As a basketball player, can you discuss his growth from last summer to this summer.
I've had Zach since middle school. He's been all-Dade county as of eighth grade. Then he went to Miami Beach. The first two years of Miami Beach, he became all-state and All-American as a freshman. Recently, they just transferred to Miami High, which has eighteen state championships, so we feel we have the best opportunity to win two more state championships and get a great education. And, like I said, he wakes up early in the morning and he does MMA fighting. He does yoga late at night for stretching purposes.
I was going to ask you about that, because I think he's so much more flexible.
I think yoga helps him late at night stretching. We do a lot of unorthodox training.
It's clearly paying off right now.
Well, thank you. Thank you. It's a team effort and we have a very small nucleus. We keep it small and we don't want the distractions. Coach is best friends with Ray Allen, so he knows what it's like with the movie "He Got Game" with Jesus. Zach's very humble. He's very family oriented. He's just really focused at the task at-hand. He takes so much pride in defense and rim-protecting. His offensive arsenal has just improved so much in one year.
In terms of recruiting, what are some of the things he will look for in a program whenever he decides?
I mean, if you look at the top twenty, he's got thirty offers. We have to find a system where the big man is a focus, where the offense runs through the big men. Obviously, Zach has a lot of offensive skills, so we want a good fit. Chances are, he won't be in college long. There are rules we can't control, so we'll see how that goes. We want the preparation not only to prepare Zach not only to be in the League, but to be a top pick and be a Hall of Famer one day. There are a lot of great coaches out there.
What schools have offered so far and what schools have expressed interest?
All of the major schools, if you looked at them. UConn, Duke, Virginia, University of Miami, Kansas, all of the major schools. UCLA. I could go on and on. We haven't made a decision. We haven't even chosen which visits we want. At the end of the day, it's going to be Zach's decision. There's integrity in the process, dealing with me. That's the most important thing. It's going to be a very clean process. We're going to sit down together. And the most important thing is Zach is only a sophomore and just focus on Zach.
Specifically, about Duke, what has Duke expressed in terms of interest and what do you guys know about the program?
Well, I talk to most of the assistants. I haven't talked to Coach K. They just won the National Championship. They have the number one center in the country and I'm partners with the Miami Heat, so I know Nick Arison and everyone is a big Duke fan. You know, with the integrity of the process, I really try to stay away from it. The important thing is not to jeopardize Zach's eligibility, so I'm very cautious to stay away from any distractions. When the time comes with these open periods, we're going to weigh our options. There's no favorite. Everyone's at ground zero.
So, how do you think your game has advanced to the point that it already has? What helped you develop the skill that you already have?
My dad, Michael Lipman has been coaching me since I was young with the South Beach Celtics. And then Coach Boo, who is a former player for UConn..he's been training me when I was younger. And also, I went to Miami Beach, and they taught me a couple of things, so everybody's been helping me to improve.
When you get to college, are you hoping to be a power forward or a center?
I'm hoping to be a center. I like to dominate. I use my strength and my size.
What makes you want to be a center when a lot of guys your size don't want to be centers? They want to be on the perimeter.
That was the first thing that I was ever taught was to be a center, so that's why I love being a pull, I love banging. That's why I love what I do.
From what you've seen of guys on the college level, who do you think does a good job with centers like you?
I'd say Duke.
Really?
Yeah, with Okafor.
So, what were your impressions of watching Jahlil (Okafor) play or just watching Duke in general?
They're good. They make it to the top.
And this isn't specific to a school, but what you like in a school that you ultimately choose?
I would like a tradition of big men. I would like a good academic program. Also, a film school. So, I would just like for them to have what I want. A tradition of big men and how to play with the big men and also have a great academic program and film school.
