Doug is joined by Oklahoma State Senior Guard John Michael Wright to discuss his hoops background in Fayetteville, North Carolina, why he chose to play for Tubby Smith at High Point University, his transfer portal experience, why he chose Oklahoma State, what tightened his bond with Mike Boynton, his heavy offseason shooting regimen, and his expectations for his final college season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey what, I'm welcome in. I'm golly, this is all Ball.
We're getting ready for college basketball season. And I caught
up with a senior guard, fifth year senior guard at
Oakham State, John Michael Wright. And John Michael Wright grew
up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and in this All Ball
we talk about not just his journey to Oklham State,
(00:27):
what it was like to play at a different school
during the COVID year, and the tragic passing of a
stepfather when they were on the road just months ago
in Spain. It's all right here in All Ball with
John Michael Wright.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Your first memory of basketballs where I was in a
living room and UNC was playing against Pitt and I
watched Tyler Haniver I'll go for like thirty points.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And that's when I.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Really was in living room where though like Faeel, North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Okay, yeah, my house is. Where's Fayeville, North Carolina? In
like okay, I know where the triangle is. You know
where Charlotte is Worsfield it's in between that, okay, in
between the two yeah, and between Charlotte and Raleigh. Okay,
So most people in Fairfield are Carolina basketball fans, yeah,
U n C. Yeah, not a lot of Duke fans.
There's no Duke fans in Carolina, right, Not Duke fans
(01:17):
are really more Northeastern. Yeah what about NC State?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
People like n C State, but they're not really like
the top dogs. It's either UNC or Duke.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Okay, so you were Carolina basketball fan? Who is your guy?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tyler Handron was him and Tyl Lawson Louston was a bad.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Boy so fast. Yeah. So you went to high school
in Faville, Yeah, high school and then what was it
like in terms of recruitment?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So in my senior year recruitment, I had probably five scholarships.
My recruitment was pretty slow in high school. I got
my first offer my freshman.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Year high school. Who was that? It was to Marshall University.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, but I didn't get my next one or two
my senior year, uh in January, which was from Hogh
Point University, where I ended up committing to. But yeah,
it was pretty I had a lot of interest from
a lot of schools, but nobody was really pulling the
trigger on me. So that process was kind of slovy.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I've heard a high point like incredible campus. What's it
like it's amazing. It's like it's like a country club
really for college.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Like the buildings are just top notch, like a neat
Okbain the president of the school, he just proms.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Himself with just the best stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
So like he was always making renovations to buildings, building
new stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They built a new arena there my sophomore year and
it's just immaculate.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
It's just so you went there, you played for teby
TEB Smith.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
What was he like?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
He was a great coach. You know, he was a
fiery coach, had a lot of knowledge. You know, he's
part of the history of the game, and you know
he was just a great guy to be around. And
me and Coachmit really close and he's just just just
a smart basketball guy.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
What was he like in terms of influencing you in
your life?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
He was kind of like it was kind of like
my grandpa felt like he'd be calling me grand sign
and stuff because he just every day I would go
in his office and we would just talk and it
wouldn't just be about basketball. It'd be about a lot
of like life lessons. Things he went through, stuff he
wish he would have did. He was just trying to
coast me up to be a better man. How good
were you were your freshman year? I was pretty good
iveraged about fifteen points. I came off Coach Smith put
(03:08):
the ball on my hand immediately, so I had a
big responsibility in my freshman.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Year, right, so you get to play right away and
play a ton of minutes. What was the decision like
to leave there? It was hard.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
It was real tough because I had built a lot
of rapport with all those coaches in high Point and
the school. I was in love with the school and
I didn't want to leave, but Cole Smith had retired,
and because he was going somewhere, I was going to
get a new coach anyway. I just thought to myself,
I might as well try and go and play a
bigger school.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So what's it really like to put your name in
the portal?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So you go to compliance and you tell them I
want to transfer, and they'll ask you a couple questions
about why was it something wrong with the program, and
you can answer based on how you feel. I said no,
I just wanted to go to look for another school,
and they put my name in the system, and twenty
minutes later I was in the portal and the coach
was just calling me left and right.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Okay, so what's that like? Right from a guy who
you had one scholarship ball for your freshman year and
then just a handful of scholarship offers too, all of
a sudden, now lots of people are calling you. It
was it was something that I couldn't imagine. Really.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I told myself, if I was in high school and
I was getting these claws, I would be like going
ahead over heels. But at that time, my junior year,
I was a little more mature and I was really
looking for a place to settle in really quick. But
I enjoyed the process. But my phone was buzzing constantly.
A lot of coaches, a lot of great programs was reaching.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Out to me.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
But awesomely, Oklahoma State was my best.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay, so, so did you do zooms with everybody? Like
what was the what's the contact with me?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I did about probably about ten zones, But I did
a lot more sol phone calls over the phone with
a lot of head coaches.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
What was the weirdest, like, give me, give me a
weird zoom? I say, I had his own.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I won't say the school, but I had his own
with a coach, and it was like it was like
he was occupied doing something else. He was still trying
to talk to me, like it was kind of weird,
Like it wasn't it wasn't really professional. It was like
if he was on the phone with your homeboy and
he was playing the game and then like looking at you.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
You know, that's the perfect that's the perfect metaphor did
anybody I had this? I remember? So I went to
Notre Dame and I transferred and I sat out and
then committed late to Oklhoma State. But I remember there
were a couple of coaches late who called me and
they were like One was Norman Stewart, it's the famous
(05:15):
old coach at Missouri. And he's like you're about what
six two? And I was like, nah, which meant to me.
