Aug. 24, 2015
Freshman center Djery Baptiste arrived on campus in June after attending the Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, where he averaged 10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal in his senior season. He helped lead his Lion teams to four consecutive state championships and was named his team’s Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season.
Baptiste sat down with vucommodores.com to answer some questions about himself and some of the things he likes to do off of the court.
Favorite NBA team: San Antonio Spurs
Age I picked up a basketball: 15
I picked my jersey number because: My favorite player and birthday
When I was a kid I tried to be like: Dwight Howard
A few words that describe the way I play basketball: Raw, Runs Hard, Plays Hard
What I need to improve on to be a better player: Ballhandling, footwork, hook shot, jump shot.
Favorite sport other than basketball: Soccer
Favorite musical performer: Need to Breathe
Favorite movie: Remember the Titans
Nobody can believe I watch this TV show: Agents of Shield
Favorite thing about myself: Fortitude
Worst habit: Sense of Urgency
My basketball “dream team” would be: The Spurs
The best tasting food I can make: Shrimp and chicken
My bucket list includes: Snorkeling, helping the poor
Favorite athlete to watch in another sport: Lionel Messi
Favorite thing to do away from basketball: Reading
I’m as good as anyone at: Lifting weights
My best non-athletic talent: Multilingual
Favorite aspect of Nashville: Everything
Total number of songs on my IPOD or MP3 player: 30 to 70.
What I would do if I won the lottery: Help the needy
Ultimate vacation destination: Tahiti
The person(s) I admire most: My father and my mother
Career goal (outside of basketball) Diplomat
The most famous person(s) I’ve met: Jermaine O’Neal
Biggest influence in my life: The Bible and God
My advice to young people is: Seek God
I chose to attend Vanderbilt over these schools: UConn, Oregon, SMU, Nebraska
Other interesting facts about yourself (famous people you know, interesting hobbies, life-changing experiences): Read, Read, Read, especially the Bible
Who do you follow on Twitter? People I know and few that have sports information
