Nov. 1, 2010
How has practice been so far?
“Practice is going very well. Our younger guys are getting the hang of things with our offensive and defensive principles. I think us older guys have shown them how to work hard and how to prepare in practice to get ready for the games.”
What’s it like being one of the veterans on the team and being a leader?
“It’s awesome because you know you’ve been where the younger guys have been. It’s really good to be in that leadership role to show them the ropes and to help mold them into the players they can be.”
Talk about moving to point guard.
“I’m very excited about it. I love playing point guard. I’ve always played that position my whole life, so I’m very excited.”
What do you like most about playing that position?
“I like running the break and distributing the ball to the guys. It’s a great feeling to get out on fast breaks and make plays.”
You get a lot of credit for your shooting skills, but your passing ability is strong as well.
“I think my vision is one of my best attributes as a player. Any time I can use that to my advantage on the offensive end and defensive end, it should be a plus for this team.”
You had some growing pains on the court last year as a sophomore. How did you get through it?
“Any year is tough, especially the second year because opponents know what to expect from your play and you’re scouted more. There are a lot of tough obstacles to overcome. I’m just ready to put that behind me and start a new year.”
What were some of the areas of your game that you focused on this summer?
“I worked on having a little more confidence in things as well as my leadership to try and be a good leader for this team. I also worked on my defense and watched film. I think a lot of it will help this year.”
With the departure of Jermaine Beal and A.J. Ogilvy, where will the scoring come from this season?
“We have huge shoes to fill with those guys leaving. I think we’re ready to fill those shoes and we’re definitely capable of it. We’re ready to take it on with open arms and ready to get this thing going.”
Last year’s team had a successful season but was upset in the NCAA first round. What are some of the team’s motivations going into the season?
“I think getting a taste of the NCAA Tournament was bittersweet. It was great getting there but not very good how it ended. It’s a great motivational tool to try and get back there. I think this team has done a great job working hard in the offseason and continuing to work hard in practice. We just have to keep plugging in day in and day out to get wins and hopefully we’ll get back there.”
What are you looking forward to going into year number three?
“Making it further into the NCAA Tournament is a big one. But we can’t look too far ahead. We’ve got to take of it game by game. The SEC is definitely loaded again so we’ll have our hands full with that.”