You literally never see me playing that. Somebody said you're
pretty good and you're available. Whatever. Did you have anybody
who're like this guy has no idea who I am? No,
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think, especially Nowaday, because it's somebody energy, yeah, synergy.
So I think coaches knew what I they was getting into.
I know here when I got here, A lot of
the players thought I was taller, because I guess they
was tall. I was six two, was will and I'm like, nah, man,
I'm barely six foot. But now I think all the
coaches pretty much knew my game because they when we
got on the phone, they were pretty much tell me
what they sing.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So obviously they had to watch some fanm The COVID
year was, which which year? My sophomore year? What was that? Like?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
It was weird because everybody in my program called COVID
but me, all the coaches and all my teammates called COVID.
So we were down for two weeks and I was
the only player in the gym that could do anything.
And then they had went and traveled.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So wait, so just that year in general, okay, you
guys run campus the whole year.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh yeah, whole year or the rest of the students
on campus, they were but you couldn't. You couldn't go
to nobody else's room. You had to wear a mask everywhere,
you couldn't come in groups. Nobody could go to the
student center and like work out or play basketball.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It was it was. It was terrible. So uh and
then what point in time in the year did did
everybody get COVID.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It was November and around November, so you.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Would go and practice by yourself?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah, I would just go to the gym, you hang out.
One time, I took like two weeks off of school.
I just went to Pennsylvania with my homeboy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Would you guys go?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We went to Ligand near Pennsylvania, which is where his
family is from. But it was like a lot of
mountain resources there, so I just want to hung out.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And what did you do when you're there?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Just went hiking, you know, just chill, went fishing, hunting
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I ain't shooting nothing, though. Have you Are you a hunter? No?
I'm not. Are you fit? Can you fish? I like
to fish it? What's bast fast lakes? Yeah? Okay, like
really good with it? You've been fly fish?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I can't. I can't get this dynamics of it. I
can't either, But I think you can be taught. I
mean I would guess probably, Yeah, I guess. Plus, I
mean you're a pretty precise guy, like I think you
could get all of that. That's and then what were
the games?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Did you have fans of the game? No fans at all?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
They cut out like cardboard faces of random students and
it was terrible.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And that was you had brand new gym that year too, right,
we did.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
But we didn't plan that, so we played in the
old gym because they were still building on it. Because
of COVID they had to slow down a little bit.
So it was supposed to be done my sophomore year,
but we didn't get in there until my junior year.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
That's crazy, Okay. So so you're meeting with all these
keyth coaches, You're taking all these zooms. How do you
decide like who's full of it and who's real?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
How?
Speaker 1 (07:51):
What? What was that process like?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So my stepdad he was in that process with me
a lot, and he knew a lot of people that
were connected to certain coaches, and you know, they would
like kind of give you the real or with the
real expectations of it, because you know, every coach will
recruiting you, they're gonna tell you what you want to hear,
you know. But I tried to do my research as
best as I could, and I had a lot of
my old AU coaches in high school coaches helping me
in that process as well, so they were able to
(08:13):
kind of help me sniff out who's real and who's
just talking. And when I met coach Mike, I could
just tell from how he talked, just he was real
about what he was saying because he didn't promise me anything.
So once he didn't, I knew he didn't promise me anything,
and then I knew, that's okay, that's the type of
guy I want to play.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
But what is it like to change levels?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It's scary, but it's also fulfilling at the same time,
especially when you were in high school and you always
thought you could play hot major like I did. Just
being able to get the opportunity to play and actually
actually getting the game, it was something that felt good
to me at the time, and it was just something
that I said, Okay, I'm glad I was able to
accomplish this in my life.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Fall down Field House was I think your first big time,
big time moment, big time game, and he played. Well
what's that like to go from playing a high point
thinking you play high major now you're taking on cancers
at the fall Man, It's a great feeling.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I mean that that stadium was rocking, but the performance
I had I always thought I could do that, so
that wasn't surprised, and it was just the fact that
I did it. You know, I had the confidence to
take the shots and make the shots that I made,
and the fact that you know, we it was a
game we should have won, and I saw, Okay, we're
actually a team that could really do something with this.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But it was a great feeling. So you get done
last year? Now how many can you get another year? No?
This is my last? Is it? Okay? What is the
process like of because you could have did you graduate
last year? I graduated, so you could have gone where
you could done the portal again? Why come back?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I just felt like it was too much left on
the table with this program and I was a big
part of that. And I just couldn't leave like that
because I've never wanted to be that type of person
to leave something and I finished what I promised I
would help get to.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Where's that come from?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Just really just really my stepdad, you know, just rooting
that into me when being younger, because I always see
him start something like he had a whole bunch of
businesses and he would never give up on them until
they got to a certain point. So and really my brother,
my older brother, he's the same type of guy. Just
seeing his story coming out of high school. He didn't
have any college scholarships either, but he worked his way
to get on the team and he was about to
(10:17):
play for Arkansas football. So, you know, just seeing that
you can do anything, you just can't quit. And I
wouldn't be able to leave and feel good about myself
knowing that it was so much left on the table.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
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Speaker 1 (10:41):
So you decided to come back, You're getting ready to
go to Spain and you find out your stepdad passed
away rights that what's that like?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And it was tough and it's just a it still is.
