PREP Athletics Basketball Podcast
PREP Athletics Basketball Podcast
Steve Turner: A New Era At Montverde Academy
Steve Turner—now Head of Basketball Operations and National Team Head Coach at Montverde Academy—breaks down the modern prep-to-college pathway with zero fluff. After 26 years at Gonzaga College High School, Turner explains why he chose Montverde, how he builds a “we over me” roster for EYBL Scholastic, and why academics still matter for top-50 talents. He gives families straight talk on NIL (what to learn before signing anything), whether high school stars really need agents, and how the transfer portal reshaped recruiting. Turner also shares his parent perspective from his son’s transfer (Northeastern → Old Dominion) and the mindset/mental health guardrails families should prioritize. Plus, a blueprint case study: Blake Harper’s rise from Gonzaga to Howard to Creighton. If you want practical, current guidance on prep school selection, player development, and realistic college placement in 2025–26, this one’s for you. Ready to find the right fit—not the loudest offer? Let’s dig in.
💡Key Topics:
📌 EYBL Scholastic & Montverde’s development pathway (prep school basketball, player development)
📌 NIL, agents, and family education (NIL rules, state differences, risk management)
📌 Transfer portal realities and protecting the college degree (college placement, recruiting strategy)
📌 Mental health as a decision driver (parent perspective, athlete well-being)
📌 Building a “we over me” roster for elite competition (team culture, coachability)
🏀 About Steve Turner:
Steve Turner is Head of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the National Team at Montverde Academy. A former National Coach of the Year, he spent 26 years at Gonzaga College High School (DC), sending dozens of players to all levels of Division I and professional basketball. At Montverde, Turner leads in EYBL Scholastic while emphasizing academics, culture, and long-term development.
🔗 Connect with Steve Turner:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mvabasketball/
Website | https://www.coachsteveturner.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/coachsteveturner
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-turner-86629748/
Twitter | https://x.com/MVABasketball
Email | steve.turner@montverde.org
🔗 Connect with Cory:
Website | https://www.prepathletics.com
Twitter | https://twitter.com/PREP_Athletics
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/prep.athletics/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/PrepAthletics
Email | coryheitz@gmail.com
Phone | 859-317-1166
🔖 Subscribe to the PREP Athletics Podcast:
iTunes | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prep-athletics-podcast/id1546265809?uo=4
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/6CAKbXFiIOhoHinzsReYbJ
Amazon | https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c37179d-3371-47f9-9d97-fd569e8802a7/prep-athletics-basketball-podcast #AmazonMusic
Cory Heitz (00:00)
Welcome to this week's episode of the prep athletics podcast. I'm proud to have rejoining us coach Steve Turner. Now Steve is the new head of basketball operations and the head coach of the national team at Montverde Academy in Florida. Yes, that Montverde Academy world famous, know, Homer Cooper flag, uh, Liam McNeely, Aston Newell, Derek Queen, and many, many others. Um, and Steve has been at Gonzaga college high school in DC for 26 years.
prior to this move and I coached with him from 2011, 2013 when I lived in DC and when I moved there and had a great experience with him and his wife and Steve has multiple Gatorade national players of the year for DC. He even won national coach of the year a few years back. Um, sent many guys to all levels of D1 guys that have played overseas, guys that have got a sniff in the league and, um, just, you know, a family member. And this episode we talk about, you know, the
the choice to go from Gonzaga to Montverde. What college placement is like now versus four and a half years ago when he was back on the podcast. His own son, Jared, transferred colleges since we last talked. We talked about that perspective from him as a parent, right? Versus being an advisor as a coach. Blake Harper. Blake Harper used to be a young little kid running around the gym at Gonzaga because Snoop, his father, was one of our assistants. And he went from
You know, we talked about prep school for him before his senior year, and then he went to Howard and then he blew up and now he's a Creighton. And we talked about his journey and so much more that makes us just a great conversation. And like I said, Steve, ⁓ really helped me in my basketball journey and helping, ⁓ prep athletics become what it came today. His son went to prep school himself so he can speak on the benefits of it. And his wife, Leah, Leah, you know, started becoming an acupuncturist.
when I moved to DC and she needed someone to work on to get her hours in and her reps in, and I had very serious, irritable bowel syndrome back then. It was crippling. I couldn't leave the house that affected travel. I had to miss social events and with working with Leah for a few years, ⁓ my, my IBS is gone and I credit it all to her and in her healing hands and what she did for me. And, so just,
Can't speak highly enough of the Turner family and this is a great podcast. We've learned a lot. It's vital to listen to this because you can hear from a guy at the top of the game. What's going on in the high school world right now in the college recruiting world. And I think it's going to be a great lesson for you guys. If you like this, be sure to subscribe on all the major podcasting platforms. Go to our YouTube channel, subscribe there, subscribe there and go to prepathletics.com sign up for the newsletter. And we've got all the information you need on prepathletics.com.
And feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the prep school world. We get back to everybody that reaches out. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this interview with the new Montverde coach, Steve Turner.
Cory Heitz (03:17)
Steve, welcome back to the podcast.
Coach Turner (03:21)
Coach, thanks for having me back.
Cory Heitz (03:24)
Yeah, yeah, we've been each other's lives for quite a while here and you've made a big change in the past few months leaving Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC and now taking over the program at Montverde Academy down in Florida. Tell me what was the catalyst for the move?
Coach Turner (03:39)
it's kind of crazy. ⁓ I'll be honest with you. I never thought I would leave Gonzaga. ⁓ and an opportunity at the end of the year came my way. And once I was able to come down here and touch all that it is, it, it, it, it made me have to really, really think about what was the next direction for me in my life, ⁓ for my family and, and
Opportunity to be able to be in another place to continue to impact lives. ⁓ Played heavy in it. I'd say the piece that probably played the heavy in it most heavy in it was. The fact that Montverde is a real school. Like I was able to be able to come to another place that. Represented the values that I have in being a coach and all that I think it is for a student to be a student athlete and all all those things were aligned and matched up. And.
