AHCP | ZT Boys' Coach Tyler Cassidy | 11.29.2024

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, how are you good?

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Good? Hey, I appreciate you calling in. You guys get
off to a great start the other night, uh with
the win over Circleville. But first, just let me ask you,
as you as you kind of settle into the program
and and and some some different things throughout the off
season in the preseason, kind of give us an outlook
on how things are going for you.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
I've just been very pleased. I mean, the community is great,
there's a lot of parental support. The kids are high
character people and easy to coach. Made it easy for
me so far. And uh, we're just trying to embrace
being high character program and uh, be disciplined in details
and all that we do. Play with some toughness and uh,

(00:43):
you know, just play with a sense of purpose in
detail and spacing and timing. You know, I think our
kids have really bought into playing hard, defensively and just
give the maximum effort and playing for one another on
the floor. And you know, in the short time, I
just feel like, you know, we've done a good job
collectively of being really connected with each other on the floor.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, I think I certainly shows and as I look
at your team fighting through some different adversity early on.
Can you give us a kind of an update on
on where Zane Trace is at from a health perspective.
Is this something you'll you'll be down for a while.
Are you expect to be back to full strength at
some point?

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, Cohen broke his foot. They're the last playoff game
in the fourth quarter, and uh you know that's something
to where Kellen was probably going to serve as kind
of our sixth man and our high energy guy, give
us some toughness and a great defensive presence. And so
we're hoping we can get him back by years then,
but we'll we'll see how that goes. He had surgery

(01:49):
and it went well, but uh so we're hoping that
we can get him back, but we'll see. And then
landon Gerald, he broke his hand with thought for this
year and very unfortunate. He had a great summer and
he was running our point. So that kind of shuffled
guys around a little bit. We're hoping that we can

(02:10):
get them back maybe the first or second week of January.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, obviously it takes a huge hit. You know, a
couple of seniors there, two people that I know you're
counting on for some big roles, and but I think
what really showcases right off the bat is just the
depth of the program. I know, this is a senior
class that's that's done a lot of winning at the
different levels growing growing up, which I think is important.
And you know, now it's kind of their turn, so

(02:35):
to speak. And you guys get off to a great
start the other night. Kind of a tough first half.
I watched it, but I really was impressed by how
your kids responded in the second half. Just kind of
take us through your your win over Circleville.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Yeah, you know, we came out hot. We started, you know,
with seven zero run right start the game. I thought
we had great energy. Defensively, we had good communication. Offensively,
we were being aggressive attacking the paint and transition. And
then they it seemed like as soon as they made
a buck and was able to jump into their zone,

(03:11):
it kind of slowed us down and we were trying
to figure out their zone for a little bit. And
you know, we knew that we're probably going to face
their zone. Their their size and their length was very
bothersome to Greenfield when we watched them in the Foundation games.
And you know, I think they helped Greenfield to like
twenty six points or something, and we got it in spots.

(03:34):
But I think it was just different with their length,
having you know, two six five guys on the inside,
and also we put in some stuff and guys changing,
you know, Landing Robinson for example, we had him at
our flour maybe in our high posts a lot, and
then we decided, you know, I think it's best for
our team right now if he went back to the

(03:54):
point kind of like what he did sophomore year and
he did a good job, had six or six, so
that put somebody else in that position in the high
post or you know, we 're in a lot of
guard continuity, trying to flash in because we have some
lengths with our guards and they're good pastors like Grady
and Ezra and Landing. But when you're putting in there stuff,
it's one thing to know it, but then it's another

(04:16):
thing to be able to execute it, know where people
are going to be, knowing when to attack, knowing timing,
spacing and detail.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, it's interesting you said it that way because you know,
as you're telling me about some of the injuries and
I was thinking about your team, that the word that
comes to my mind, is the versatility you kind of
today's positionless basketball. You guys have a lot of those
hybrid type skill sets. I know you had four guys
in double figures the other night and really really share
the ball. Has that been something especially as you go

(04:47):
to put your system in that you've been really pleased
with just the versatility in terms of the skill sets
that some of these kids have to offer.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
They all have great ball skill, their passing ability, their
footwork on the perimeter. You know, we we don't have
a whole lot of turnovers. They don't force things, and
it goes back to how they were coached. I think
you kind of previously mentioned it. At the younger grades,
you can tell that they've been coached in the fundamentals.
Their footwork is great on the perimeter, allows them to

(05:15):
play off two feet when we finally do get it
to the paint. And we're still a work in progress.
But I think that what you saw also was our poison,
just our composure coming out of halftime. There's no panic
in our kids, and they just have a winner's mentality.
And as a coach, that makes it kind of comforting

(05:36):
to you that you know you cannot play your best,
but you have trust in your kids. They have trust
in you and that you're going to go out still
get the job done. Were you nervous when you took
the coaching position that they may be hesitant to buy
into your coaching style? Well, I think each coach is

(05:59):
unique and different, and you know, uh, when I first
got the job, I'm sure they were probably like too
as this guy, I'm from the Mid State League, and
you know, I didn't really know that many Van Trace people.
But I had an assistant at Circleville who I'm good

(06:20):
friends with still search and he kind of encouraged me.
He said, I think I think he would be a
good fit for being Trace and he I really am
glad that I decided to apply for the job. It was.
It just seems like it's been a good fit. I
feel like, you know, being a graduate of loganow and
it kind of reminds me a lot of that community.