I mean, it still doesn't feel real because it came
out of nowhere. You know, my stepdad, he was my guy.
He was a man that raised me, and he was
the one that believed in me first when it came
to basketball when nobody else did. And he was my coach.
And so it was tough. And it's even tougher because
I have a little sister that's nine years old and
(11:12):
they were very close, and I just know it's hitting
her hard, and you know, it's just different. But you know,
it just motivates me now to make sure.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
That I play hard. Have you got enough chance to grieve?
Not really.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I didn't really have a chance too because once he passed,
he had so much stuff going on that I had
to go back home and kind of figure out how
to help put it in place because my mom couldn't
do it at the time. And you know, sometimes I
sit here and there and think about it, but I
try not to grieve too much because you know, I
don't really want to.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Be in that headspace.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And but I mean, we went to the funeral, I
tried coach Mike and them came and see me, so
I wasn't. I haven't been by myself, which is I
think is good because I had a lot of support
from my family. But yeah, I haven't really a grieved.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I obviously getting a chance to spend some time with
coach Mike Boyden and with you, like you see how
close you got are And it's one of the things
that I've kind of tried to tell people. And every
coach is different, right, like not every coach can be
like a father figure, but it feels like maybe not
father figure because that was your stepdad, but almost kind
of big brother. Is how what's your relationship like with him?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, me and Coach might have a great relationship. I
love him because he keep it real with me. You know,
he doesn't just tell me what I want to hear,
you know, and I just see his aspirations for the program.
You know, he's the type of guy that doesn't think
about himself. You know, he does things for others and
I always pride myself on doing the same thing. So
just seeing how he's at this level and how he
puts other people's perspectives before his and other people's needs
(12:39):
before his, it's just something great to me. And like
I said, when he came to the funeral, that just
really showed me what type of man he is. And
I'll run through a brick wall of Coach Mike.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
You took twenty five thousand shots this summer. How'd you
come up with that number?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So I told Coach Mike to give me a challenge
for the summer back in May, and he said, I
challenge you to make twenty five thousand and three and
five thy one hundred free throws, So you got to
do it from June fourth all the way to August fourth,
and so I was like, bet, like, let's do it
because I wanted to put in so much work this
summer because this is my last year and I wanted
to get this program all. So he gave me that
(13:12):
number and I finished on August first. I got off
to a good head start, and I kind of got
lazy towards the middle, so it kind of caught up
to me.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But I sill, So, okay, when you take good head start,
how many would you shooting today?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I was making a thousand a day on average. It
was like eight hundred to.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
One thousand, and you were doing the machine.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
So I had I have rebounders with me so they knew, like,
I wouldn't line on my number. So Brady Price was
one of our gas helping me. Him and Zach and
a lot of the managers was helping me because I
wanted them to see that I wasn't just lying by
my number.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
How many does it take to make? How many shots
does it take to make eight hundred?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Probably probably about twelve hundred. Yeah, that's probably probably about
twel hundred shots. So it was a time where it
was I was saying July it was a week where
I made like six thousand.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
This was another week May four.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
But then I took maybe a week off because I
was just so drained. It was it was tough than
I thought it was gonna be. But then I picked
back up and I would probably make probably five hundred.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
So when you when you shoot one thousand a day,
what hurts the next day? My shoulder blaze and my back.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
It's not really my legs, it's just it's really my
Torso like everything up top was really was really bothering
me because I was getting in the ice bath, but
I wouldn't put my whole body in there. I was
just putting my little body. So my upper half was
kind of tired. And that's what really made me take
a little break because I was like, man, this is tough.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Okay, So you're now, now, what what's your pregame routine?
Terms of like you get up in the morning, Like
do you want to get up early and get a
bunch up? Like what is say you're playing seven tonight? Yeah,
what's your routine? Mean?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So I plan on making three hundred before every home game?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
You like to get up early, like to sleep in.
I like to sleep in. Okay, sleeping means what ten nine?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
It depends on what time my pregame is. So we
got pregame meal around ten. Like I'll probably get up early,
probably around seven.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
But if it's seven o'clock games, so you don't have
pregame meal three you might have around or whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I'll probably sleep in till by nine. I go go
to the gym a by ten, put up three hundred,
and then just go throughout the day and get ready
for the game.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Rest up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But I kind of want to I kind of want
to fit it in where I can get the three
hundred up, like right before the game starts, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So I'm just does it matter to you? Like in
Gallagher you have the practice, Jim, Does it matter to
you if you're on the main court or is just
an any court?
Speaker 2 (15:25):
As long as you any court, as long as it's
a basket, It's cool, all right?
Speaker 1 (15:28):
What about shoes? Do you are? You you locking on
one pair and you wear them the whole year? You
like to rotate them? What's what's what's the what's the
shoe decision?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
So I lock in on one pair, but I'll be
wearing them out so much I gotta like, I gotta
start switching that.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Okay, So what's the pair gonna be this year?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
So they gave me these Team Lebron's, I'll probably wear
the o's and then they gave us some Team GT
Nike zos. Yep, those would be there. So I'm trying
to lift for a thorough and I may buy one,
but I don't know. But those two and only two
right now?
