After a miscommunication left him without a ride, Rhaki Lum ’25 decided to take the most expensive Uber of his life to get to the First State Coaches Clinic on time.

“I was the doorman,” explained the Saints varsity basketball sophomore guard with a smile. “I made a commitment to get there. It was something I really wanted to make it to.”

Lum made it on time to hold the door for Bill Self, the Naismith Hall-of-Famer and Head Coach at Kansas—who took a 4:00 a.m. flight from Kansas City that day to attend the clinic—and Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Chris Beard (Texas), Jim Larranaga (Miami) and Kyle Neptune (Villanova). When Neptune walked in, Lum, a Villanova fan, couldn’t believe it.

“I was shocked,” he recalled. “I didn’t know what to say.”

Lum had gotten the plum doorman gig thanks to St. Andrew’s boys varsity basketball Head Coach Terrell Myers, who organized the clinic. More than 100 high school basketball coaches from around the country packed into bleachers at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington to listen to talks from these college coaches, whose accolades list included four national championships, nine Final Four appearances, five national coach of the year award winners, and two Naismith College Coach of the Year winners. The accomplishments of the group assembled by Myers were simply remarkable, and the opportunity for local high school coaches to learn and connect with elite college coaches was invaluable.

“I wanted to bring quality college [basketball] coaches and more professional development to Delaware,” explained Myers. Since 2017, Myers has organized the event to enrich Delaware’s coaching talent. This year’s lineup brought profound knowledge of the game, yet Myers emphasized a focus on off-the-court coaching as well.

“After COVID-19, I started seeing a change in student-athletes: we couldn’t coach them the same way,” Myers said. “It also happened that October 10 is World Mental Health Day, so we joined the two together with this event.”

Bill Self blended the two components well. He talked about the importance of designing game strategy for each team’s players and spoke extensively about culture. 

“I actually used [his coaching advice],” said Myers. “You can shape the culture but you can’t dictate the culture. Your players define the culture. Every place I’ve been, all the coaches I’ve talked to, the culture is everything. It’s about how we are building this; it’s a total buy in.”

It explains why one afternoon in the Siprelle Field House, students at St. Andrew’s might have noticed the Saints’ basketball team endlessly repping out push-ups during a practice. In between grueling sets, a player would footslog over to a whiteboard and write a word on it before returning to all fours. The words were values, and the exercise Myers was both conducting and participating in was in pursuit of identity.

“We were trying to define our culture,” explains Myers. “Who are we, what do we value, and what are things that are important to us? It starts as a bunch of words on a board but comes alive and narrows in as the season goes on.”

The clinic made an immediate impression on Lum, the only high schooler in attendance. He heard Brey talk about body language, Beard mention intensity and effort, and Larranga describe movement on the court.

“It gave me the perspective that someone is watching at all times,” said the’ sophomore. “You never know—and it has motivated me to play my hardest.”

Myers describes that as the “non-negotiable” value for his players: “You will play extremely selflessly and hard, harder than you will ever play in your life.”

From playing professionally in Europe to coaching one of the top AAU teams in the country, Myers has made it his mission to strengthen Delaware basketball. For years, he saw talented high school players leaving the state for better opportunities. The First State Coaching Clinic has become a high profile event that’s helped keep many of those players competing in their hometowns. Lum, who hails from New Castle, is one of the many success stories in that regard.

“The type of relationships that are available for everyone involved in this clinic open up a world of possibilities,” said Myers.