Q: What will be the key to winning out the next four games?

A: We have to just take it one game at a time and focus on each game at hand. Rather than looking ahead to taking first place, we’ve got to take it one game at a time. If we’re still in first place at the end, we’ll worry about that then.

Q: How do you think you’ve improved this season?

A: I think I’ve gotten better. I’ve been more assertive to the basket, my jump shot’s gotten better, more versatile on the floor. Be able to rebound and play defense at the same time, in past years I haven’t been able to do that.

Q: Iowa at home or Michigan State on the road – which will be a tougher game?

A: Iowa’s in first place in the Big Ten right now, so obviously that’s going to be a tough game. And going to Michigan State is always one of the toughest games of the year.

Q: What are the conditions needed to dunk? What determines if you do a two-hand, one hand, hang from the rim, etc.?

A: I think a lot of it just has to do with how you’re going at it. My hands are too small to palm the ball so I have to do it with two hands. It’s just a reaction to what you’re doing at the time, you don’t really think about it. It’s something you do. It just takes some coordination to put the ball in the hoop. Once you’re a kid and you do it over and over again, you get used to it.

Q: The list of awards you’ve won is constantly growing. Are there any that mean more to you than the others?

A: Being MVP of the Big Ten tournament. It’s a crucial time of the year, everybody’s playing hard to get into the NCAA tournament, so being the MVP means a little more.

Q: How much do you stay in contact with Deron Williams and Luther Head now that they are in the NBA?

A: A little bit. They’re busy and so are we. I don’t personally talk to them a lot; I know Dee does. It’s a huge time factor, they’re busy, we’re busy.

Q: What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to with the team?

A: I think Las Vegas just because we were able to do stuff afterwards, hang out for a while. Usually we fly out there and fly back, but we were in Vegas for a while. We were there for New Year’s and got to go out.

Q: If you could add any other current Big Ten player to this year’s Illini squad, who would it be and why?

A: I probably wouldn’t pick anybody because our team’s fine how it is. It’s hard to pick anybody I’d add. I like our team the way it is.

Q: At the beginning of the season people were talking about a return to the Final Four.still possible? And if it is, how do you get there?

A: I think first of all we need a good seed in the tournament. That is the time of year when you have to play your best basketball, and that’s what we did last year. If you can put a span of four good games together, I think you’ll be in pretty good shape.

Q: Do you think there will be any extra emotion going into Saturday’s game against Iowa since it will be your last game at Assembly Hall?

A: I think it will be the same thing as every game; I’m not going to think about it as anything different. We have to win the game, so we’re going to be focused on winning the game, not on that it’s our last game there.