Speaker 1 (15:56):
You know, those jaws might be nice. Job like this.
I haven't tried the sun like stuff. I'm trying them either. Yeah,
those are so okay. And then how do you know
when like, are you superstitious if you play well in
the shoes, you're gonna keep wear those shoes or is
it only based upon field? Kind of?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Yeah, I'm kind of superstitious, but sometimes I feel like
it's not good.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I used to I would wouldn't wear the pair of
shoes again in a game if we lost. And so
my my junior year, we were supposed to be were
top ten in the country and we went through a
bad stretch and we lost eleven games that year. So
if you go through the pictures like there's a lot
of different shoes there. I was for the right fair.
(16:34):
You have nine new teammates. It's like the opposite of
when you showed up at Oklahoma State, where you're the
new guy. Now everybody else is, Yeah, what's that like for?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's weird because you know, like you said, I was
in the same position, but I came into a team
and I was already established. Now we pretty much broke
down the whole time. I'll create a new nucleus. So
when everybody first got here, has a lot of different
personalities that you got to get used to. And not
only is it trains first, but it's freshman that you
got to teach about college basketball in general. They haven't
played a game yet. But the coaches did a great
(17:07):
job recruiting. I think what they look for is personality
base guys that fit the program or fit coach Mike,
and I think they did a great job with that
because everybody is locked in and wants to really work hard.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, it's interest. Do you do they know how good
they have it?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Because you've been at high Point and look, high Point
had great facilities. Yeah, but it's still a lower level
of basketball in terms of support. Yeah, Like at any
point is they're like fellas, you get good playing, but
you don't realize how good you have it.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, And I say all the time, like I don't
think they don't understand, Like, but I tell them, like,
y'all don't know how good you gotta Like at high
point in my first three years, like we had to
share showers.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Now it's different because they got the new facility, but
like elms that you got your own shower, you get
a whole bunch of gear, all that, the whole nine.
You get limited, a whole bunch of access to the gym,
and you know, just the camaraderie from the students, like
you looked at as a celebrity here the high point,
I was a student that played basketball, So like, yeah,
they don't really understand, especially coming straight out of high
(18:03):
school being all Americans on five stars, Like they don't
really get that low that low level life. But I
mean to each his own, like I don't think that's
a problem, but.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
No, but if it does, that prepares you for like
when you play in Europe, Like that's kind of how
it is. We're playing the playing in the g league,
Like that's how it is. Yeah, you know, there's you
get some some of that shine of NBA stuff, but
really not not that much a great season for you
as what for me personally?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Just being able to leave my team I want to
lead us in three point percentence? Uh and three is
made because that's what I've been working on all summer.
And just being able to be a big part of
a winning program. Just winning the Big twelve obviously, but
being a big impact guy for the team, you know,
on and off the court. Just that that'll be that'll
(18:51):
be a successful season for me.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I don't see what. I don't see why that's not
not altogether possible in ten years. Where are you? What
are you doing? Man?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
That's a that's a great question that I've been thinking
about if I'm not playing somewhere. I low key onet
to going to coaching. At first, before I came here,
I didn't really think about going into coaching, but just
being around coach Mike and this coaching staff, I see
how impactful the coach can be on a player. And
I love younger kids, and I see, like especially back
around Promise, a lot of kids that have a lot
(19:23):
of misguidance, and I think sports allows them to be
put in a situation where they could be guided in
a different perspective for the long run and not just
for the sport itself. So if I'm not playing basketball,
I'll definitely be coaching somewhere.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I mean, like, look, what you're saying is totally accurate,
and I appreciate and respect it. It is interesting, though,
and so many people think that sports is just about
the money, right, How gonna make the money? I gonna
find a way to make the most money. There's so much,
so many other aspects to it. Yeah, which if you
make money on is great, right, definitely, especially if you
make make a profession out of it. But it's not
(19:57):
really even the most important part, right, Some of you
only find, uh, some you find over over time. Last thing,
your favorite place you have played so far in college basketball?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I say Canada Kansas game. We went to Allen Field House.
It was crazy because I couldn't hear nothing. They were
so loud, I couldn't hear anything. But it really like
motivated me. I like those type of crowds.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Who doesn't, Yeah, who doesn't when it's when it's fulling
warm ups?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It's just a buzz going, man, that's why you hoo exactly,
Like those are the moments you live.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And I know you were throwing down in warm ups, right,
Like you jump at least three or four inches higher
in warm up. Yeah, because of the crowd completed. It
is like just like high school. Actually, I'm not the
only one I think that. Okay, I'm glad, I'm not
ok And this is I hate to do the back
when I played, so Gallagher was half the size. So
we had games like that, and you know, you get
a big Kansas game and you're going up and like yeah,
(20:48):
yeah when the crowd kind of helps. Yeah, exactly, yeah
kind of John, Mike's great to catch up you man.
I thank you, appreciate it. My thanks to John Michael Wright.
Just an amazing young man, an amazing personal story. Reminded.
The Doug Gottlieb Show is daily three to five Eastern Time,
twelve to two Pacific, and of course we have the
end the Bonus podcast with the daily Pod covering all
(21:09):
college sports in the meantime. Thanks so much for listening.
