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BONUS: Too Legit To Quit with Mandrell Worthy
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The Easter Long Weekend meant no NBL1 East, but Mandrell Worthy was kind enough to find time for a special 2 on 1 interview.
Learn about his experience in Africa and how he landed with the Newcastle Falcons in this episode.
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Transcript
Introduction and Media Recommendations
00:00:05
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome back to East Scott Game where we give you the X's, the O's and the insights of MBL1 East. Thanks for joining us live tonight on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Remember to give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook at East Scott Game or you can continue to find our episodes on your preferred streaming platforms. And while you're there, check out Cut to the Jace, podcast featuring current Bankstown Bruin himself, Jason Kitty.
00:00:37
Speaker
And It's a Coal World, a podcast by Beck Cole, WNBL champion through and
Discussion on Easter and NBL Impact
00:00:44
Speaker
through. And both of those podcasts are brought to you by basketball.com.au. And the cat is out of the bag.
00:00:52
Speaker
Because we had the Easter long weekend, we hope that everyone had a great Easter long weekend for those that happen to celebrate um and those that don't. oh We just hope you enjoyed the four days off and had some R&R. But it also meant that NBL won East and mbl most of NBL won. I think Central still played. But the East at least were having a rest. So we don't have a regular episode.
Guest Mandrell Worthy's Background
00:01:14
Speaker
But instead, we can go two on one with Mandrell Worthy. hey Mandrell, how are you?
00:01:21
Speaker
I'm good. How about you guys? Very good. Doing very well. Thank you, sir. I'm glad to be on. Excellent. Thank you for being a guest and for being so prompt with organizing a time a time in your schedule to chat with us. And now Lachie's done all the hard work work preparing for this episode. So I'm going to throw to him to get us all started.
00:01:43
Speaker
yes so mandrel thank you for joining us it is your third season in nbo one east um after a season down in south and an impressive college career at azusa pacific um i guess you we like to say you're probably one of the most versatile and exciting players in the league you have multiple and nba players as family members and you've just made the switch from maitland to Newcastle. That's like UNC rivalry levels right there.
00:02:14
Speaker
So out of Sammamish, Washington, where and how did your basketball journey begin? So um my high school is actually in Sammamish, but I'm from a ah town called Federal Way.
00:02:29
Speaker
And that's kind of where my basketball background kind of started. My dad kind of put the basketball in my hand, like, from birth Like I have videos of me at like two years old shooting on like a little small hoop.
00:02:43
Speaker
I've always like played basketball, played it from as early as like four or five years old on the team and played up growing up. So basketball has always been like in my life as long as I can remember. um And then i kind of always had family members, like you kind of mentioned, that played sports, specifically basketball. So it's just a big part of like my family. and And just we have like a pretty athletic background. So that's always been something that we we love, whether they watch it or or play it
00:03:17
Speaker
ah when did When did you start to realize you were you know pretty good at basketball?
Basketball Skills Development
00:03:23
Speaker
Um, to be honest, probably like at an early age, I was one of the kids that was like, I, to be honest, like if you told me at like seven or six or seven years old, I probably thought I was going to be like six, eight. Cause I was always way bigger than every other kid.
00:03:40
Speaker
Like I was the biggest kid until probably, eighth grade year and then kids start catching up i was always the tallest i was just but i always played guard so i was like a bigger point guard but yeah i've always been the biggest kid i was always like one of the because i played for so long like i was always one of the better players growing up just from being bigger and playing up i used play two two or three grades up so kind of made it easier once i got older and then did the growth spurt stop
00:04:13
Speaker
Yeah, so so when I got to eighth grade, I started seeing kids start catching up. I was about, I think I was like five, i was probably like 5'11 in like grade seven, grade six going into grade seven. And then I kind of like had a little spot where I kind of stopped growing. And then when I got to like ninth and 10th grade, I grew a couple more inches, got to 6'3", 6'4", and then that was the cutoff right there. So...
00:04:41
Speaker
But on the plus side, it sounds like you were able to develop some different skills throughout your playing career. Did you develop some maybe power forward center skills when you were the biggest kid growing up? And then when when everyone caught up with you, did you have to evolve into being a guard?
00:04:58
Speaker
No. So I always played guard, even when I was the tallest one. I was always playing guard or shooting guard. But I always, like, learned. Just like the coaches I've had, I've had some pretty good like coaches growing up. They always made us learn how to post, how to play um every position, like pivoting. They taught us everything. Cause they don't, at that age, like I feel like you don't know how tall you're gonna be. So I was thankful to have like coaches that were like, okay, we're gonna learn everything. So if you do end up being six, eight, you're already gonna know how to play that way. And if you're not, you're already gonna have the guard. So yeah.
00:05:37
Speaker
Yes. Awesome. So that we love some versatility. We love a guard that can post up as well. Uh, but yeah, as Lockie said, you come from a very athletic family counting Juwan Howard and MLS player, Darwin Jones as older cousins. So did they help you help shape you as an athlete?
Family Influence on Sports Career
00:05:57
Speaker
Um, not as much as like my, my cousins, obviously like my older cousin, Darwin, um, as well as like my, my younger cousins, um, We all kind of grew up like pretty close to each other. um we kind of lived like literally like around the corner. We always lived pretty close. So we were all pretty competitive. He's older, he played soccer.
00:06:20
Speaker
I wasn't really into soccer. I was more into basketball because he's the shortest probably out of all of us. So he kind of went to soccer route, but I was always into basketball. I knew Juwan. He's my parents, my mom's um first cousin. So they kind of grew up together. So we'd go watch him play whenever he came to Seattle when we had the Sonics. And then when he played with LeBron and Dwyane Wade, we used to see them play with the Heat.
00:06:47
Speaker
when they went to portland so we saw always like watch him when he came close to tar area watch his games obviously he's in the fab five and stuff so that was pretty cool to see and meet him and then meet a lot of and nba players growing up as a kid for sure
00:07:05
Speaker
and i guess uh it's a did you uh talk he talked much about the uh michigan run with juan considering they just won the uh the na bla Not recently. I knew they were going to win, honestly, but i haven't talked to him about it yet. I know he was probably at the game for sure.
