900 Degrees Pizzaria Feature story on Newport's Andrew Houde
2015-03-03
Andrew Houde leads Newport into the tournament for the final time
By Mike Pezone
Andrew Houde hasn't had many low points during his illustrious high-school career.
He's led a team to the Final Four, earned All-State honors twice, became a member of the 1,000-point club as a junior, and heads into this year's tournament as the leading scorer in Division III with 23.9 points per game. But low points?
Surprisingly, the Newport senior admitted there is, in fact, one that's left a lasting burn in his gut. Though, it's something he said he doesn't dare try and forget.
It's not just the fact that his team's loss to Raymond during the second round of last year's tournament proved the critics correct — many who saw the Tigers play argued their fourth seed was a result of a particularly weak schedule rather than a true testament of their ability (Newport has four games against D-IV opponents).
But Houde said that stuff's only good for providing bulletin-board material.
What really makes that loss something worth holding onto, Houde said, was its ability to help him buy in to a new philosophy. Because with a new coach at the helm for Newport this season, and one with a drastically different philosophy than former head coach Steve Lavopicelo, Houde said he knew buying in would be a must.
"I thank coach Steve for everything he did, but I think he saw the talent he had on the team, and I don't think he wanted to get in the way of it," Houde said. "I mean, I don't know. I never really had a conversation with him about it or anything. But I could definitely see him just kind of letting me and Spencer (Coronis) run the show. And that obviously didn't work."
This year, however, in a fitting culmination of Houde's first memories on the hardwood to what is now his final high-school season, he — and his teammates— are privy to a familiar face calling the shots from the sideline. And one Houde specifically has been more than willing to adjust to.
Leading the Tigers from the bench this season is long-time coach Michael Hatt, who's no stranger to coaching members of the Houde family. Hatt was the head coach at Stevens High School when Houde's father, Scott, built his legacy as a 1,000-point scorer, and coached Andrew in what are his first memories on a court in fourth grade.
What made the change most welcoming, Houde said, was Hatt's demand for a culture of true-team play. Victory was the product of more than just two players, and likewise, blame was distributed equally after losses.
"Since day one — since summer league — he's been saying, 'We need five guys that are willing to shoot and share the ball,'" Houde said. "He said whoever those five guys are will play. He's really kind of reigned us in. He's still letting me and Spencer do our thing, but in a much more controlled way."
This week, Newport will into its second-round matchup ranked fourth for the second straight year. So in honor of the final playoff run for the team's leading scorer, let's recap the unique journey that got him here.
Despite growing up in the Newport School District and playing youth ball with his best friend in Coronis, a family matter forced Houde to move to Pembroke by the start of his high-school career. Admittedly tentative at first, Houde said he grew to love the school and the advantages that came with playing in such a high-profile basketball program.
"I loved Pembroke while I was there," he said. "It was a totally different experience. I was not the guy by any means or stretch of the imagination. It was pretty humbling coming off the bench trying to scrap for anything I could get."
Houde said the biggest benefits of playing basketball at Pembroke were the competition he faced everyday during practice, and the expert tutelage that came with playing under head coach Matt Alosa and his father Frank Alosa. Houde had previously been coached by Frank Alosa while a member of the Granite State Raiders AAU program.
"Competition is everything in my mind, so having that everyday was great. It was a lot of fun," Houde said. "They drill the fundamentals into you. You just keep doing it and doing it until it's second nature, which I thought was great — especially looking back on it now. Without that, I don't think I'd be where I am today."
Come the start of his sophomore year, Houde and his family had relocated back home to Newport, allowing him to reunite with his childhood teammates on the hardwood.
"Leaving Pembroke, I wasn't, I don't know how to put it," Houde said. "I mean, I loved the guys I played with, and we're all good friends. But coming back to Newport, I think, was what was best for me personally. Coming back, playing with all the people I've played with since I was in fourth grade, it's been a lot of fun. I don't regret anything."
Houde joined a Tigers squad that was on the mend after suffering three-straight years with a losing record. The team had plenty to be hopeful for with the emergence of Coronis after a stellar freshman season, but word of Houde's return home had talk shifting from a .500 season to playoff contender.
"Obviously, Newport had a stretch there where they weren't very good at basketball," Houde admitted. "I mean, yes, people had high exceptions when I came back, but the team was already getting better. They had Spencer and Zach (Whalen) who were really helping the team out. I mean, Derrick Parre, when he played, they were really helping out. I just wanted to add to it and keep building on the momentum they had built up."
As it turned out, the Tigers did contend, fighting their way to a No. 3 seed before falling to the eventual D-III champions in Conant in the semifinals. It was the best season for a Newport boys' basketball team since 2000.