I'm Doug Gotlib. This is all ball
Hey what, I'm welcome in. I'm golly, this is all Ball.
We're getting ready for college basketball season. And I caught
up with a senior guard, fifth year senior guard at
Oakham State, John Michael Wright. And John Michael Wright grew
up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and in this All Ball
we talk about not just his journey to Oklham State,
(00:27):
what it was like to play at a different school
during the COVID year, and the tragic passing of a
stepfather when they were on the road just months ago
in Spain. It's all right here in All Ball with
John Michael Wright.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Your first memory of basketballs where I was in a
living room and UNC was playing against Pitt and I
watched Tyler Haniver I'll go for like thirty points.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And that's when I.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Really was in living room where though like Faeel, North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Okay, yeah, my house is. Where's Fayeville, North Carolina? In
like okay, I know where the triangle is. You know
where Charlotte is Worsfield it's in between that, okay, in
between the two yeah, and between Charlotte and Raleigh. Okay,
So most people in Fairfield are Carolina basketball fans, yeah,
U n C. Yeah, not a lot of Duke fans.
There's no Duke fans in Carolina, right, Not Duke fans
(01:17):
are really more Northeastern. Yeah what about NC State?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
People like n C State, but they're not really like
the top dogs. It's either UNC or Duke.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Okay, so you were Carolina basketball fan? Who is your guy?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tyler Handron was him and Tyl Lawson Louston was a bad.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Boy so fast. Yeah. So you went to high school
in Faville, Yeah, high school and then what was it
like in terms of recruitment?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So in my senior year recruitment, I had probably five scholarships.
My recruitment was pretty slow in high school. I got
my first offer my freshman.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Year high school. Who was that? It was to Marshall University.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, but I didn't get my next one or two
my senior year, uh in January, which was from Hogh
Point University, where I ended up committing to. But yeah,
it was pretty I had a lot of interest from
a lot of schools, but nobody was really pulling the
trigger on me. So that process was kind of slovy.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
I've heard a high point like incredible campus. What's it
like it's amazing. It's like it's like a country club
really for college.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Like the buildings are just top notch, like a neat
Okbain the president of the school, he just proms.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Himself with just the best stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
So like he was always making renovations to buildings, building
new stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They built a new arena there my sophomore year and
it's just immaculate.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
It's just so you went there, you played for teby
TEB Smith.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
What was he like?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
He was a great coach. You know, he was a
fiery coach, had a lot of knowledge. You know, he's
part of the history of the game, and you know
he was just a great guy to be around. And
me and Coachmit really close and he's just just just
a smart basketball guy.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
What was he like in terms of influencing you in
your life?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
He was kind of like it was kind of like
my grandpa felt like he'd be calling me grand sign
and stuff because he just every day I would go
in his office and we would just talk and it
wouldn't just be about basketball. It'd be about a lot
of like life lessons. Things he went through, stuff he
wish he would have did. He was just trying to
coast me up to be a better man. How good
were you were your freshman year? I was pretty good
iveraged about fifteen points. I came off Coach Smith put
(03:08):
the ball on my hand immediately, so I had a
big responsibility in my freshman.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Year, right, so you get to play right away and
play a ton of minutes. What was the decision like
to leave there? It was hard.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
It was real tough because I had built a lot
of rapport with all those coaches in high Point and
the school. I was in love with the school and
I didn't want to leave, but Cole Smith had retired,
and because he was going somewhere, I was going to
get a new coach anyway. I just thought to myself,
I might as well try and go and play a
bigger school.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So what's it really like to put your name in
the portal?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So you go to compliance and you tell them I
want to transfer, and they'll ask you a couple questions
about why was it something wrong with the program, and
you can answer based on how you feel. I said no,
I just wanted to go to look for another school,
and they put my name in the system, and twenty
minutes later I was in the portal and the coach
was just calling me left and right.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Okay, so what's that like? Right from a guy who
you had one scholarship ball for your freshman year and
then just a handful of scholarship offers too, all of
a sudden, now lots of people are calling you. It
was it was something that I couldn't imagine. Really.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I told myself, if I was in high school and
I was getting these claws, I would be like going
ahead over heels. But at that time, my junior year,
I was a little more mature and I was really
looking for a place to settle in really quick. But
I enjoyed the process. But my phone was buzzing constantly.
A lot of coaches, a lot of great programs was reaching.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Out to me.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
But awesomely, Oklahoma State was my best.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Okay, so, so did you do zooms with everybody? Like
what was the what's the contact with me?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I did about probably about ten zones, But I did
a lot more sol phone calls over the phone with
a lot of head coaches.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
What was the weirdest, like, give me, give me a
weird zoom? I say, I had his own.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I won't say the school, but I had his own
with a coach, and it was like it was like
he was occupied doing something else. He was still trying
to talk to me, like it was kind of weird,
Like it wasn't it wasn't really professional. It was like
if he was on the phone with your homeboy and
he was playing the game and then like looking at you.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
You know, that's the perfect that's the perfect metaphor did
anybody I had this? I remember? So I went to
Notre Dame and I transferred and I sat out and
then committed late to Oklhoma State. But I remember there
were a couple of coaches late who called me and
they were like One was Norman Stewart, it's the famous
(05:15):
old coach at Missouri. And he's like you're about what
six two? And I was like, nah, which meant to me.
