s just a family effort. It’s much bigger than me.”
(The Bekelja family is full of basketball talent. Like Carry, Mike Bekelja transferred to Kent State after two years at Duquesne and is currently on the team. Dee finished a career at DePaul in 2022, while Jordan played at Clarion University from 2015-19. Kevin was a member of Elizabethtown College’s roster in the early 1990s.)
“The league is definitely different and tougher. Probably three years from now, he’ll get a shot at the league,” Duncan said of Carry’s NBA aspirations, adding that his time spent with Memphis at training camp will serve him well.
“That gives him an idea of what he needs to do and what he needs to say. But he’s got to develop. He’s got to develop over there. It ain’t as easy as people think. He loves the game. Every day, he works out. He’s in the gym every day, which is good for him.”
The beginning of Carry’s professional road will start in Thessaloniki, Greece — a great chance to kick off his career with people he knows in his corner and a passionate Iraklis fan base.
“I got a chance to watch their last game, a rerun of it where it went into double overtime, and the fans were going crazy,” Carry said. “It’s definitely an environment that I’ll love to play in and be around, that type of love for sure.
“I just want to win. That’s all there is. Just go over there and win.”
Sincere Carry drives inside for Kent State vs. Buffalo. (Photo courtesy of KentStateSports.com)
Having been neglected by previous ownership over the last few years, Iraklis BC is undergoing a transformation. Just weeks after its 115th anniversary, Mansfield and Barba are determined to elevate the historical, decorated franchise back to the top where it belongs.
“They fell on some more difficult times where they went from First League to Second League two years ago. We’ve taken over the team to set it right and to bring them back to their glory days,” Mansfield said. “I asked Dennis to be a part of this. Luckily for me, he said yes and he’s been a really impactful person in this. We have several other Clevelanders in the ownership group as well.”
Greater Cleveland area folks such as Aaron Fazulak (founder of All Cleveland Coffee and CEO of Performance Lighting), Drew Parker (director of strategy at Trajektory), Joseph Delio (senior vice president of IWA Technical Services Inc.) and Christian Kovacevic (recruiter for Robert Half) all have a stake in this.
“Greek basketball, it’s debatable whether soccer or basketball is the No. 1 sport, which is impressive in itself when you consider Europe and Greece. This is one of the most historic clubs. It’s a club with a rabid fan base. In the Second League, we’re still selling out the gym. The support’s been amazing. It’s almost like the [Cleveland] Browns. You can’t buy support and fans. The fans and the brand is what made Iraklis attractive for us.”
Barba can’t hide his excitement for this new venture.
“I coached for 20 years, so it’s my intent now to not coach and to scout and help put together how we’re gonna scout in the United States, help with the branding,” Barba said. “I’m excited to be involved in this. It’s a new basketball project to fuel my passion for basketball, and I hope to be able to help other people realize their dreams.”
Asked where and how things are going to change, Mansfield laid out his vision for Iraklis, a brand he is trying to make a household name in the second-biggest city in Greece.
Step-by-step, since officially taking over the team in November, he’s already begun the process. There is an emphasis on apparel and bringing in fresh sponsorships behind a new and improved marketing department. It’ll also be easier for fans to attend games by going through Ticketmaster.
“This is a total revamp,” Mansfield said. “We’re lucky that we can be Picasso and we have the blank sheet of paper to paint. So we’re starting from scratch, and we’re starting from scratch literally midseason.”
There will always be conversations about talent acquisition too. If they add a foreigner from outside the nation, midwest players like Carry will always be considered because of the style they play and the knowledge they can trust them. As far as the local talent is concerned, their biggest focus, the pool is deep.
With a population of 1.3 million people, the club’s arena and facilities are centrally located in the heart of Thessaloniki, with younger fans and aspiring pros always nearby. Mansfield and Barba both mentioned that one of the more attractive parts of the opportunity is working with the Iraklis Basketball Academy.
“We have an academy that is assigned for the amateur club, which is slowly being merged into the professional basketball team,” Mansfield explained. “So we will have all categories from Under-10 to Under-18 all part of Iraklis. We plan to develop. We plan to have camps with people from the United States coming over and so forth where we can really make this a place where we are also developing talent.”
Mansfield said they hope to follow the Serbian model that helped players like Nikola Jokic, Boban Marjanovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic mature and ultimately make it to the NBA. (Many other overseas franchises have these focuses on junior teams regarding their affiliations and player development with pro clubs, such as Real Madrid fostering the growth of Luka Doncic.)
“We feel we have a great talent pool in the area if we can bring knowledge and expertise and continued professionalism, which all starts from the professional basketball side,” Mansfield said. “This is gonna merge down to the youth categories, which is super exciting and is a long-term ambition for us.”
Mansfield, Barba and their partners in the ownership group plan on being hands-on with this operation. They didn’t get into this for nothing. They truly feel this is an investment with incredible potential in multiple ways.
“As soon as the fans found out about what was happening, they’ve gotten very excited. They send me videos of these games,” Barba said. “The support’s been unbelievable. So we’re very excited and we’re looking at everything, really trying to get this as efficient as we can and install the culture that Bobby knows he can put in.
“This is really good basketball. When you watch this basketball, it’s fun basketball. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this. I went and I started watching games. These are good players, they play good basketball, they compete and I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun. Bobby will be able to really help us turn this thing around and get it moving in the right direction, or I wouldn’t have gotten involved in it.”
Mansfield and Barba are fans themselves. They just happen to be two basketball junkies from Northeast Ohio looking to restore a once-great franchise on the other side of the world back to prominence.
When Todd McGuinness left a decorated, successful career at Hartwick College to accept a new head coaching job at Case Western Reserve University in July 2016, he came into a position that had been accustomed to mediocrity.
Decades of data indicated the university would never be able to shake its reputation of failure. But since returning to a familiar place and taking the reins of the Spartans’ program, McGuinness and his teams have dramatically flipped the script.
Off to a 4-0 start this season as the No. 13 men’s basketball team in Division III, Case Western has ripped off 24 straight regular-season wins against non-conference opponents. Akron Massillon Jackson alum and Baldwin-Wallace graduate transfer guard Anthony Mazzeo is averaging 18.5 points per game, putting together a 25-point clutch performance at Denison University in a big overtime road win 80-78. And in the previous contest, he dropped 29.
The Spartans continue to build off the momentum of last year’s school-record-setting 22-4 campaign, back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and three straight winning seasons for the first time since leaving the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in 1983-84.
On Nov. 11 at Horsburgh Gymnasium for the second consecutive year, Case Western defeated Eastern University 82-72 to win the Bill Sudeck Tournament Championship. It was a milestone night for McGuinness, who recorded his 200th overall win as a head coach.
“I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of really good players. That’s number one. We all know that,” McGuinness said in an exclusive interview over the phone. “In basketball, you’re not gonna win by outcoaching people. You’re gonna win by having good players that are put in position to win games. Good players, good assistants that helped get those players.
“I’ve been doing it for a while now, but it got here quicker than I thought it would. At times, you think you’re never gonna get to that number and then someone’s like, ‘Oh, 300 will be quick.’ I don’t know because that seems like a long way away. But having good players and good assistants and being in good sports helps too. But it’s been great.”
McGuinness added that it’s been a whirlwind and he hasn’t had time to reflect on his accomplishment. When the Spartans won their next game at La Roche University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he celebrated with his parents and friends, yet stayed focused on what’s ahead. He even joked following that 78-58 win: “Now we’re only 99 to 300.”
