Phillip Lawrence-Ricks, assistant coach of player development for the men’s basketball team, was one of 10 coaches and administrators selected to attend the NCAA Elite Student-Athlete Symposium for Men’s Basketball. The symposium provided athletes with seminars and networking opportunities to prepare them for transitioning into a professional basketball career. Sophomore Xzayvier Brown was one of the fourteen Division I players in the NCAA invited to attend the three-day symposium. The Hawk sat down with Lawrence-Ricks to ask about his experience.
The Hawk: How did it feel to be one of the 10 coaches selected to attend?
Lawrence-Ricks: It felt great when [associate head coach for men’s basketball] Justin Scott texted me and told me I’ll be attending with Xzayvier. Me and him are very close. It was good to go with him, to be a lending hand and help him. It was an honor. I met some good coaches there, [and] was able to talk to some good people from the NCAA. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.
The Hawk: What was the structure of the symposium?
Lawrence-Ricks: Saturday and Sunday was a bright morning, early, starting at eight with speakers. We had about three speakers, as well as, each day, the guys had an activity to do. One activity was mock interviews, dealing with the media and how they can answer questions correctly. Another activity was players at the pro level dealing with money they gave. Each player had to pick a card that had their salary, their signing bonuses, their endorsement deals, and they had to manage their money … to simulate how money works at a professional level when you make a certain amount.
The Hawk: What are some things you learned and hope to implement within the St. Joe’s program?
Lawrence-Ricks: One big thing I got from the symposium overall is that if you have aspirations of playing at the NBA level, the scouts from the NBA will do their due diligence and research you. It’s a business at the end of the day, and they’re investing a lot of money, [because] then you can help their team. They’re going to go to talk to your middle school teacher, your high school janitor, the lady at the front desk. They’re going to talk to everybody to see exactly how you are as a person.
The Hawk: What does having two people chosen from St. Joe’s say about the men’s basketball team and the culture?
Lawrence-Ricks: Coach Lange has developed a culture here of making you a better person on and off the court. It definitely says that St. Joe’s is in the right direction and trajectory. We know we can have a player of that caliber be invited to that prestigious event with notable players, such as Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby — prominent names in the NBA that have been invited to that — and that Xzayvier Brown was invited too. It’s a testament to Coach Lange and the whole coaching staff that we are on the right path to continuing to build this program up.
