Coaching Future NBA Players, Evolving During Covid, and Being a Part of the South Sudan National Team

PREP Athletics Basketball Podcast

Joe Mantegna is the head coach at Blair Academy where he has been since 1999. Coach Mantegna has coached five NBA players and works with USA Basketball and the South Sudan National Team. In this podcast we discuss his background, the characteristics that his eventual NBA players shared, changes he would make to the NCAA, and hearing from the actor also named Joe Mantegna.

What You Will Learn:
[1:29] Why Coach Mantegna chose basketball.
[2:25] Was Blair Academy as nationally known back in the day as it is now?
[3:13] How did he get Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva to come to Blair Academy?
[4:16] His pitch for players to attend Blair Academy?
[6:00] How Coach Mantegna has placed kids into the college level during Covid.
[7:45] What makes the MAPL (Mid Atlantic Prep League) league so special?
[9:30] Famous Alumni of Blair Academy
[13:58] What do the players who went to the NBA possess that got them to this level?
[18:00] Coach Mantegna’s experience working with kids from South Sudan.
[26:00] Going high major straight out of high school.
[27:50] Thoughts on the NCAA Transfer Portal and recruiting.
[31:55] Changes he would make to the NCAA.
[35:33] What coaching and personal changes did you make due to Covid?
[38:16] Biggest surprise as a player
[40:00] Biggest win of career?
[42:11] Best player ever coached against?

Connect with Joe:
Twitter | https://twitter.com/CoachMantegna
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/BABasketball/
Website | https://www.blair.edu/athletics/winter-sports/boys-basketball
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/blairbasketball/
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/c/blairacademy_nj

Connect with Cory:
Website | https://www.prepathletics.com
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/prep_athletics/
Twitter | https://twitter.com/PREP_Athletics
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/PrepAthletics
Email | coryheitz@gm

Connect with Cory:
Website | https://www.prepathletics.com
Twitter | https://twitter.com/PREP_Athletics
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/prep.athletics/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/PrepAthletics
Email | [e-mail]
Phone | 859-317-1166
Subscribe to the PREP Athletics Podcast:
iTunes | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prep-athletics-podcast/id1546265809?uo=4
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/6CAKbXFiIOhoHinzsReYbJ
Amazon | https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c37179d-3371-47f9-9d97-fd569e8802a7/prep-athletics-basketball-podcast #AmazonMusic
Google Podcasts | https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80M2YwZTZkMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw
About Me
Cory Heitz is the Founder and President of PREP Athletics. He has been helpi...