“I’ll forget about that number real quick. Let’s be honest, when you get that many wins, it’s longevity too,” McGuinness said. “Being able to stay in the business and being able to coach for 14 years as a head coach, sometimes that doesn’t happen in places.”
Despite an unbeaten start, McGuinness admits that this version of the Spartans is unique compared to past iterations. He’s still figuring out who to play, who to put on the floor together and how to allocate the proper amount of minutes to his guys. Last year, they had essentially a seven-man rotation. This season, McGuinness speaks highly of Case Western’s depth, proposing the team can play anywhere from nine to 12 players on any given night. A lot of “new” to get used to.
“The best comparison’s probably being like a G League coach where you get all these guys thrown at you and you don’t have that much time to formulate and get ’em on the floor. That’s what I feel like right now,” McGuinness said. “We’ve got all these new guys thrown at us and we’re trying to assimilate and get everyone together. There’s not much time, and all of a sudden, you’re playing games.
“I think it’s a work in progress, which I like as a coach. It’s like every day is a new challenge and refreshes you a little bit. Every practice, we’re trying to figure out exactly what we want to do and figure out who needs to go in and trying to figure out exactly what works for this team. It’s different than what worked last year and it’s different from what worked the year before.”
Foundations of Success: The Influential Figures and Milestones in Todd McGuinness’s Coaching Career
Case Western Reserve head coach Todd McGuinness on the sidelines. (Photo Credit: OHHoops.org)
In addition to the countless number of players who have steered him toward success, McGuinness appreciates his parents for supporting his passion for coaching. He also maintains a great relationship with upstate New York basketball coaching great Nicholas Lambros, who he credits for being a critical influence on his career and continues to stay in touch with today.
“He’s 85 now and he has the energy of a 30-year-old. He’s nuts,” said McGuinness, who met Lambros while coaching at Hartwick from the late 2000s until the mid-2010s. “He’s coached forever. He would sit on my bench. He would sit next to me every game when I first got in as head coach. I don’t think I’m where I’m at now, I’m not here without him helping me coach, figure out what to do. Stuff we still run is stuff that he ran.”
(A note on how small the basketball world truly is: Lambros originally was an assistant for Roy Chipman at Hartwick before taking over as head coach from 1977-1998. Chipman’s coaching tree includes Lambros, as well as John Calipari, Seth Greenberg and Bruiser Flint when Roy was at Pittsburgh in the 1980s.)
After McGuinness finished his playing career at West Virginia’s Bethany College in 2002, McGuinness helped assist at Hartwick in the 2003-04 season. He went on to hold similar associate positions at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York and at Case Western from 2006-09, where he was the head coach for the first time with the Spartans’ junior varsity team.
Hartwick is where McGuinness earned his reputation as a program changer. Used to consistent success and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Hawks took a downturn when Lambros stepped away as head coach in the late 1990s. Even when McGuinness was there for a brief moment early as an assistant, it was among the poorest seasons in the university’s history.
So when he went back to Hartwick as a first-time varsity head coach in 2009, with only one winning season at that point since 1995, McGuinness had to restore a once-elite program to its expected standard. He was 28 years old and felt the pressure. Through it all, however, he was able to get the job done over time.
“We were able to recruit. We got the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in our school history the next year [Jared Suderley]. We were able to get a transfer too that helped us. We just started rolling and then we were the team to beat. It was a small college. I had a great time there. It was a great experience, made a lot of great friends.”
Following an impressive run where he won Empire 8 Coach of The Year (2011-12) and the third-most games in the school’s history (114-72) while guiding the Hawks to three Empire 8 conference championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, McGuinness sought after returning to Cleveland in 2016.
Balancing Academics and Athletics: Coach McGuinness’s Journey with Case Western Basketball
An avid boater, McGuinness was drawn to living in a city with a big body of water. He also already knew of Case Western’s respected academic reputation, meaning student athletes would be focused on their grades and the sport they played above all else.
“Our guys are here for school. They come in here because they’re going to a top-30 private research university in the country, but also they’re here because they love basketball. School’s 1A and basketball’s 1B,” McGuinness said.
“Our guys are in the gym all the time. They’re putting in just as much work as the guys at Cleveland State and maybe some of the guys with the Cavs. Their summers, they’re working to get better. Instead of having all day to do stuff, they might be in a computer science class or an engineering class, then they get in the gym right after that ends.”
Once again, though, McGuinness had work to do with a hoops team that had historically struggled.
Even with signs of early progress — particularly a win over sixth-ranked Rochester in his first season and then a five-game University Athletic Association winning streak in his second — it wasn’t until a lost season that the Spartans really took off.
McGuinness will never forget that moment. He was sitting in the middle of Lake Erie during the coronavirus pandemic when he learned of the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule. Immediately, he picked up the phone to call a coach at another four-year school to ask if his son would play for the Spartans, who had a grad program and an extra season of eligibility to offer. Once McGuinness found that option as a recruiting pitch, it opened the floodgates of possibility.
“I think it was just a niche that we never had here as a program,” McGuinness said. “We get here [in 2020-21] and it started turning. You could see it. We got some new life in here. We got some guys that, one game as grad guys, and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna be pretty good.’ And we went to the Sweet Sixteen that year and then last year we won the UAA for the first time in our school history.
“The crazy thing is we went from never being able over .500 in our conference; 6-8 was the best record in our school history. And then, the year after COVID, we went 9-5 in the conference. And then last year, we went 11-3 and won the UAA. I looked down there and there’s two banners on the wall. When I got here, I thought I was never seeing another NCAA Tournament again, and now, it’s expected. I’d tell people, ‘Woah, woah, let’s remember the past’ (laughs). But it’s been great. I think it just shows you that good players go a long way. That’s the main thing. We were able to get some good players and then formulate ’em.”
The more he’s coached, the calmer McGuinness has become too. Once self-described as “a maniac” who “probably put miles on” roaming the sidelines, you’ll now find him sitting often and offering encouragement more than scolding his players as he might have before. McGuinness shares that his practices are even a little lighter than they used to be because the games carry more weight. It’s just adapting to the times and understanding that players want to win just as much as he does. That’s why they’re there.
“We kinda know when to push ’em and when not to,” McGuinness said. “These kids are trying their hardest and I don’t need to be all over ’em all the time. I think that’s really helped our guys play better too. I still get mad at guys, but I’m pretty calm. Whatever you see in practice you pretty much see in games. I still get after the refs. They drive me nuts, but that’s everyone.”
Transitioning from player to assistant to head coach, McGuinness feels his perspective from all angles has helped him connect on a deeper level. Maintaining relationships is the most important thing to do in each position, no matter how the responsibilities change. Tougher conversations have to be had as a head coach, as well as more of the management side.
There’s also one major lifestyle change that’s part of the job that nobody talks about.
“When games start, my sleep goes to hell,” McGuinness said with a chuckle. “Your sleep pattern changes once the season starts. Especially after wins, you’re so juiced up. It’s hard to sleep. And then the next day you’re up and ready to go and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I need to go back to bed.’
“The main thing I try to tell guys when they want to get into looking at being a head coach, I’m like, ‘Make sure you figure out your sleep pattern ’cause it’s gonna change.’ You’re gonna have a lot of energy after some wins that you never knew. The win as a head coach feels like when you’re a player. When you’re an assistant you’re still excited, but once it’s your own program, it goes back to the joy you felt as a player when you win games. That’s a pretty special feeling.”
