SAN ANTONIO -- After both teams won their first two games of the UTSA men's basketball multi-team event, the squads will square off in a decisive game three of the event to determine the winner, with the Roadrunners hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday at 3 p.m. live on CUSA TV and Ticket 760 AM.
UTSA (3-2) posted wins over Denver (78-64) and IUPUI (60-57) to open the tournament while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-1) earned wins over IUPUI (65-59) and Denver (69-67). The Roadrunners opened up the week with a setback against Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday, with the Lions sinking a half-court shot at the buzzer to sink the Roadrunners in a game that was played to ensure equity in terms of games played in three days.
Series History, Last Meeting
• UTSA owns a 13-12 lead in the series with the Islanders and have won three straight meetings. In games played in San Antonio, UTSA sports an 8-5 lead in the series, with the last loss coming in 2015. In the last meeting in 2019 in San Antonio, Keaton Wallace poured in 31 points with seven rebounds, including a 15 of 15 showing at the free-throw line, the second-most made without a miss in program history. Jhivvan Jackson, Knox Hellums and Jacob Germany each had 12 points. Nolan Bertain led the Islanders with 18 points. UTSA shot 54.5 percent in the win, with TAMU-CC shooting at a 47.4 clip.
Leading the Roadrunners
• The Roadrunners are coming off a furious comeback win over the Jags on Wednesday that saw IUPUI own a 10-point lead with 6:44 left in the game. UTSA outscored IUPUI 16-3 to finish the game, including netting the final nine points – highlighted by Dhieu Deing's seven straight points, including the game-winning bucket – to secure the comeback win despite shooting just 33 percent as a team. UTSA held the Jags without a bucket for the final 2:44 on the clock.
• UTSA has been led through five games in scoring by sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, who had a career-high 27 points in the win over Denver. Ivy-Curry averages 15.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 41.4 percent from deep. Deing averages 15 points and six rebounds per game, with a team-leading eight steals. Junior center Jacob Germany sports 13.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while senior forward Cedrick Alley Jr., who had a double-double vs. Commerce and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. IUPUI, averages 7.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
• The Roadrunners have averaged 68.2 points per game in 2021, allowing 69.6 points per outing. UTSA has shot 38.2 percent from the field with foes shooting 47 percent. UTSA owns 38.8 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Season-opening win shows fast-paced style
• UTSA opened the season with a 97-66 win over Trinity [Texas] on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.
• UTSA was led by four players in double figures, including junior center Jacob Germany who had 24 points and three rebounds. Jordan Ivy-Curry (19), Darius McNeill (11), Dhieu Deing (13) each scored in double figures as UTSA shot 47.4 percent from the field, owning margins in fast-break points (32-11), points off turnovers (29-8), points in the paint (52-38) and second-chance points (18-6).
Returning from the 2020-21 roster
• UTSA returns several key contributors from a 2020-21 team that went 15-11 and 9-7 in league play to finish seventh overall in the standings. The Roadrunners must replace the top two scorers in program history, guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace, but return four players who earned starts last year. Among the returnees, including junior center Jacob Germany, who averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, starting 24 of 26 games. Senior forward Cedrick Alley Jr., a former Texas Mr. Basketball and transfer from Houston, started 16 of 24 games, averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, a 2020-21 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, averaged 7.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while making starts in the final 11 games of the year, eight UTSA wins. Junior point guard Erik Czumbel made seven starts as a sophomore, with senior forward Phoenix Ford making a pair of starts in the post.
• The Roadrunners averaged 78.8 points per game in 2020-21, allowing 73.3 points. UTSA shot 44.7 percent and 33.4 percent from 3-point range, with a 76.1 percent clip from the free-throw line. Opponents shot 42.3 percent as a team and 33.8 percent from range. UTSA owned a 38.5 average in rebounds per game, with 6.2 steals and 3.2 blocks.
