Dustin Hellenga next guest on Podcast

[sbrand]

Hey guys. I guess Jarvis Garrett is on hold for a podcast as well as Thorr Bjorn. Hopefully, they will be on in the future. One of your suggested guests is Dustin Hellenga and he gratefully accepted the opportunity. I would like to know if you have any questions and/or able to locate his game winning half court shot video footage.

As always I appreciate your participation. Great questions make great interviews. Looking forward to hearing your response.

Thanks Scott Brand

[Rhody74]

Woohoo! Would love to know what he’s doing now.

[sbrand]

It looks like he opened up a gym.

[Shinze88]

It looks like he opened up a gym.

He also opened the Ryan Center with a sweet baseline jumper in the closing seconds vs USC.

[RF1]

You will have to ask him about the winning shot to beat USC in the 2002 Ryan Center opener and the PC snow RC game in 2003. Ask him how much he was feeling it versus PC when it seemed everything he heaved up was going in, including the 35 foot three as the shot clock wound down with 10 minutes left. That shot put URI ahead by two giving them a lead they would never relinquish. Another memorable basket was the winner at Dayton.

Also ask him about coming to and later leaving URI. From my memory, he was a late addition to the roster. See if he will comment on his leaving URI early and whether he had any regrets.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Ask him to explain CFL's offense. Some of us watched for years and years and couldn't begin to explain how it was supposed to work.

[sbrand]

I know this sounds crazy but he was 2000 day folk hero and wild child.

[SGreenwell]

I think I mentioned it in the other thread, but - What was his mindset his senior year? It looks like he dropped out and didn't play anywhere, and then surfaced in some pro leagues the next year. Was it an academics issue, a family issue, something else? Since that was 15 years ago, I'm assuming he might be willing to talk about it now.

He's one of the first players I can remember shooting from VERY deep, even before Steph Curry showed that it could be viable for some shooters. Did he have that kind of green light from anywhere in high school? Was it something he consciously thought about - shooting an extra step to five steps deep, to avoid defenders? Or, just something that resulted from how aggressive his game was in general?

[Native]

Dustin Hellenga came to URI after playing high school ball in Virginia and after playing prep ball at Winchendon School in Massachusetts, but his family roots are in the state of Michigan; after he left URI he went to Michigan, where he attended Grand Valley State University.

(1) why did he come to Rhode Island to play basketball?

(2) why did he leave URI when he still had eligibility remaining? What life lessons did he learn during his time in Rhode Island?

(3) what are his happiest memories playing professionally overseas? What did he learn during his time overseas?

(2) what impact did his family have on his development as a student athlete? In particular, what impact did his grandfather Wayne Hellenga have on him during his athletic career? His grandfather Wayne Hellenga was a WWII veteran, a high school science teacher, and ultimately the superintendent of the Decatur, Michigan, public school system; as an adult, Dustin’s grandfather Wayne Hellenga was for many years a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, receiving in 1987 the John Forsythe Award for continuing excellence in the inter-scholastic community.

(3) when was the last time he was on the URI campus? How did that go?

(4) what involvement with the sport of basketball does Dustin currently have? Does he still play?

(5) Did he ever coach basketball himself? If yes, how did that work out? If never a coach, why not?

[Taylor Swift]

I know this sounds crazy but he was 2000 day folk hero and wild child.

It's not crazy cuz it is true. He lived in my floor in Butterfield and I had classes with him. He was a good dude. I remember he got a huge dog when he moved off campus.

[sbrand]

Amazing intel. There isn’t that much on the Internet.

[Native]

during Dustin’s time at URI, the basketball players in the same graduating class year as Dustin were

Dawan Robinson G (6-3 185)
Dustin Hellenga G (6-4 200)
Jamaal Wise F (6-5 200)
Marcel Momplasir F (6-7 200)
Jeff Kalapos G (6-5 192)

• Looking back at his time at URI, what is Dustin’s recollection of each of his “same year” teammates?
• after Dustin’s departure from URI, what interaction (if any) did Dustin have with them?

[Native]

https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/news- ... to/1500671

4-Dec-2001: guard Dustin Hellenga #24 of the Rhode Island Rams dunks over forward Sam Clancy #50 of the USC Trojans during the NCAA game played at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. In that game, USC crushed Rhode Island 82-54.

<photo Credit=Jeff Gross/Getty Image>

• Everyone who attended the Ryan Center opener in 2002 remembers Rhody’s improbable 73-71 overtime win over USC (courtesy of a Dustin Hellenga twisting contested floater lofted with 2.2 seconds remaining that found nothing but the bottom of the net). But what does Dustin remember of the URI-USC game played the previous year on the West Coast?

[reef]

Nice throw down dunk Dusty !!