00:07:24
Speaker
yeah Nice. Do you try and keep – oh, you go look. No, sorry. I'm just trying to see because I actually went to a um Seattle Sounders game in 2015, and I'm pretty sure Darwin, if he didn't play, was at least on the bench.
00:07:40
Speaker
No, he was playing that year. Yeah. Yeah. um yeah yeah That's crazy. yeah Yeah, that just hit me that, yeah, I actually have been to a dar to see Darwin Jones play.
00:07:52
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's actually, that's good. Yeah. But you mentioned just before your younger cousins, Jalen and Jaden McDaniels, NBA players. and I know you were on DC, Damian Clark's podcast, talking about battling with Jaden. But um ah for those who don't already know, it sounds like you can take a bit of credit for some of his success.
00:08:16
Speaker
I wouldn't say take credit, but I mean, um me being the older cousin, in like I was always kind of like the one that like played because I was the first one out of like my like the Seattle area because my cousin Darwin played soccer. So I was next up, but I was the first one to play basketball. So far as Jalen, like me and him are closer in age. So i kind of.
00:08:40
Speaker
always played against him because he's like a year and a half younger than me. And I would like kind of make him play because he being him or he was he's a year and a half younger than me, but he was always super tall, too. Obviously, he took the height because he's six, eight. I'm only six, three, but um he he didn't he wasn't as into basketball, but as he got better and he grew, he got.
00:09:02
Speaker
he turned into one of the top players in the nation. And then his little brother, we would always play together in like we kind of would bully Jaden because we kind of knew like, okay, like we're going to make him better because he's going to be the best one out of all of us. So we'd always play him. We never took it easy. We never let him win.
00:09:20
Speaker
And that kind of, I think that's probably a part of it I wouldn't say it's just me, it's probably Jalen too, but we used to bully him, kind of make him better. And it turned out to be good because he used to play us. We're four years older, three and four years older than him. So playing against us made it so much easier for him to play against kids his age.
00:09:39
Speaker
do ah Do you watch him, you know, be players in the NBA and say, man, I know how to stop that. Why don't you kind of thing? a Yeah, I mean, obviously like him being my cousin, like,
00:09:51
Speaker
I know things that probably other players don't know about him and playing his game. So obviously I'm like, okay, like I can stop that move and those players can't be like, nah, he's, he's a great, they're both great players.
00:10:03
Speaker
Um, they're, they're where they're at because they, they worked hard. So, um, no, it's great to see where they are and and kind of be a part of their journey and see it up close. So it's pretty cool. Do you still wind each other up in the family group chat?
00:10:18
Speaker
Is it still competitive between each other? Yeah, for sure. um I think when I was home, we all went to his game when they played the Lakers. I think it was like their second game of the season. And like, we're all like in in his hotel room and we're all just talking about like playing one-on-one, like when we're going to play a game. Like we always have that talk. Like we have like three-point contests, all that. Like we always have that kind of discussion. We argue back and forth. We're all super competitive. So, yeah.
00:10:50
Speaker
Did you get some shots up while you were back home, you know, in the backyard or a court down the road trying to start? No, we haven't been been able to get on the court together at all, really.
00:11:02
Speaker
So hopefully hopefully this summer after the NB01 season, when I go back, oh hopefully we can all get in the gym together and kind of end those discussions at least. Yeah.
00:11:14
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. And if it does come to fruition, please update us with the score, or the outcome, or some footage or something so we know that it actually happened. For sure. and if it's probably And if I'm quiet, that means I probably lost, but I'm not going to be quiet about it.
00:11:32
Speaker
I mean, you've got to go at least best of three or something, so you shoot certainly will be able to get some wins in there. Yeah, for sure. I'm up i'm up in the all-time series, so I'll take that.
00:11:43
Speaker
Yes. Yes. Very nice. Very nice. ah And yeah, you started your college career at Montana montana State before becoming a star at D2 Azusa Pacific. Did I pronounce that correctly? I feel like I didn't.
00:11:58
Speaker
Yeah, you did. It was perfect. Okay. You know, that the pressures the pressures of live podcasting. Yeah. So in a world where so many players think D1 or bust and, you know, side note, the thousands of players that are currently in the transfer portal, why was that move right for you to go play for Montana State?
College and International Opportunities
00:12:22
Speaker
um I mean, um as far as Azusa, I think like when I was at Montana State, obviously had that mindset coming out of like school, like, oh, I want to go D1. Yeah.
00:12:35
Speaker
um And kind of when I got there, I wasn't presented the opportunity. There was like politics. i also got hurt my first year. So um there was a lot of things that kind of ended up happening. A lot of people transferred out, I think like 10 out of our 15 players when I was there left.
00:12:54
Speaker
So it wasn't a great situation. And I kind of wanted to go somewhere where I could succeed. And Azusa Pacific was just that. They had a lot of guys that played D1 that always came back. So they kind of were familiar with division one players and they always made the NCAA tournament at the division two level.
00:13:16
Speaker
They were one of the powerhouses. Like we were ranked top. top 25, probably three out of the four years that I was there. So, I mean, we were pretty good. We were number one in the nation at one point before COVID hit in 2020. So we're we're a really good school. Like we probably could beat a lot of D1s.
00:13:35
Speaker
They wouldn't play us when we would try to schedule them. So I felt like that was a good move and it it was like a place that wanted me and they kind of put me in a position to kind of develop and become the, the player I am today just to give me confidence and stuff. So I think that was pretty essential in my like basketball, like journey so far. Yeah.
00:13:56
Speaker
I like that you mentioned that you could beat D one schools and that that they were ducking you. Cause I think that's what a lot of people don't realize. They think that, you know, the best D2 school is, you know, just the best non-D1 school and it doesn't really work. There's a lot of overlap between the bottom of D1 and the top of D2.