Replacing History
• The major storyline for the Roadrunners in 2021-22 is how will UTSA replace the top two scorers in program history? Four-year starting guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace lit up scoreboards throughout their careers as explosive scoring dynamos. Jackson finished his career tops in program history and 52nd in college basketball history with 2,551 career points. Wallace checked in second in program history and 458th in NCAA history with 2,080 career points. The pair combined as the second-highest scoring duo from the same recruiting class in NCAA history, behind only Duke's Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alaire. For four seasons, UTSA's offense revolved around getting quality looks for the two best scorers in program history and with the pair off to professional basketball, UTSA will have a different look in 2021-22. The Roadrunners will utilize junior center Jacob Germany, an athletic two-year starter, 6-foot-2 scoring guard Jordan Ivy-Curry and senior Cedrick Alley Jr. as key elements in the offense. In addition, UTSA welcomes the addition of senior Darius McNeill, a former four-star recruit who set the Cal program record for freshman 3-pointers, before transferring to SMU last year.
Henson in sixth year leading roadrunners
• The Roadrunners are led by sixth-year head coach Steve Henson, the 2017-18 Conference USA Coach of the Year.
• Henson, a former star player at Kansas State (1986-90), took over at UTSA for the 2015-16 season and has quickly transitioned the Roadrunners in an up-tempo, high-scoring offensive unit.
• The native of Kansas took over at UTSA after five years as an assistant at Oklahoma for Lon Kruger. Henson was also on the staff with Kruger for seven seasons at UNLV after a season at South Florida and with the Atlanta Hawks.
• A member of the Kansas State Athletics Hall of Fame who led K-State to four straight NCAA Tournaments, Henson owns program records for assists, assists per game, free-throw percentage, minutes played, minutes per game, starts, consecutive games played and consecutive starts. He ranks among the program best in nine categories, including 3-point field goals and percentage, steals, free throws, scoring and assist to turnover ratio.
• A two-sport standout at K-State, he was a decathlete and placed third as a sophomore and junior at the Big Eight Championships.
• He was a second-round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1990 NBA Draft – going 44th overall – and played seven years in the NBA and two seasons in Italy and Greece.
• Henson is one of 21 coaches in the NCAA who played in the NBA.
• Henson earned Mr. Basketball honors while playing for his legendary father at McPherson High School.
• Henson has a knack for coaching elite scoring guards, including former Oklahoma standout Buddy Hield.
The Germ ready to lead
• UTSA's returning leader is junior center Jacob Germany, a 6-foot-11 native of Kingston, Okla. A former four-star recruit, who at the time as the top recruit in program history, Germany has started 34 of 57 games in his two-year career. A remarkable athlete with the ability to jump out of the gym and who is also considered UTSA's fastest player from line-to-line, Germany has developed into a major post threat to score and has worked diligently at expanding his game as a shooter. After arriving to San Antonio with a projectable frame, Germany has solidified his 235-pound body to more adequately handle the rigors of post play in Conference USA. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last year while playing 21.2 minutes per game. He finished with a 49.1 percent clip from the field overall with five double-doubles. He had a season-best 26 points and 12 rebounds against Florida Atlantic as a sophomore and went for 15 rebounds in a win at Old Dominion as a freshman.
Juice back for encore
• A key returnee for the Roadrunners in 2021-22 is sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, who dons the nickname "Juice". A 2020-21 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, Juice averaged 7.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last year, while shooting 47.8 percent from 3-point range in league games. After UTSA put Juice in the starting lineup for the final 11 games of the year, UTSA ripped off an 8-3 record. The 6-foot-2, 170 pound scoring dynamo, said he earned the nickname playing pickup basketball with older hoopers when he was young. His spark and energy, and ability to bring it against the older foes, earned him the nickname "Juice" by his opponents on the pickup court. Since gaining that nickname, Juice has lived up to it, scoring over 2,000 points at La Marque High School before coming to the Roadrunners. Despite playing in a backcourt with two of the top seven active scorers in college basketball and two of the top 15 in C-USA history, Ivy-Curry has shined.
Recruiting success
• UTSA has transformed the way the Roadrunners recruit under sixth-year head coach Steve Henson. Henson, along with assistant coaches Mike Peck, Adam Hood and Scott Thompson, have brought in four of the top five recruits in program history. The Roadrunners have three former four-star recruits on the roster in 2021-22, including junior center Jacob Germany, freshman 6-foot-9 forward Josh Farmer and former Cal/SMU transfer Darius McNeill.
