LAS VEGAS (June 3, 2024) – TopConnect, developed by East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander, selected its participants for the 2024 Basketball Symposium where Howard University men's basketball associate head coach
Rod Balanis was among the recipients. The announcement came Monday.
The prestigious event takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Monday (June 10) from 8 a.m. (PT) to 5 p.m. (PT), presented by Teamworks and VanWagner. The 2024 symposium provides panel discussions and breakout sessions, headlined by
Kristi Dosh of College Sports Solutions and
Dan Poneman of Poneman & Naiditch Representation.
Balanis, who wrapped up his third season under Howard head coach
Kenneth Blakeney, helped the Bison earn their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament during the 2023-24 campaign.
Since his arrival in 2021, the program has established three straight winning seasons, including a 73-percent winning percentage in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play, two NCAA Tournament berths and one MEAC regular season title (2022-23).,
Before joining the Bison, Balanis was a longtime assistant under former Notre Dame head coach
Mike Brey, who was his assistant coach during his playing days at DeMatha Catholic High School. At DeMatha, he played under legendary coach
Morgan Wooten, posting an 84-16 record with nine tournament titles over four seasons.
Balanis graduated with honors from Georgia Tech, earning a bachelor's degree in management.
In its seventh year, TopConnect develops educational programming that allows the top assistant coaches to hear from a variety of successful leaders and speakers. TopConnect identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major athletic directors, providing tremendous networking and leadership development opportunities for both parties.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com and/or the TopConnect website at
www.topconnectleaders.com.