Interview With Providence Guard Tommy Dempsey

On Recruitment and coach Ed Cooley:

Danny Podolsky: Coming out of high school, what schools gave you offers, and why did you pick Providence?

Tommy Dempsey: Coming out of high school, I wasn’t recruited to play Division One. I had the option to play for my dad at Binghamton. Having the opportunity to go and play at Providence was something that I had talked about since my dad has known coach [Ed] Cooley for a long time. I’ve developed a relationship with coach Cooley, and have known him much of my life. The decision to go Providence was mainly about coach Cooley, and having complete trust in him. He’s an amazing coach, and an even better man. To learn under him was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. 

Podolsky: What was the conversation like when coach Ed Cooley told you he wanted you on the team?

Dempsey: It was honestly surreal. You think about the workouts, and trying to get to that point. When someone gives you that opportunity, you’re just really grateful. 

Podolsky: How would you describe your relationship with Ed Cooley, and the rest of your Providence teammates?

Dempsey: Man, coach Cooley, there’s really nobody like him. He’s exactly as advertised, he’s as loyal as it gets. He’s a great coach, he has everyone on the team’s back. He never says a bad word about anybody. He’s just the ideal coach, and the ideal person. As for my teammates, they really don’t get any better. It’s a great group of guys, and I really have fun playing with them. We struggled in the beginning but it didn’t faze anybody; we stuck together, and rode it out. Unfortunately our season got cut short like everybody else’s because we were really on a high note there towards the end. 

On having a bench role for Providence:

Podolsky: Was it frustrating for you at all this season when you weren’t receiving playing time?

Dempsey: No, not at all. I went there under the impression that I was going to compete for minutes, but I wasn’t going there expecting to play. That wasn’t my job; everybody has their own role on the team. My job was to compete in practice, and give the starters, and playing guys good looks, and just to be a great teammate. But no, there was never any whining or complaining about minutes. The only thing we cared about was winning. 

Podolsky: As a bench mob player, what’s the key in hyping up your teammates?

Dempsey: I think it’s just having their backs, and giving constant support through all the highs, and lows of the season. Everyone always sees the highs, the made shots, made dunks, but they don’t see all the hours that go on behind the scenes when no one’s in the gym. All the missed shots, and frustration; just supporting them through all that so when they have success it make everything that much better. 

Podolsky: In your opinion, who do you believe is the best bench mob guy in all of college basketball?

Dempsey: Andrew Fonts [Providence], without question. There’s no better teammate in all of college basketball than that guy. 

Podolsky: You hit your shot at the collegiate level back in November against Merrimack college. What was the feeling like when you saw your shot go in?

Dempsey: A little surprising at first because it banked in. You don’t really think much of yourself at that moment, you more just see it as three points for Providence. That’s really all it’s about. 

On the Big East tournament cancellation:

Podolsky: On the day where all the conference tournaments were cancelled, was it weird for your team watching Creighton and St.John’s play, while every other scheduled tournament had been cancelled?

Dempsey: Yeah, it was very strange. All the hype that goes into playing in the Big East tournament, I had never experienced before. We were all in our rooms, just getting ready to get on the bus. Watching the game, knowing the inevitable was about to happen, knowing maybe if we played that day, we probably weren’t going to play the next day if we were fortunate enough to win. Once we got on the bus, they pulled us off, and at the moment it was defeating because we knew it probably wasn’t just the Big East tournament that would be cancelled, but also our season. You really feel for the seniors especially at that point. 

Podolsky: The NCAA decided that seniors will not be given an extra year of eligibilty. Do you think your senior teammates such as Alpha Diallo, Luwane Pipkins, Maelik White, and Khalif Young should have gotten an extra year of eligibility?

Dempsey: I’m not sure, I don’t think I’m really qualified to answer that. I know that if they did get an extra, it would have been a lot of fun to have them back. I don’t think there’s a lot of resentment towards not getting an extra year. We"re just frustrated we couldn’t get to play in the NCAA tournament.