And I think God called me into taking on an opportunity to go to somewhere else that represented and fulfills the values that I have as a man working with young men. ⁓ And they align perfectly and here I am.
Cory Heitz (04:55)
Nice. What are you most excited about?
Coach Turner (05:00)
The opportunity to do what I preach every single day, ⁓ getting comfortable being uncomfortable. I was at Gonzaga for 26 years. I've been in a DMV as a coach for 28 plus. And I had to do something and make a choice to do something that is very similar that I preach every single day and certainly have preached every single day as a head coach to my players. that's, hey, get comfortable being uncomfortable. This is...
This is totally different. It's a different lifestyle. It's a different way of how I'm having to recruit, how I coach, ⁓ how we travel, all the different things that go with it. But the one thing that remained the same was being able to have students who are in a school where they are going to school every single day and then basketball is another part to their life. So those things were still on the line, which I think have helped in this transition.
Cory Heitz (06:00)
Yeah, what's been most challenging so far in these first few months?
Coach Turner (06:07)
making sure that I'm trying to bring in the right pieces. You know, when I got the job and was announced as the head coach, Cory, I could have put together two top 10 teams in the country based on names, not based on whether the teams fit and were that good together, but based on names, the calls that I got, whether it be domestic or international, I could have put together easily two top 10 teams in the country. And so I still am approaching it no different than I did at Gonzaga with
trying to find the right pieces that mesh with who we are at Montverde.
Cory Heitz (06:43)
You talk about that. So I've heard this before talking to other guys like Steve Smith and Mike Peck, guys that have these top 10 programs that are just fielding, you know, players from all over the country or world that are very high talented. Obviously, like you just said, could make two top 10 teams. What's going to be your process? Like for those players out there that are top 100, ⁓ on their national teams, wherever it might be in the world, like tell them what you're looking for in a player at Montverde under your system.
Coach Turner (07:11)
I think it's no different than it's ever been for any of the coaches that players coaches, but players that I've ever coached, whether it be through AAU, whether it be during my time at Pilate, my time at the Newport school, and certainly my time at Gonzaga is that I'm trying to find guys who want to be coached or willing to give of themselves to be a part of something bigger than them. But it gives them an opportunity to go chase the things that they're chasing in terms of playing college basketball at the highest level.
and certainly beyond. I want guys who are we guys, not just me guys, because when you're playing at this level, you gotta have guys who are willing to sacrifice a little bit of maybe who they believe they are for the benefit of the team. But if they understand that if the team does what it's supposed to do, the things that they want in the end are gonna come anyway. So I want guys who are dedicated to being hard workers, who are willing to learn.
⁓ who are willing to play with others and who are willing to chase something together with a brotherhood that's bigger than them and that they get to be a part of and make it great.
Cory Heitz (08:24)
Yeah, love that. Now you had to build out a coaching staff and you did that with some guys that have played for you or have been on your staff previously. Tell us how you put together your staff and who you've got on it.
Coach Turner (08:34)
⁓ well, when I interviewed here, the first person that, that, that I went after to hire was a gentleman who was already here in Joe Katuka. Joe is, if I, if I, like to call him Mr. Mountverde, Joe played here. He was a part of when basketball became something, the start of basketball being special here at Mountverde. he played under Kevin Sutton, who's, who's a long time friend of mine. ⁓ and, and, and so.
When we, myself and Leah were here and went through the interview process, Joe was a piece of that puzzle. And I just felt like our vibe hit off really quick. Like we had already known each other. It was something like we either known each other from another time or God just put us together because it was meant to be. And I just felt like if I was taking this job, Joe was the one guy that I had to have.
I felt like I did my best to make that clear to him. hence he stayed and is a part of my staff. And he was my first hire. And then I felt like from then on it was about relationships. I mean, I got resumes galore of people who were trying to come on. And you heard from different people who were in the know in the basketball world, well, hey, who's gonna be your heavy hitters in terms of your recruiting? Who is this guy you're bringing?
And I've always known myself to be my heavy hitter. Like I didn't always just have to rely on the guys who were on my staff to go get players. They had to be a part of that puzzle. I couldn't do it by myself, but I wasn't afraid of not going after this person that somebody else thought, hey, he's the guy you got to get because he's going to get you players. I'm a believer in relationships. And I knew with this first staff, I needed to have people around me that I trust.
and I know well and that knew me well. ⁓ Because this is a first year and you don't get a second chance at a first year. And so for me, it was important to be able to be around and surrounded by people that I felt I could trust, that some of those who know me, some of those who can bring some other things to the table that are different than who I am and what I've been about, ⁓ I wanted there to be a mix.
The next piece to the puzzle, I felt like there was no brainer in that I'm bringing my oldest son, who's been coaching with me the last couple of years at Gonzaga, to be a part of this. This is something he wanted because I know what he's trying to get to too. And I think the platform that we have here will allow him to learn and grow underneath me and the other coaches on the staff to help him go after something that he'd like to go after eventually and sitting in the same site, proceed as me as a head coach.
Then it was, right, who were the guys that?
from my staff at Gonzaga that could be here. I went after one and I got turned down, unfortunately, ⁓ Lape, Oriola. And Lopp, I think was gonna come. I felt like he maybe got some cold feet and he had some things in his life that he still feel like needed to happen for him there in the DMV. ⁓ And unfortunately, I didn't get him to come. But we have a program here called the CBD.
