Jerod Morris

On this special episode of Assembly Call Radio, it’s a Tonsoni Takeover!

Coach is behind the wheel with his boys Brent and Brandon alongside for an in-depth discussion about what it’s like behind the scenes of a Division 1 basketball program. (Brandon was a manager at IU under Tom Crean and Brent was a manager at Indiana State under Greg Lansing.)

The boys also discuss this week’s headlines: Jerome Hunter’s departure, the new grad assistant, and the Big Ten opponent announcement.

And stick around after Segment 3 for the debut of new Bob Thompson music! When he sent it to Jerod, he billed it as the best song he’s created yet and … it doesn’t disappoint. Then, during AC After Dark, Jerod shares the story of his email exchange with Mark Cuban and explains why it’s time for sports fans to start paying a little closer attention to NFTs.

All that and more on this week’s edition of Assembly Call Radio.

Listen to the podcast here:

[Read more…] about AC Radio: Tonsoni Takeover!

On May 7th, Jerod had the opportunity to resume his chat with Devonte Green (listen to Part 1 here), one of the few players who straddled the Tom Crean and Archie Miller Eras, and a player who brought flashes of explosive offense during one of the more offensively challenged eras of IU basketball.

We cover a wide variety of topics in this follow-up conversation, including:

• Whether the media should be given more access to players while they’re in college
• How will more lenient NIL rules affect college players? Will it cause problems in locker rooms?
• His experience leaning on IU resources for mental health support
• What his childhood was like and when he started playing basketball.
• How is relationship with his brother has evolved over the years
• How he evolved as a young basketball player
• The two guys on the current team he thinks will thrive under Mike Woodson.
• What it’s like playing pickup games with guys IU is recruiting
• The time he dunked on OG (whether OG will admit it or not)
• The best shooter, players, dunker, leader, and passer he played with at IU
• What traditions meant the most to him at IU? And what should IU do to modernize the program?

And a lot more. We also talk about some of his lowest moments as a player, after celebrating the best moments in our last episode.

Our thanks to Devonte for being so generous with his time.

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about Hoosier Storytime with Devonte Green (Part 2)

On May 5th, Jerod had the opportunity to chat with Devonte Green, one of the few players who straddled the Tom Crean and Archie Miller Eras.

We cover a wide variety of topics about his career at IU, including:

• The recent health diagnosis that ended his first professional season prematurely (and how it will impact his career moving forward)
• His memories of the Florida State game and the feeling in the locker room when that season was cut short by COVID
• Reflections on the Iowa game and how he views the way he fit in Archie Miller’s offense
• What it’s like to be scorching hot on the basketball court.
• His very strong opinions about the packline defense.
• His role in the two Michigan State wins his junior year, and the impact of his suspension prior to the first Michigan State win (and how that drove him moving forward)
• His relationship with Archie Miller and how it evolved over time.
• Archie Miller’s surprising reaction to Devonte’s famous shoe-in-hand steal … and does he steal have the shoe??
• How he reacted to Tom Crean chewing him out after throwing an alley-oop to Freddie McSwain as a freshman

And so much more, including a hilarious story end to end the interview about an interaction he had with Archie … and why his ex-coach still owes him a million dollars. It’s a wide-ranging, fun conversation. Enjoy!

Here is the article by Eddie Koton that I mentioned: Devonte Green: More than just a cheat code

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about Hoosier Storytime with Devonte Green

On April 28th, Jerod had the opportunity to chat with Steve Green, Bob Knight’s first recruit and a member of the vaunted 1975 team.

If you’ve ever heard an interview with Steve, you know that he is gregarious, high-energy, and very engaging. He certainly did not disappoint in this conversation.

We cover a wide variety of topics:

• What he and Brian Evans are up to with Arora Sleep.
• The connection he made with Branch McCracken before ever meeting Bob Knight.
• How the 1976 team has welcomed he and John Laskowski as one of their own, even though they graduated in 1975.
• The story of his first technical foul, and why it was extra hypocritical for Bob Knight to chew him out that day.
• His IU recruiting story.
• His thoughts on why Mike Woodson will be such a good fit at IU
• How he would fix IU’s program-wide shooting woes.
• The advice he would give to an incoming freshman.

And so much more. It’s a wide-ranging, fun conversation that I think you’ll really enjoy.

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about Hoosier Storytime with Steve Green

Wait, this a 90-minute episode about a tweet? You’re damn right it is. Because the viral tweet the IU mens basketball program sent yesterday isn’t just a great story on its own; it’s a microcosm of a dramatic shift within the athletic department that has Indiana sports poised to be a national leader for years to come.

First, Jerod Morris talks to longtime assistant AD Jeremy Gray (@IUJGray) about how IU’s epic troll of the most unreasonable elements of its fan base came about, and how it fits into a larger narrative about the departments commitment to NIL, having an engaging public persona, and putting athletes first.

Then, assistant director of video services Andrew Brown (@IUAndrew) joins to discuss how the tweet itself came about, the “branding meetings” going on behind the scenes with IU players, and how he and the other members of the department get their inspiration for the content that has been engaging Indiana sports fans for the last year-plus.

If you missed the tweet, rectify that now: https://twitter.com/IndianaMBB/status/1387087262073171971

Also, here is the URL Jerod mentions off the top: http://assemblycall.com/pp

Listen to the podcast here:

[Read more…] about The Inside Story of the Greatest Tweet in IU Basketball History

On Wednesday afternoon, we were fortune enough to get 30 minutes of time from IU assistant coach Kenya Hunter. He and Jerod cover a number of topics, including:

• Hot yoga?
• The Tweet he sent after Tamar Bates’ commitment
• The enthusiasm around the program
• Tim Miles’ hilarious story about trying to break into Assembly Hall
• His reaction to IU’s players saying they want better relationships and more development
• What was up with the shooting last season? And what’s being done to improve it moving forward.
• The impact of COVID on last season’s team
• His pedigree as a defensive coach, and whether or not that will be his role under Mike Woodson
• The importance of relationships in recruiting
• Which players he expects to take the biggest steps forward with a full summer

And more.

It’s a fun conversation, and you get a sense for why many people consider Kenya to be a future high-level head coach.

If you want to take Jerod up on the community offer he mentions at the beginning of the episode, go to http://assemblycall.com/community

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

[Read more…] about Kenya Hunter on The Tweet, Improving Shooting, and Working for Mike Woodson