Q: You have posterized some people in college, how about high school?

A: I didn’t really get too many people in high school, I usually dunked on fast breaks.

Q: How was it adapting to a captain’s role?

A: It wasn’t too bad. Throughout high school that was my role, so when I got here I mostly try to do it by example.

Q: Most of your team has said they want your leaping ability. What attribute would you steal from a teammate?

A: A consistent jump shot from Dee.

Q: What aren’t you good at?

A: Economics, no class in particular just anything economics.

Q: If you were on a stranded island which coach would you want to be with?

A: Probably Coach McClain, we’d find a way to get off.

Q: What do you have to work on most?

A: Just my mid-range, off the dribble rips into a shot too.

Q: Being someone that will be here, what do you do for recruits when they come in?

A: Just to really show them what college is about. What balancing basketball and school work is. Of course we want to sugar-coat things to get players but the biggest thing for us is to give them a real experience. If you go somewhere else they’ll tell you you’re this and you’re that, we tell you how much we want you.

Q: Who would be the toughest player to guard in college ball?

A: That’s tough, probably Villanova’s Allan Ray or UConn’s Rudy Gay.

Q: What frustrates you most as a captain?

A: Just a lot of little things, just trying to focus on the finer things the coaches say. It’s frustrating because sometimes neither me, Dee or James can get to everything, that’s why it’s frustrating figuring stuff out and helping teammates.

Q: The media has made a lot over “good or special,” what do you need to do to become special?

A: Go hard everyday, like I said pay attention to the little things and compete. If you’re not shooting well and things aren’t going right on offense you can always play hard and play defense.

Q: What would you change of Illinois program?

A: I guess nothing really, off the top of my head I can’t really think of anything.

Q: What did you learn over your redshirt year?

A: The dynamic of the game, being able to understand things and go out there and pick up on the finer points of not only my own game but my teammates’ game.

Q: Who talks the most trash in the Big Ten?

A: Penn State, no player in particular just as a whole they like to say a lot of things to mentally effect their opponents.

Q: Being the resident scholar on the team, what can you suggest students try?

A: I’m in a gender and women’s studies class now. I’m just trying to expand my horizons but that’s an interesting class that you might not think of.

Q: What’s your favorite roadtrip?

A: Ohio State is a lot of fun, just because we get to go to Dave and Busters, but playing there isn’t that great. It’s not the stadium or anything, I just like the roadtrip.