And that program is the Center for Basketball Development. And we decided to change a little bit of how that program was structured and run. being able to, it's funny because the person that I thought would be a great fit for that, that could also be an assistant with me, was the same person that other people who were talking to our head of schools was talking about at the same time. And we didn't know we were all talking about this same person at the same time. And that's Austin Kelly, who was a part of my staff at Gonzaga at one point.
Austin's also been a director for the hoop group and has been a college assistant coach from the dobo position to be an assistant on the bench at places like GW and Niagara up in Niagara Falls. so Austin became the director and also is now one of my assistants. And then a young man who played for me, Bradley Jacks. Bradley's been a college assistant coach for a few years here now.
And he actually went after the job at Gonzaga. We talked about it. I kind of talked to him about my thoughts for him as a person going after that job. And then when I didn't get LOP, I was like, whoa. And Brad said to me, hey, if I don't get the Gonzaga job, coach, I'd be interested if you'd be interested in me. And that became a no-brainer. Brad's work ethic, the things that I know about him as a student athlete.
He's played it at a high level Division III basketball. He's played it at the WCAC, high level high school basketball, won a national championship and was a major contributor to a team that won a national championship. And then the work I've seen him do from afar is a proud, I'll say proud pop, because I treat all my former players like they're my sons. Watching what he's been able to do with young men at the college level and how he's helped them grow in the game.
I just felt like he was a natural fit to come here and be a part of my staff. And I thank God that he said yes.
Cory Heitz (14:10)
Yeah, that's great. No, used to coach Brad every day and practice in big man drills and Austin and I were at Gonzaga together. So you've got a Christian, obviously I remember him. So great crew.
Coach Turner (14:13)
Yeah.
Well, you see Brad bringing some of your drills to the table. So I love it.
Cory Heitz (14:24)
That's awesome. Now break this down for people that don't know. So you're going to be coaching the Mount Verde National Team, right? And you've got the CBD for those that don't know, like who's going to be on your team, who's going to be in other teams and like what kids should look at this opportunity globally?
Coach Turner (14:41)
Well, I think the national team gives you an opportunity to be a part of what's now going to be the best high school league in the country. The EYBL Scholastic. It's a 20 team league of schools that are all represented and part of the Nike brand. And they will be separated by East and West, 10 teams on each. We found out now that 12 of our teams will make it to the end of the year tournament. So you got to...
You got to compete like college. this is, I say it, I've stepped into a college job at the high school level, the way that we get to recruit, the way that we go about our business in terms of our play. mean, our league schedule is similar to the Ivy leagues where you get the back to backs every week on the weekends and the preparation that you have to have to get prepared for some really, really good coaching and talent of players is going to be.
similar to what our guys are striving to go to after they leave us and that's college basketball. So we've got to treat it that way. Our CBD program is an opportunity to come here and be developed in a different way than a traditional high school has it. We've got three other high school teams. We have three more JV teams. We have a freshman team as well as a middle school team.
So there's eight of our opportunities where you can get involved and our coaches are all involved and we have head coaches for each one of those other teams. And you're gonna get basketball training year round ⁓ through both programs. So an opportunity to grow in this game and have opportunity to be seen, ⁓ it's at the highest level.
Cory Heitz (16:27)
I love it. Now when people say Mount Verge is not that academic, that's just the stereotype out there. What do you say to that?
Coach Turner (16:32)
⁓
Do your homework. I had to do mine. I can be honest, I didn't know all of what Montver was before I got to come here and touch the campus. The school has been here since 1912. It was a school before was ever basketball. That has not changed and actually has only grown and gotten better and better. You're talking four guys in that draft this past year. ⁓ Guys like Cooper Flagg, Liam McNeely in AP courses.
not online, not sitting behind a computer in the classroom being taught by teachers daily. Asa Newell, I think is maybe the finest and greatest example. Asa walked out of here with an associate's degree from college. Asa was taking AP courses daily, duly enrolled in college, taking classes online. And I think he even had to go in for some classes and walk out of Mount Verde. So from high school, walked out with his associate's degree halfway through college.
Cory Heitz (17:16)
Wow.
Coach Turner (17:31)
who'll probably be the first young man that's NBA player to get his degree the fastest because he's had a year at Georgia under his belt. So that's three years of college already done. He probably takes the next two summers and can wrap up and have his undergrad degree in his belt before having three years in the NBA. If that doesn't tell you what the student athlete is like at Mount Vernon, I don't know what else will.
Cory Heitz (17:58)
Yeah. Thanks for sharing that. That cleared me up because I wasn't aware. So that's good to know. Now let's go back to you building out your national team. How much is it going to be you being proactive versus you just being reactive and seeing who comes in?
Coach Turner (18:12)
Well, I mean, I think this year was a combination. And I think it'll always be a combination because I think this is a place that will always be sought after for young men and families to want their kids to go to. Certainly as they get to know and understand that this place is still a regular high school with lot of the same traditions as maybe the high schools they were at and public schools or private schools where they were where they're coming from. We still have prom. We still have homecomings. We still have different.
different things that would be associated with a traditional high school. And so for me, it's always gonna be fitting the pieces to the puzzle. Now we have a puzzle that's put together, 13 young men on the national team. We know that six of those are gonna graduate. And we know the way that the landscape is going, kids could transfer out. ⁓ So for me now seeing the pieces that I've put together, getting a year under our belt of what that really looks like in terms of.
talent at certain positions. That's what's gonna help me understand how to go after and also how to be receptive to those who wanna call and say that they wanna come here that can fit pieces to our puzzle to make Mount Verde be the best team it can be and be a team that can continue to chase national championships.
Cory Heitz (19:26)
I love that. I'm a top 50 player in this scenario and I'm looking at you, OTE, IMG, other Scholastic UIBLs. Why pick Montver? Give me your pitch to me as a top 50 player that you want.
