Q: After seeing what your brother went threw during his tenure at Duke, did that affect what schools you wanted to go to, and did that factor in on going to an ACC school?
A: “I think the way he handled himself, where ever he went, just showed how much character he had. Ultimately, ACC wise, Tech was the only one who really recruited me, so it wasn’t really a contest.
Q: Would you have gone to Maryland?
A: “I can’t say that I would have gone to Maryland, no I wouldn’t have. If the opportunity would have presented itself and I liked the campus and the players, maybe.”
Q: You grew up in a family full of athletes. What was it like growing up in a family that sports oriented, and how did you do when the family played together?
A: “We are really competitive. I know I always have been. It’s just a blessing that my parents had five tuitions paid for playing college sports. I guess our competitiveness and are character are because of how our parents raised us. They made us good athletes with a good work ethic.”
Q: Being the youngest, when your family played together, how did you fair?
A: “I can’t say I beat my brothers in H.O.R.S.E or anything when I was little. Once J.J. was off at school, my other brother was actually a three-sport athlete, so he was pretty busy in high school, but I worked hard and did my best whenever we did play.”
Q: When did you start to show success in basketball outside your family?
A: “I think probably the summer before my freshman year of high school. I realized I had a good shot at playing division one basketball and I guess I turned up how many hours I spent working on my game to be able to get where I am”
Q: So, as a sophomore and a junior, you lead your team to a state championship, but miss the majority of your senior season. How hard on you was that?
A: “I think anyone who gets injured, especially during your senior year of high school, its not something you want to do, but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I honestly learned a lot from the injury, just like a lot of athletes do…of course, my senior season, I got to play five games and lost in the state semi-finals and lost our coach to cancer the eve of our final game, so it was a tough year. I learned a lot and I guess it toughened me up”
Q: After the injury, did colleges shy away from recruiting you at all?
A: “the ones that were interested didn’t necessarily say that they weren’t interested anymore, but Tech and Illinois were the two that stayed the most faithful in still pursuing me after the injury though.
Q: Do you feel like you need to separate yourself from the legend of your brother in the ACC?
A: “I think that regardless, the name on the back of my jersey is going to directly be related to my brother. I’m ok with it because of who is and who he is going to be in the NBA. It just goes to show you how hard of a worker he is. I’m really proud of him. Our games are a little different; he was strictly a shooter, and obviously he is involved as a defensive player. Maybe I’ll shy away from his shadow, but I’m just going to do whatever Tech needs me to bring to the table.
Q: When your Hokie career is over, what do u hope to have accomplished?
A: “I want to be known as someone that worked hard everyday, and made my teammates better. I don’t necessarily need to be the star. Just so long as womens basketball is looked prominently on at Virginia Tech and the ACC.