For every bit of the fairy tale the 2012-13 season was, 2013-14 was a nightmare.
Newport still fought its way to a No. 4 seed, but inter-team turmoil plagued the season and was perhaps partly responsible for its early postseason exit. Rumors swirled of feuds between players and coaches, and the product on the floor suffered as a result.
"I definitely had some growing pains when it came to last year, I'll admit it," he said. "I think we all did. I try to be the best teammate I can be now. But when it comes to other teams, I get into a pretty competitive spirit when I'm on the court. It's hard to explain."
Houde pointed to a pair of regular-season losses to Division IV Sunapee as major reality checks, that unfortunately, didn't do enough to refocus his team. And when 13th-ranked Raymond stepped into the Towle School Gymnasium and fought its way to an eight-point victory despite Houde's game-high 31 points, he said things really hit rock bottom.
Under the urging of his new head coach, Houde said he's no longer worried about the pressure of living up to expectations, and is now solely focused on bettering himself and his teammates.
"The one conversation we really did have about it, he said 'This is your senior year. It's about you. It's not about your father, it's not about me, it's about you and your teammates and your senior year and how far you can go with it,' " Houde said of Hatt.
The Tigers began the season on a roll with wins in each of its first six games, but unlike years past, the chemistry behind the scenes was equally as strong. Houde and Coronis were certainly receiving their share of credit after wins, but the duo was quick to point out how the play of their teammates helped get them there.
"People can't just key in on me and Spencer, because if they do, Noah Wade, Jesse Stiffler and Zach Whalen are going to beat them," Houde explained. "So I think it really helps me and Spencer out too, and I think that's a big tribute to coach Hatt. He really made sure everyone felt comfortable enough and confident enough to take the shot."
Newport rounded out its regular-season schedule at 14-4 with its only losses coming against unbeaten Pelham, perennial power Conant, a strong Winnisquam squad, and a Windsor, Vt., team that heads into its tournament as the No. 1 seed.
And while Houde stopped short of putting his finger on a finite goal for his team's upcoming tournament run, his answer showed just how far he's come these past four years.
"I think the goal is just to go as far as we can," he said. "I mean obviously making it to a Final Four, making it to a championship game, that would be great and that's what we'd ultimately like to do, but I think we just want to go as far as we can and just have fun doing it."
He's led a team to the Final Four, earned All-State honors twice, became a member of the 1,000-point club as a junior, and heads into this year's tournament as the leading scorer in Division III with 23.9 points per game. But low points?
Surprisingly, the Newport senior admitted there is, in fact, one that's left a lasting burn in his gut. Though, it's something he said he doesn't dare try and forget.
It's not just the fact that his team's loss to Raymond during the second round of last year's tournament proved the critics correct — many who saw the Tigers play argued their fourth seed was a result of a particularly weak schedule rather than a true testament of their ability (Newport has four games against D-IV opponents).
But Houde said that stuff's only good for providing bulletin-board material.
What really makes that loss something worth holding onto, Houde said, was its ability to help him buy in to a new philosophy. Because with a new coach at the helm for Newport this season, and one with a drastically different philosophy than former head coach Steve Lavopicelo, Houde said he knew buying in would be a must.
"I thank coach Steve for everything he did, but I think he saw the talent he had on the team, and I don't think he wanted to get in the way of it," Houde said. "I mean, I don't know. I never really had a conversation with him about it or anything. But I could definitely see him just kind of letting me and Spencer (Coronis) run the show. And that obviously didn't work."
This year, however, in a fitting culmination of Houde's first memories on the hardwood to what is now his final high-school season, he — and his teammates— are privy to a familiar face calling the shots from the sideline. And one Houde specifically has been more than willing to adjust to.
Leading the Tigers from the bench this season is long-time coach Michael Hatt, who's no stranger to coaching members of the Houde family. Hatt was the head coach at Stevens High School when Houde's father, Scott, built his legacy as a 1,000-point scorer, and coached Andrew in what are his first memories on a court in fourth grade.
What made the change most welcoming, Houde said, was Hatt's demand for a culture of true-team play. Victory was the product of more than just two players, and likewise, blame was distributed equally after losses.
"Since day one — since summer league — he's been saying, 'We need five guys that are willing to shoot and share the ball,'" Houde said. "He said whoever those five guys are will play. He's really kind of reigned us in. He's still letting me and Spencer do our thing, but in a much more controlled way."
This week, Newport will into its second-round matchup ranked fourth for the second straight year. So in honor of the final playoff run for the team's leading scorer, let's recap the unique journey that got him here.