Coach Turner (19:41)
Your ability to be coached by unbelievable coaches who are here that want nothing more for you than to give you an opportunity to be a part of a platform that's going to have you help chase the things that you're chasing. The other pieces, the ball can stop bouncing at any given time. You want to be at a place where the academic piece is going to matter to help you be able to continue to grow in that phase because we know this, every kid is not making it to the NBA. You want to have people who care about you.
that are gonna put you in position to be the best student athlete you can be.
Cory Heitz (20:17)
Gotcha. So, but the way things are today with top 50 players, like are academics as important anymore, Steve, as they used to be?
Coach Turner (20:23)
Well, every top 50 players not going to the NBA, so it better be. I think that we got to continue to educate our families and understanding that there's nothing wrong with being afraid to chase your dreams and go after them, but that's not always a guarantee. So what is your kid going to land on if he doesn't make it to that level that he's dreaming about? Because that's not a guarantee. And we know that every pro, if we don't start getting things better here in the US in terms of the development,
Those seats are being taken from kids from, and ⁓ forget just kids, from men from abroad. And so you wanna be able to make sure that you're in a place where your kid's gonna develop the best that he can. I think if you your, check my resume and check the men that I have surrounded by our young men, resumes, in terms of what they've been able to do and who they've been around and where the kids that they've coached are going, this will definitely be a place that you want your kid to be able to be at.
Cory Heitz (21:23)
Gotcha. Two top players now need agents in high school.
Coach Turner (21:28)
I don't think so.
Cory Heitz (21:30)
Are you going to have to deal with agents in your new position?
Coach Turner (21:34)
Already in.
Cory Heitz (21:36)
And how does that make you feel?
Okay,
maybe that's maybe we don't want to put that out online. But point is like, do you suggest like a high does a high end player need an agent in today's day and age if they're looking at national high schools?
Coach Turner (21:43)
No, I-I-I-I- ⁓
I don't think at high school. I'm not going to say that they shouldn't, but I don't think they do. I think if you're chasing the money piece to this.
What has stopped parents from talking for themselves?
Cory Heitz (22:10)
I think they just don't know the landscape and they would put it in the hands of someone they think has more IP on the topic.
Coach Turner (22:16)
I think,
well, I just think in the landscape, there's still a lot to be learned because I don't think that everybody's getting all the information that they need. Um, as I've had to go through this process, I'm seeing that. And I think there's so many different, like I'll give you a simple layer is that every state has different laws. So just because Billy in California will do this for you and your family doesn't mean that coach Turner in Florida can.
So, so I think there's a lot of education that still needs to be done in this, in this, in this space by everybody. I'm talking from agents to coaches, to the families, to the kids, to anyone who's involved in the runner, the trainer who's talking for a family. Like there's still a lot of pieces and layers to this that I think haven't been discussed and that people don't know. Like, I don't think you can assume to know what you don't know without figuring out.
who are the right people to educate you and give you the answers to the tests so you best can make decisions on what is the right thing to do for your child in terms of either having an agent or not having an agent. Having someone to deal with collective, having someone to deal with NIL, like there's so many things that if you're not educating yourself, I think there's some families who are getting duped in this whole thing in a lot of ways to be honest with you. ⁓ And again, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have them.
But I think you got to do your homework a lot deeper and make sure you're talking to folks who can give you all the answers you need to make sound decisions for your children, men or women. That would be where I'm at. It's in the space. It's something we're all going to have to deal with. Pandora's box has been open. It's not going away anywhere soon. But I think there has to be more education on what should and shouldn't happen.
Cory Heitz (23:55)
Right.
With the high level players you've had with your son being in college, and we'll talk about him in a second transferring, like, are, you feel you're well versed enough to guide families on choosing a school and incorporating all the NIL that's surrounding it nowadays?
Coach Turner (24:31)
Yeah, I do. I do. I study it. I talk to a lot of people about it. I'm educating myself so that I can educate the people that are entrusting themselves in me with their children. I want to be able to have the answers to the test for them so that they're not having to fight and figure this all out by themselves. And I think there needs to be more people who are doing that so that people can be rightfully informed.
Cory Heitz (24:59)
Gotcha. Now your son transferred from Northeastern to Old Dominion and you've been helping players in the past as their former coach do that. And now it's actually coming to your household. So what did you learn through that process that maybe you didn't know by not being on the parent side of things?
Coach Turner (25:17)
⁓ be patient, ask questions, research, do your homework, not not
make hasty decisions. ⁓ I'm in the field. And as it pertained to my child, I knew I had to make sure I was making informed and sound decisions for the best for him. And this wasn't about me. I mean, if it was my world, I would have never wanted to see my son transfer. I never dreamed that I would have to be in that space. I hated seeing it.
from my other children that I call my children who played for me that I've had to see do that. I've always said I want to young men and women fight from a position of dealing with adversity and being able to understand that we don't run from stuff. try to grab the bull by the horns and fight through it. But there's other things that come into play and the biggest piece is something that I'm a big advocate of now, mental health.
Cory Heitz (26:31)
Mm-hmm.
Coach Turner (26:32)
We see it now and I feel like it's a blessing that we have pros who are talking about their experiences with mental health versus holding it back and not letting it be out there. That's more important to me than anything. My son could have stopped, could have told me today, I'm done dad, I'm not playing basketball. And I wouldn't be upset. If it was to jeopardize his mental health, I'd rather see him not play. ⁓
And, and so for me, it was more, let me make sure my son is in the right space where he needs to be to do what he's enjoying and loving. And it wasn't all about wins and losses and playing time. My son was a one percenter in the transfer portal. He wasn't making, he didn't make a decision about playing time and he didn't make a decision about money. He was at a school that didn't even deal with an I.L. ⁓ So he, and he was a guy who was playing.
as a freshman almost 20 minutes a game. ⁓ So it was more some things that were going on with him that he needed to be in a different place. And I'm not at liberty to put that all out there, but I needed to make it clear. there's different people who are in the transfer portal. Most of the kids we see in the transfer portal are running from something.
or they're chasing something, which is usually money. ⁓ This wasn't the case for him. And I think him being able to have a gap year where he could get himself into the mental space he needed to be in, I'm seeing it pay dividends. So I think you have to be careful as a family to look at what you're doing this for and why you're making choices for. Is it about money? Is it about playing?