Coach McGuinness’s Vision: Building a Division III Basketball Powerhouse at Case Western
Todd McGuinness cutting down the nets. (Photo Credit: OHHoops.org)
Asked about his goals, McGuinness is somebody who lives in the present and doesn’t look ahead. He enjoys coaching the Spartans and loves being involved in Division III basketball, noting how talented the players are and how competitive the games can be.
“We have a unique conference. It’s the Ivy League of schools and ACC of basketball. We had five out of eight teams in the NCAA Tournament last year. I think right now our conference [UAA] in the first week, it’s 20-2 or one loss or something like that as a conference. So it’s insane,” McGuinness said. “Especially in Ohio, you think about the OHC and the NCAC. John Carroll right up the road and Mount Union real close. There are some really good players that either were Division I players or had opportunities to play Division I.
“We have probably two or three guys on our team that have had multiple Division II offers that just were like, ‘I’m gonna go to a great academic school over taking a scholarship.’ I tell people all the time if you come to our games and our conference games, you’re gonna see something, a dunk or two that you’re gonna be like, ‘What just happened there? What am I watching?’ I think when people actually come to games at Division III, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’d rather go watch this game than watch a Division I game.’ It’s 90-88 and it’s up and down. Everyone’s talented, everyone’s shooting.”
While he doesn’t downplay the differences in size and athleticism, he points out the amount of skill level being at “an all-time high.”
“You think about Duncan [Robinson]. Duncan started out playing Division III. There’s other guys. Even [Max] Strus, he played Division II to start. He was at Lewis. He was at Division II then came up,” McGuinness said.
“I don’t worry about our guys trying to play overseas. Our guys are going to become doctors. One of our best players last year, he had a year to come back, but he got a job at Rolls Royce working in propulsion. So that’s gonna trump coming back for a grad year, I get that.”
McGuinness wants to build a consistent national powerhouse at Case Western. He is a Pittsburgh guy who enjoys living in Cleveland. When he’s not busy recruiting, he gets to enjoy his summers and take in life. Being a head coach of a basketball team, it’s a pretty good gig.
“If you look at the coaches in our conference, there’s only eight of ’em. No one leaves. Everyone usually keeps these jobs forever ’cause you get to live in a major city and coach high-academic kids and pretty good players,” McGuinness said.
The 4-0 Spartans will have a nine-day break before hosting Capital University to continue non-conference play.
For most small guards of this generation and the next, Stephen Curry is the blueprint.
Many young hoopers in that position commonly strive to be top-tier shooters, elite scorers and off-ball weapons.
But 6-foot-2, 185-pound Craig Porter Jr. didn’t go for what everybody else went for.
“I had a weird favorite player combo. It was (Rajon) Rondo and Dwight Howard when I was young,” Porter told The Hoop Herald on Wednesday. “I don’t know why those two. Rondo was more like how I modeled my game now. Just being able to play all around. And then, when I was little, I just liked dunking on small hoops and blocking shots like I was Dwight Howard. Really, that’s my favorite two and I just tried to be like them.”
In his first taste of professional basketball action with the Cleveland Cavaliers as an undrafted two-way contract rookie, Porter has piqued the interest of many at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with his balance, doing a little bit of everything. What truly pops, though, is the way he rebounds the ball and plays bigger than he is. It’s a counter of sorts to what the New York Knicks guards had in store for them in the playoffs, which Porter says drew Cleveland to him.
“The height I do it at kinda separates you from the people. It’s just like one of those things where you put in the effort and the work to make that something that you do,” said Porter, who’s pulled down at least six boards in all four of Cleveland’s games. “And especially my size and everything, you don’t see a lot of guards who are contesting shots like that or really just doing the things that I do. So I mean it just gives me that advantage and it shows the versatility.
“I can be that primary defender. Whether it be that Patrick Beverley type who can just even if I’m not stopping a player completely, I can just get in their head and disrupt ’em and change the whole pace of a game. And then, really just overall my energy and how I can rebound. Just a bunch of little things. Even shooting the ball, I feel like I’m pretty underrated shooting the ball. Even if you look at some of the numbers, you can see that it’s something I’m comfortable doing, but it wasn’t something that I was necessarily pushing to do. So it was something that I wouldn’t say lacked, but did less this year because of the role I had. But it’s definitely something I’m capable of for sure.”
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. and Isaiah Mobley spoke courtside after the Cavs improved to 4-0 in Summer League play in Las Vegas. (Photo via Cavs.com)
Recently promoted to Director of Scouting from his old position as Cleveland Charge general manager, Cavs front office member Brendon Yu was a big part of bringing Porter into the fold. The organization fell in love with him as a person when they sat down with him at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament before the NBA Draft. Cleveland was a fan of how he’d handled adversity and overcome it. When Porter came to town for a workout, his feel for the game and pace truly stood out.
“We had seen him at Wichita [State] before with some of the other guards they had like Tyson Etienne. We always liked Craig’s feel and sneaky athleticism,” Yu told The Hoop Herald. “We saw him this year live at Houston where he had a really good game and almost upset that Houston team [that was ranked second in the nation].”
“I don’t know if he’s great at anything but I don’t know if there’s anything he’s not pretty good at. That’s what I like about him,” Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson said after the Feb. 20 game.
While Porter’s swan-song season with the Shockers was his true coming-out party, his favorite moment at Wichita State was his first year with the team. Many preseason rankings had the Shockers in dead last after the firing of head coach Gregg Marshall. Sticking it to those doubters, they won the American Athletic Conference before the pandemic hit and halted everything.
In addition to that memory, Porter insists that the competition in the AAC sharpened his game.
“I feel like that’s one of the best guard leagues in the country,” Porter said. “If you look across the board at every team — you’ve got the Marcus Sassers, the Kendrick Davis’, the Jalen Cooks’ and all them. So I mean, it definitely gave me a little bit of an insight of what playing against pro-level guards would be like on a nightly basis. It definitely prepared me for this moment.”
Until he broke out with the Shockers this past season, Porter told The Hoop Herald he didn’t even think about the NBA as a possibility this quickly. He was certain he’d have to go overseas to draw interest and get paid, and was ready to go that route to provide for his family. But during his team workouts, Porter felt he “blew ‘em away” with what he brought to the table.
Coming off three seasons at Wichita State and two junior college years at Vincennes in his home state of Indiana, the Terra Haute native didn’t know a single soul in the NBA going into his first practice in Cleveland post-draft. To make matters a little more challenging, many on the team were somewhat timid in trying to figure each other out with a lot of new faces.
“It just shows me the side of the business that this basketball life is actually about to be,” Porter said. “Your summer league coach went from coaching you one day, telling you how it’s gonna be, then he takes another job. That’s just the business side of it. You want guys and coaches to make the best of all their opportunities, but it just opened that side of things for me early on. Like I just see now like, okay it’s a business before anything.”
While his departure came as a shock, the Cavs moved on quickly with Mike Gerrity at the helm again. With a 4-0 record and a 13.5-point average winning differential, they’ve easily been one of the best teams in the whole competition — if not the best. For a squad that’s had less than two weeks to get to know each other, it looks like these guys have been playing together for two years.
“After really the first day, I feel like we all started communicating and talking amongst each other a lot. Even outside of practice and stuff. So it was just really a work of art just to see all of us come together so quick like we did,” said Porter, who’s had a commanding presence as a floor general in addition to his big-man-like qualities.
“I’m just getting more comfortable game after game. I mean, we’ve got a pretty good team that just plays winning basketball. Nobody’s forcing anything, so it makes it a lot easier. But a lot of these guys, they trust me, they listen to me. So really we just all bought into the same idea of wanting to win, and understanding that as we win, we all kind of win together and we earn things.”
