HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Denver men’s basketball head coach Joe Scott and women’s basketball head coach Erik Johnson
headed down to the Sun Belt Conference Media Days on Monday and
Tuesdays. Consistent with tradition in the SBC, the preseason meeting
between coaches and the media was held at the site of this year’s
postseason conference tournament, Summit Arena in Hot Springs, which
will host the event for the next three years.
The
trip started early Monday morning with a 6:05 a.m. flight out of
Denver, through Houston and arriving in Little Rock just after noon.
After a 60-minute drive through the changing foliage of central
Arkansas, we arrived at the hotel. I have had several people ask why the
tournament is being held in Hot Springs, a neutral site, instead of a
campus site as they have done in years past. We quickly realized that it
seems to be the ideal location with a relatively new arena that’s a
short walk to a quaint downtown area, and the local residents we
encountered were welcoming and friendly.
The
coaches jumped right into action on Monday afternoon, filming
interviews for the DVD that the conference puts out, a radio interview
with Jay Walker that was broadcast live in Lafayette, La.; and a variety
of newspaper interviews. The SBC also offered live webcasting on
sunbeltsports.org, which was hosted by the Voice of the Pioneers, Mitch
Hyder, and filmed by DU video guru Joseph Moreno.
There
is a lot of excitement in the Belt this season after sending both South
Alabama and Western Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament last year. And the
shot by Ty Rogers to win WKU’s First Round game was highly deserving of
the Tournament Changing Performance and ESPY awards that it garnered.
The conference has added some successful new coaches like Florida
Atlantic’s Mike Jarvis, who carried George Washington and St. John’s to
the NCAA Tournament, and Arkansas State’s John Brady, who is just three
years removed from guiding Louisiana State to the Final Four.
As
one of the new coaches in the league, Coach Johnson spoke at a dinner
held Monday night, exuding the same excitement that he’s had in the
office every day since his arrival at Magness Arena in May. It should
also be noted that Johnson is the youngest women’s coach in the Belt.
When he gave the talk on Monday night, he was 36. Of course he woke up
this morning and was 37. Yes, happy birthday, Coach.
Prior
to more interviews and a luncheon on Tuesday, we discovered some nice
running trails that run from the downtown area up to an observation
tower at the top of a nearby hill. We also found the spring water tap in
the middle of town, where people from throughout the area head to fill
up water bottles. Apparently the spring water is excellent for making
coffee. The town also has what appears to be a fairly large bath house
right in the middle of town.
After
another couple flights to Houston and finally back home to Denver,
Coach Scott and Coach Johnson look forward to the prospect of returning
to Hot Springs for the Sun Belt Conference Championships in March. For
now, the preseason is winding down. Practice officially can begin on
Friday at 5 p.m. for both the men and women, as mandated by the NCAA.
And the next time we get on a plane with Coach Scott, we will be heading
to Northern Iowa to start the season. It’s only a month away.
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