00:14:15
Speaker
Exactly. So, yeah, i always try to tell kids too, like even kids here that might not know as much, like I always tell them like, hey, like, Don't think D1 or bust. Just try to go to the school where you're actually going to play and be able to develop and then whatever happens after that, you can kind of assess it. But yeah, don't just think D1 or bust because you might overlook opportunity where you can get better and actually succeed and you can still play professional basketball.
00:14:45
Speaker
whether you play Division I or Division two Like there's no, there's not a big gap. It's almost pretty close unless you're going to like a Duke or whatever, Michigan or whatever school. is so I mean, look luke Lucas and Mac Morgan just won a natty at D2 level with Gannett.
00:15:01
Speaker
Those are the two. I used to practice with them when I was at Norse. Yeah, that same situation. They went to two different D2s, and now they're successful. They just won a natty. So I'm sure they're going to transfer or go D1 just off of that. Or they might stay. So either way. But they have leverage now. Yeah.
00:15:19
Speaker
you um so
00:15:22
Speaker
And you mentioned before that making the switch to Azusa Pacific was really good for your development just as a player in general to help you set you up for your playing future. Was there anything else that you took away from your experience at that college, whether it was on or off the court, that helped you set yourself up to be a professional?
00:15:43
Speaker
Yeah, it was, I mean, it was, to be honest, it was a Christian school. i had, um so it was kind of different. Like we had to go to um what they call like a ah chapel, like three times a week, which was different just to kind of learn about that um and kind of like learn more about like faith aspect.
00:16:05
Speaker
That kind of developed me on like outside of basketball. awesome I got hurt. I tore my ACL. So I missed like a year and a half of basketball. So that also kind of shaped me too. Like I started learning more about like myself and also like seeing basketball from a different lens. And I also think that kind of like sparked more of a like, I don't know, fire in me to come back and play. And then because a lot of people probably didn't think I was going to be able to come back from it. So that was pretty big, too. So the I went through, you know, a lot of different things. I mean, we were successful there. i was injured. There's a lot of different things that kind of helped shape me to, like, pursue basketball and kind of show, like, okay, like, if I'm able to get through this, I can get through anything. so
00:16:53
Speaker
And what did you graduate in? What was your major? ah Business management. And then I did, i got my master's as well as sports management. So.
00:17:03
Speaker
There we go. Nice. So any, any real, have you used the degree at all? And you know, any side hustles while you've been pro? Yeah. bo Yeah. Actually when I was at home, I mean, I worked for a sports like recruiting, a college recruiting company that kind of helped them with like helping kids kind of get to the college level. So that's kind of like a way.
00:17:28
Speaker
honestly want to kind of do that avenue after after i'm done playing kind of be like in the sports agency sports management realm so um yeah kind of used it a little bit like in my off time as a little side gig yeah i mean that's definitely somewhere that's exploding at the college level is agents with not just getting players to college but with nil now it's yeah yeah i haven't got into that room but yeah it's cool though yeah And look, if you ever need just a little project, a small business like a podcast that you'd like to manage, I'm sure we could come up with something. Hey, hey, let me know. i'm thumb down to do that. We'll give you of, what's of zero?
00:18:14
Speaker
Hey, we got to start somewhere, right? That's right. We're we're ah fueled off love and you have been getting some love on the Instagram live, especially from James Hunter saying, calling you Drelly Vadova and saying that you're a real pro with the with a love heart emoji. jimmy Jimmy's a great guy. That's one of my guys.
00:18:40
Speaker
Appreciate you, Jimmy.
00:18:44
Speaker
But, of course, you did turn pro. And, you know, we've had players play in a lot of countries. We've had players in NBL 1 East. We've had Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo. You guys have played in Ireland. But ah Equatorial Guinea, that was a new one for me. new one everyone. How did that opportunity come about?
00:19:03
Speaker
I didn't even know where that... I didn't even know what that was. Fair. Fair. um Kind of a crazy story. So... I played in a league. I know you guys had Chris Bryant. He played in the league as well. it's called the TBO. It's kind of different now, but what like back then it was kind of like a another league in America where like it was COVID.
00:19:27
Speaker
I was fresh out of college. I was just trying to get some film so i could get overseas. So I played in that. And then... it was quiet after that from overseas um during the summer after that season so kind of had like a ah a moment where i almost like stopped playing basketball i was like all right might get another job if i don't find a place overseas because i'm a year out of college and i didn't have anything so um i was on vacation actually and i randomly hit up this guy before my vacation and was like hey he' was an agent in spain he was like hey
00:20:01
Speaker
can you find me an opportunity to play overseas? And um he hit me back. He's like, maybe I might be able to help you. Just send me your film. So I sent him my film, my resume from college and stuff like that.
00:20:14
Speaker
Not thinking anything of it because I had probably spoken to hundreds of different teams and stuff like that at that time. Just because I didn't have experience, so it was hard. So i just didn't think anything of it. I sent him my stuff and I'm like, whatever, like, he's probably not going to reach back out. So I'm on my vacation and I'm, i don't know if you guys know where Yellowstone is, but it's like a very secluded area. It's a national park.
00:20:36
Speaker
I was there, didn't have any service. So I get back to my accommodation and randomly i got like a message back and he's like hey this team is interested in it's in equatorial guinea and i was like i don't know where that is so i looked it up it was in africa the only spanish-speaking african country um right off the coast i lived in malabo which is a little island off the country right next to cameroon so um i kind of took that job as the a way to get in overseas and that kind of propelled me a little bit kind of went out on the limb
00:21:11
Speaker
Took it, and yeah, after that, we played in the BAL qualifier, and yeah, that's how I kind of got from that. it was just a random message I sent to a guy, and he just found an opportunity for me.
00:21:27
Speaker
Okay, you didn't just play in the BAL qualification because you got... you were You were the first Equatorial Guinean team to actually every qualify for the next second round.
00:21:41
Speaker
And you hit the game winner in the must-win game after dropping 21, 8, and 6. And I went back watched the highlights today. So just take us to that moment.
00:21:53
Speaker
Because there was a little pocket of fans with an Equatorial Guinea flag yeah going absolutely off. And to be honest, our there was another American. He was probably couple years older than me.
