Hayford a slam dunk for Bucs

This is an interview with men’s head basketball coach Jim Hayford conducted by staff writer David Rurik.

David Rurik: How did the energy found in the Fieldhouse do for the team this season, specifically for the game against Chapman University?

Coach Jim Hayford: It really pumped the guys up, because you play your best basketball when you are playing for others and for your teammates. In this case, when you can play for your fellow students and your local community, and they come out in force to support you, you’re pumped. It’s cool to be a college student and to see that people want me to do well. We all do our best when we are encouraged, so the atmosphere against Chapman was really encouraging to the guys.

Rurik: Was the Chapman game the loudest it’s been in the Fieldhouse in the nine years you have been head coach?

Hayford: Yes, I think so, We’ve had some great crowds in the past, but this crowd was really the gold medal winner.

Prior to Dec. 4, the team had not lost a game. What did that immense win streak mean in terms of the momentum and the mentality that the team carried into each game?
Well, we haven’t really concentrated on the winning streak. What we’ve concentrated on is getting better every week. The team has found ways to do just that. It’s a good life lesson, to not focus on the result, but rather focus on the process, and the process gives you the result.

Rurik: What similarities do you see between the 2008 team that went to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament and this year’s team?

Hayford: That was a different style team in some ways; they scored more on the drive and match-up isolation. [Junior David] Riley, [junior] Clay Gebbers, [senior] Mike Odland and [senior] Nate Montgomery were on the team in 2008 and they are with us this year, so that means we had experience for this time around.

Rurik: What are your thoughts on the seniors on the team this year?

Hayford: Bo Gregg is our most versatile player; in any given game he could guard all five positions on the other team. He’s a great shooter and he has really improved as a defensive player and rebounder.

Eric Beal is obviously a great player; he can score off the drive as well as being a great three-point shooter. He is physically the strongest point guard we have ever had at Whitworth.

Odland is the emotional heart and soul leader of our team; he’s very gifted athletically and he’s a great dunker. He is the key to us having great practices; he is kind of an unsung hero.

Montgomery is the conference MVP but above that he is a wonderful person, he is a great student and he made himself into a great player. When you consider that his freshman year he hardly got into a game and by senior year he was the top player in the conference, it shows his dedication and discipline. He has shown incredible commitment.

Rurik: What are your thoughts on the team as a whole?

Hayford: This team is the basketball expression of mind and heart; they play smart and they play with incredible heart.

Contact David Rurik at david.rurik@whitworthian.com.

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