Or is it truly about making the thing be the main thing? Most of you will say, this is about putting my son in position because he wants to chase an NBA dream. Well, then sometimes to get to an NBA dream, we have to go through adversity. So jumping the gun and just jumping to what's next isn't always the best thing. We're seeing it. Like do your homework. There are names that were the big names coming out of eighth grade that were supposed to be the next world stars who've been to four and five schools now.
and aren't gonna make it to the NBA. So are we gonna make decisions that jeopardize those opportunities or we're gonna figure out as a family and who that small group of people are that you're surrounding your kid with to make sound decisions for what he's really chasing or are we gonna let other things derail us?
Cory Heitz (29:16)
Yeah, absolutely. And you being around, you know, high school boys for the past five years since COVID, you know, I've seen it with my clients. You've probably seen it in all the activities you do. Like there has been a mental health shift. What do you think caused that? Was it the time away from peers and the masks and online learning? Is it the phone still? Is it pressure from outside stores?
Coach Turner (29:36)
I,
Cory, I think it's everything that you just mentioned, but I think it's a bigger thing. It's always been there. It's just finally now really being talked about. And I think it's finally being more talked about because the guys like a Kevin Love, who was one of the first ones who I think really went out there and put himself out there on a limb and said, Hey, this is what I'm dealing with. And now we're seeing more and more of the pro athletes and the kids in college.
Cory Heitz (29:46)
Hmm.
Coach Turner (30:05)
say, hey, I've had some things going on and I'm not afraid to go get help and I'm not afraid to go talk to someone that can help me stay in the space that I really want to be in. And I think we just didn't know better because our kids weren't saying things to us and having those conversations, they probably were talking to other people, but it wasn't being put on our table. And now that we're seeing those that we look up to and that they look up to are open enough to speak about it.
I think now you're having a lot more conversations that have been needing to be had way pre-COVID and probably for years and years even before. Shoot, I was a man.
Cory Heitz (30:46)
Yeah. Now tell me this, this is something I think does not get discussed, but there are thousands of kids who put their name in the transfer portal and at the end of the day, they don't get picked up and their careers over. Do you know any kids that have done that? Not that you need to name names, but do know kids that have done that? and B, what gives people the right to give that kind of advice to leave? And, know, you and I know what's going on and we still don't, we're still learning every day. You know,
10 times as much as I do. You're still learning every day and you're very cautious on giving advice, but these, these thousands of kids in the transfer portal aren't doing it on their own. They're hearing from somebody in their trusted circle and with thousands of kids every year, just having their career end. What do you have to say about that?
Coach Turner (31:31)
Well, think we keep forgetting that basketball, I'm just going to speak to my space. Basketball ⁓ is a we sport, it's not a me sport. So, there's a coach, I got 13 kids just on my team that I've got to figure out playing time for, making sure that it's the right place for them to be. And then, you you look at our school with the CBD program.
That's eight more teams times 13, 15. Like that we're trying to figure out what is right for them. And I think I'm being honest. think NIO and Transfer Portal was all put in place to derail a lot of people. I'm just, just, just as I'm looking at the landscape, ⁓ I think, I think it's a bigger story to this than people willing to talk about. I mean, when you talk about
guys staying in the portal and never getting out. What's the one thing that's being taken away that we all said we're doing the sport for? To get a degree.
Now look at how many, I'm gonna speak, I'm gonna be, Cory, you're a boy, so I can be brutally honest. I look at my own race, how many young black men and women are now gonna not get their degree when basketball or any other sport was certainly an opportunity for them maybe to be the first in their family to get their degree. Now we have this transfer portal that says, okay, when something isn't right for you and you're not happy, go run.
Now we send them to a place to run and they don't even get a chance to get out.
I look at some of what's the biggest pandemic in the black community is fatherless homes. Now we're teaching young men to run every time adversity hits. That's part of why we have a lot of fatherless homes in the black community is that when things aren't going right in the family, dad jumps up and leaves. I don't wanna see that for people at any race or color, but I'm just telling you that's a big pandemic in the black community. And I feel like...
Cory Heitz (33:32)
Right.
Coach Turner (33:45)
Some of this has been put in place to continue to derail those things. You you put the money piece in front of it. What's been the one thing that gets people in trouble? Chasing quick money. I look at some of the money that's being thrown at kids at a high school level is quick money. It's not life-changing money. You start seeing some of that if you're a one percenter at the college level now, but there's not that kind of money for life-changing at the high school level.
Cory Heitz (34:03)
Right.
Coach Turner (34:14)
Maybe it's coming. I don't know. But let's be honest. Who right now in the next couple classes is Cooper Flagg or AJ DeBonce or Darren Peterson or Cameron Boozer? Can we say that there's those 1 %ers in the next couple classes? I think it's still to be determined. So if you're not those guys, some of which didn't get money in high school, and look what they were able to do, taking advantage of a platform and take advantage of institutions.
where they got their degrees and got to be showcased in front of the right people and now they're at the spot that they want. I think we got to continue to make the main thing the main thing before chasing what's quick and fast and allowing ourselves to be derailed and put into situations where now we're in a transfer portal and we don't get out. And now I don't get money or I don't get and I don't get a degree.
