Q: How would you evaluate your play from the start of the season until now?
A: I think in the beginning of the season, I wasn’t doing well. I don’t think my preparation was good at all. I think now, I have a whole different approach to the game. I’ve been working a lot and I actually want to thank the person that’s been working with me and that’s Anthony Pugh. He’s been working with me every day in practice and helping me get up extra shots.
Q: What specifically have you and Anthony been doing besides getting up shots?
A: Just working on shots that’s open for me. Just keep getting them up. His main thing was me losing confidence or getting down on myself after I miss a shot. I just have to move on to the next play and know that I’m going to get this shot again, so when I do, I have to be ready for it.
Q: Who do you credit most to the increased confidence?
A: The whole coaching staff. They got my back no matter what. I can go out there and have a bad game, turn the ball over and what not and I’d expect them to be hard on me.They’d tell me, hey, you’ve been in this position before. So they do a really good job of picking me up. Confidence is key.
Q: Since the Mount St. Mary’s loss, obviously you’ll see them again for your next game, but what have you guys done differently since? Did Conrad’s performance against FDU kind of change things?
A: That’s nothing new for us with Conrad. It was new for you guys, but ittwas nothing new. He’s been working his tail off and I applaud him for that. My main thing is, I felt like we didn’t fight. And Mount St. Mary’s came in here and they’re a really good team, and they came in here and they disrespected us. We went down early and we were all looking around and we were shocked. We weren’t ready for that game, but it’s going to be a different ball game this time.
Q: What does this team have to do going forward to prove to people that this team is as good as people thought, prior to the season?
A: I think we just got to go out there and play basketball. We have to play with each other, for each other and just go out there and believe in each other. And know we’ve been working so hard, and we just have to prove to ourself that we’re good. We don’t have to prove anything to nobody else, as long as we work hard and compete every night, things should work out in our favor.
Q: Coach Toole called you an x factor and one of the best guards in the NEC, how do you feel about what he said, and does that motivate you to prove him right?
A: Oh yeah, most definitely. That’s been my title since I’ve stepped out on foot on this campus. I wanted to make an impact as soon as I got here and I applaud coach Toole for that, for throwing me right in. And yeah, that’s with any team, and I know that for this team to go far, I’m going to need to play well every night.
Q: Do you think you’re the best PG in the NEC?
A: Most definitely.
Q: Why?
A: (With a little smile) I mean, I don’t really see too many people doing what I do. And it’s not even scoring wise, I’ve been scoring a lot, but I mean, it’s things that people don’t see off the basketball court. How I joke around with them, I keep them guys together, man. It’s not all about basketball. I get them guys going and things like that, but yeah, I do think I’m the best point guard in the NEC. I just have to go out there and prove it, though.
Q: How important is Isaiah Still and Matty McConnell to this team’s success going forward?
A: Very important man, very important. And those guys are young and I do my best to stay in those guys’ ear, and me and Isaiah are very close. And Matty, we’re going to need him to make shots for us. Those two are very, very important pieces to this team.
Q: How far have you come personally? Does freshman year seem that long ago? How fast has time gone by?
A: Man, it seems like it was a while ago. I look back and I’m a junior now and I’m about to be a senior. We got like ten more games left in the conference. I’ve come a very long way. I think I’ve matured a lot. Basketball wise, when I first got here, if I was open for a shot, I wouldn’t even think to shoot it. Now if I get a shot, I’ll shoot it and if it doesn’t go in, I’m going to shoot it again because I know I’ve been working on those shots, man.
Q: Do you still communicate with Anthony Myers-Pate, Velton Jones, Karvel, Lucky, any of the older guys that mentored you before passing over the torch?
A: Oh yeah and that’s one of the things about Robert Morris. You always keep in contact with them guys. I’m always in contact with Velton Jones and Ant Myers and even Karvel and Lucky, they stay in our ear. They still watch the games and they want to know why things aren’t going so well. So yeah, they definitely still stay in touch.