00:22:06
Speaker
I think I was 25 at the time. He was 28 or 29. But everybody else on our team was like under 21. Like they were just young kids. We're playing with like 18, 19 year old kids that never played outside of the country, outside of maybe Cameron, which is right next door. So that's nothing.
00:22:23
Speaker
So they didn't know how big this was either. They just kind of, we kind of won our domestic league. And then we went to the qualification and then we, I think we lost to one of the bigger teams that first game. And then we played this other team.
00:22:40
Speaker
um That was pretty good. And yeah, it was a must win game. And yeah, I hit the game game winner. um Yeah, it was, it was pretty cool. Like they were pretty proud. I mean, it was a good game from like everybody on the team, like,
00:22:58
Speaker
i don't know if they have the stats, but it was a pretty good contribution. We had an 18-year-old kid that had like 14 and 10. Like, he got looks to go play in Europe and stuff. So, yeah, it was pretty it was pretty big for that that country for sure.
00:23:12
Speaker
i mean, you didn't – I mean, you can talk yourself up. You beat two defenders and played it at home. it was it was damn good. Yeah. No, that's just humble me talking. But, no, it was a surreal experience. It's like – Looking back on like my journey and like how I almost not didn't play and then like getting that opportunity randomly and then ended up like taking them to like the, well at the time like that was the qualifier, but we went to like the, I guess, Sweet 16 they call it for the BL. So like the top 16 teams in all of Africa, which Africa is a huge continent. like
00:23:51
Speaker
It was pretty big, I'm not gonna lie, but yeah, it was I was really more happy for like them and their country, because they were so prideful, and that was the first time like they ever had anything happen like that. so yeah at the In the moment, I didn't know how big it was until I'm like, wow, like we just won with some 18, 19-year-old kids that's never played this big of basketball before, and or even played in a tournament like this, and we just went to the you know the top tournament there, so that was pretty cool.
00:24:22
Speaker
What was the celebrations like when you got back to Equatorial Guinea? Like the place would have been going off. It was huge. I mean, on the bus, like i have videos still on my phone. Like um we're just going crazy on the bus. Like it was it was crazy. And then when we got back to the airport, there was like a crowd of people that's there like to support and stuff like that. So it was super cool. Like it was it was pretty dope. Yeah.
00:24:50
Speaker
Definitely experience like I couldn't like imagine like happening again. like That was just surreal. And I'm in like Africa. like it was so like it was so It was probably one I'm not gonna lie, like it was probably one of the coolest experiences and coolest countries like I have been to for sure.
00:25:08
Speaker
And it's ah if you're not familiar with the ins and outs so of semi-pro and pro basketball across the world, the story that you told of how you got there sounds ridiculous to anyone outside our world of like, oh, yeah, I reached out to this guy and then I was at a national park and I had no reception and then I got a text saying I'm going to Equatorial Guinea like and I played in Cameron. Like that makes sense to us but everyone else that just sounds like ridiculous.
00:25:36
Speaker
No, it's, yeah, it made, like, if when I tell you, like, I was ah literally going to quit. Like, I had already applied for just getting a regular job. Like, I was like, I'm not playing basketball. So, me getting that opportunity just to get my foot in the door, which obviously led me to come to NB01, was, like, huge for me. So, like, even hitting that game winner, I'm like, okay, like,
00:25:59
Speaker
I'm good. Like, yeah, we're going to the next stage, but like, I feel like I kind of like made my presence felt. So I think that was like a big moment to like get my foot in the door and compete against like, there's some really good players in that BL qualification, like guys playing top league in Europe. So it was huge. And I, me and my other import, we're like the top two scores in both qualifications, the sweet 16 and the other one, like we're one and two. So it was, it was huge for both of us.
00:26:30
Speaker
You didn't get to play against J. Cole? No, I did not. he wasn't yeah He came the year after, which is crazy. and were And I think we played one of the teams that he joined.
00:26:42
Speaker
Oh, okay. In the 2016. Yeah. But he wasn't on the team at that point. He came the after, 2023. But I was already in in the East, so. You have to settle for playing alongside J. Cole at Maitland. Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:57
Speaker
yeah Wow. Too legit to quit, Mandrell, it sounds like. okay yeah ah Now let's get into the local nitty-gritty stuff. Probably something that is on a lot of people's minds that closely follow the NBL1 East.
Newcastle Transfer and Stadium History
00:27:15
Speaker
So you've made the crosstown switch from Maitland to Newcastle, one of the biggest rivalries in NBL1, and I would say like just in representative basketball ever, you know, even when you're under 12, div 2, Stanger.
00:27:32
Speaker
going up against the Falcons. You know that this is a rivalry you're born into. ah So, like, what factored your decision not only to move from Maitland but specifically move to Newcastle?
00:27:45
Speaker
To be honest, I'm going be honest. i'm telling I'm telling everybody the same thing because it's it's the truth. But I wasn't eyeing to come back to NB01 at all.
00:27:58
Speaker
Like, I was trying to go play in Europe or play in Asia. um So I wasn't really reaching out to any teams or anything like that. At least not until like, I didn't reach out to teams really at all until like, they got down to like maybe February.
00:28:14
Speaker
It was just kind of like tough to kind of go to Europe because the market was kind of weird for for guards at my my position. So in the market I wanted to go to. So um I was just kind of looking into that opportunity and One of my teammates, oh I'll keep him anonymous, but he hit me up like in November, just kind of seeing like, hey, are you looking to come back to the East?
00:28:40
Speaker
And I was like, ah I don't really know. I'm not really looking. I'm kind of more exploring like to go to Europe. So then fast forward and kind of hits me up again. And it's like, hey, and this is like January. It's like, hey, like,
00:28:54
Speaker
What's the word? Have you heard anything for Europe? And I'm like, I'm still looking like the deadline is probably around like February. So if if I don't hear anything, then maybe I'll like, you know, I'll reach back out.