— Wichita State Men’s Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) March 3, 2023
Asked about who he’s become close with, Sharife Cooper and fellow two-way rookie Emoni Bates were the first names that he mentioned. Porter can relate to Cooper’s similar undersized stature and “heart,” and he’s picked his brain regarding the different paces and styles. With Bates and second-year forward Isaiah Mobley, it’s about complementing each other’s games.
“We’ve all been playing basketball our whole lives. We know what it’s like to play with other players of the caliber we got,” Porter said. “Playing together and playing the way we’ve been talking about off the court and on the court, it’ll just make all of us even better. I mean, you kinda gotta sacrifice a little bit for the bigger picture, and I feel like we’ve all bought into that already. And that’s a good sign.”
“Really everybody who I play with on the team, we just play that brand of basketball where we’re making that extra pass, we’re doing the little things to help our teammate. Whether it be helping ’em on defense, talking or making that extra pass or doing whatever just for each other. So I mean the bond with each other, with really everyone’s been off the charts so far. And it’s only been like a week and a half.”
In the Cavs’ fourth-quarter comeback win over the Chicago Bulls, Porter made his first start for Cleveland. Sam Merrill was held out of the contest and Cooper logged just 14 minutes, allowing the burly rookie more of a chance to break out his bag. Porter delivered with an absolute gem of a game, notching 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and one of his signature swats.
In addition to soaring, crashing, making the right next pass, chasing down loose balls and catching opponents sleeping on both ends, Porter exhibited sheer toughness. He went through bodies and contact, which included converting a contested left-handed layup for a clutch and-one to swing the momentum pendulum completely back to the Cavs.
“Craig’s an excellent finisher at the basketball, so when he cuts I’m always looking for him,” Mobley told The Hoop Herald. “And he finishes well, so it’s easy playing with him and those guys and I enjoy it as well.”
Unlike some young players who understandably want to get their game off in front of the entire basketball world, Porter is set on showing he can play any role the team needs him to. He sees that Merrill can fill it up from a distance in a hurry. Bates can score in bunches. Mobley can handle his own on the block and in dribble handoffs.
Although Thursday made it clear that he can, Porter doesn’t necessarily need to fill the stat sheet to prove he plays a winning brand of basketball.
“Just having a feel. I feel like Craig has a great feel,” Mobley said, echoing what many inside of the franchise have felt.
“Whether it be I have to score, I have to facilitate or even if I have to just defend the best player or do whatever [I’ll do it],” Porter said. “Because we’ve got a lot of talent on our summer league team. Really just showing that I don’t have to be that key player, but I can impact the game really in every other way. So that’s probably my biggest thing.”
All of this is happening fast for Porter, who admitted that it’s been like a whirlwind for the past month — and obviously, it’s been in a good way.
“It’s way different than college. Even this last year, I had no classes and I had a lot of free time, but I feel like even now I’m getting way more free time than I even did when I was in school with no classes,” Porter said.
Despite his rookie status and being akin to the new kid in school that knows nobody at this stage, he is undoubtedly mature beyond his years.
“It comes from my first year of college,” Porter explained. “I was a complete role player the whole year. Then my second year, I got to run the show at my JUCO. So kind of a tremendous switch around. And then I get to Wichita State and my first two years there, I kinda just had to play that conservative point guard role and just run the team and make us better. So really playing in roles it’s been a part of my whole career. It’s nothing new. It’s just now you’re getting paid more to play that role, so it’s more important now that you’re prepared for whatever it is.”
Porter understands he’ll have to take a similar path in the pros. He fully expects to spend the majority of his debut campaign in the G League with the Charge, working toward his goal of consistent playing time.
“Sometimes, it don’t always happen right away. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta wait your turn. That’s kinda a lost gem today,” Porter shared. “Whether it be they need me for 10 minutes, five minutes, whatever it may be. I feel like a bunch of my coaches got a good understanding of how I play anyways, and they like how I play. It’s one of the reasons why they sought after me so hard. Really I mean, it’s honestly almost a match made in heaven just the way I play and what they kinda needed and were looking for.”
— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) July 13, 2023
The Cavs are banking on Porter learning from his veteran teammates and improving while in the G League. Specifically, they’re pleased with how comfortable he’s been leading and being vocal. Keeping him on that track is their goal, along with getting him used to the NBA’s three-point line and figuring out when to take his shots.
Having patience in this day and age can be difficult, but Porter has carried it with him all of his life. He’s the youngest of five brothers in a household that didn’t have much money. Getting out of that situation was always the driving factor behind earning his place.
“We grew up pretty poor. It kinda builds you,” Porter said. “You appreciate things a little more, even if it’s just dealing with the things like going the JUCO route. You just appreciate the little things and you realize, if you do push through, things really get better. Just realizing you don’t want to go back to where you was. Just wanting better.”
The 23-year-old Porter credits his siblings and mother, Rachel Higginbotham, for looking out for him, which has influenced his old-soul mindset. He’s not somebody that does much outside of hoops, though he will play some video games and often hangs out with his girlfriend.
Even the allure of Las Vegas hasn’t strayed him from his usual routine.
For Craig Porter Jr., like many at summer league, it’s a business trip — all productivity.
“[People say] if you ain’t spending all your money, you ain’t getting the full experience. And I don’t think I need the full experience right now,” Porter laughed. “[Maturity] will keep you in the game longer. I just had to grow up a lot earlier than a lot of people at a young age.”
Before the NBA rebranded it as the D-League and eventually the G League, the National Basketball Development League had eight franchises in the southeastern region of the United States in the early 2000s. Of those originals, the Huntsville Flight served as North Alabama’s nearest source of professional hoops for local fans and aspiring future players to watch.
Sitting on those sidelines was an elementary-aged Levi Randolph, whose first steps on a pro hardwood floor came as a ball boy for the team. The nearby native of Madison established relationships with Bama standout Rod Grizzard and Michigan State champion Mateen Cleaves quickly, on and off the floor.
“Those are some of the guys that taught me and I was around and gave me hope, so I kinda wanted to be the same as I got older,” Randolph told The Hoop Herald in a phone interview. “They had a camp in the summertime and I remember the guys that I looked up to and went to their games. They would be hands-on and teach us, play games and everything for their camp, so I knew one day eventually I wanted to start that.”
Two decades later, as an eight-year pro, he paid it forward just like those before him, as a successful third-annual Levi Randolph Basketball Camp is now in the books. Unlike the previous iterations that were too long and included outdoor post-camp activities that underwhelmed due to fatigue and hot conditions, Randolph cut it down to a single day to involve families and residents.
With over 80 participants between ages 8-17, the camp lasted from late morning to early afternoon. There were games and competitions, moments of wisdom and more last weekend at Bob Jones High School, where Randolph attended and played.
Later that night, despite the gym feeling “like a sauna” due to a broken air conditioner, the kids were permitted free entry to a charity celebrity game.
“Let me see if I can bring guys even I played with that the city may want to see or have heard about,” Randolph explained of his idea. “Or people that can’t go to the University of Alabama to see a game or can’t go to Auburn or make the trip to Memphis to see the Grizzlies or Atlanta to see the Hawks, you know what I mean? Let me see if I can bring in pros to give the city something where it’s a fun event for the summer. Like, we’ll look forward to this every summer.
“We never really had like a charity game or anything like that celebrity game, but I’ve seen other cities that have done it, so I was like, ‘I think that would be cool for Huntsville,’ especially because it’s growing so much.”