A: I think in the beginning of the season, I wasn’t doing well. I don’t think my preparation was good at all. I think now, I have a whole different approach to the game. I’ve been working a lot and I actually want to thank the person that’s been working with me and that’s Anthony Pugh. He’s been working with me every day in practice and helping me get up extra shots.
Q: What specifically have you and Anthony been doing besides getting up shots?
A: Just working on shots that’s open for me. Just keep getting them up. His main thing was me losing confidence or getting down on myself after I miss a shot. I just have to move on to the next play and know that I’m going to get this shot again, so when I do, I have to be ready for it.
Q: Who do you credit most to the increased confidence?
A: The whole coaching staff. They got my back no matter what. I can go out there and have a bad game, turn the ball over and what not and I’d expect them to be hard on me.They’d tell me, hey, you’ve been in this position before. So they do a really good job of picking me up. Confidence is key.
Q: Since the Mount St. Mary’s loss, obviously you’ll see them again for your next game, but what have you guys done differently since? Did Conrad’s performance against FDU kind of change things?
A: That’s nothing new for us with Conrad. It was new for you guys, but ittwas nothing new. He’s been working his tail off and I applaud him for that. My main thing is, I felt like we didn’t fight. And Mount St. Mary’s came in here and they’re a really good team, and they came in here and they disrespected us. We went down early and we were all looking around and we were shocked. We weren’t ready for that game, but it’s going to be a different ball game this time.
Q: What does this team have to do going forward to prove to people that this team is as good as people thought, prior to the season?
A: I think we just got to go out there and play basketball. We have to play with each other, for each other and just go out there and believe in each other. And know we’ve been working so hard, and we just have to prove to ourself that we’re good. We don’t have to prove anything to nobody else, as long as we work hard and compete every night, things should work out in our favor.
Q: Coach Toole called you an x factor and one of the best guards in the NEC, how do you feel about what he said, and does that motivate you to prove him right?
A: Oh yeah, most definitely. That’s been my title since I’ve stepped out on foot on this campus. I wanted to make an impact as soon as I got here and I applaud coach Toole for that, for throwing me right in. And yeah, that’s with any team, and I know that for this team to go far, I’m going to need to play well every night.
Q: Do you think you’re the best PG in the NEC?
A: Most definitely.
Q: Why?
A: (With a little smile) I mean, I don’t really see too many people doing what I do. And it’s not even scoring wise, I’ve been scoring a lot, but I mean, it’s things that people don’t see off the basketball court. How I joke around with them, I keep them guys together, man. It’s not all about basketball. I get them guys going and things like that, but yeah, I do think I’m the best point guard in the NEC. I just have to go out there and prove it, though.
Q: How important is Isaiah Still and Matty McConnell to this team’s success going forward?
A: Very important man, very important. And those guys are young and I do my best to stay in those guys’ ear, and me and Isaiah are very close. And Matty, we’re going to need him to make shots for us. Those two are very, very important pieces to this team.
Q: How far have you come personally? Does freshman year seem that long ago? How fast has time gone by?
A: Man, it seems like it was a while ago. I look back and I’m a junior now and I’m about to be a senior. We got like ten more games left in the conference. I’ve come a very long way. I think I’ve matured a lot. Basketball wise, when I first got here, if I was open for a shot, I wouldn’t even think to shoot it. Now if I get a shot, I’ll shoot it and if it doesn’t go in, I’m going to shoot it again because I know I’ve been working on those shots, man.
Q: Do you still communicate with Anthony Myers-Pate, Velton Jones, Karvel, Lucky, any of the older guys that mentored you before passing over the torch?
A: Oh yeah and that’s one of the things about Robert Morris. You always keep in contact with them guys. I’m always in contact with Velton Jones and Ant Myers and even Karvel and Lucky, they stay in our ear. They still watch the games and they want to know why things aren’t going so well. So yeah, they definitely still stay in touch.