00:29:05
Speaker
February comes, but like the end of February, like literally like the last week of February. He hits me up again and he's like, hey, like. I'm keen to have you guys have you here. I think you'd be a help for the team. Like, have you heard anything from Europe? We'd love to have you. Even if you do, like, just let me know. And I'm like, all right, like, to be honest, like, I would like to play with you. And at this point, I'm like, okay, I'm not really hearing much. And they're not like thing offers that I want. So I'm like, okay, like, I'll talk to your coach and like, we'll see if we can get it sorted. Cause just cause like,
00:29:40
Speaker
I liked him as a player and I've always played against him. You can probably make a guess who it is. He's one of the better players, but um so I reached out, I talked to the coach. We had a conversation and it went well.
00:29:55
Speaker
We had a conversation just about like how it fit with the team and stuff like that. And yeah, kind of worked out from there. And then maybe a couple of weeks like went by, we were trying to kind of sort out everything and then,
00:30:09
Speaker
um Yeah, kind of came. I signed like literally mid-March. We had the Blitz. I had to hurry up and get here. Had one training, played in the Blitz, and then I was here. So I've only been here for three and a half weeks. So it was kind of late, but yeah, it wasn't it wasn't like scripted or anything. like It was just kind of like, oh, they were persistent, and then everything they were saying kind of worked out.
00:30:33
Speaker
Obviously, I knew like going from Maitland to Newcastle, even when I had the one conversation, like,
00:30:41
Speaker
My coach from Maitland, Luke, he had already hit me up. He's like, Nui? And I'm like, how do you know this already? you i only had one conversation. haven't Haven't signed anything. Like, it's not said in the snow. and So, like, that's how I know the rivalry is so big. So, yeah.
00:30:56
Speaker
And we are the worst gossips. Like yeah Australian basketball fans are the worst gossips. I will personally admit that I enjoy watching watching the game. I love the sport. I love the community. But what keeps me coming back is the gossip.
00:31:13
Speaker
Yeah. And I was just going to say that i was like, One thing I've learned being in Australia the last four years is a lot of the times when something is juicy, they cannot hold the water in at all. They spill it every time. So I already knew, i kind of knew, but I was like hopefully keeping it under the wraps. But, you know, it always happens. At least between Maitland and Newcastle, it was spilled. But everywhere else, it was kind of new, I guess. So...
00:31:39
Speaker
Oh, yeah, yeah. we We had no inkling. I personally had no inkling. Sometimes we are lucky to have people very kindly send us some anonymous tips through our Instagram account of who's going where or keep an eye out for, you know, this team's going to sign someone big. We had no idea that you were coming back and we loved it.
00:31:58
Speaker
We loved to hear it. I told Damien, obviously, because me and him are really close. But, yeah. But I know he didn't leak it. I know him for sure.
00:32:08
Speaker
But, yeah, don't know. I know it was probably like somebody from the, yeah, you know, they can talk gossip. But it cant they stayed under the wraps for a good the good amount of time. SJ kind of speculated it, but I was already here. Oh, well, I mean, putting two and two together there.
00:32:24
Speaker
Yeah. Because yeah when when I heard Maitland-Newcastle, I expected the story to be like, oh, yeah, Mandrell was set up in you know in the area. It was easy to switch clubs kind of thing is what I thought. Because that's what you hear when you hear about i import switching switching clubs is they're set up in the area. So they go to another club close by. No, I had no idea. Crazy. Wow. Yeah. It wasn't planned, nothing like that. it was just kind of like...
00:32:51
Speaker
Hey, there's opportunities here kind of last minute, but i'll everything that they were saying like worked out and, you know, kind of like it was like a good like mutual like coming together. I feel like like everything they needed was some were things that I could provide for the team and and vice versa. So I think it'll be a good fit for sure.
00:33:17
Speaker
And the draw hasn't been kind to you with the rivalry. You have to wait all the way until the last day of the season before you get to go back to Maitland. and Yeah. Was that the first game you looked for in the calendar, going back to Maitland?
00:33:32
Speaker
own yeah yeah Not really. Yes and no. Because, like, I know it's going to be a big game, but, like,
00:33:44
Speaker
A lot of those, like I still talk, like I had lunch with Luke like two weeks ago. Like, I don't know. And I see like the kids all the time. Like they're still, they, they're like, oh, so I don't think it's going to be like, I'm going to get heckled or anything like that.
00:33:57
Speaker
It might be the opposite for like miles because he went to mainland, but I don't know if it's going to be the same for me. At least that's what I've heard from people in mainland just cause like, you know,
00:34:10
Speaker
But obviously it's going to good game for sure, especially with like the talent they brought in. They got Bragg, Rainn Smith, they got Miles, and then they already got they got Will as well. So obviously, yeah, it's going to a good game for sure. And it's always a good game, like rivalry game between us, even when I played Mayland last year. so
00:34:32
Speaker
Yeah, that's ah super exciting. ah And, you know, just trading in what they they now refer to Maitland as the land. So you're trading in the land for the sea by going to Newcastle, a bit closer to the water, maybe a little bit more tolerable recovery days, getting into the ocean instead of ah whatever, you know, wherever you access in in Maitland. So that's probably a nice little perk as well.
00:34:59
Speaker
I was still, I was still, even when I was a mainland, I was still driving to Nui to go to the bath. So it's just a little closer drive now. Yes. Yeah. There you There you So it's not too far, but far away enough.
00:35:12
Speaker
And lots, we It's ah a growing trend, which we are really happy to see as NBL1 fans particularly, that a lot of imports are coming back to NBL1 or they're coming back to at least play for the same club. You know, we had Sydney Hunter for a few seasons in the women's program at Maitland. Ayana Bay is coming back for Hornsby for a few seasons now. Did you have any in temptation to go to another conference in NBL1? Because the we love the East, but the other conferences still see us as, you know, too little despite us coming up in the ranks. But did you, yeah, were you tempted to go and explore other conferences?
00:35:52
Speaker
ah i I was. Like once I kind of like, I mean, I talked to Newcastle and then once I started kind of exploring like coming to Newcastle,
00:36:02
Speaker
um I was thought about the South, but then I was like, you know what, like with the talent in the East, like I played in the South, like obviously the South is good and they've always been recognized as the best NBL one conference. But to be honest, I feel like the East is right there. If not better, I've said, I said that i I'm going to stand on that stuff.