Kira Lewis (New Orleans Pelicans), Kobi Simmons (Charlotte Hornets), Malcolm Miller (2018-19 NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors), Reggie Ragland (Atlanta Falcons linebacker), Alex Poythress (former three-year NBA forward), Josh Magette (formerly with the Atlanta Hawks), Jeremiah Martin (ex-NBA guard for the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers) popped in.
Additionally, John Petty (Alabama), JaCorey Williams (Middle Tennessee), Malik Newman (Kansas), Adonis Thomas (Memphis), Au’Diese Tony (Arkansas), Justin Pride (Cal State Bakersfield), Jordan Swing (UAB), Giddy Potts (Middle Tennessee), Jay-R Strowbridge (Oregon), Jeff Garrett (LSU Shreveport), Justin Hopkins (Texas Southern), Nick King (Middle Tennessee), Orlando Coleman (Texas Southern) and Perrin Bufford (Middle Tennessee) all got involved.
“A great group, a great list of guys. I’m thankful for them coming out and supporting. From all over, it was good,” Randolph said. “I’m very appreciative ’cause I know they didn’t have to come in, but my city’s appreciative also because they don’t get to see this amount of pros on the court at one time, you know what I mean?”
Randolph is thankful that everybody stuck out the sizzling temperatures. He also tips his cap to Tyler Neal and Alan Deep for helping him put his vision into action when he first brainstormed it a few years ago.
Randolph’s love of home extends beyond his town. After a decorated four years at Bob Jones High, most notably an AHSAA 6A Championship win and state tournament MVP honors as a junior, he earned a ticket to Tuscaloosa to play for the Crimson Tide only two hours south.
Asked about his time with the SEC powerhouse, Randolph couldn’t say enough good things about the program.
“That feels like home for me because I had so many great memories there. Bama was bigger than basketball for me,” Randolph shared. “It wasn’t so much everything that happened on the court. We didn’t win as much as I would like, but I feel like we laid the groundwork for what they have today. I have a lot of respect and a lot of appreciation for the university.”
Randolph speaks highly of the dominance that the football, softball and golf teams bring to the table every year. Being around Bryant-Denny Stadium and seeing the title teams that played on its grass just made him want to be a part of something special. As a freshman, the Tide squad he was a part of was top-20 in the nation and made the NCAA Tournament.
“The slogan is ‘Where Champions Are Made, Built By Bama.’ Being on the team like that, it felt great and was a great start to college,” Randolph said. “I feel like you have to be there to know what I’m talking about and just feel the love and feel how much tradition and culture that the university has.”
In his first season, Randolph picked up on pointers from those more experienced than him, such as future NBA veteran JaMychal Green and dynamic guard Trevor Releford. Another was Andrew Steele, who is now an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech. According to Randolph, those three and “a lot of guys” were instrumental in showing him what it was to be a hard worker and how to withstand adversity.
The Tide’s coaching staff meant a great deal to him too. Antoine Pettway was an ex-player at Bama in the late 1990s and with the program for 15 years, four of which coincided with Randolph’s time there. (Small world note: Pettway spent a season playing for the Flight a year after he was the ball boy.) Pettway is now a first-time head coach at Kennesaw State. He believes that then-Bama head coach Anthony Grant — currently at Dayton in the same chair — molded his way of thinking as well.
Each stays in contact to this day with each other, even if it’s just a check-in or a hello.
“Alabama was more about life than basketball,” Randolph said. “Just anything you want, you have to work for it. Nothing is gonna be easy, and you have to know that even within working hard every day, nothing is promised. You could work hard towards a goal and you don’t accomplish it, but that doesn’t mean you failed. You just have to keep working.”
In his sophomore year, the Tide went 23-13 but lost in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Bama went a paltry 13-19 in his third season. Randolph had his best statistical campaign as a senior, averaging over 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and more than a steal per game. He led the Tide to a 19-15 record in Grant’s swan song with the university before it hired Avery Johnson.
After that, it was off to the pros.
Randolph did not get selected in the 2015 NBA Draft. His first taste of professional basketball was in Orlando Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder and in Las Vegas with the Utah Jazz. The Boston Celtics saw something they liked and brought him in for training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract. Before the season started, he was waived and ended up playing for the Maine Red Claws in the G League.
That next offseason, Randolph had a decision to make — was it the NBA dream or going overseas? He settled on the former, taking his talents across the pond to Lega A. Coincidentally enough, he’d be playing alongside his longtime Tide teammate Retin Obosohan, which was a pleasant surprise.
“Our freshman year, he redshirted. So he had an extra year, he played his fifth year. I decided to go to Italy,” Randolph recalled. “And so I was telling him about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, I think I’m going to Italy this year.’ He was like, ‘Wait, I’m going to Italy.’ So I asked what team and he told me. I was like, ‘I’m going to the same team.’
“It’s crazy because we always talked. He’s one of my really good friends. But we didn’t know that we were both going to the same team until we had that conversation.”
Over the next two seasons, he played for another Italian squad in Dinamo Sassari and French club SIG Strasbourg in the Jeep Elite League (LNB Pro A). He suited up for multiple Summer League teams in between campaigns and found himself with the Indiana Pacers squad in Vegas in July 2018. A few months later, the Cavaliers came calling with a training camp invitation, and Randolph was back with an NBA organization for the second time.
In what he referred to as “my favorite part of my basketball career,” Randolph made a ton of memories with the then-Canton Charge and Cavs for the next three seasons.
“I learned so much and met so many great people. That’s probably the highlight of my career as far as not really feeling stressed, but just playing the game because of the love,” Randolph said. “You don’t really make money in the G League, so you’ve gotta really love the game to want to wake up every day and continue to develop.”
Randolph entered the mix on the heels of LeBron James exiting stage left to Los Angeles and the Cavs’ four straight NBA Finals appearances. Tyronn Lue was still running things when he first go there until the championship coach was let go six games into the season. Randolph had what he described as an “okay” camp, then proceeded to have a solid debut campaign with the Charge as one of the team’s most consistent pieces.
Despite not receiving an invitation to Cavs training camp in 2019, he kept plugging away in Canton. With arguably his most impressive production as a pro, Randolph averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Over those 39 games, he had shooting splits of .488/.343/.802 with a True Shooting percentage of 61.9%.
About midway through that season, Randolph earned his first NBA promotion, as the Cavs signed him to a two-way contract on Jan. 6, 2020. Unfortunately, Cleveland ended the deal just six days after the fact. (It’s peculiar for a two-way to end that abruptly versus just using a 10-day contract slot.) While there is admittedly confusion on how the contractual decision went down. there are no hard feelings on his end because his dream came true.
“I knew I was getting a call-up. That’s all that mattered to me,” Randolph said. “Whatever time, I appreciated it and I was gonna put it on my resume whether I was playing or sitting on the bench, I was gonna try to be a part of the team whenever I could. So it didn’t matter to me whether it was a two-way or a 10-day. I just wanted to try to get as much time and kinda soak it all in as much as possible.”
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped everything in March 2020. Sports were put on the shelf for months until leagues came up with the idea of carrying on within a closed environment. The NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida allowed playoff teams and those on the cusp to continue and finish out the campaign at the end of July.
At only 19-46, the Cavaliers were not able to participate. Instead, the organization went forward with its own in-house bubble downtown. Randolph was one of the select few to be a part of it.
“That’s the first time I really felt a part of the team,” Randolph said. “They didn’t bring in many guys and I was there the whole time. Everything the team did, I was there.”