Welcome to San Antonio, Darius
• UTSA's roster is buoyed by the addition of former four-star recruit, point guard Darius McNeill in 2021-22. McNeill, a former standout at Houston's Westfield High School, opened his career at Cal after receiving tons of recruiting interest. He set the Bears standard for freshman 3-pointers made, sinking 67 on 35.3 percent shooting. He averaged 11.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, with 2.2 assists per outing. McNeill started 30 of 32 games for the Bears as a freshman and had several breakout moments, including splashing a career-high 30 points with six assists vs. Cal State Fullerton in 2017-18. As a sophomore for the Bears, McNeill averaged 11.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, starting 28 of 31 outings, shooting 34.9 percent from range. After sitting out the 2019-20 season, McNeill went to SMU during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 campaign, making one start in 12 games, with 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He had a 17 point outing at Temple on Dec. 30, and went for 13 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and at Dayton.
Deing plays for South Sudan in AfroBasket
• UTSA junior guard Dhieu Deing played for South Sudan in the 2021 FIBA African National Basketball Championship Aug. 24-Sept. 5 in Rwanda.
• Deing will suit up for his home nation in the 30th edition of the continental competition. The South Sudan team, coached by former 10-year NBA veteran Royal Ivey, has opened training camp in advance of the competition.
• This is South Sudan's first qualification to an international basketball tournament after gaining independence in 2011 as Africa's youngest country.
• Sudan is slated in Group D with Senegal, Cameroon and Uganda, part of a 16-team field.
• Deing, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard, transferred to UTSA after spending the 2020-21 season at Dodge City Community College in Kansas. He spent his freshman year at NCAA Division II USC Aiken in 2019-20 after completing his high school career as a two-time all-state honoree at High Point Central in High Point, N.C.
• Last year at Dodge City, Deing averaged 19.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, going for 20 or more points in 10 games. He had 30 or more in three games, including a season-high 34 points in early April. He shot 33.8 percent from 3-point range, 75.3 percent from the free-throw line and 39.1 percent from the field.
Wallace plays in summer league, drafted into g league
• UTSA basketball great Keaton Wallace was picked in the second round with the ninth overall selection in the 2021 NBA G League Draft by the Wisconsin Herd and traded to the Los Angeles Clippers affiliate.
• Wallace, a native of Dallas, Texas, played the 2021 NBA Summer League with the Memphis Grizzlies, where had had several breakout moments, including exploding for a team-high 20 points in his summer league debut against the Utah Jazz summer league roster.
• A 6-foot-3 guard who prepped at Richardson High School, Wallace exited his career at UTSA as the second all-time leading scorer in program history, netting 2,080 points in his career. He totaled the sixth-most points in Conference USA history and his total ranked 428th in NCAA basketball history. A four-time All-Conference USA selection, Wallace averaged 11.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game during an all-freshman team campaign in 2017-18, before going for 20.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He went for 18.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a junior before averaging 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds, with a career-best 3.4 assists per game in 2020-21.
• He ranks among the UTSA all-time leaders in points, ranking seventh in scoring average (16.8), third in games played (125), four in starts (109), third in free-throw percentage (80.6), seventh in free-throws made (304), second in field goal (715), ninth in rebounds (554) and sixth in assists (355).
• Combining with backcourt mate Jhivvan Jackson, the pair formed the second-highest scoring duo of any single recruiting class in NCAA history, behind only Duke's Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie in 1982-83. He was a two-time NABC All-District selection and a five-time C-USA Player of the Week, including when he poured in a career-best 45 points in a win at Marshall as a sophomore.
Cedrick Alley a defensive stopper
• Senior forward Cedrick Alley Jr. has developed a reputation throughout his career as a defensive stopper. A solidly built 6-foot-6, Alley opened his first three years as a former Texas Mr. Basketball at Houston. He was a weapon for the Cougs in 2018-19, starting 16 of 37 games played, averaging 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, connecting on 31 3-points. After playing in 23 games off the bench in 2019-20, Alley transferred to UTSA for the 2020-21 season. He started 16 games and played in 24, with 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 34 percent from range and 41.7 percent from the field. He took on prime defensive assignments throughout the year on the best opposing post players, locking up standout players including UTEP's Bryson Williams and WKU's Charles Bassey. As a senior in 2021-22, Alley has been rewarded with a "black shirt" during practice, signifying a player who is displaying the proper attention and intensity on the defensive end. He has stated throughout preseason that his top goal is to win C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors and matchup nightly against the best player on the opposition.