(06:40):
A lot of pride in their basketball, but really good families,
really good support for their kids, and kids who are
willing to work hard, and uh, you know, I just
feel like our kids have bought in. I feel like,
you know, our practices are really intense we challenge them
to be detailed. We challenge them to have maximum effort.
We challenge him every day to fight for a culture

(07:04):
of character and discipline and toughness. And really it goes
back to our seniors and even the two who are injured,
Lane and Jerrold and Joe and Larson, those two are
there every single day. Cohen's running the clock for us
every day. He hasn't missed the practice Lane and Jerald's
like become my assistant coach, you know, with them not playing.

(07:27):
He was with me scouting tonight and you probably if
you're at the game, he saw I'm staying in that
pointing out thanks. He knows our offense as well as
any player that's actually on the floor. So when he
gets back, I don't think he'll miss.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
A beat well, no question. And it's just the depth
I talked about, the versatility, but the depths another staple
of the same Trace program too. You know we mentioned
that Stuart Robertson, McCall and rip with all in double
figures the other day, but even Houston and Hanks are
two more seniors that come into my mind. Just quite
a bit of depth. Sayer as well, do you feel
pretty confident and down the depth chart being able to

(08:03):
go seven, eight to nine. Ye.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
Absolutely, you know, no only got three shots the other night.
I don't think we did a good job of being
able to get the ball to him. We talked about it,
but again, I think it was kind of the continuity
of what we were running and trying to do some
different things. And over the summer there were several times
where he was our leading scorer and that's just gonna

(08:27):
be gaming game night. He might have tin shots, he
might have three like he did the other night. But
I was really impressed with his effort defensively. He was
flying around. He I think he had six or seven
rebounds for us, and he was in foul trouble for
a good portion in the game. But Judah Hanks was
a senior that decided to play this year after not
playing last year, and he gives us the spark defensively

(08:50):
at times and can't really get after other teams point
guards and somebody who I felt confident and trust him,
and you know, subb and out Ezra or grade Ye
or whoever we need to to get a blow. And
then Sebastian Ray is another one. I know he didn't
get as much playing time as what you know he
he has in our scrimmages because we really felt confident

(09:13):
and the way that Gunner was rebounding and defending their bigs.
But he's somebody that we have a lot of confidence
as well. And Roman Barry, who's the sophomore who this
is going to continue to get better and better and better.
And he's really committed to you know, the sport and
is that every worked out puts the next shift shooting.

(09:35):
And he's somebody that I think as the year goes on,
we'll have some big games for us.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
Well, last question, I'll get you out of here on
this one, coach. I know you know oftentimes program like
Zane Trace here and you're out wearing the bulls eyes
one of the league favorites. And this year no different.
And I know Tuesday night, if I'm not mistaken, I
don't have your schedule in front of me. But you
open at West Fall, Is that correct?

Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah? We opened out West Ball.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
So that's always one of the real sneaky h opponents
in terms of one of the great home court advantages
in our league. And they're an athletic bunch. I've seen
on films several times in the preseason. Talk to us
a little bit about that matchup in the short turnaround
here as you get ready to go Tuesday night.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, I think you know, Circlevol was a great win.
We were excited the way we played in the second half.
But we know what kind of makes our team go,
what we need to do to be successful. We're definitely
not an offensive basketball team that's going to go out
and beat people, you know, outscoring them, and I think
Westball that's something that they could probably do. We definitely

(10:39):
want to It's not that we can't play fast, but
we understand that they have really good guard play with
Joe Ray, the Craig Boy and Griggs By. Those three
I think accounts for something like forty nine out of
their fifty three the other night. And they run a
ball screen continuity and they're really good at it. Their
guards are great at get getting the ball to the

(11:00):
paint and they force you to help. And then they
have good three point shooters. And the Dome is an
atmosphere that is going to be a tough one to
open up SEC play in. I think, you know, West
Fall is a very scary basketball team to open up
with and we need to be ready to go to
be able to go in there and get a win.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
Well, I'm sure you will be and Coach, I'll tell
you what I really enjoyed watching your team play the
other night. I look forward to following you throughout the year.
I appreciate you calling in the night and hope you'll
be able to do so at each and every Friday Night.

Speaker 1 (11:31):
Absolutely appreciate it. Thank you guys.