00:36:28
Speaker
especially with the talent coming back for this year. Like last year it was like, okay, like I feel like it was a bigger jump. And then this year I feel like where we're right here or maybe even below above. So um no, I feel like, yeah, I kind of came back because I'm like the East is, if there's anywhere I want to go, I know the East. And then I feel like the conferences has something to prove. And I feel like it's one of the better conferences in NB01 for sure. I think it's not the best.
00:36:59
Speaker
You're giving us a lot of great clips here, Mandrell. Thank you. Thank you kindly. Loving the sound bites. National champions, playing in the ace.
00:37:10
Speaker
And I played both. Oh, yeah. I have experience too, so I played in both. Exactly, exactly. Lockie, did you want to cover question seven? I will do. um But, I mean, Newcastle, it's been a while since they've made the finals, 2023.
00:37:27
Speaker
So how do you see yourself slotting into the roster as they are as i look to change that? Especially now you've got a couple of games under your belt as well. So you know a bit more about... Yeah, go ahead. Sorry. Sorry, I was just going to say you know a bit more already about how ah how it's going to pan out.
00:37:42
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's just obviously... that's their main goal. And that's kind of been my main goal as well. I mean, I haven't been to the finals in the East either. I've been either a half a game, somebody done one, and then we got slid out of the eighth spot or yeah. So I'm kind of hungry to get to finals too, just because my first year in the South, like I made it so far, I'm kind of wanting that to get that taste again. So with them having that in mind, that was probably like the main pitch was like, Oh, we're trying to make finals. That's the main goal. And I'm like,
00:38:17
Speaker
that's If I come back to the East, like that's what I want to do too. feel like my stripes out here. like I've had two different seasons. like I've shown what kind of player I am, but I feel like i I want to win. That's the main thing. So I think with our roster and just us, like obviously we had a back-to-back and guys are kind of getting in late. So we're still trying to fill each other out. I think we still...
00:38:41
Speaker
played two games that we could have won. So I think um just this two week break was really helpful and just us getting acclimated and and kind of figuring each other out and and getting some some practices in. So I feel like that's that's the main target right now is just to to make finals and and win some games. So yeah, that's the number one goal for sure.
00:39:06
Speaker
And Jude Jennings looks like he's really sprinted out of the block so far this season. What's it like ah playing and training with someone like Jude Jennings? Nah, Jude is great. That's my roommate. He lives literally below me. ah I'm living in his his family's house. Nah, it's good. Jude has gotten a lot better, especially like I used to see him because obviously I'm in Mayland, but I used to train like strength training and and get shots up at the same gym as him, which is in Newcastle.
00:39:38
Speaker
So I would see him in there. We worked out with the same person. So he's put in a lot of work and he's gotten a lot better. I mean, obviously he he had like a two 50-point games last year in in Youth League for Newcastle, so he can definitely shoot the ball and score the ball.
00:39:54
Speaker
And he's came out with confidence and kind of shown that first two games. great. So now I'm happy for him and he's going to definitely be one of a ah player to kind of look out for this year and and for years to come for sure.
00:40:10
Speaker
Yeah. Super exciting homegrown talent in Jude Jennings. ah He has an older sister, Rosie, that was really talented as well. And I think went to Dartmouth Lockie, if I'm not mistaken. Yes. Yes. Yes.
00:40:22
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, but yeah, ah and with Newcastle, have they told you much history about the club and particularly Broadmeadow Stadium?
00:40:34
Speaker
not Not a lot, to be honest. Not a lot. Do you have any facts for me or not? Well, i I was going to ask, or have you found all the dead spots under the basket yet on court one, on the main court?
00:40:49
Speaker
To be honest, there's not too many. I'm not going to lie. I play. a video And you'll find them. Because the jury's out. I don't know if you guys have heard it, but I know every team probably brings it up. But we have the hardest rings to shoot on.
00:41:04
Speaker
Yes. Yes, you do. So with that being said, I don't know. I personally, maybe I've been getting used to them. But in the past, even, I've played pretty well at Newcastle.
00:41:17
Speaker
yeah. I mean, I had a 30-point game, so I didn't think about yet, but everybody says that, so I don't know. but Good. Just keep it that way because there's dead spots. I've played a lot of games in my lifetime on that main court at Broadmeadow Stadium. Found the dead spots under the basket. Sometimes, like, depending on how the universe was falling in your favour on that day, those rings could be like glad wrap or cling wrap on them. Like, you're just rim out, rim out. Oh, my gosh. It's and the Newcastle curse. But that ah that stadium actually used to be ah an aeroplane hangar back in the day.
00:41:58
Speaker
o i didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. So you go. So little history there for you. I mean, mark ask as a as commentator for comments, I cannot judge when it comes to dead spots on the court, I got to tell you. but same There's some other players that have dead spots too.
00:42:18
Speaker
Fair. My favourite court to play is Alexandria. Because you don't have to run as far. Yeah, because it's shorter. That's what i was to say. The close corners.
00:42:28
Speaker
They're like head rangers. You know, i shoot head rangers. That's good. The three. yeah That's the court where I'm having my best games because I have to, ah do you know, I don't have to expel as much energy to get my shots up.
00:42:45
Speaker
No, that's what you mean. Yeah. Yeah. Now, Mandrell, ah we always like to bookend our episodes with the same question to start and end each episode.
Off-Court Interests and Hobbies
00:42:57
Speaker
ah So our final question today is who is Mandrell worthy off the court? So tell us more about you when you're not playing basketball. If I'm not playing basketball, I'm pretty, I'm pretty chill. I'm pretty laid back, but I like to do, i like to travel, like to travel, like whether I'm, Going out of the country, going on vacation in-state.
00:43:20
Speaker
like to go to national parks. I like to go tropical vacation to anything. like I'm down to do anything. like Love being by the water. But yeah, outside of that, like pretty good at skating. That's a ah talent you guys wouldn't know. Like roller skating.
