Ray Harper Interview

HH: You played high school ball at Bremen in Muhlenberg Co. and you were all-state coming out of school, were you recruited by WKU at that time?
RH: I was. Coach (Clem) Haskins and Coach (Ray) Hite recruited me but never was offered a scholarship.

HH: Were you a fan of Western growing up as a kid?
RH: I was. My senior year was Coach Keady’s last year at Western.

HH: So you signed with Texas out of high school and stayed there two years. What made you decide to transfer to Kentucky Wesleyan?
RH: Our coach had gotten fired and we had several guys transfer out….our best player went hardship as a sophomore….our sophomore center was the fifth pick in the draft and he left….my roomate, who was probably our next best player, blew out his knee and he wasn’t going to be able to play. It just didn’t feel right at that time.

HH: Once you graduated from college you became a grad assistant at VCU and that soon led to an assistant’s position back at KWU and then of course eventually the head coaching job there. What are you most proud of during your coaching career at KWU and then later at Oklahoma City? Obviously the four national championships at the two schools would be near the top?
RH: Well, we had a lot of success and we had a lot of good kids. Those guys have moved on and are doing well. The fun part is to watch those kids and watch them mature and move on after basketball and do well.

HH: Have you been interested in a coaching job at WKU for several years even before Coach McDonald arrived?
RH: Well, obviously working with someone like Coach Mac that made it real appealing. I had a good job and it was going to take a good job for me to leave.

HH: Well, you got your graduate degree from WKU so I guess it was a little bit like coming back home right?
RH: Oh, absolutely. I’m an hour from where I grew up and from my wife’s home. So, we’re back home.

HH: So what are your impressions of the new facilities and all the changes that have taken place since the last time you were here?
RH: It’s amazing to see the growth of the basketball and athletic facilities and the university as a whole. It’s obviously a program on the rise and that starts with great leadership and it’s very apparent when you walk on campus that we’ve got great leadership.

HH: Now as far as the new signees…Sergio Kerusch and those guys, what are your impressions of their progress so far?
RH: It’s early but the kids are working hard and it’s a work in progress. Only time will tell but the thing you’ve got to like is their attitude and their effort. If you get that that’s about all you can ask….just keep working and hopefully you’ll get where you want to be.

HH: What do you think about the improvement from the returning players?
RH: I can see some real strides in some of the guys from the time that we got here until today. Their skill levels are getting better, but again they’re guys with good attitudes and good work ethics. And Coach Mac has done a great job of working with those guys in helping to develop their individual skills. Now we’ve just got to put it all together in a team concept.

HH: I understand D.J. (Magley) has lost around 30 pounds or so since last season?
RH: Awfully close, if not. He’s a kid that’s been dedicated and committed to doing that and I think it will pay real dividends for him this season. He’s going to be more agile, he’s going to be able to get up and down the floor better, his stamina is going to be better. He’s put in the time and the effort, so usually when that happens good things happen for those guys.

HH: Have you seen much inprovement with Jeremy (Evans) as far as improving his strength and maybe putting on a few more pounds?
RH: He’s gotten stronger. I think he’s up to over 190 pounds now, which I know is not a lot for a guy his height, but he’s come a long way. He’s working hard in the weight room and he’s getting stronger. He’s just a tremendous athlete. So, we’re hoping for a big year out of him.

HH: As far as expectations for the coming season, does the staff have any set goals as far as what you want to accomplish with your first team?
RH: You know we haven’t talked about it yet. Obviously we want to be as good a basketball team as we can be. Hopefully that means playing in the NCAA Tournament but we’ve got a lot of new guys and we lost a lot of really good players. We’re going to have to have some guys step up and have big years and I think we’ve got some guys that are capable of that but it’s not going to be easy.

HH: What about the thoughts of the returning players for the upcoming season, do they all seem to pretty confident that they can really take up the slack as far as replacing Courtney and Tyrone and those guys?
RH: I think so. Again, good players believe in themselves and they look forward to challenges. We’re going to have some guys that we’re going to have to challenge to have much bigger years than they had last year. We can’t have those guys averaging what they averaged last year. Everybody’s going to have to pick up their production. I don’t think we’ll have the one-two like we did with Courtney and Tyrone, I think we’ll be much more balanced….one night it might be D.J., one night it might be Jeremy, one night A.J. or Orlando or Steffphon. We’ve got a lot of different weapons and you may see a lot of different guys leading us in scoring on different nights.

HH: What are your expectations maybe three or four years down the road? Do you have any specific goals for the future?
RH: I think always your expectations are going to be the NCAA Tournament. We’d like to be one of those teams that could be consistently in the Top 25. We’re close, we’ve just got to continue working towards it.

HH: Are you pleased with how recruiting is going for next season so far?
RH: I’m happy with where we are in recruiting. It’s always one of those deals where you have to continue to work everyday. If you relax you’re going to fall behind. I think we’ve got a great staff, the guys work together and we’re all on the same page and we’re all working towards the same goal and I think that’s real important.

HH: As far as your future, do you want to eventually become a head coach at a division one school?
RH: Obviously, anybody that coaches has those type of goals but I’m happy where I’m at and I’m content where I’m at. I think we’ve got a lot to try to accomplish here and that’s what I’m looking forward to.