[SGreenwell]

Oh, I also forgot to ask in my initial post - Does he remember playing my team in Oozeball one year, and beating the crap out of us? (Okay, not my team specifically, but - I'm pretty sure he and some other basketball players had a squad one year, and got pretty far. I could have sworn he beat us in the round of like, 16 or 32, if such a thing exists for Oozeball.)

[Iggy1979]

My memory is he left team after losing starting position.

[Bos8]

My memory is he left team after losing starting position.

Who beat him out? If I recall, we ended up starting freshman like Parfait and Lucky in 04.
04 could have been an interesting year if Dustin returned, Dawan (and Jamaal Wise) were healthy along with Scott Hazelton, instead it ended up as a dumpster fire.

[Jersey77]

My memory is he left team after losing starting position.

Who beat him out? If I recall, we ended up starting freshman like Parfait and Lucky in 04.
04 could have been an interesting year if Dustin returned, Dawan (and Jamaal Wise) were healthy along with Scott Hazelton, instead it ended up as a dumpster fire.

Saw this.

Kingston, RI (Sports Network) – Dustin Hellenga, a three-year starter, has been kicked off the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team. Coach Jim Baron cited lack of academic responsibility for the decision. Hellenga was third on the team in scoring this past season at 11.2 points per game.

Also this, scroll down to final note.
https://duquesne.rivals.com/news/things ... -10-update

I agree with you Bos8, 2004-5 could of been interesting if not for the unfortunate turn of events.

[Native]

sbrand — check your PM’s

[sbrand]

Wow breaking news. I will ask him about this in some kind of non-threatening manner.

So he had the game winning shot against USC. Wasn’t there another one at halfcourt?

[Jersey77]

Wow breaking news. I will ask him about this in some kind of non-threatening manner.

So he had the game winning shot against USC. Wasn’t there another one at halfcourt?

He had a game winning off balance shot (3 pt) from the baseline catching an inbound pass to beat Dayton 65-63 March 3, 2004.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... /240632168

[URIGONZO]

That 04-05 could have been great!! They went toe to toe with #1 team in the country at the end of the 03-04 campaign. With Hazelton, then Robinson,Wise (not getting hurt) and if Dustin stuck around.....what could have been.

Dustin stopped attending all classes after the NIT loss to West Virginia. That is why he got the boot. Nobody on that team beat him out for a spot.

[scine20]

The 2004-2005 A10 was as bad as I ever remember. Had those players not gotten injured and Hellenga come back they easily could have taken the conference.

[sbrand]

So the Dustin Hellenga podcast is back. My question is wasn’t the game winner versus USC the corner 3. That’s what I see on YouTube.

[reef]

You are correct but I think it was a fallaway 2

[SGreenwell]

Rhody Vault has a shot of it in one of his videos:



Fadeaway 2, about roughly mid-range.

[sbrand]

Thanks. I have a version of the same video that is poor quality and I thought it was a fadeaway 3. Thanks. Not really a floater but definitely midrange.

[sbrand]

Just checking in to see if anyone has Dustin's 35 shot versus PC on video.

[steveystuds06]

Here you go I uploaded it for you

[ramster]

Good job Stevey!!

[sbrand]

Dustin doesn't even have this. Stevey you the man.

[ramster]

Dustin doesn't even have this. Stevey you the man.

Nothing but net. Love the reactions after the shot!

[steveystuds06]

Scott, I made a video with all the best Hellenga highlights I could find from that game. Hope that helps!

[sbrand]

It's perfect. I will definitely use it and give you the credit. Anything you want me to say. Like go to your YouTube channel or fomenting else.

[Jdrums#3]

Tremendous compilation! Thanks, Stevey!

[reef]

Here you go I uploaded it for you

Jimmy Baron range right there !!

[sbrand]

Well Dustin comes out to the public after a 20 year hiatus and kind of explains where he was.

[Jersey77]

Thanks again Scott, nicely done as usual and a well-deserved shout out to Stevey.

Fun to catch up with Dustin and glad he keeps in touch with some of his teammates.

He will always be regarded as quite a character.

[sbrand]

Thanks Jersey,

Yes Stevey is the man and very talented about breaking down film and keeping his ear to the ground and getting scoops without compromising the recruiting effort until it is signed and sealed.

Dustin would be the first guy I want to have a beer with from all the Rhody players that I have gotten to know. He is so honest and has such great sayings that I could talk to him all the time.

I am glad that he has come out to Rhody Nation. We should invite him to the board for a Q & A?

[Jdrums#3]

Scott, another enjoyable interview. Glad to hear and see Dustin is doing well.

The game video’s brought back great memories. Dustin’s energy he played - especially when he was feeling it from the outside - was infectious.

BTW…I like the Curly (of 3 Stooges fame) wrestling thing Dustin has working with the beard and lack of hair on his head. Go Rhody and go Stooges! Lol

Thanks, Scott.

[Rhodyram99]

Good interview. I always wondered why Dustin left , did he leave school or was he removed from team?