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Catching Up With Jake Presutti
9/19/2008 11:43:51 AM | Men's Basketball
What kept you busy this summer?
“Well I worked two weeks up in Toronto with Andy (Rautins) and I worked with the Developmental Team. I worked one week with Andy and the Canadian National Team, performing managerial-type duties. From Toronto, I went to Washington, D.C. where I spent two weeks with the USA Under-18 National Team. From there, we went to Formosa, Argentina for 10 days and competed in the U-18 World Qualifier.”
Who were the coaches of the Under-18 team ?
“I worked with Coach Bob McKillop, from Davidson, he was the head coach. The two assistants were John Thompson III, from Georgetown, and Coach Anthony Grant from BCU.”
What did you learn from the staff?
“I picked up a few things. Being in a small city in Argentina there wasn’t a lot to do, so I got to have a lot of conversations with the coaches. I was able to see the way they handle their teams, the way they run practice, the drills they do, and the way they look at opponents. I got to break down the film for the whole tournament, they gave me some freedom to do that, and it was just a great experience for me.”
What previous experience did you have with USA basketball?
“I was with the US Pan-Am Team last year, in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. So this year made two summers in a row working with them.”
What was your Team Canada experience?
“First I worked with the Development Team. They trained for a week and finished the training with two games against the Italian All-Star Team. We played right in Toronto. Then after I was done with that, I finished up working with the National Team, with Coach Rautins and Andy.”
Where are you academically at Syracuse?
“I graduated in May, with a degree in Child and Family Studies, and now I’m pursuing my Master’s Degree in IDD&E (Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation) in the School of Education.”
Is this your final year of basketball eligibility?
“Yes, this will be my last year. I’m happy to be going out with my buddy JT (Justin Thomas). The two walk-ons will be going out together, so I’m excited for the year.”
What is different for you now that you know you want to be a coach?
“Well, I think I try to take advantage of my time here, because the guys let me work them out. I work out Eric (Devendorf) and Jonny (Flynn) and Scoop (Jardine). I just try to get them shots and I try out some new things that I’ve learned. Sometimes they buy in and sometimes they don’t like it. Overall, I think it’s just good experience to work them out and just being around the coaches, feeding off them.”
How did you work on your own game this summer?
“Well, I was able to work out in some of the best facilities. Up in Toronto, we trained at the Air Canada Center. I was able to lift with Andy and get some good preparation for the season. Then In D.C., we were in the MCI Center, where the Wizards play. Being able to train in nice places and get some pointers from top people was great.”
What is important for the Syracuse team to work on now prior to the start of official practice?
“It is really just developing the work ethic. I was the only player here for Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara, and Demetrius Nichols, and got to see what we did in the preseason with each of those teams. I just try to work on relaying that message to these guys because those were successful teams, with back-to-back BIG EAST Championships, and a successful run with Demetrius, winning 20 games. I’m just trying to instill that message in these guys because we’re such a young group.”