00:43:37
Speaker
um Roller skating? Yeah. No way! line or? oh No, I'm roller skating. where i'm front Where I'm from, like, roller skating was huge, like, growing up. Wow. Yeah.
00:43:53
Speaker
yeah I haven't been in a while, but, like, if like if I got some skates, I'd be able to just pick it up pretty quickly. Wow. So can you do tricks and stuff, how they go, like, down into a pistol squat and do the twirls and all that kind of stuff? If I was flexible enough, I probably could. But, like, I can, yeah, I can go backwards. I can do all that, like, yeah.
00:44:14
Speaker
no way that's such a cool talent to have like newcastle falcon social media team get on it use this to your advantage start some reels we want to see the promo reels of mandrel and his skates pack out pack out main court with that kind of stuff yeah no that's ah that's a hidden talent for sure i can juggle too that's a hidden and talent too but um yeah i like i'm more like outdoorsy i like to just hang out experience different things i like to travel go camping, all that. I did a lot of that when I was home. So yeah, go obviously watch, like go to different NBA games, see family.
00:44:54
Speaker
Dude, I did a lot of that, lot of traveling. So that's my main thing. Got a lot of places on my bucket list. Hopefully I can go to Japan or Europe for a soon. That's my, that's on my, my next, my next like trip that I have planned. So,
00:45:14
Speaker
So you do have a milestone birthday this year and after the season. And during what when your birthday your milestone birthday is coming up later in the year, it is a great time to go to Japan because it's off peak.
00:45:28
Speaker
Yep. i'm art Trust me, I'm already on it. Oh, there you go. trying to go. I'm trying to go. I'm thinking about it. I'm like, oh, my God, right after I hopefully.
00:45:39
Speaker
win the finals in the east we'll see so yeah that's the plan for sure leave us there and go straight to japan and then go wherever next so look compared traveling anywhere else from australia across the world japan's kind of just up the road yeah it's still think it's still like 12 hours but it's it's not too far yeah No, you can get there in eight.
00:46:07
Speaker
You just just take a red-eye flight, you know, take some sleeping pills and you'll be there. Yeah. I mean, I don't mind flying. You know, I've kind of came over here four times. I'm used to that. Yeah, sure true, true. Yeah, you at 15? Yeah, it's just 15.
00:46:24
Speaker
i'll you go at fifteen yeah si fifteen
00:46:30
Speaker
uh because you mentioned and you mentioned that you like being near the water so have you done any surfing trips in australia or any snorkeling anything like that while you've been here no not in australia i haven't i don't i don't haven't learned how to surf i'll say that but i've i've been snorkeling just not here i've been in hawaii but yeah that's something i need to go to yeah go do for sure Surfing, I don't know. That's going to take a while for me to pick it.
00:47:00
Speaker
You got the balance from the skating. so yeah i don't know I don't know if the skills translate, but I but i found that just having the balance factor is a good thing. I don't know. I've got to see. Water is different. Waves, yeah.
00:47:16
Speaker
Yeah. No, I'm with Lockie. I think you'll be able to transfer those skills of being able to balance really well from skating to surfing. And, you know, if you're used to doing some kind of burpee action ah where it's similar when you're surfing and you just got to pull yourself up on the board without like grabbing the board or kind of that kind of thing, it's like a big burpee jump.
00:47:39
Speaker
You'll be fine. You'll be fine. think that's going to be the main problem, to be honest. It's getting up on the board. That's probably the main problem. so We'll see. We'll see. i'll I'll have to try it out. We'll see.
00:47:53
Speaker
yeah may Maybe start with bodyboarding. Yeah. Yeah, we'll see. Yeah. Go from there. ah Because we've also had a lot of gamers as well. When we've asked this question over our last three seasons of Eastcott game, we have a lot of people who like to play video games. You know, Fortnite, I think, was popular. FIFA was popular. Do you like to double in that as well and compete with some of your family members overseas online?
00:48:20
Speaker
To be honest, I stopped playing video games when I got out of college. So I, like, sold my sister. I used to be, like, I used to play NBA 2K, FIFA, Those are like the two games. I never really was into like Fortnite and stuff, but 2K and FIFA, I used to play that a lot, but I don't know. i just Once I got out of college, I was like, I'd rather go do something adventurous than play the game, me personally. But I used to play the game a lot for sure, but not anymore.
00:48:52
Speaker
So that'd be an unpopular opinion there or unpopular take. And we all got our ways to wind down. um I don't... i Sorry, i'll tell I've got my Nintendo 64, but I don't have a current game console. I'll get on the Nintendo 64. Yeah. um he Who controls the music in the locker room for the Falcons? Do you have any say in that?
00:49:20
Speaker
To be honest... We haven't really been like playing music in the locker room yet. Everybody usually has their headphones. At least that first weekend, like it hasn't really been like, we haven't really, too early it's too early, too early.
00:49:33
Speaker
see We'll see if it changes as the season goes, but no, it hasn't hasn't been like clear who who's on the ox yet.
00:49:44
Speaker
What's in your headphones, Pragane?
00:49:48
Speaker
I'm not a person that listens to the same thing. So I might listen to like, I listen to a lot of rap, obviously. I listen to like future, like i know drake but then like i might listen to like some slow r&b just to calm myself down it just depends on how i'm feeling if i'm too amped up for the game i might need to calm down and listen to something big slow so it just kind of depends i feel i feel that actually i was the same i tried making a pre-game playlist once when i played handball and i listened to it once i was like i'm up for this in the very next saturday on the train to the game i'm like
00:50:23
Speaker
I always admit any of this today. Yeah. you might Your vibe might be different that day. you Whatever you feel. That's how I am. I'm like ah i'm not on on game day. I'm not like somebody that has a routine that does the same thing. like Obviously, I get up shots, but I might take a nap. I might not. It just depends on how I'm feeling that day.
00:50:41
Speaker
I'm not eating the same thing either.
00:50:45
Speaker
Don't get locked down in routine and superstitions. Yeah, exactly. I think that's so fun in the locker room, though, that everyone's like, oh, we all know each other, but we don't know each other that well, but we're going to start sharing music and having a good time. Like, that's so funny. Yeah, for sure. No, not yet.
