Kam McGusty’s journey so far has been one of patience and consistency. As he’s progressed, he’s added detail and continued to produce. Coming up in Texas, his game turned heads and he wound up at Oklahoma. Earning honorable mention All-Big 12 and Newcomer teams, he sought to expand his opportunities and responsibilities. Two seasons, including All-ACC first time honors this year at the University of Miami, Kam displayed his high level athleticism, competitiveness and shot creation.

Down in Memphis working with eyes on the pro level, Penny has seen what Kam has in the tool box. He’s got the talent and the desire for sure. Now is the crucial time to maximize training time, and locking in on strengths. What Kam has developed hasn’t happened overnight, but his ability translates to success beyond what he’s shown up to now. Next up is another stage.

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The time in between the season and the draft (or before moving up at any level) is some of the most valuable in a hooper’s lifespan. Putting in time to work on details, improving weakness and adding polish pays off. That’s a fact. For Iverson Molinar, he’s catapulted off of a strong 3 years at Mississippi State to making some noise onto draft boards. Originally from Panama, Iverson fills out the resume as a lighting fast, 3 level scorer, who can run an offense and ignite a lineup.

Beyond his namesake (yup AI himself), Penny sees a hard nosed player who blends athleticism, skill and IQ. The triple threat. Iverson’s best attribute – which is the ultimate for any hooper – is to adjust his game based on his roster and role. As a pro, that matters most as you work to establish yourself at the highest level. While he’s definitely not an overnight success, Iverson’s been hiding in plain sight, and for us basketball lovers, we’re about to discover a good one real soon…

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As the game is constantly changing, the value of player development is at an all-time high. Mike Foster chose the somewhat new and uncharted route on his path to the NBA. Now after a season with the G-League Ignite, Mike went from Hillcrest Prep right to the pro development ranks.

His size and skill made him a player that was set to excel ahead of his years, but what he’s done with his ability is continuing to build. After his season ended, Mike headed to Memphis to work with Penny before the draft. For Penny, Mike’s versatility will be his greatest attribute. At first glance, Mike is a well-skilled big, but with a closer look (and some polish from Penny), what we see are things you’d expect out of 2’s and 3’s. 

With what he learned after a season in the G under his belt, Penny wanted to see just what Mike had within him as a competitor. After a week in Memphis, he sees just what the future holds for Mike Foster. And it’s a bright one.

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An unsung quality for a hooper (and any athlete for that matter) is the quality of being known as a gamer. No matter what the situation, no matter what distractions may arise, guys who lock in when it’s game time find the way.

A product of Chicago’s basketball legacy – Quentin Richardson was just that. A hard nosed bucket getter who could knock down shots and flat out ball. He made a way for himself in the league into what became the modern era as we know it.

As a gym rat, QRich possessed the makeup where skill backed up his Chicago grit. Beyond some time together in New York, Penny connects to Quentin not only via his era, but the basketball city that is Orlando. With a respect for the contributions of different eras, Q has established himself as a voice in the game, calling Magic games and with his Knucklehead running mate, Darius Miles. His perspective on the game now and where it came provides food for thought that all hoop fans can respect and appreciate.

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In large part, a player’s identity is crafted in unseen hours, with no spectators or cameras. Irv Roland knows this space better than most, where he’s spent years working with players to fill out their skillset and unlock potential. From James Harden and LeBron James to Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, Irv has his methods dialed in.

Knowing that no two players are the same, Penny sees Irv’s value in how he works to extend beyond X’s and O’s, and enable players at the highest level to counter the strategy and scouting developed over the years. Irv’s story is one that comes from time as a player to an arrival in the lane of coaching and refining talent. Now on the staff in Utah, Irv continues to build on his work where we can see the output of his players on a nightly basis.

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For some players, the game of basketball can take them to places they’d never expect. For Cody Toppert that has been literally all over the map. Coming out of New Mexico, Cody was a standout at Cornell University, before time in G League eventually led him to teams in Italy, Germany, England and Spain. That international experience gave him perspective on the game, adjusting your style play to the variety of environments you can find yourself in.

That experience also gave him a unique perspective as a coach on the sidelines and in  player development. Once he made it back to the states, Cody worked with the Rockets and Suns, developing all levels of players from rookies and journeymen, to Devin Booker and James Harden. Now as an assistant on Penny’s staff, Cody has worked to blend in that knowledge with the styles of play of future pros. For Penny, instilling elements of professionalism, work ethic and execution on the court is the mission.s from both a coach and player’s perspective.

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Every basketball journey has its own unique detail to it. For De’Anthony Melton, his story shows that if you stay focused, good things happen. A SoCal kid, De’Anthony went to nearby USC, but played just one season in two years. Then after being drafted by the Rockets, he was traded to the Suns before his rookie season started.

His two-way talent got him minutes, but his ability to lock in on defense and basketball IQ kept him on the court. What Penny has seen in De’Anthony is improvement and consistency year-over-year throught his young career. His fit as a backcourt mate of Ja Morant is one the Grizzlies can build the new version of Memphis Grit and Grind on. By making Memphis his home, De’Anthony is flourishing before our eyes...and only getting better.

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When it comes to all-time great teams, the 1985 Villanova Wildcats stand as college basketball’s greatest underdog champions. Proving that when a team comes together at the right time, they can accomplish the unthinkable. At the center of that historic champion was Ed Pinckney. Coming up the 80’s basketball wave in New York, Ed anchored Nova at both ends of the floor, leading in their famous upset over Georgetown, earning tourney Most Outstanding Player.

After a 12 year NBA career, Ed found his way to coaching, first as an assistant at his alma mater, and now on the Minnesota Timberwolves staff. Of course it’s something Penny is very familiar with, but as he sat down with Ed, he wanted to focus on the formula to build a winning culture. It’s something that requires a number of ingredients, and takes time, but as Ed tells us, comes from dedication above everything else.

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One of the most important aspects of a basketball player’s career is how they are evaluated. It can impact their playing time, how they’re drafted and their contracts. For years, Jonathan Givony has established a benchmark for player evaluation with Draft Express. He has specialized in tracking and gathering measurables on players for teams, coaches and fans to follow. A job with a tremendous amount of depth and influence, we rarely get to find out how it works.

Turning the tables on things a bit, Penny has some thoughts on the process from both a coach and player’s perspective. As he sits down with Jon during the Memphis Pro Day, we find out just what the criteria is for rankings, and how projections can be as accurate as possible. Penny continues the thought by getting to the point with Jon, determining where a player should dedicate their focus and let their production on the court do the talking.

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When it comes to basketball life stories, Buzz Peterson has an all-time great one. From Asheville, North Carolina, Buzz came up as state player of the year, and was recruited by Dean Smith to the University of North Carolina in 1981. His teammate and roommate was, Michael Jordan, and before MJ was MJ, he and Buzz created a lifelong friendship. They won the national title at UNC, and that propelled Buzz to a life in coaching and player development.

He was the head coach at Tennessee, Tulsa, Appalachian State and UNC Wilmington. Living and working in the game, Buzz has established a strong reputation in recognizing talent. And now, he’s back with MJ, working with the Hornets as the assistant general manager. As Penny sees it, that loyalty and respect is evident in what’s building in Charlotte’s culture. While they have assembled a dynamic group of young, athletic and skilled players, it is that foundation that will make things succeed for the Hornets. Penny knows first hand, as important as talent is, identity matters just as much in creating a winner.

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