Though everybody was there to develop and get their legs under them, Cleveland truly established chemistry off the court during that time. Randolph remembers the game room and hanging out with his teammates in the hotel, which they couldn’t leave unless they were going to the gym or had group activities planned.
He enjoyed when the Cavs took a boat trip on the Cuyahoga River and down to The Flats, heading over to Punch Bowl Social and eating dinner with good views. He bonded with guys like Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Collin Sexton, making it a memory he’ll never forget.
“I was an NBA guy, so I can always say that and keep that with me forever. The total experience was fun,” Randolph said.
The trip solidified Randolph’s status with the franchise, as the Cavs brought him back for training camp to prepare for the next season. That stretch of months did a lot for him.
“I played a lot. It showed me that I could play in the NBA. It showed me that it wasn’t skill level or talent that was keeping me there,” Randolph said. “Sometimes, it just comes down to opportunity, a roster spot or salary cap. It’s things that are outside of my reach that I can’t control, and that kind of scratched that itch of, ‘Okay, I know I can play here. I can’t keep chasing it, but let me go overseas and do the best I can there. And if I ever get the callback and it’s the right opportunity, then I’ll take it.’
“But my three stints with the Charge and the Cavs were great. I think a lot of my basketball career has been bigger than basketball. Maybe something is in store for me once I’m done playing that was more important than reaching the pinnacle on the court.”
Randolph played his final game for the Charge on Dec. 18, 2020. After that, he changed course and flew overseas to play for the New Zealand Breakers in the National Basketball League for 15 games. That was his first stop internationally post-NBA/G League, with plenty of talent around Australia to compete against. As we’re seeing now, the NBL has boomed in popularity.
Following that brief stint, Randolph elected to take his talents to the BNXT League, agreeing to terms with Filou Oostende. It was one of the best decisions he’s made, as it resulted in championship gold.
“As far as European competition on this level, this is as far as I’ve gotten on the big stage,” Randolph explained. “That was amazing. I won the MVP of that season. We went all the way to the championship and we won it. So it was a great feeling. It was my first championship as a pro. I’ve been close before, but never actually won the whole thing, so that was a great feeling.”
Keeping that momentum going, Randolph headed over to Israel to join Hapoel Jerusalem last summer in the Champions League. He recently finished up his debut campaign with the program, one that ended with a title runner-up and a true connection with the team and its fans.
“We had a great year, first year with this team. New coaching staff and everything. My coach, he understood me. He allowed me to be myself and I appreciated him for that. I mean, we had a great year, so I think that has been what has pushed me into ‘Mr. Israel’ or whatever. They embrace me and I embrace them.”
Randolph likens his budding relationship with the franchise and area to that of what he had at Alabama. It’s not about whether he is or isn’t making shots, but rather how he’s affecting winning. Having immersed himself into that culture, Randolph has been allowed to be himself.
“They’ve embraced me and took me in and I have so much love for the city of Jerusalem. It feels like home now, you know,” Randolph said. “Going out there and playing in front of our fans, I feel like we have some of the best fans in FIBA basketball. So, I’ve tried to be as much of a part of the culture as I could. When I play the game, I just try to play with as much heart and play as hard as I can. That’s the type of people they are and that’s what they like to see.”
“Nobody expected us to make it out of our group and we made it to the championship,” Randolph said. “We lost to a good team, but I feel like the gap between Champions League and EuroLeague is very small. It’s a lot of good teams all over of the world. Basketball is international. It’s expanding.”
BCL competition is “great” according to Randolph, who mentions he’s taken on several opponents he’s crossed paths with in college, the G League and NBA levels.
“I think basketball has always been at a high level. I also think that with social media it’s allowed people to see all the different places,” Randolph said. “So now, people that weren’t able to travel to Australia to see the NBL, they’re able to see that it’s a high competition of basketball through social media and things like that.
“Or people that aren’t able to normally see Champions League games because they can’t travel to Italy or Israel or France, they’re able to see through social media that, ‘Okay, there’s people all over the world that are really good at basketball.’ So I think that social media bridged the gap between people knowing and not knowing that there’s great ball all over the world.”
For Randolph, seeing the hours and dedication to the game pay off over the last couple of seasons has meant a lot.
“For me, it’s always been like I’ve been so close. I mean, so close to getting drafted. So close to the NBA of getting a call-up. So close to making a roster. So close to EuroLeague,” Randolph said. “So it’s finally a good feeling to see all the hard work these last two years come to fruition. Everything seeming like it’s going in the right direction. I can see the fruits of the labor.
“It really just makes me more hungry to keep winning, to keep working because I feel like I haven’t reached my ceiling yet. I know people joke on my teams all the time, they call me ‘Unc’ because I’m getting older now, I’m 30, but I still don’t feel like I’ve reached where I can get to. So I continue to work, continue to grow. It’s a great feeling to see this, but I feel like people get complacent once they see the fruits of the labor. I feel like it’s a waste. Once you see those fruits, you’ve gotta continue to work because it’s a lot more out there.”
Levi Randolph celebrates after making a shot for Hapoel Jerusalem. (PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League)
This offseason, Randolph will keep grinding away. He is fully intent on winning more trophies with Hapoel Jerusalem. Though it’s always been a dream of his to be in the NBA and stick, he’s learned in life to be where his feet are. If the right opportunity presents itself, he’ll be open to it.
He doesn’t have to chase the NBA anymore in his eyes. Even though the itch will always be there, he’s already proven to himself that he can hang with the best in the world. With the way he plays and how the league is starting to lend itself toward being more fundamentally sound and less dependent on athletics, he feels he’d fit in just fine.
“You have to think the game now. We’ve got the European style that’s coming a little bit. I feel like I learned at the end of the day, basketball is basketball,” Randolph said. “Guys get bigger, stronger, faster, but you think there’s a big gap sometimes between the G League and the NBA or overseas and the NBA… There’s a few guys that you have that are top of the top like LeBron or KD (Kevin Durant) or James Harden or Steph Curry, but most guys 8 to 15 are role players. They’re in my position. Guys that can come and help a team win, be a good locker room guy. Just guys that can be put into a position or role. I think that’s what I learned with my experience being there.”
Every squad could use a rugged, 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard that can shoot, defend and be a matchup problem — and that’s who Levi Randolph is.
“This is the biggest thing I’ve always thought of me. I’ve been a guy who has really grinded out of the mud. Like, I don’t have fancy trainers or I don’t have where I’m going to a nice, crazy facility. I come back home to Alabama, I either go to the university or have my guys I work with in my hometown. So we come up with the ways to make it work for me and be successful.
“I’ve always dreamed and wanted to have the opportunity to be a part of a team to where in the summer I’m getting NBA-skill performance on and off the court. I think that would kinda shorten the gap on some of the things that I may be missing or was missing in the past. Or I’m spending a whole summer with the staff. I’m physical, can defend multiple positions, spot-up shooter. Whatever it may be. Great decision maker. I think that I can help a team win. Time’s ticking for me, but I think every team could use somebody of my skill set and my size.”
Terrified of Jeff Van Gundy, but getting ready to check in for USA Basketball in a 2017 FIBA AmeriCup scrimmage against the Dominican Republic, Jameel Warney hopped off the bench and ran to the scorers’ table to make a memorable first impression on the team.
While one could say he did that, it certainly didn’t happen how he had envisioned it.
“I went to sprint and I slipped in front of everybody. Full-on busted my face on the floor. I’m just like, ‘Aw f*ck, I’m just embarrassing myself.’ I’m like, ‘I’ve gotta slow down,’” Warney told The Hoop Herald with a chuckle over the phone.
