Q: What kind of pressure is there on this team after four straight 20-win seasons?
A: There's definitely pressure to be great, to be consistent. That's something Coach Brownell and Coach Donlon built. That's pressure we want. We want expectations and people to respect our program and respect Wright State.
Q: You committed to Brownell at UNC-Wilmington then followed him to Wright State for four years. What was it like when he left for Clemson?
A: We thought it would even happen before then. That day, when it finally came through, I saw it on ESPN scrolling across the bottom. He met with us, and it was kind of emotional. So he left, and it was kind of weird how it happened because he had to fly down that day. It was bittersweet to see him leave then see him on TV later that day accepting.
Q: How did things change when Brownell went to Wright State, considering you had already committed to Wilmington?
A: It was really wild. I signed my letter of intent to play at Wilmington in November, I committed to them spring of my junior year. I was excited to play there. Then I heard Coach Brownell and Coach Donlon were coming here. I knew I didn't want to go down there without them, so I called and asked out of my letter. I was contemplating going to prep school or junior college or something in between, but I got out of it and reopened recruiting knowing I wanted to go wherever they were.
Q: Donlon is known as an energetic recruiter. What were his tactics in recruiting you?
A: The guy never missed one of my games at AAU tournaments, at Kentucky, Las Vegas ... I never noticed him not there, he was making the effort, coming to see me. Then they came over for a house visit, and I guess he was a pretty good ping-pong player, and I used to live on my ping-pong table down in my basement. He came over and we played three games, and he ended up beating me. He renamed my ping-pong table Coach Donlon Court. You could see how competitive he was.
Q: How do you spend much of your time off the court?
A: I'm a big video game guy, I like Call of Duty and war-type games. I got into that through my girlfriend Maria (Bennett), who plays for the women's team. Her brother-in-law is a Marine, and we visited them in the summer, and it really got me interested in the military. He told me some amazing stories and got me to appreciate what they do.
I also like going shopping, kind of. I like looking good, so I like shopping for clothes. I got that from my grandma. She’s real ... particular. She really represents herself well, and she’s very sophisticated.
Q: So who wins the one-on-one games, you or Bennett?
A: I've finally come to terms with the fact that she's a better shooter than me. Anything we do competitive, it'll end up ... we'll get in a fight. She's real competitive, she hates losing, I hate losing. Especially to her. She knows what to say to get under my skin, push my buttons.
Q: What has been your favorite memory at Wright State?
A: It seems so long ago. My freshman year we won the (Horizon League) championship, and it's definitely a great memory, because it was my first year, there were no expectations really, because everything was new, we had seven guys all year, but we worked hard. It was probably the most satisfying point in my life.
Q: Did you get caught up in the fans rushing the court?
A: I got scooped up, and Todd (Brown) and I were on people's shoulders. We were just high-fiving. There's a picture in the Pavilion, in the lounge, of that game, and I think I found myself. I'm just a little dot, but I remember my trail vividly through that experience. Some guys were in the stands, guys were everywhere, it was just real emotional. I'm glad I got to experience it, and I'm hoping we can do the same thing again.
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