HUMBLE FRESHMAN
Despite growing up in the Newport School District and playing youth ball with his best friend in Coronis, a family matter forced Houde to move to Pembroke by the start of his high-school career. Admittedly tentative at first, Houde said he grew to love the school and the advantages that came with playing in such a high-profile basketball program.
"I loved Pembroke while I was there," he said. "It was a totally different experience. I was not the guy by any means or stretch of the imagination. It was pretty humbling coming off the bench trying to scrap for anything I could get."
Houde said the biggest benefits of playing basketball at Pembroke were the competition he faced everyday during practice, and the expert tutelage that came with playing under head coach Matt Alosa and his father Frank Alosa. Houde had previously been coached by Frank Alosa while a member of the Granite State Raiders AAU program.
"Competition is everything in my mind, so having that everyday was great. It was a lot of fun," Houde said. "They drill the fundamentals into you. You just keep doing it and doing it until it's second nature, which I thought was great — especially looking back on it now. Without that, I don't think I'd be where I am today."
WELCOMED HOME
Come the start of his sophomore year, Houde and his family had relocated back home to Newport, allowing him to reunite with his childhood teammates on the hardwood.
"Leaving Pembroke, I wasn't, I don't know how to put it," Houde said. "I mean, I loved the guys I played with, and we're all good friends. But coming back to Newport, I think, was what was best for me personally. Coming back, playing with all the people I've played with since I was in fourth grade, it's been a lot of fun. I don't regret anything."
Houde joined a Tigers squad that was on the mend after suffering three-straight years with a losing record. The team had plenty to be hopeful for with the emergence of Coronis after a stellar freshman season, but word of Houde's return home had talk shifting from a .500 season to playoff contender.
"Obviously, Newport had a stretch there where they weren't very good at basketball," Houde admitted. "I mean, yes, people had high exceptions when I came back, but the team was already getting better. They had Spencer and Zach (Whalen) who were really helping the team out. I mean, Derrick Parre, when he played, they were really helping out. I just wanted to add to it and keep building on the momentum they had built up."
As it turned out, the Tigers did contend, fighting their way to a No. 3 seed before falling to the eventual D-III champions in Conant in the semifinals. It was the best season for a Newport boys' basketball team since 2000.
GROWING PAINS
For every bit of the fairy tale the 2012-13 season was, 2013-14 was a nightmare.
Newport still fought its way to a No. 4 seed, but inter-team turmoil plagued the season and was perhaps partly responsible for its early postseason exit. Rumors swirled of feuds between players and coaches, and the product on the floor suffered as a result.
"I definitely had some growing pains when it came to last year, I'll admit it," he said. "I think we all did. I try to be the best teammate I can be now. But when it comes to other teams, I get into a pretty competitive spirit when I'm on the court. It's hard to explain."
Houde pointed to a pair of regular-season losses to Division IV Sunapee as major reality checks, that unfortunately, didn't do enough to refocus his team. And when 13th-ranked Raymond stepped into the Towle School Gymnasium and fought its way to an eight-point victory despite Houde's game-high 31 points, he said things really hit rock bottom.
FULL CIRCLE
Under the urging of his new head coach, Houde said he's no longer worried about the pressure of living up to expectations, and is now solely focused on bettering himself and his teammates.
"The one conversation we really did have about it, he said 'This is your senior year. It's about you. It's not about your father, it's not about me, it's about you and your teammates and your senior year and how far you can go with it,' " Houde said of Hatt.
The Tigers began the season on a roll with wins in each of its first six games, but unlike years past, the chemistry behind the scenes was equally as strong. Houde and Coronis were certainly receiving their share of credit after wins, but the duo was quick to point out how the play of their teammates helped get them there.
"People can't just key in on me and Spencer, because if they do, Noah Wade, Jesse Stiffler and Zach Whalen are going to beat them," Houde explained. "So I think it really helps me and Spencer out too, and I think that's a big tribute to coach Hatt. He really made sure everyone felt comfortable enough and confident enough to take the shot."
Newport rounded out its regular-season schedule at 14-4 with its only losses coming against unbeaten Pelham, perennial power Conant, a strong Winnisquam squad, and a Windsor, Vt., team that heads into its tournament as the No. 1 seed.
And while Houde stopped short of putting his finger on a finite goal for his team's upcoming tournament run, his answer showed just how far he's come these past four years.
"I think the goal is just to go as far as we can," he said. "I mean obviously making it to a Final Four, making it to a championship game, that would be great and that's what we'd ultimately like to do, but I think we just want to go as far as we can and just have fun doing it."