You literally never see me playing that. Somebody said you're
pretty good and you're available. Whatever. Did you have anybody
who're like this guy has no idea who I am? No,
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think, especially Nowaday, because it's somebody energy, yeah, synergy.
So I think coaches knew what I they was getting into.
I know here when I got here, A lot of
the players thought I was taller, because I guess they
was tall. I was six two, was will and I'm like, nah, man,
I'm barely six foot. But now I think all the
coaches pretty much knew my game because they when we
got on the phone, they were pretty much tell me
what they sing.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So obviously they had to watch some fanm The COVID
year was, which which year? My sophomore year? What was that? Like?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
It was weird because everybody in my program called COVID
but me, all the coaches and all my teammates called COVID.
So we were down for two weeks and I was
the only player in the gym that could do anything.
And then they had went and traveled.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So wait, so just that year in general, okay, you
guys run campus the whole year.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh yeah, whole year or the rest of the students
on campus, they were but you couldn't. You couldn't go
to nobody else's room. You had to wear a mask everywhere,
you couldn't come in groups. Nobody could go to the
student center and like work out or play basketball.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It was it was. It was terrible. So uh and
then what point in time in the year did did
everybody get COVID.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It was November and around November, so you.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Would go and practice by yourself?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah, I would just go to the gym, you hang out.
One time, I took like two weeks off of school.
I just went to Pennsylvania with my homeboy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Would you guys go?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We went to Ligand near Pennsylvania, which is where his
family is from. But it was like a lot of
mountain resources there, so I just want to hung out.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And what did you do when you're there?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Just went hiking, you know, just chill, went fishing, hunting
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I ain't shooting nothing, though. Have you Are you a hunter? No?
I'm not. Are you fit? Can you fish? I like
to fish it? What's bast fast lakes? Yeah? Okay, like
really good with it? You've been fly fish?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
No?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I can't. I can't get this dynamics of it. I
can't either, But I think you can be taught. I
mean I would guess probably, Yeah, I guess. Plus, I
mean you're a pretty precise guy, like I think you
could get all of that. That's and then what were
the games?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Like?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Did you have fans of the game? No fans at all?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
They cut out like cardboard faces of random students and
it was terrible.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And that was you had brand new gym that year too, right,
we did.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
But we didn't plan that, so we played in the
old gym because they were still building on it. Because
of COVID they had to slow down a little bit.
So it was supposed to be done my sophomore year,
but we didn't get in there until my junior year.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
That's crazy, Okay. So so you're meeting with all these
keyth coaches, You're taking all these zooms. How do you
decide like who's full of it and who's real?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
How?
Speaker 1 (07:51):
What? What was that process like?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So my stepdad he was in that process with me
a lot, and he knew a lot of people that
were connected to certain coaches, and you know, they would
like kind of give you the real or with the
real expectations of it, because you know, every coach will
recruiting you, they're gonna tell you what you want to hear,
you know. But I tried to do my research as
best as I could, and I had a lot of
my old AU coaches in high school coaches helping me
in that process as well, so they were able to
(08:13):
kind of help me sniff out who's real and who's
just talking. And when I met coach Mike, I could
just tell from how he talked, just he was real
about what he was saying because he didn't promise me anything.
So once he didn't, I knew he didn't promise me anything,
and then I knew, that's okay, that's the type of
guy I want to play.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
But what is it like to change levels?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It's scary, but it's also fulfilling at the same time,
especially when you were in high school and you always
thought you could play hot major like I did. Just
being able to get the opportunity to play and actually
actually getting the game, it was something that felt good
to me at the time, and it was just something
that I said, Okay, I'm glad I was able to
accomplish this in my life.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Fall down Field House was I think your first big time,
big time moment, big time game, and he played. Well
what's that like to go from playing a high point
thinking you play high major now you're taking on cancers
at the fall Man, It's a great feeling.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I mean that that stadium was rocking, but the performance
I had I always thought I could do that, so
that wasn't surprised, and it was just the fact that
I did it. You know, I had the confidence to
take the shots and make the shots that I made,
and the fact that you know, we it was a
game we should have won, and I saw, Okay, we're
actually a team that could really do something with this.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But it was a great feeling. So you get done
last year? Now how many can you get another year? No?
This is my last? Is it? Okay? What is the
process like of because you could have did you graduate
last year? I graduated, so you could have gone where
you could done the portal again? Why come back?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I just felt like it was too much left on
the table with this program and I was a big
part of that. And I just couldn't leave like that
because I've never wanted to be that type of person
to leave something and I finished what I promised I
would help get to.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Where's that come from?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Just really just really my stepdad, you know, just rooting
that into me when being younger, because I always see
him start something like he had a whole bunch of
businesses and he would never give up on them until
they got to a certain point. So and really my brother,
my older brother, he's the same type of guy. Just
seeing his story coming out of high school. He didn't
have any college scholarships either, but he worked his way
to get on the team and he was about to
(10:17):
play for Arkansas football. So, you know, just seeing that
you can do anything, you just can't quit. And I
wouldn't be able to leave and feel good about myself
knowing that it was so much left on the table.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
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Speaker 1 (10:41):
So you decided to come back, You're getting ready to
go to Spain and you find out your stepdad passed
away rights that what's that like?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And it was tough and it's just a it still is.
