Q&A with Matt Langel

Head Men's Basketball Coach Reflects on Success, Looks Ahead to Bright Future

Colgate University Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Langel has engineered the greatest era of Colgate Basketball in its 123-year history.

The Raiders recently completed another historic season, going 26-9 and earning a third-straight conference championship. The team won 17 conference games, the most by any team in Patriot League history.

Langel, who signed a contract extension through 2030 last offseason, is the only head men's basketball coach in Patriot League history to earn four Coach of the Year honors. The two-time NABC District 13 Coach of the Year has recruited players who blossomed in maroon and white, earning multiple honors and national recognition.

Since arriving in Hamilton in 2011, Langel has mentored three Patriot League Players of the Year, three Defensive Players of the Year, two Rookies of the Year, more than 30 All-League picks, seven All-Rookie selections, 10 All-District honorees, and an AP All-American honorable mention.

With a busy offseason ahead, Langel sat down with Colgate athletics to discuss the team's past success and look ahead to a bright future.

When you look back at the previous season, what makes you the proudest?

When you have a season like ours, I don't think there's ever one thing I can point to and say, 'I'm most proud of that.' I'm extremely proud of the group and their journey. They set goals for themselves. And while they accomplished so many things and set so many marks, it was really being a part of their journey that I'm most proud of. They worked together. They worked for one another. They navigated adversity and celebrated achievement in a really selfless manner. It's the big picture that I'm most proud of — who they were and how they went about their work.

You've coached many great teams at Colgate. We know you don't like to compare your teams, but many people believe your most recent team was your best. What are your thoughts on hearing that?

I'm appreciative of others' perspectives. Teams can be judged on so many things. The first team to win a championship — that was an extraordinary team because they were doing something that hadn't been done for decades. This team had to live up to what others had done, and once again they set the single-season wins record. This group has won more games, setting the conference wins record at 17. But those metrics are all external and result driven. This team didn't exist in that world. They were solely focused on their process and what it took to maximize their potential individually and collectively. Not that those other teams weren't, but that was the identity of this group. It was top down. We had a guy who was recognized as Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Postseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. And never, ever once was it about him.

Speaking of Tucker and the program's culture, you're losing seniors who had huge roles on the team. How do you replace them?

Tucker Richardson broke so many program records and Patriot League records and Oliver Lynch-Daniels led the nation in three-point percentage. Those guys put in so much time, sweat, and equity, and have invested so much of their lives into this program and this team. You can never replace that. Pearson Parker and Malcolm Bailey have both had a critical impact on three championship teams during their time here, just like so many others on our team who have contributed to the program's culture. In previous years, we lost guys like Nelly Cummings, Jack Ferguson, Jordan Burns, Rapolas Ivanauskas, and Will Rayman, guys who set the mark at extremely high standards. One of the things that is really exciting about college athletics and this program is that there are individuals who are waiting in the wings and are well-positioned to accept new opportunities. Leadership opportunities in terms of who speaks to the team, who addresses the team, and who's elected captain by their teammates. There are playing opportunities. Oliver led the country in three-point shooting two seasons ago but he only played 20-plus minutes coming off the bench. This year, he did it again but he stepped into a role where he played over 30 minutes a game. What that looks like, we don't know, and that's one of the exciting things about our program — who is going to be best positioned to help the team and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

How much has the success of your program helped when recruiting?

I hope it helps a lot. I don't want to speak for our players, but I think it resonates for all of our talented incoming players. This past year, we identified players like Braeden Smith, Brady Cummins, and Chandler Baker. Before that, we brought in guys like Jeff Woodward, Nicolas Louis-Jacques, Alex Capitano, and Sam Thomson. And before that, we were fortunate to get guys like Keegan Records and Ryan Moffatt. All of these guys are talented young players who we thought would be a great fit and could help us continue what we've been able to do. As we've seen in recent years, they very much value winning. That stems from the success the program has had. The conversations you have with our student-athletes about what their values are, that solidified what was important to them and important to us — that they could have a chance of experiencing the success in college like they were able to in high school.