He found a way.
There is no shortage of basketball greatness when you look at the loaded list of Team USA’s Male Athlete of the Year award winners. A combination of superstar and Hall-of-Fame talents such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Durant — just to highlight a few — catch the eye at first glance.
In Dec. 2017, Warney etched his name in history to become a part of that illustrious club. Only the third undrafted player to be recognized (Earl Boykins ‘98, James Michael McAdoo ‘09) to that point, he’d been grinding away with the Texas Legends and earned All-G-League First Team honors before joining the organization.
“It’s crazy how it all happened, to be honest. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to make the team at first,” Warney said. “This is after my rookie year, so I’m home for a while. I just had a terrible Summer League [with the LA Clippers] too. I was like, ‘Ah shit. I don’t know what else I’mma do.’”
Luckily, Team USA was interested in him and reached out about a month later following that Las Vegas showing. The program was holding camp tryouts in Houston for the AmeriCup, a summer international hoops tournament that pits the best countries in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean against each other.
When he saw ex-NBAers like Kendall Marshall, Xavier Munford and Marshall Plumlee, Warney felt out of place. That changed quickly though thanks to Van Gundy, the head coach who ended up bringing the best out of him.
“I’m not like a typical big man. I’m like kind of an old-school big man, I would say,” Warney said. “I can play the pick-and-roll, but I’m not like a lob threat. I’m a back-to-basket [player], little touch shots, all that stuff.
“And Van Gundy, at first, wanted all of his big men to just play pick-and-roll. Once you get the ball, just give it up and sprint to pick-and-rolls. But he kinda saw that I could play in the post. It’s gonna be games where we could just slow it down and bring it to the post and all that stuff. So I give him credit for doing that for sure.”
Jameel Warney accepts FIBA AmeriCup 2017 MVP award. (Photo Credit: FIBA Basketball)
In five AmeriCup games, Warney sparked Team USA’s second unit by averaging 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in only 21 minutes per contest, making nearly 65% of his shots. The Americans defeated Argentina in a highly contested tournament championship, 81-76.
Warney brought his best to the finals, producing 21 points and 7 rebounds on 8-for-11 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line. It earned him the 2017 AmeriCup MVP honor as he helped lead the USA to its seventh AmeriCup title.
“Getting those wins also helped my career a lot. I always credit Team USA for helping expand my career and giving me different looks,” said Warney, who spoke of the unique nature of traveling from country to country in “insane” environments.
Pick up about five-and-a-half years later, and Warney has completed his fourth season with the Seoul SK Knights as a top talent in the Korean Basketball League at 29 years old. He’s won the scoring title in back-to-back seasons, and has been a KBL First Teamer and Center of The Year in three out of his four campaigns there.
He has Team USA to thank for that. Mo McHone, an assistant under Van Gundy and former head coach of the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League, used to be an associate coach for the Knights and suggested Warney go that route instead of staying in developmental longer.
“When you’re in the G League, you think about ‘NBA, NBA, NBA,’ and you think of it as kind of a demotion, to be honest, to go overseas,” Warney admitted. “But I think after my Westchester [Knicks] year, I was like, ‘Alright, time for me to make money. I don’t want to do four years in the G League.’ It wouldn’t make sense for me.”
In his debut season, Warney won KBL Player of the Year in 2019-20 and was on track to win a championship before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the remainder of it. As fortune would have it, the Knights earned a league title in the 2021-22 campaign. Warney won Finals MVP among three other awards, averaging 22.6 points and 12.4 rebounds on 56.6% True Shooting.
This year, Warney upped the ante with 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds on average and led the league with 47 double-doubles. Seoul SK ended up falling in a hard-fought, seven-game championship battle with Anyang KGC this past May.
“I enjoy my time in Korea. It’s so much fun,” Warney said. “I encourage players, especially big men, if you have a chance to play in Korea, might as well do it.”
Case in point: Omari Spellman, who’s been Warney’s in-game sparring partner and mutually respected foe since he made the jump in June 2022. The ex-Atlanta Hawks big man and former 30th overall pick in the NBA won his first professional championship with Anyang this year.
“That’s my guy. We’ve been battling in the KBL for the last two years. I got a championship, he got a championship. We both beat each other in the finals for a championship. So I like playing against him. He’s a great competitor. I consider him a friend of mine,” said Warney, mentioning that each stays in touch to ensure the other’s mental health is in a good place.
“It’s fun to play against him. He’s one of the top players in the league. You could say I’m the best, he’s the best. But I do think we’re the top two players in the league.”
(Another recent example of Warney’s point: Jared Sullinger won the 2020-21 KBL Championship and Finals MVP in his lone go-round in the league in Anyang.)
Asked about the fan experience there compared to what it’s like in the U.S., Warney said that it’s “so different” than what he saw previously.
“I came from the G League where it’s like, you have 20 people, 25 people in the stands. Then now, the Seoul SK Knights, we have like 8,000 people and they’re screaming your name,” Warney said. “They see you outside, they’re running up to you. So you feel kinda like a miniature NBA superstar ’cause of how insane fans are.”
You’ll have those supporters who reach out on social media that offer encouragement, and then, like anywhere in the world of sports today, you’ll have the people who send hate messages.
“But you live for that type of pressure,” Warney said matter of factly, relaying that communication with fans has become easier. “I picked up on small words here and there. They try to be accommodating. And at some point, I think love is a universal language. They just show so much support and emotion. It’s their teams. You can feel it.”
Jameel Warney puts up a floater. (Photo Credit: spin.ph)
It’s truly astonishing how the depth of the professional talent pool grows as time moves along.
The G League is stacked with players who belong at the NBA level. The more the league has expanded and become one-team affiliated, especially in recent years, the more success stories there have been. Sometimes, you’re the lucky one, and other times, it’s at your expense.
“The best point guard I’ve ever played with in my life was Pierre Jackson. All the things he did was just so effortless,” Warney recalled. “It saddens me that he had a tough break, I guess. He had the 10-day with the [Dallas] Mavericks and then he got hurt. The Mavericks wanted him back, and then, they signed Yogi Ferrell for a 10-day and Yogi Ferrell decided to be the best player in the league for those 10 days (laughs).
“It was just tough for him to get back to that job. You know in the NBA, if you’re in the G League, you pretty much get one shot, a few shots if you’re lucky. It’s a make-or-break type of league.”
Warney experienced that reality firsthand. After spending the 2016 preseason with the Mavericks, the team waived him, yet kept the undrafted center around on the Texas Legends. He’d spend his next two years with the squad, unaffiliated.
One day, in March 2018, Warney abruptly woke up to text messages and calls on his cell. He soon found out he was headed to the Mavericks on a 10-day deal.
“My phone was blowing up [with] congrats and all that stuff and I’m like, ‘What the f*ck’s going on?’ And just, you realize your dream finally happened. It’s surreal for sure,” Warney said. “I think I played well, to be honest, for those 10 days. “It was cool, to be honest. It kinda felt like a random moment.
“I was definitely surprised ‘cause I was there already for a year-and-a-half, so they saw me the whole time. It was cool playing with guys that I played with in training camp. I kinda showed ’em the respect of somebody in your farm system who’s really good.”
That stretch would be the last time Warney would play in the NBA. Despite his dominance at the G League level and production in his role, teams only looked at him in Summer League stints and never gave him a shot in training camp.
“I think my second year and I think once I got traded my third year to Westchester, I think that’s the best basketball I played in my career. So just not being able to get another chance at it, it hurt for a little bit,” Warney said. “But as I got older, it was just like, ‘Eh, it wasn’t my time.’ The league is the league, but there’s basketball everywhere else and I can thrive somewhere else.