Cory Heitz (35:08)
Right. Good stuff. Let's talk about another transfer, Blake Harper. So Blake Harper was in your program. In fact, I remember Blake at Gonzaga when he was a young man, like in junior high or elementary school. And I was there and I talked to his father, Byron, at the beginning of his senior year about helping him with prep school, because he's probably going to need a post-grad year. And then he does pretty well at Gonzaga, picks up an offer at Howard and then...
has an amazing freshman season. fact, his first game in a Howard uniform at Kansas scores 30. Does so good. It's even at sports Illustrator article on him, like fielding offers, the Howard coaching staff knowing it. And then he gets in the portal after the season ends and gets a pretty good payday going to a pretty good school in Creighton. Right. So explain to me that situation. Cause we just talked about the kids that go in the portal and their careers over. Now we're talking to the young man who within like.
15 months, his life completely changed. Add in a few months prior to that, tragically his mother passed away. Linda, friend of both of ours. So explain that process and what happened with Blake's Pacific.
Coach Turner (36:16)
I I'll go to beginning for Blake. I mean, I know Blake since he came out the womb. But, you know, high school wise, what happened for him in college that summer, we were waiting for it to happen for four years at Gonzaga. One, we all knew Blake had the fortitude and the aptitude in terms of being a basketball player, understanding how to play the right way, having a skill set that allowed him to do different things. For Blake, it was about his body not allowing him to do different things. He wasn't in the best shape.
Cory Heitz (36:21)
Right.
Coach Turner (36:46)
of his life. He hadn't had that growth spurt that we were all expecting from him. ⁓ unfortunately for Blake, but I think also that also catapulted, he had a major tragedy in his life that made him, it made him have a why. ⁓ And I know every day Blake does what he does because he wants to continue to show his mom his greatness and what she was able to allow him to grow into being.
And then he was blessed with being able to have an opportunity where as a freshman, he was pushed into being, if not the guy, one of the guys. Howard had a couple of injuries that year, last year, that also pushed Blake into a position where he was needed even more than maybe they expected his freshman year. But then Blake does the things that we ask kids to do. Let adversity hit and fight.
God gave him some things, hits puberty, has the growth spurt, gets in his best shape. He pushes himself, become the best version of himself he can be. And then he's blessed in a situation with a guy like Coach Blakeney. And I gotta give him a lot of credit to another one of his brothers from Gonzaga and Coach Tyler Thornton, who's an assistant coach there that bet on him and said, hey, we're gonna push you to your breaking point.
so that you can be the best you can be. And Blake could have broken and said, nah, the same for me. What Blake said was, I want this, I'm gonna take it and I'm gonna allow you guys to push me to be the best version of myself. And then it happened. And then he showed them that he could be counted on as a go-to guy. And so here's a kid that could have, I mean, easily decided the same for me. I don't need all this. He decided I'm gonna show the world.
who I know I can be and who I am. And then other opportunities come. It's like being on a job, regular job. I work at UPS and I show them how good of a worker I am. And next thing you know, they're asking me to be a manager or a supervisor. Well, Blake has afforded himself that opportunity by having a stellar year as a freshman at Howard and showing the world who he can be against the competition in his own conference. And as you said, off the break against
the preseason number one team in the country and then having having an ability to have himself earn someone's trust. See, that's the part I think we forget about. We all think this should just be given, given, given. What about earning the trust so that the person who's the head of the ship can say, you know what, I can give you more because I trust you and you're showing me that you can you can handle and take on more. And now doors start opening and a lot of doors open for Blake and
You know, unfortunate for Howard, they lose him, but fortunate for Blake. He took the platform that was in front of him, showcased himself and has given himself an opportunity to now try to go showcase himself again at a higher platform. That's what I've always thought work was about. He's a great example of what I believe work is all about and taking advantage of an opportunity and pushing yourself to be the best version of yourself. And then doors open up for you. And that's what happened for Blake.
Cory Heitz (40:10)
Yeah.
Yeah. I'm so happy for him and his dad and just I'm excited to see him play in the Big East this year. the pressure's on now. Like there was no pressure last year. Now we're going to see how he handles that. Cause he's hadn't been, he wasn't that guy, Gonzaga. He didn't have that pressure on him at Howard until the end of the season. But now Big East, it's going to be another thing to see how adversity works with Blake, right?
Coach Turner (40:16)
I know.
No.
I'm excited to watch it and I think he's built for it. I think he's had to go through this all his life. I watching him even as a youth, mean, his dad pushed him to the limits and his dad put him around guys who would help him grow in the game. Coach Hill coaching him through his AAU years, his ability to play for takeover and have to be a guy fighting from behind. Blake's a winner and he's proven himself to be a winner. And even if it doesn't go the way that people are expecting or wanting to, he's earned.
Cory Heitz (40:38)
Yeah.
Coach Turner (41:01)
his opportunity to be in the space that he's in now. And now he's just got to keep fighting as he's been fighting to get himself to what's next.
Cory Heitz (41:10)
Hey, if it keeps progressing, now we're talking potential NBA, right? So sky's the limit.
Coach Turner (41:14)
No doubt. mean, those guys have called, ⁓
he's on their radar. So he's put himself in position to be seen and have that opportunity to be afforded to him at some point in his life if he can continue to grow and get better.
Cory Heitz (41:26)
Yeah, that'd be awesome. Um, we talked last in 2021 about college placement. And it's one of the most viewed videos we've had in our platform is you talking about how to get recruited in college in these past four years. How have you seen college placement from your end change?
Coach Turner (41:43)
Heavily. Because...
Cory Heitz (41:46)
And how so?
Tell families that are out there with high schoolers now, like what they need to know about 2025 and 26, like the landscape.
