INSIDE PSAL BOYS HOOPS: Crump, Wadleigh set for small screen

Mike Crump will finally have an audience for his infamous rants.

The nutty Wadleigh boys basketball coach and his players will be the subject of a two-part documentary, titled “Nothing but Net” in the spring on MTV2 in tandem with Douglass High School from Oklahoma City, The Post has learned.

Camera crews have been following the team since early January, documenting their everyday life, from the basketball court to the classroom to what they do in their free time. Whereas some coaches might’ve been apprehensive about such an idea, Crump said it has motivated his kids to excel, and the cameras have mostly stayed out of his way.

Denis Gostev

Wadleigh and coach Mike Crump will be the subject of a documentary, entitled "Nothing but Net," on MTV2 in the spring.

“If it something that’s gonna make them go to school and get good grades and come to practice, I’m cool with it,” he said. “It’s good for the program. If you’re on MTV2, how could it not be good?”

As part of the deal, Wadleigh has received sneakers and uniforms from Nike, and Tyson Chandler has come to spend a few days with the team. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, has visited with Douglass.

“They’ve brought a lot to the team,” Crump said.

Producer Jeff Spriet said they chose a New York City team to get basically the exact opposite of the Oklahoma City school, and went with Wadleigh because they not only wanted an untold story, but a team few knew about yet was still successful.

“What’s great about having a team from Oklahoma and New York City – both inner-city schools – is how different Oklahoma City is from Harlem,” said Spriet, the principal of Chokolat, an independent Canadian television production company MTV2 hired to create the show. “Even though both have similar economic situations, you’re gonna see the disparity – not just in the scenery, but also in the style of basketball they play.”

Shortly after shooting began, Spriet realized he had struck gold. Crump hasn’t toned down his act one bit -- "I've given it to them 100 percent raw," he said. After Wednesday’s 77-70 playoff win over Bayside, he made a point of criticizing a few seniors in front of the cameras and offered a few of his odd metaphors.

“He’s a walking sound bite,” Spriet said. “Crump tells it like it is. He’s not gonna mince words. That’s why he’s so perfect for the show. He’s as real as it gets.”

With the end of the season looming, taping could be coming to a close soon. Wadleigh takes on No. 1 Jefferson in the quarterfinals Sunday at 5 p.m. Spriet is crossing his fingers as Wadleigh has never even reached the semis in Crump’s eight seasons.

Former Wadleigh standout Bloodman blowing up at Illinois JUCO: Upon graduating from Wadleigh, Trivante Bloodman had prep school options. Instead, he took the road less traveled – junior college despite qualifying out of high school.

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Mike Crump, MTV2, Oklahoma City, Jeff Spriet, Douglass High School, Wadleigh online, Oklahoma, coach Mike Crump, Crump, basketball court

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