I mean, it still doesn't feel real because it came
out of nowhere. You know, my stepdad, he was my guy.
He was a man that raised me, and he was
the one that believed in me first when it came
to basketball when nobody else did. And he was my coach.
And so it was tough. And it's even tougher because
I have a little sister that's nine years old and
(11:12):
they were very close, and I just know it's hitting
her hard, and you know, it's just different. But you know,
it just motivates me now to make sure.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
That I play hard. Have you got enough chance to grieve?
Not really.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I didn't really have a chance too because once he passed,
he had so much stuff going on that I had
to go back home and kind of figure out how
to help put it in place because my mom couldn't
do it at the time. And you know, sometimes I
sit here and there and think about it, but I
try not to grieve too much because you know, I
don't really want to.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Be in that headspace.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And but I mean, we went to the funeral, I
tried coach Mike and them came and see me, so
I wasn't. I haven't been by myself, which is I
think is good because I had a lot of support
from my family. But yeah, I haven't really a grieved.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I obviously getting a chance to spend some time with
coach Mike Boyden and with you, like you see how
close you got are And it's one of the things
that I've kind of tried to tell people. And every
coach is different, right, like not every coach can be
like a father figure, but it feels like maybe not
father figure because that was your stepdad, but almost kind
of big brother. Is how what's your relationship like with him?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, me and Coach might have a great relationship. I
love him because he keep it real with me. You know,
he doesn't just tell me what I want to hear,
you know, and I just see his aspirations for the program.
You know, he's the type of guy that doesn't think
about himself. You know, he does things for others and
I always pride myself on doing the same thing. So
just seeing how he's at this level and how he
puts other people's perspectives before his and other people's needs
(12:39):
before his, it's just something great to me. And like
I said, when he came to the funeral, that just
really showed me what type of man he is. And
I'll run through a brick wall of Coach Mike.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
You took twenty five thousand shots this summer. How'd you
come up with that number?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
So I told Coach Mike to give me a challenge
for the summer back in May, and he said, I
challenge you to make twenty five thousand and three and
five thy one hundred free throws, So you got to
do it from June fourth all the way to August fourth,
and so I was like, bet, like, let's do it
because I wanted to put in so much work this
summer because this is my last year and I wanted
to get this program all. So he gave me that
(13:12):
number and I finished on August first. I got off
to a good head start, and I kind of got
lazy towards the middle, so it kind of caught up
to me.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But I sill, So, okay, when you take good head start,
how many would you shooting today?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I was making a thousand a day on average. It
was like eight hundred to.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
One thousand, and you were doing the machine.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
So I had I have rebounders with me so they knew, like,
I wouldn't line on my number. So Brady Price was
one of our gas helping me. Him and Zach and
a lot of the managers was helping me because I
wanted them to see that I wasn't just lying by
my number.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
How many does it take to make? How many shots
does it take to make eight hundred?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Probably probably about twelve hundred. Yeah, that's probably probably about
twel hundred shots. So it was a time where it
was I was saying July it was a week where
I made like six thousand.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
This was another week May four.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
But then I took maybe a week off because I
was just so drained. It was it was tough than
I thought it was gonna be. But then I picked
back up and I would probably make probably five hundred.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
So when you when you shoot one thousand a day,
what hurts the next day? My shoulder blaze and my back.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
It's not really my legs, it's just it's really my
Torso like everything up top was really was really bothering
me because I was getting in the ice bath, but
I wouldn't put my whole body in there. I was
just putting my little body. So my upper half was
kind of tired. And that's what really made me take
a little break because I was like, man, this is tough.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Okay, So you're now, now, what what's your pregame routine?
Terms of like you get up in the morning, Like
do you want to get up early and get a
bunch up? Like what is say you're playing seven tonight? Yeah,
what's your routine? Mean?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So I plan on making three hundred before every home game?
Speaker 1 (14:45):
You like to get up early, like to sleep in.
I like to sleep in. Okay, sleeping means what ten nine?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
It depends on what time my pregame is. So we
got pregame meal around ten. Like I'll probably get up early,
probably around seven.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
But if it's seven o'clock games, so you don't have
pregame meal three you might have around or whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
I'll probably sleep in till by nine. I go go
to the gym a by ten, put up three hundred,
and then just go throughout the day and get ready
for the game.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Rest up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
But I kind of want to I kind of want
to fit it in where I can get the three
hundred up, like right before the game starts, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
So I'm just does it matter to you? Like in
Gallagher you have the practice, Jim, Does it matter to
you if you're on the main court or is just
an any court?
Speaker 2 (15:25):
As long as you any court, as long as it's
a basket, It's cool, all right?
Speaker 1 (15:28):
What about shoes? Do you are? You you locking on
one pair and you wear them the whole year? You
like to rotate them? What's what's what's the what's the
shoe decision?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
So I lock in on one pair, but I'll be
wearing them out so much I gotta like, I gotta
start switching that.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Okay, So what's the pair gonna be this year?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
So they gave me these Team Lebron's, I'll probably wear
the o's and then they gave us some Team GT
Nike zos. Yep, those would be there. So I'm trying
to lift for a thorough and I may buy one,
but I don't know. But those two and only two
right now?
