TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

This week, you are facing off with Niagara, one of two Big 4 rivals you play this year. Niagara has a chance to enter the game 5-1, while you could enter 4-2. What does UB need to do to beat the local rival?
We just have to come into the game and do what we do best, which is rebound the basketball well. We need to keep (Juan) Mendez off the glass. He’s a very good rebounder. We have to continue to get stops on defense, which will lead to our transition breaks. I think if we rebound well and get stops then everything else will take care of itself.

During your home opener against FDU, UB overcame a seven-point deficit in the last 30 seconds of regulation before you came out and hit the opening three-pointer in overtime, as UB won 87-84. What was it like to be on the floor in those final seconds and in overtime when UB took control?
For me, it felt great. I remember times where I wouldn’t have been on the floor at that time. It just showed that coach had a lot of confidence in me and my ability to put me out there.

Right now, you’re leading the Mid-American Conference in steals. What is the key to coming up with a clean steal and not being charged with a foul?
You have to anticipate what your opponent is going to do next. That’s the key to coming up with a clean steal. If you’re late, that’s how you get charged with a lot of fouls, but if you do a good job of anticipating the opponent’s next move, then that’s how you come up with a clean steal.

During your freshman year, the team struggled, going 5-23. To know that this year you are predicted to finish at the top of the conference, how fulfilling is that?
It’s a great feeling to be predicted to finish at the top because we’ve never been here before, but it’s also a big challenge because when you’re on top, everybody is gunning for you. We have to know that and every game we have to come in like every team is going to bring their ‘A’ game because we have the bullseye on our back. We have to come in with the mindset of taking care of business.

Last year, after starting out 5-3, you lost six straight games. What did it take to turn the table, as UB went out and won 12 of the final 15?
I think, last year, we had been through so much adversity our freshmen year, 5-23, that we had been there before. We were no strangers to adversity. When it came again last year, with another year of experience under our belt, we came together closer and that’s what helped us win 12 of our last 15.

In the final six games of the year, you averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 three-pointers. You were also named MAC Player of the Week late in the year. What made things finally click for you down the stretch?
I think it was just important for me to keep my confidence up, to know that I am capable of being a big-time player in this conference. Basically, I just kept my confidence up and took good shots.

Attendance during your freshman year averaged 1,800. Last year, your average home attendance was 3,200. What’s it like to see that kind of a change in support and know people are jumping on the Bulls’ bandwagon?
That’s a great feeling because I remember coming in and we may have 100 or 200 fans in the stands. I mean, games like last year, they were days we dreamed about freshmen year, being able to come here and pack Alumni Arena. It was just like our dream came true.

Speaking of that crowd support, there is one section that is devoted to you in particular. What do you think of the Cage Crazies?
Oh man, the Cage Crazies, they’re incredible. I mean it was a big surprise (when I first saw them). It really means a lot to me when you have a group of people and they come in and support you the way they do. I give a lot of thanks to those guys, because when I’m down, I see them jumping and then that really helps get me going. A big shout out to the Cage Crazies.

Knowing that UB was on NCAA probation while you were being recruited, what made you decide that UB and Coach Reggie Witherspoon were the right match for you?
Playing time. Even though I knew the program was down, I figured if we could turn the program around, then we would get a lot of attention because of the state of the program. I wanted to be a part of that.

What has been your favorite moment as a student-athlete at the University at Buffalo?
Probably the turnaround we had last year. To see, at the beginning of the year, when we lost our first three and then all the way to the end of the year, where our last home game was sold out. That’s my favorite moment.