Italian connection
• For each year of the Coach Steve Henson era, UTSA has had an Italian point guard in the mix. For three years, 6-foot-3 guard Giovanni de Nicolao led the team, nightly setting up scoring guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace, and helping pace the defensive sets for an offensively inclined team. After graduating and moving on to professional basketball in Italy, UTSA turned to Verona, Italy, native Erik Czumbel to run the point for much of his first two years on campus. A 6-3 point guard, Czumbel has started 31 games over two seasons. A defensively focused guard, Czumbel has found his 3-point stroke throughout his career, hitting on 37.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, including a 38.5 percent clip in 2020-21.
The American comes calling
• UTSA is in the midst of the most exciting time in its athletic history during the fall of 2021. The Roadrunners football team has broke into the top-25 for the first time in their 11-year history, sporting an 8-0 record heading into a matchup at UTEP on Nov. 6. UTSA has also announced that it will officially transition into The American Conference in the coming years after functioning as a member of Conference USA since 2014.
• "We are thrilled to be joining The American Conference. Our growth as a university and athletics program has been exciting to be involved in and this is one of the most important days in UTSA history," UTSA head coach Steve Henson said on the day of the announcement. "The American is one of the top basketball conferences in the nation, consistently putting multiple teams into the NCAA Tournament, and we will be honored to have the opportunity to compete in such a basketball-rich league. This is a tremendous opportunity to elevate our brand as a university and provide great opportunities for our student-athletes. We want to thank Dr. Campos and Commissioner Aresco for their vision for the future of our conference and university."
New RACE building
• The Roadrunners moved into a $45.4 million facility in the fall of 2021, which includes among others, an academic center, practice fields, sports medicine and strength and conditioning centers, meeting rooms, student-athlete lounges and coaching and staff offices. The basketball staff has taken over the former football building and construction is underway on a new practice court for the facility and a renovated office space for Coach Steve Henson and the staff. It marks a big moment for UTSA athletics, which has been around just since 1981 and has only been playing football since 2011, with the university celebrating a 50th anniversary in 2019-20.
Australian bruiser
• The Roadrunners return a sophomore bruiser in the post in 6-foot-6, 220-pound Lachlan Bofinger. A native of Sydney, Australia, who prepped at Montverde Academy in Florida, Bofinger adapted well to collegiate basketball in 2020-21 and has taken steps to improve his skill level entering an encore season. A dedicated force in the weight room, Bofinger has the ability to jump out of the gym and has developed a soft shooting touch in the offseeason.
Schedule features 18 games at the convo
• UTSA will play an 18-game home schedule, featuring nine conference games and nine non-conference matchups at the Convocation Center. UTSA's complete schedule is a 31-game slate, with 18 games in league play.
• "Our nonconference schedule, which includes competitive programs from the Big 12, Horizon League, Missouri Valley and WAC, will give us a good opportunity to prepare for the rigors of the C-USA season," Henson said. "One of our goals this year was to create more opportunities to play games in front of our fans in San Antonio and this will mark the most non-conference home games we've had in our time here. We are grateful to our stakeholders for their hard work, creativity and generosity in allowing us the opportunity to play more at the Convocation Center as we gear up for league play. We're excited to get this team out on the court and continue to progress towards our goals."
Up-tempo style
• A hallmark of Coach Steve Henson's philosophy in building a program is the ability to play a fast-tempo style. The Roadrunners have ranked among the NCAA's top teams for the last four years in pace of play, including checking in 37th in adjusted tempo in 2020-21 according to KenPom rankings. UTSA ranked among the top in college basketball and consistently second or third in Conference USA in pace of play, allowing its student-athletes to play with a free style and showcase their talents to run the floor and shoot 3-pointers.