Braeden Smith came to Colgate from Seattle. How did you find him?

The Colgate brand carries a lot of weight in a lot of places. It has built a reputation as a fantastic academic institution. Our recent success in the basketball world has lifted up our basketball level. We recruit everywhere because that's where Colgate is. Our academic standards mandate that we recruit everywhere. One of our assistants was at an event in Arizona where high schools from the West Coast and Pacific Northwest were all playing in June. Word of mouth and recommendations from other coaches saw him and saw many things that we valued and thought could be a good fit. We started recruiting him from there.

Braeden Smith had a great season. What do you think about his growth and the kind of player he could become?

Like all of our players, we never try to fit them into a box and define their role as 'this is what you need to be.' We have a growth mindset and try to maximize their potential. So that work is collaborative. He had a fantastic first season. There are certainly no other first-years in our conference that I would rather have on our team, even though Braeden wasn't voted Rookie of the Year. He had a special season. There are a lot of things that we already talked about that he thinks he can get better at, that we think he can get better at. It's about maximizing who you can be every step of the way and that's what his focus is and our focus is. History will show you that a guy who started out his career as he has, who has all those intangibles and has his work ethic, can have a great, great career.

How do you feel about the future of the program?

Everybody involved in this program feels great about it. Obviously, like we do every year, we are going to lose some key pieces, but we feel like we return some really important pieces. That culture has been passed down and it's not just that the group has accepted what has been done previously. They are committed to learning and improving and growing. That is where their focus is. Again, the result has been six straight championship games and four straight NCAA tournaments. But I think the group certainly doesn't rest on their laurels. While they're proud and confident, both of which have been earned, they're not privileged in how they go about their day-to-day lives. They know and understand that nothing is given and everything is earned. That's the mentality that they go about their lives with. The guys who are returning are committed to doing that.

Regarding Tucker, is there anything you wish to say about his career or how he evolved over the years?

The statistics are what they are. They are important to note, like four NCAA tournaments, four conference champions, Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and his 1,700 points and the many other statistics. They are important to note because again, it sets the bar at an elite level of what you've been able to accomplish. He's one of 20 seniors who were selected to play in the NABC Division I Senior All-Star game in Houston on the same floor where the national championship will be played. He's recognized by others because of his accomplishments at an elite level. The best thing I can say about him is, the type of guy he is to coach, his level of consistency, his reputation in this community, what he's done in the classroom, and the type of teammate he is, exceed all of those accomplishments. The best way I can say it is, I would wish for every coach that there is in this world, whether you coach youth sports or you coach at the World Cup — that they would get to coach an individual like him.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your program or anything we discussed?

My gratitude and appreciation for those who watch us, who enjoy us, who come to the games, to follow us on ESPN+ or ColgateAthletics.com, my gratitude and appreciation. Through my lens, what we've been able to build is special, and that's thanks to the collaborative nature of this team and our Colgate community.

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Players Mentioned

#25 Rapolas Ivanauskas: F; 6' 10"; Senior

#10 Will Rayman: F; 6' 9"; Senior

#1 Jordan Burns: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#0 Nelly Cummings: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#13 Jack Ferguson: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#22 Malcolm Bailey: F; 6' 10"; Senior

#34 Alex Capitano: G; 6' 4"; Junior

#5 Nicolas Louis-Jacques: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#33 Oliver Lynch-Daniels: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#4 Ryan Moffatt: F; 6' 7"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#25 Rapolas Ivanauskas
: 6' 10"; Senior
: F

#10 Will Rayman
: 6' 9"; Senior
: F

#1 Jordan Burns
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#0 Nelly Cummings
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#13 Jack Ferguson
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#22 Malcolm Bailey
: 6' 10"; Senior
: F

#34 Alex Capitano
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G

#5 Nicolas Louis-Jacques
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#33 Oliver Lynch-Daniels
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#4 Ryan Moffatt
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F