“You understand the business. To be honest, I don’t ever think it was my talent that made me not stick in the NBA. I think it was just the numbers game. I don’t know what else to say about that, but I think it was just a tough break. But I’m not gonna be angry about it all. I had fun those three years of being in the G League and some part of the NBA.”
He continued to talk up the level of competition.
“Let’s just be honest, everybody in the G League has skills. There’s some people who don’t deserve to be there, but more so, you can plug anybody from the G League into like the 13-to-15 spot — or 17 spot now with the two-ways — and it’s interchangeable,” Warney said. “You see now where all the guys from the G League, they can do a couple of years in the G League, but if not, they go overseas and they’re the best player in that league.
“I think seven players on the G League were on the Nuggets’ roster [in the Finals]. So people are really expanding their game and the NBA is respecting the G League enough to help them be a player development farm system.”
Warney cracks a smile knowing that he made the 2017-18 G League First Team as the only full-time G-Leaguer with no technical team affiliation. The other four were Lorenzo Brown (Raptors 905, two-way), Quinn Cook (Santa Cruz Warriors, two-way), Thomas Bryant (South Bay Lakers, NBA assignee) and Georges Niang (Salt Lake City Stars, two-way).
Along with Jackson, Warney is thankful to have been teammates with Ray Spalding, Brandon Ashley, Jonathan Motley, Quincy Acy, Manny Harris, Ben Gordon and more. His best friends from the squad, however, are “BYU’s finest, Mr. Triple Double” Kyle Collinsworth and Keith Hornsby.
“Those two guys kinda set the tone for a friendship over those years. We still communicate to this day,” Warney said. “It’s great to have met those guys. I definitely would have not met those guys if it wasn’t for the G League and moving up a little bit.”
Warney is a throwback in the style that he plays and the manner in which he handles his business. We’ve already noted three of his biggest accolades at different stages of his career. Perhaps none beat being the only player in your school’s history to have your number retired.
Stony Brook rose Warney’s No. 20 to the rafters on Feb. 18, 2017. For four years, from start to finish, Warney was consistently one of the top mid-major players in college basketball and a legend in the America East conference.
“I would say more so I was lucky, to be honest,” Warney earnestly said of his Seawolves career, filled with accomplishment after accomplishment.
According to him, Rider was hard on the recruiting trail while he was at Roselle Catholic High School facing off against the top players in New Jersey, offering Warney his first scholarship during his sophomore year. He was originally going to commit there until Steve Pikiell and Stony Brook expressed their interest when he was a junior.
“I went up there to see the college, and then Long Island was beautiful. I fell in love with the coach, to be honest, Coach Pikiell, who’s at Rutgers now. He had a vision for me, which I didn’t see myself, being 16, 17 years old. He told me one day my jersey was gonna get retired at Stony Brook. I believed in him 100%. So just to see it all happen like five years later, me getting my jersey retired, it was amazing, man.”
In his second-to-last game with the team, Warney bookended his Stony Brook career with a 43-point night against Vermont in the AEC Championship. Not only did it send the Seawolves to the Big Dance, but they’d finally gotten over the conference-tournament hump after coming so close in previous chances.
“It’s crazy how all of that happened. We were down 15, but it didn’t feel like the end of the world. The previous two years, we were kinda up in games in the championship and holding on for dear life. But this time, we felt like a calming presence pretty much,” Warney said.
“So the first shot I make, now it’s down to 13 and we’re being more aggressive and stuff. I don’t think I missed a shot for the last 15 minutes of the game. It was kinda like an out-of-a-movie thing. Everything, in the paint. Not even thinking about a 15-footer. Everything, just deep post position, just dunks. It was incredible.”
Even more rewarding for Warney was that his belief that things would work out was justified. While the NCAA transfer portal didn’t exist back then, there were still opportunities to go elsewhere. Looking back, if the chance to instantly switch schools did arise, Warney feels he’d have still stayed.
“Just the guy I am… fast-forward to now and I’ve been on the same professional team in Korea for [almost] five years. I don’t like changes, to be honest,” Warney said. “Once I’m with or committed to a cause, I’m just gonna stick it out. And I never thought about transferring because I had a goal of winning a championship with Stony Brook. I wanted to be the first team in [school] history to do something.”
(Stony Brook ended up getting beat by Kentucky in the first round in 2016. NBA champion and Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray was a big part of that ball club, as well as lockdown defender Tyler Ulis and point guard Isaiah Briscoe.)
Mid-major basketball brings a different energy and puts a chip on your shoulder arguably more than any level of competitive amateur sports. Warney was one of many with that mindset, which made for incredible bonding experiences. These student-athletes didn’t live the lifestyles that power fivers did. Stony Brook’s squad would take busses for long rides, a few eight hours long, white on the road to places like Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Albany. It just made the bonds grow stronger.
“Some of the trips were brutal, but I really enjoyed the mid-major scene. I’m a big fan of, I guess, taking the hard way. We never took airplanes to places. It shapes you. It builds character,” Warney explained.
“The way mid-major is, it’s really intriguing. Everybody’s kinda undersized. Guys, if they were like two inches taller, three inches taller, would be high major. So it’s like, you’re versus bigs who can do everything but are 6-foot-6 or 6-7 instead of being 6-11. So it’s fun. And you kinda know what your team is for that four years. Nobody is like declaring for the draft or anything like that. So these are your guys.”
Stony Brook forward Jameel Warney poses for a photo during Stony Brook’s basketball media day on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
No matter what happens with the sport and its evolution, basketball is always going to need the center position. Warney is a proponent of their importance to a team.
“I always think when your team has an identity off your big man, they’ll go far in a league or a competition,” Warney said. “The big man is essentially the biggest person on the team, getting rebounds or blocking shots. If your big man is kinda soft, you’ll have a soft result as a team. So you always want to have the toughest, nastiest guy who isn’t gonna back down from anything.”.
“And as you see, (Nikola) Jokic is the best in the world and he’s a big man. It doesn’t matter if you get double-teamed, triple-teamed, whatever, he’s making the right plays and all that stuff. You need a big man like that. But on the other hand, if you have a big man who can’t create or can’t dominate their space, it’s gonna be hard for people.”
Warney doesn’t have any sour grapes about his career or the fact that he didn’t stay for long at the NBA level. It’s fair to ask whether or not he came around during the wrong era.
“I think in the ‘90s I’d have definitely been in the league. But I mean it also just shows how much basketball has evolved. People are doing stuff that you couldn’t imagine in the ‘90s,” Warney said. “So I do think I’m one of the best players in the world for sure. I think just there’s so many players who aren’t in the NBA who are really good and better than some of the people in the NBA.
“I do think I have an old-school game, but I improved my skills over the last few years to make myself a more modern player and just try to be a winner.”
Jameel Warney knows it’s cliche, but his focus is just to get better every day. Thus far, he’s held that end of the bargain. He’s not even 30 yet and has only scratched the surface of his professional career — and won’t be satisfied until he hangs it up.
“At some point, I’m not gonna be at my peak no more. But right now in this space, just seeing how far I can push my boundaries,” Warney said. “Last year, I was averaging 24 points a game. Can I get to 26? Or can I get 13 rebounds instead of 12? Can I become a better passer? It’s always stuff like that.
“I don’t want to ever not care about basketball enough where I’m just like, ‘Ah f*ck it. I made my career and living. I’m MVP, [have a] chip.’ I never want to shortchange myself.”