Christian Wood making an impact
• A major impact on the UTSA basketball program has been third-year strength and conditioning coach Christian Wood. Wood, a former basketball standout at Our Lady of the Lake and one-time football athlete at UTSA has been named UTSA's Director of Basketball Performance before the 2021-22 season, focusing specifically on the Roadrunners basketball program. He has helped several athletes transform their frames, including center Jacob Germany, who has been a 235-pound force in the post, sophomore Lachlan Bofinger, a 220-pound Australian bruiser, senior forward Phoenix Ford, a 225 pound post weapon and Cedrick Alley Jr.
UTSA to host NCAA regional in 2021-22
• UTSA will host an NCAA South Regional March 24-26 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. This comes a year after the Roadrunners served as the host institution for all 64 teams in the women's championship in San Antonio, with the entirety of the tournament moved to the Alamo City for COVID precautions.
Lone-Star impact
• UTSA is proud of its Texas roots and that shows in the makeup of the roster. The Roadrunners boast seven members of the 2021-22 roster who hail from Texas, including Isaiah Addo-Ankrah (Houston), Aleu Aleu (Austin), Josh Farmer (Houston), Cedrick Alley Jr. (Houston), Jordan Ivy-Curry (La Marque), Artan Jabbar (Fort Worth) and Darius McNeill (Houston) each count Texas as their home state.
Rodriguez to retire from basketball
• UTSA men's basketball fifth-year senior forward Adrian Rodriguez has elected to retire from basketball for medical reasons.
• "Today is a hard day as I'm announcing that I am completing my career as a Roadrunner due to medical reasons," Rodriguez said. "I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play the game that I love for as long as I have. Without Him none of this would have been possible. I want to give a huge thank you to the Roadrunner Nation for the constant support throughout the years and hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have. I have made so many life-long friendships throughout my time in a UTSA jersey. I have created amazing relationships with the coaches and staff. It gives me great comfort that I can call on them for anything. All the relationships I have created have only grown stronger through the good times and the bad. These past few years have taught me a lot about myself. During my time with Coach Henson, I have grown not only as a basketball player, but as a man and for that I am eternally grateful. Birds Up!"
• Rodriguez, a native of Tulsa, Okla., has battled injuries throughout his career as a Roadrunner. He suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener of his true freshman season on Nov. 12, 2017, a game that saw him opened his career with 10 points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes. He battled back to return to the court for the 2018-19 season, playing in 29 of UTSA's 32 games.
• In his third season in 2019-20, Rodriguez played in 23 games with three starts before playing in 18 of 26 games in 2020-21 with four starts in the post. A 6-foot-7, 245-pound bruiser in the post, Rodriguez played in 71 games with seven starts in his career, scoring 157 points and grabbing 184 rebounds, blocking 17 shots with 10 steals.
• "Adrian means so much to this program," UTSA head coach Steve Henson said. "He has been so vital to this program and the campus community since arriving here from Tulsa. His work ethic, positive attitude and passion for his school and teammates has been inspirational. After suffering an injury in his first collegiate game, Adrian worked daily at rehab in an effort to be the best teammate he can be and only through his hard work he was able to come back and become a key part of our roster for the last three years. His energy and positivity has been infectious and he has always been there for his teammates. It was a joy to coach him and I will always be in his corner. We know that Adrian is going to be successful in his next stage of life and that he will always be a Roadrunner."
Win the boards, win the game
• A hallmark of UTSA head coach Steve Henson's system is the ability to win the battle of the boards. Over his career, UTSA is 62-20 - and went 12-2 in 2020-21 - when winning the rebounding battle. Last year, UTSA ranked No. 38 in the NCAA in rebounds per game and second in the league.
Henson one of 24 former NBA players coaching in NCAA
• UTSA fifth-year head coach Steve Henson is one of 24 former NBA players to ascend to head coaching jobs during the 2021-22 season and is the only coach in Conference USA with NBA playing experience.
• Henson played nine years professionally, including time with the Milwaukee Bucks (1990-92), Atlanta Hawks (1992-93), Charlotte Hornets (1993), Portland Trailblazers (1994-95) and Detroit Pistons (1998-99).
• A Kansas State Athletics Hall of Famer as a two-sport athlete with the Wildcats, Henson was the 44th overall selection in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Bucks.