Podolsky: What was the conversation like when you were told the Big East tournament had been cancelled, and when did it occur to you guys that your season was over?

Dempsey: They told us on the bus. The bus had started, and everybody was on, and we were ready to go to the [Madison Square] Garden. We headed back to Providence, and about an hour into the trip, we all got a message saying that the NCAA tournament got cancelled, and it was just deflating. 

On Providence"s season:

Podolsky: The Providence season was very much a tale of two of two halves. After an 11-10 start, you guys went 8-2 down the stretch, and 5-0 against nationally ranked teams. What was the biggest change for your team that allowed you to go on that hot stretch?

Dempsey: I don’t think there was any change really. We won against Texas, and that gave us a lot of confidence. We never shook form, we never broke off, we always stuck together, and we always just believed that it would come together at some point. It did, and once we started playing well there really was no turning back. Everyone fed off of each other’s confidence, and just had fun playing with each other. 

Podolsky: Does the fact that your team was on a tear late in the season add to your frustration of having the tournament get cancelled?

Dempsey: I think it does; when you’re playing your best basketball in March, you never know what could happen. You never know, we could have been playing Monday night in Atlanta for the championship. So yeah, that definitely adds to it, but it’s more just missing the opportunity to run out there with those guys, and be out there with those guys is what I’ll miss the most. 

Podolsky: I cover Villanova basketball for @OTHVillanova on Twitter, live tweeting during those games. In your first matchup against Villanova, you guys lost a close game. However, in the second matchup you guys were able to shut down Saddiq Bey to 11 points on 10 shots, while holding the team to just 54 points in a win. What adjustment did your team make to be able to come out on top during the second game against Villanova?

Dempsey: Talking about Villanova, they’re as good as it gets. Fundamentally, personnel, coaching; they’re as good as it gets in college basketball. I think just a greater attention to detail on the scouting report. At that point in the season when we played them, we were fighting for our NCAA tournament life. Everyone was extremely locked in, and dialed in. We knew that if we won that game, then it would probably seal a bid for us, and mentally we were on a different level. 

Podolsky: As I mentioned earlier, Providence won 8 of their last 10 games, and went 5-0 in their last five matchups against nationally ranked teams. Did any of those stick out to your team in particular?

Dempsey: I would say the ‘Nova game was the most satisfying. At that moment after we won, we knew that was it, and we were likely going to get a bid. Like you said, we started 11-10, people were saying we were the worst high major team in the country. We just avoided the noise, and once we won that Villanova game, it just gave us even more confidence. There’s nothing that we can’t do, and we just have the utmost respect for Villanova. 

Podolsky: Your dad, Tommy Dempsey is the head coach at Binghamton University. How has having your dad coach at the college level affected you as a basketball player?

Dempsey: I think it’s been a great advantage for me. Just seeing the way he handles his business, and then seeing the ways all of his players have handled their business throughout the years. Teaching me how to be a professional, being the first one to show up, and the last one to leave. To lead by example, and be a good teammate. 

Quick fire questions:

For the last part of this interview, I’m going to ask you some quick questions, and I want you to just give me the first response that comes to your head.

Podolsky: One word to describe last year’s team?

Dempsey: Special.

Podolsky: Funniest teammate?

Dempsey: Jimmy Nichols

Podolsky: Favorite moment from last season?

Dempsey: Villanova win.

Podolsky: What’s a better feeling: dunking on someone, or breaking someone’s ankles?

Dempsey: The only time I get to dunk is when Nate [Watson] lifts me up, so I’ll say that one. 

Podolsky: Favorite basketball movie of all time?

Dempsey: Hoosiers.

Podolsky: What NBA player do you try to model your game after?

Dempsey: Steph Curry

Podolsky: Favorite basketball player of all time?

Dempsey: A lot of people aren’t going to like this but you will: Ryan Arcidiacono. Chris [Arcidiacono, Villanova] is my boy, we grew up together. 

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