TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

You grew up in Morocco and attended high school in Germany? How and why did you make the decision to attend high school in a different country?

There’s no opportunity to play good basketball in Morocco so the summer from when I was 14 to when I was 15 I grew five to six inches, so everyone was just telling me, ‘You have to play basketball’ and then I got the scholarship offer from the high school in Germany and I decided that I was going to play basketball.

After going to high school in Germany, why did you decide to attend UB?

One of my coaches in Germany told me that I should think about going to college because it’s the best way for me to get a diploma and develop, basketball-wise. After thinking about it for a little bit, I decided to go somewhere in America.

Is there a drastic difference between European basketball and American basketball?

There’s not a drastic difference but there’s a difference. The American game is more athletic and the European game is, sometimes in the post, more physical because you’re allowed to use your arms more, but it’s still basketball.

How much of a factor were you in recruiting Christian Schmidt, one of your high school teammates and Germany Under-20 national team teammates and how has it helped you to play at UB with a player you are familiar with?

When they started recruiting Christian and I talked to him, and he realized that me being here would make it a lot easier for him because I could show him everything. I reassured him that this is a good place for him to be and therefore he directly disregarded all other colleges.

You have been named to the pre-season All-MAC team for the past three seasons, including the current season. Do you feel any pressure heading into the season with regards to the honor?

I feel some pressure. I feel some pressure to lead this team to a great season but I love pressure, that’s why we play basketball, to feel that pressure to produce.

Do you have any specific goals heading into your final season at UB?

I have a goal to have at least another 20-win season and a Mid-American Conference Championship.

The Bulls open their season with the first five games of the season on the road. How does that factor into your overall mentality and do you think it adds to the hype when UB host's four games in a row, beginning with Pittsburgh on December 9?

I think it will definitely add to the hype, but we need to produce on the road and show the University on the road how good we are because a lot of people don’t expect us to be good because of how young we are. I think it’s better that we open with four road games, I’m excited for them.

Over the past two years, Alumni Arena has been renovated and the finishing touches of the Stephen Walsh basketball offices have occurred. How exciting has it been to see UB’s commitment to basketball grow in the last four years?

It’s been really exciting. From my freshman year to my senior year, I have seen the development of this program and I know for a fact that in the upcoming five-10 years, this program is going to be really, really good for basketball.

What are your plans following your college graduation?

Well, my goal is to play in the NBA and if I don’t make it, I’ll just play basketball in Europe somewhere.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB student-athlete?

My favorite moment as a UB student-athlete was our first playoff game victory at home against Northern Illinois (March 8, 2004) when the fans rushed the court.

The “10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Jackie O’Brien