• Henson was a four-year starting point guard at Kansas State from 1986-90. He earned All-Big Eight Conference honors as a junior and senior and also was named an honorable mention All-American and team captain during each of his final two seasons. He was the first player in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and as a sophomore in 1987-88, he helped guide the Wildcats to a 25-9 record and a spot in the Elite Eight.
• Henson led Kansas State in scoring his final two years by averaging 18.5 points per game as a junior and 17.4 points per game as a senior. He holds three of the top four single-season free throw percentages in school history, including an NCAA-leading .925 mark as a sophomore, while he finished second in the country as a junior (.920).
• He still holds all-time program records for assists (582), assists per game (4.58), free-throw percentage (.900), minutes played (4,474), minutes per game (35.2), starts (118), consecutive games played (127) and consecutive starts (118). Henson ranks among the best in school annals in nine other categories, including 3-point field goals (240/2nd), 3-point field goal percentage (.447/2nd), steals (190/2nd), 3-point field goal attempts (537/3rd), free throws (361/4th), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98/4th), scoring (1,655/6th), games played (127/7th) and field goals (527/7th).
Former NBA Players as Head Coaches in NCAA
Steve Alford, Nevada
Speedy Claxton, Hofstra
Hubert Davis, North Carolina
Johnny Dawkins, Central Florida
Juan Dixon, Coppin State
Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
Kim English, George Mason
Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
Penny Hardaway, Memphis
Steve Henson, Texas-San Antonio
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Juwan Howard, Michigan
Lindsey Hunter, Mississippi Valley State
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State
Mark Madsen, Utah Valley State
Cuonzo Martin, Missouri
Aaron McKie, Temple
Fran O'Hanlon, Lafayette (ABA)
Lorenzo Romar, Pepperdine
Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt
Reggie Theus, Bethune-Cookman
Darrell Walker, Little Rock
Mo Williams, Alabama State
Mike Woodson, Indiana
Defending home court
• Under head coach Steve Henson, UTSA has posted a 61-19 record at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners went 11-3 at home in 2016-17, 12-4 in 2017-18, 11-4 in 2018-19, 10-5 in 2019-20 and 12-2 in 2020-21.
• Prior to the Henson era, UTSA last posted consecutive 11-win home campaigns when the program went 11-3 in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 as members of the Southland Conference.
• The 1991-92 team was the last Roadrunners squad to win more than 12 games at home, finishing 14-1.
Peck to participate in Next Up Head Coaches Training Initiative
• UTSA men's basketball associate head coach Mike Peck has been selected as one of 12 participants around collegiate men's and women's basketball for the "Next Up" Head Coaches Training Initiative, announced by The Rising Coaches Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Alliance.
• Peck, in his sixth year as UTSA's associate head coach, is a member of the Asian Coaches Association, which is one of 12 organizations that make up the DEI Alliance. The member organizations each nominated two coaches – who are each poised to become head coaches – to represent their groups in the Next Up Initiative. Of the nominees, 12 coaches were selected by a DEI committee to participate in the Next Up Training Initiative in late October.
•Peck, who is charged with assisting in all aspects of the management of the Roadrunner program, works directly as UTSA's guard player development coach, a role that helped in the careers of standouts Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace. The guard duo became the top two scorers in program history, also ranking as the second-highest scoring pair from any single recruiting class in NCAA history.
• Peck joined the Roadrunners alongside sixth-year head coach Steve Henson in 2016-17 after a diverse coaching resume accrued at all levels of basketball. He spent five years as the head coach at prep powerhouse Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., posting a combined 157-8 (.950) record as the winningest head coach in program history, including a perfect 33-0 season in 2009 and three ESPN National High School Championships (2009, 2010, 2012) and a national runner-up finish (2008). He then served as the head coach of the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede, an affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers, from 2012-14. He also served as an assistant coach at Santa Clara (2015-16), UNLV (2003-06), Saginaw Valley State (1998-03) and Northwood University (1997-98).
• The workshop will be led by founder and CEO of Renaissance Search and Consulting, Herb Courtney, who has led a number of national collegiate head coaching searches. The inaugural Next Up Initiative in 2020 was led by Katy Young Staudt of Turnkey Search.
• The mission of the DEI Alliance is to use its platform as leaders in sports to impact change in the profession and their communities.
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