Coach Turner (41:55)
I think the first thing is a family you need to be prepared for maybe not getting to the level that you presume your child should be at. And that's not any fault of your child. Understand that clearly. But the landscape has changed at the college level and that the coaches have contracts that they want to continue to keep so they can feed the mouths of their family. And to do that,
because of the way the transfer portal was opened up, those guys are now chasing men or they're chasing the kids who are in the top 10%. Some of those guys that maybe used to be in the top 50 % won't be high major players as they were before. And some of them are better than some of the kids who 10 to 15 years ago that were getting to that level may not get to that level. It's really gonna be important for you to do your due diligence.
or the people that you have surrounding you and helping you in these processes do their due diligence because the high school kid is not the first choice for a lot of these college basketball programs now. They want men, they want to be older, they want to be more mature, they want to have guys who've had experiences ⁓ that a high school kid just doesn't get. ⁓
because they hadn't played college basketball yet. So you have to understand that you may think your child is Carolina worthy, but he may only be American university worthy. ⁓ And that's not a fault to him or to what he is as a basketball player. It's just the landscape that we're in now. And so you gotta be prepared to help your child.
fall down and get back up is what I will call it. ⁓ And that, you you continue to shoot for the moon, but you should be able to have that opportunity to land among the stars and know that let's use Blake Harper. We just talked about it. I know what Blake was dreaming for coming out of high school. Those things didn't come knocking on his door, but he took advantage of an opportunity to where he could go. And now he's played his way up. So you shouldn't be afraid of
Having that opportunity, if you truly are willing to bet on yourself or bet on your child, and for that matter, to allow him to go to a place where he can shine early and then still have the opportunity to move up because that can happen. So don't knock that Billy on his AAU team is going to Carolina and you thought he should be going to that same level and then now he's going maybe a level, maybe even two levels down.
to have to fight to go back up because it's possible. mean, look at it. And it's possible without doing a whole, whole lot. I mean, I'm seeing kids leave from mid-majors and low-majors scoring eight points and becoming starters on top 25 teams in the country. The coaches are able to look at the analytics. They're able to watch film. They're able to see what your kid's doing. They're able to see your kid play against them in those money games for certain schools.
And they're evaluating. And those schools are going to be able to come and have folks connect you to them moving up. It's all got to be about keeping the main thing the main thing. Keep being a guy that's wanting to get better, a guy that stays in the gym working on his game and allowing people to see it. So I would just my message to the parents and the families and the players, don't be afraid of having to take an opportunity to play yourself up.
to what you want because sometimes we can't, now you can't skip processes. You can't skip the steps. There are gonna be different steps than there were in the past, but the steps are, they're a lot greater than you think. So don't allow that to be something that derails you or gets you down. Then maybe you have to play one level down to get to the level you really wanna get to.
Cory Heitz (46:07)
Yeah, that's the new way of doing things these days. I'm glad you personified that. Is there any honor left in college basketball?
Coach Turner (46:17)
I think there is. just think it sucks that that the, the rivalries are getting pushed away. I think what I grew up on is, ⁓
watching these conferences have, you know.
What I hate seeing is that now...
Are you really, are there really guys that can call their home their home?
Cory Heitz (46:48)
Hmm.
Coach Turner (46:49)
You know what mean? Like, where's your allegiance when it's all said and done if you end up in four different colleges in your career? How did, who is your, like, which school are you an alum of? Like, I think that part of the innocence of what I grew up in it being has been lost. I still think there's an opportunity with hopefully guys still taking advantage of getting their degrees.
And then it's still a stepping stone to what's next. I don't think that's lost. ⁓ But I would love to see more young men and women fight through some adversity and stay at places to get themselves to where they're trying to get to. Because I hate to see them have an opportunity to take advantage of a vehicle that can get them the degree, which will always be there for them. And seeing that a lot of them are not.
and they're going to be working in places that they're really not comfortable working and making the level come because they've let opportunity slip through their hands.
Cory Heitz (47:57)
⁓ I'm surprised you're not excited about the USC-Ruckers rivalry that's going to be starting. I mean, that's what basketball fans have won.
Coach Turner (48:04)
Why? You know
what? probably hate more about it. Like at the high at the high level, it's still great to watch those games. What's sad is that. You take Maryland's field hockey team, women's field hockey.
For them to have to travel to USC and UCLA. We're saying that college is supposed to be this. I mean, they're taking a week away from their education just to play.
Cory Heitz (48:32)
Yeah.
Coach Turner (48:33)
Fly commercial, not charter, like the bigger programs in the schools are. I don't know. I guess I'm hitting the old man part of me now.
Cory Heitz (48:48)
Yeah, they're going to be exhausted, exhausted for every, for the game, for academics, the recovery. mean, there was an article about one of those teams, either East coast or West. I think it was West coast. I think was maybe UCLA or USC and just the miles they accrued and the coach had to figure out recovery. Like we can't practice today. We just traveled for 17 hours. We have to take the day off when normally we're playing in the same time zone. Maybe doing a walkthrough today or going over some skill work and it's upended things.
Coach Turner (49:16)
I just think it's
taken away a lot of opportunity for people to continue to get better. As they say, you can't be in the gym if you're stuck in recovery and training room for three out of five days, you know, of the five work days a week. You're pretty much playing on weekends. Like, how are you getting better as a player if more of your time is spent traveling than being in the gym?
Cory Heitz (49:41)
I hear you. Let me ask you this. What's college basketball going to look like in five years? ⁓
Coach Turner (49:49)
the NBA's farm system.
Cory Heitz (49:54)
Well it's already that. I mean, will you see better players sticking around longer for the paydays? Like we've kind of seen with big men though.
