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I’d like to thank Justin Tucek for sharing his basketball journey with The Cannon Network. Justin was a student assistant for Emporia State University Hornets in Emporia, Kansas in NCAA DII coached by Craig Doty. Justin is now a graduate manager for the Northwestern State University of Louisiana Demons in Natchitoches, Louisiana in the Southland Conference in NCAA DI coached by Mike McConathy. Here is Justin’s journey through his time with Emporia State University.

“It started the summer of 2012 when I was entering my freshman year of high school. My high school coach brought in a basketball camp called Midwest Elite Basketball. Coach Doty owns this company. That’s when I first encountered coach doty! He loved my energy at camp and new I had a passion of the game. I wasn’t the best player nor was I the tallest but I went hard at every drill. Later on in the camp he gave me the nickname 2chainz. So every year after that MEB would come each summer to my high school and put on a camp. And the camp director would say who’s 2chainz? I raised my hand and I was always the favorite camper for all the coaches. One year after I graduated high school I liked a twitter photo of coach doty and moments later he DM’s me and asked how I’m doing and if I have graduated yet.

I tell him yes I’m at South Dakota State University just studying academics. He asked well in ur bio it says dream job is to be a college basketball coach. So he asked if I’m helping out at SDSU and I said no. So he said well are u still interested on getting into coaching college basketball. I said absolutely. So he told me about Rock Valley College. A Junior college Division 3 school in Rockford, Illinois. Coach doty was the coach there for 4 years before taking a new job at Graceland University. So he told me coach Lavery who was his assistant at RVC, is the new Head Coach there and he needs a new student assistant. Coach Doty said go get some experience with coach Lavery and then the following year you would come to Graceland and join my staff. Coach Lavery and I met the first summer MEB came to my high school. So I kind of remembered coach.

So coach doty told Coach Lavery about me. A few days later Coach Lavery called me and we talked about me coming to RVC to be a student assistant. I had to act cool and say can I have a few days to think about it and talk to family and friends. But I new right away I wanted to go do this. I call coach doty and Coach Lavery the next day and say I’m in. I move to Rockford in August for the school year. Had a great time. Learned a lot from coach Lavery not just about basketball but acting like a mature young man! He taught me a lot of life lessons. At RVC I got to go recruit with Coach Lavery and our assistant coach Brand Gosset. I was in charge of day to day operations. I got to go scout opponents. In charge of laundry duties. I built life long relationships with our players. Definitely an incredible opportunity! I was happy with my decision.

Then April 2018 comes along and I see on Twitter coach doty took a new job at Emporia State. Im all excited and I’m wondering well where am I going to go now? I text coach doty around 7 pm and say congratulations on the new job. In the middle of the night at 2:00 am he texted me saying thank you Justin. It is now time for u to apply at Emporia State. I want u to come with me. I had the biggest smile on my face! So excited! I walk into coach Laverys office the next morning excited! I tell him coach doty said it’s time to apply to ESU. I told Lavery I’m gonna miss you and thank you for everything you’ve done.

Then coach chuckles a little and said you don’t have to say goodbye to be Tucek because I’m coming with! Made my day!! So what I do here. I do day to day operations. Set up practice. Laundry duties. In charge of the equipment room. Give out gear to the guys. Participate with recruits with on campus visits. Show them around campus and talk to them about our basketball program and the Emporia community in general.

Also I charge of uploading film after practice and games. The season hasn’t officially started yet so I’m assuming some more duties will come my way which I’m looking forward to it. Some other things I love about being a student assistant is being able to bond and have a brother like relationship with the players. They don’t treat u like trash, they treat you like a player.

They respect me very well and understand being a student assistant I volunteer my time but I tell them my story and my dream job is to be a division 1 head coach and they love that. They support me just like I support them. So it’s nice having to act on both sides of the spectrum. Being a coach but then also being a student and having a relationship with the players.”

Thank you for reading my work on The Cannon Network. With The Cannon Network I bring you stories from every level of basketball. I have had coaches, players and team managers share advice and their journey in the basketball world with me.

I have been making info graphics teams, coaches, players and team managers. I managed an NAIA team and worked with every level of player. Managing my college team led me to study every level of basketball and I enjoy writing about every level including NAIA, NCAA, NCCAA, USCAA, JUCO and Canadian basketball.

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