00:51:06
Speaker
No. need an You need an icebreaker or like a post-game celebration that's just going to break down those walls. Yeah, for sure. well We're going to get it sorted probably in the next month or so, for sure.
00:51:21
Speaker
Something's going to happen. Did the team do anything together over the Easter long weekend? um No, because a lot of us have like went away or went with their family, so...
00:51:36
Speaker
We didn't do it outside of like training and stuff, but we had like Pilates class today. That was good. it said We have training. Yeah. So we do little stuff like that. Very LeBron of you. Second Pilates class.
00:51:50
Speaker
So yeah, we're getting, we're getting, getting fit. Yeah. like Doing Pilates is very LeBron of you. It's my first time, but you know, our team's locked into it. So we're doing it.
Team Fitness and Season Outlook
00:52:04
Speaker
It's hard. You will live forever if you keep up Pilates. Yeah, no, we're were we're on it. We were struggling a little bit because we're all tall and long and unflexable.
00:52:17
Speaker
The next challenge is trying to a bar class like Ballet Bar that's spelled B-A-R-R-E. Have you done that? No. No.
00:52:29
Speaker
No, know about that. Is it? We'll see. Harry Garside, the boxer, the only big boxer did it. And I think he actually did full-on ballet as well. He'd just go and do things to get himself outside his comfort zone and just yeah end up doing like a bar and ballet and all kinds of things. Oh, man.
00:52:47
Speaker
Bar class is the hardest thing I've done in my life. I'm sure. it will get it's it's It gets all your muscles you didn't know existed that you needed to function. So it's my challenge to you.
00:53:00
Speaker
but right ah but Mandrell we've taken up lots of your time thank you for being such a wonderful guest today for East Scott game round two tips off on the 11th of April and you've got a road trip to Sydney Comets to that to my favorite court that we're just talking about so you can get your mid-range game firing in round two are you how are you feeling ahead of this game um um I mean, I'm feeling pretty confident. I mean, we had two weeks to kind of prepare. I'm sure they had, I mean, they prepared for us as well. So I think just us gelling together, I think we'll we' go into it pretty confident and looking to get ah our first win of the season. So.
00:53:46
Speaker
Yeah, sounds good to get it on the road. Best of luck for the weekend. And again, thank you so much for being such a good guest for East Scott game. And yeah, looking forward to seeing you soar with the Falcons this season.
00:53:59
Speaker
appreciate you guys for having me for sure. You guys are... Definitely great to have. Appreciate you guys for reaching out too. And yeah, definitely want to see you guys out, even if we're if we're playing in Sydney or whatever. Want to definitely see you guys when you guys can make a game or so. So definitely want to reach out to you guys and see you guys. ah you guys i think I think you guys come down to Sutherland, so I'll see you there.
00:54:22
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. Yeah. i mean And unfortunately unfortunately, I now live in Brisbane, so I might have to. every Yeah, that's what I was going to say to you here.
00:54:32
Speaker
Well, if you ever come Sydney, hopefully at some point, maybe for finals. Yeah, maybe for finals or like you when you guys win the championship, I might see you at NBL1 Nationals.
00:54:44
Speaker
Yeah, one of the two. Yeah, for sure. One of the two. But otherwise, ah if you I mean, I might be able to time it with a trip home to ah if you play at Terrigal against the Crusaders. If I can time it right, maybe I'll see you there.
00:54:59
Speaker
Yeah. No, that'll be good. Good for sure. No, appreciate you guys though. For sure. Likewise. Thank you so much, buddy. We'll talk to you again soon. Yeah, for sure. Thanks.
00:55:13
Speaker
There we go. And look, it looks like you've got a couple of singlets in the background there. Did you want to chat to them, before ah chat about them before we head off? oh I just had some space on my couch so you know the the Australian number three Christy Wallace is uh an old standard but I mean she did get picked up in the uh expansion draft on the uh last week so that was worth uh talking about and then of course Mandrell being from Washington had to go with the Seattle storm the super number 10.
00:55:45
Speaker
Very good. Very good. I love that your jersey choices always have the right intention and are purposely placed. We've got some love on the Instagram live. Hamish Sahlberg says, great dude.
00:55:57
Speaker
ah Referring to Mandrell, absolutely, absolute legend. was great to have him on as a guest. So cool that he got to play in the BAL as well. And so looking ahead for round two, which yeah, as we mentioned, tips off on Saturday the 11th of April. Actually, think it tips off on the Friday. We've got Hills Manly on the Friday night.
00:56:18
Speaker
Oh, we do. Friday the 10th. We love a Friday night game, um which is very exciting. And what do you know what the game of the week is?
00:56:28
Speaker
I believe it is the grand final rematch between the Canberra Gunners and the Illawarra Hawks. Oh, my gosh, the Hawkeys. Hawkeyes owning the stage. Yeah, Hawkeyes going back to back. ah Yeah, Games of the Week, that's right.
00:56:44
Speaker
Loving the limelight. All right, so that looks pretty good. Big Game of the Week coming up. Everyone, hopefully, I'd like to say fresh after the long weekend, but we only had one round, so thats this should be okay nonetheless. And up here in North, we'll just keep waiting for our season to start.
00:57:03
Speaker
Sounds good. I'll be commentating Sutherland v. Maitland.
00:57:09
Speaker
Sutherland v Maitland. That is also due to be an absolute cracker. A game my a game I'm terming the James Hunter jamboree. Very good. Very good.
00:57:21
Speaker
be strange It's still strange to me to see James Hunter in a Sutherland jersey. You have to get used to it. Yeah. But, yeah, nonetheless, looking forward to round two. Remember, you can catch a a recap of ESCOT Game on basketball.com.au alongside Cut to the Chase and It's a Cold World podcast. And keep liking, subscribing and commenting wherever you subscribe to ESCOT Game. We love seeing the feedback.
00:57:53
Speaker
But otherwise, Lucky, what's our sound what's ah how should we sound off this episode? Don't sleep on the 8th.