Coach Turner (49:54)
⁓
Well, I think what you're seeing is we have some people who've been smart about how they've handled the situation. Like people are doing their homework and figuring it out. Some people that we know personally have figured it out. They're getting a couple degrees out of it. They're getting more money than they would get paid going overseas. I mean, I think there's gonna, I think at some point we're gonna see a cap get put on this so that could change it. I this landscape, I don't think we know.
all of what it is yet. It's still ongoing and something that we're learning. But I think we have to do a better job of learning it. If that makes sense. Like you got to be ready to, it's no different than basketball. Basketball has changed with the time. We've gone from the two big men in the post and now we want to play five out. We want everybody to shoot threes and we want to take more threes and twos because we think that's the way to win. I mean, there's so many different things that are changing. If we aren't educating ourselves with the change.
then we're doing ourselves a disjust.
Cory Heitz (51:04)
Yeah, I love it. Last question. ⁓ In five years, if everything goes exactly the way you'd like it to go, what does Steve Turner's life look like at Montverde?
Coach Turner (51:20)
I've never, it's never been about chasing. I mean, it's always been about chasing championships. That's just a part of what comes with the job, but that hasn't always been the number one thing. That Steve Turner moved to a new place, has continued to impact lives and given young men an opportunity to use a platform to chase their dreams. It hasn't changed. I'm a server at heart.
It's never been about me having the crown on my head as the head coach. I'm always going to be a guy that's about uplifting others. And that's what I'm here to do. In that, yeah, I'm building teams to go be the best team in the country and beat up on the best teams in the country. And certainly let our guys have a opportunity to showcase themselves so that we can continue to have them taking advantage of getting a free education and pushing basketball as far as it can take them.
potentially take care of themselves and their families.
Cory Heitz (52:18)
I love it. Is there anything you want to mention that we didn't cover?
Coach Turner (52:22)
I don't think so, but I'm always happy to be on here with you. I'm blessed to have you as a friend and someone who I call family. I love the platform that you've built to allow young men to have an opportunity to be helped by someone who cares about them and putting them in places that are right for them to chase their dreams. think, know, Cory, we first met, I felt it from the time.
You came to my office and you interviewed. There was a connection there and it continues to be that connection because I believe the both of us are people who are about helping others. And that's something that means more to me than anything. It's greater for me than any championship that I've ever won. I like to know that I got a lot of walking trophies around and the best trophy I get is when those kids take advantage of using that little brown or orange pill, whatever color the ball is and what league it's in.
⁓ to get the ultimate piece and that's going to get their degree. And when those guys get to put that graduation cap and gown on from their college, I'm more proud about that than any championship I can win in any league or any national championship I could ever go after.
Cory Heitz (53:39)
Yeah. And I just want to say, say, say right back at you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. 2011 and 2013, I was a newbie to DC and didn't know Jack didn't know how a Nike elite team worked or who this Chris Jenkins guy or Nate Britt or all these other guys were. And I remember at my previous high school, I used to, you know, bang with the big guys. didn't at Gonzaga because they were all better than I was at that time. So I was like, just going to tell you coach Cory's story is not, not play against you guys.
And, ⁓ and yeah, this is a great opportunity that's, that's helped catapult this to where it is now with, know, your guidance and connections I made while at Gonzaga. So I appreciate that. And just another thing too, you sent your own son Christian. He was working with you now at Montverde to a prep school in New England. So you went through the same process. Families are going through now and talking to me about, so tell me real quick, ⁓ kind of how prep school benefited Christian.
Coach Turner (54:35)
It allowed him to It allowed him to grow as a young man in his own space without mom and pops right on top of you every single day. It's funny because his dream is to be able to go back and be a head coach at a place like that. Like it's something that, that, that it is still discipline in him. It allowed him to grow a little quicker, having to be on his own a little bit.
and manage his time and understanding, you know, what it was like to be on his own a little bit early. I mean, we're still there and able to support and help from afar, but it allowed for my son to grow and become a man ⁓ in the ways that I'm very, very proud of. ⁓ Seeing him navigate through some tough times. He had to fall down a few times and get back up.
And now seeing where he is today, I wouldn't change it for the world. And I'm glad that his self and I and his mom were able to work together and be able to make sure that he was in the right space and in the right place. And I think that's the part that sometimes gets missed is that, I mean, you know, my oldest son Christian and his mom and I never married, but we worked together as parents. We parented together to make sure for our child, it was the best thing.
And I hope and would want that for anyone who's in that situation where parents aren't together, how you can work together for what's the most important thing and that's your child. And so I wish that for any and all. And again, that space at Proctor for how it helped him grow, man, couldn't put a price tag on that. the man that I see today, a part of that is not just mine or his mom's doing.
it's that institution's doing. They helped him grow in ways that I think a lot of prep schools can help young men and women grow. So I think it's an option that people should definitely take a look at. And I'm not gonna say it's for everybody, because even Montverde's not for everybody. But there are places that are there for your kids to learn and grow. You just gotta do your homework and talk to the right people.
Cory Heitz (56:58)
Absolutely. And if people are interested in either the national team at Montverde or the CBD program there, what's the best way for them to get more information?
Coach Turner (57:07)
⁓ Shoot an email to myself, ⁓ steve.turner at montverde.org or to our head of the CBD program, Austin Kelly, and that's austin.kelly at montverde.org. Reach out, call us, email us. We'll definitely get back to you. There's a lot of opportunity here to help your young men ⁓ get to places that they want to get to and an ability to have people who can help them grow in this game of basketball.
Cory Heitz (57:36)
I love it. Steve, thanks so much for coming back on. I'm excited about following you and your journey down in Florida at Montverde Academy. And we're going to be following your progress. And if there's anything we can do to help, please let us know. But you're welcome back anytime on the podcast and good luck this season.
Coach Turner (57:51)
Man, thank you. Likewise, if you need anything from me, you know all you gotta do is give me a holler.
Cory Heitz (57:55)
Thanks for joining this week's episode of the Prep Outbox Podcast. We'll see you next week. Take care.
Coach Turner (58:00)
Take care.