Speaker 1 (15:56):
You know, those jaws might be nice. Job like this.
I haven't tried the sun like stuff. I'm trying them either. Yeah,
those are so okay. And then how do you know
when like, are you superstitious if you play well in
the shoes, you're gonna keep wear those shoes or is
it only based upon field? Kind of?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Yeah, I'm kind of superstitious, but sometimes I feel like
it's not good.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I used to I would wouldn't wear the pair of
shoes again in a game if we lost. And so
my my junior year, we were supposed to be were
top ten in the country and we went through a
bad stretch and we lost eleven games that year. So
if you go through the pictures like there's a lot
of different shoes there. I was for the right fair.
(16:34):
You have nine new teammates. It's like the opposite of
when you showed up at Oklahoma State, where you're the
new guy. Now everybody else is, Yeah, what's that like for?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's weird because you know, like you said, I was
in the same position, but I came into a team
and I was already established. Now we pretty much broke
down the whole time. I'll create a new nucleus. So
when everybody first got here, has a lot of different
personalities that you got to get used to. And not
only is it trains first, but it's freshman that you
got to teach about college basketball in general. They haven't
played a game yet. But the coaches did a great
(17:07):
job recruiting. I think what they look for is personality
base guys that fit the program or fit coach Mike,
and I think they did a great job with that
because everybody is locked in and wants to really work hard.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, it's interest. Do you do they know how good
they have it?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Because you've been at high Point and look, high Point
had great facilities. Yeah, but it's still a lower level
of basketball in terms of support. Yeah, Like at any
point is they're like fellas, you get good playing, but
you don't realize how good you have it.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, And I say all the time, like I don't
think they don't understand, Like, but I tell them, like,
y'all don't know how good you gotta Like at high
point in my first three years, like we had to
share showers.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Now it's different because they got the new facility, but
like elms that you got your own shower, you get
a whole bunch of gear, all that, the whole nine.
You get limited, a whole bunch of access to the gym,
and you know, just the camaraderie from the students, like
you looked at as a celebrity here the high point,
I was a student that played basketball, So like, yeah,
they don't really understand, especially coming straight out of high
(18:03):
school being all Americans on five stars, Like they don't
really get that low that low level life. But I
mean to each his own, like I don't think that's
a problem, but.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
No, but if it does, that prepares you for like
when you play in Europe, Like that's kind of how
it is. We're playing the playing in the g league,
Like that's how it is. Yeah, you know, there's you
get some some of that shine of NBA stuff, but
really not not that much a great season for you
as what for me personally?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Just being able to leave my team I want to
lead us in three point percentence? Uh and three is
made because that's what I've been working on all summer.
And just being able to be a big part of
a winning program. Just winning the Big twelve obviously, but
being a big impact guy for the team, you know,
on and off the court. Just that that'll be that'll
(18:51):
be a successful season for me.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
I don't see what. I don't see why that's not
not altogether possible in ten years. Where are you? What
are you doing? Man?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
That's a that's a great question that I've been thinking
about if I'm not playing somewhere. I low key onet
to going to coaching. At first, before I came here,
I didn't really think about going into coaching, but just
being around coach Mike and this coaching staff, I see
how impactful the coach can be on a player. And
I love younger kids, and I see, like especially back
around Promise, a lot of kids that have a lot
(19:23):
of misguidance, and I think sports allows them to be
put in a situation where they could be guided in
a different perspective for the long run and not just
for the sport itself. So if I'm not playing basketball,
I'll definitely be coaching somewhere.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I mean, like, look, what you're saying is totally accurate,
and I appreciate and respect it. It is interesting, though,
and so many people think that sports is just about
the money, right, How gonna make the money? I gonna
find a way to make the most money. There's so much,
so many other aspects to it. Yeah, which if you
make money on is great, right, definitely, especially if you
make make a profession out of it. But it's not
(19:57):
really even the most important part, right, Some of you
only find, uh, some you find over over time. Last thing,
your favorite place you have played so far in college basketball?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I say Canada Kansas game. We went to Allen Field House.
It was crazy because I couldn't hear nothing. They were
so loud, I couldn't hear anything. But it really like
motivated me. I like those type of crowds.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Who doesn't, Yeah, who doesn't when it's when it's fulling
warm ups?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It's just a buzz going, man, that's why you hoo exactly,
Like those are the moments you live.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
And I know you were throwing down in warm ups, right,
Like you jump at least three or four inches higher
in warm up. Yeah, because of the crowd completed. It
is like just like high school. Actually, I'm not the
only one I think that. Okay, I'm glad, I'm not
ok And this is I hate to do the back
when I played, so Gallagher was half the size. So
we had games like that, and you know, you get
a big Kansas game and you're going up and like yeah,
(20:48):
yeah when the crowd kind of helps. Yeah, exactly, yeah
kind of John, Mike's great to catch up you man.
I thank you, appreciate it. My thanks to John Michael Wright.
Just an amazing young man, an amazing personal story. Reminded.
The Doug Gottlieb Show is daily three to five Eastern Time,
twelve to two Pacific, and of course we have the
end the Bonus podcast with the daily Pod covering all
(21:09):
college sports in the meantime. Thanks so much for listening.
I'm Doug Gotlib. This is all ball
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