Q: Who is your biggest role model in the basketball world?
A: I’m going to have to say Michael Jordan. I know I wasn’t really alive to watch him play, but just watching his clips and the way he just dedicated himself to be perfect out there, how he was never satisfied and just always kept working and how he had that competitive edge and he wanted to pretty much tear his opponents apart. That competitive edge is really how I wanted my [performance] to translate also.

Q: What would you ask your basketball hero?
A: I would ask him, ‘How do you keep going even in the hardest times? What motivates you to keep going? Sometimes when you’re in a bit of a slump or you’re struggling a bit, how do you keep going?’

Q: What is your daily motivation?
A: My own motivation is since this is my senior year, [and] I’m not playing basketball in college, this is my last chance to really go out there and leave it all on the table. That’s really what motivates me to get up every day, go to practice, stuff like that.

Q: What would be the perfect game in your eyes?
A: Obviously we want to win some more rivalry games like Downers Grove North or Hinsdale South, but I think winning conference right now is our first immediate goal. Then, we want to continue to win regionals and sectionals and go on from there.

Q: What impact do you hope to have on the team atmosphere?
A: I want to provide the most energy, because right now I’m not starting, so I want to provide a lot of energy and spark off the bench, and I’m a pretty good shooter so I want to contribute my shooting ability to the team.

Q: How do you move past the difficulties you are faced with on the court?
A: Right now as a team, we’re currently [1-6], so right now I feel like we have to truly just come together and stay as a family, trust each other [and] trust the coaches that the process is going to pay off and that we’re going to learn from our mistakes and continue forward.

Q: If you were to tell your younger self when you started basketball something, what would it be?
A: I would say, ‘Put in the extra work. Do stuff outside of practice, make sure you’re always trying to get better. Never be satisfied where you’re at.’

Q: Who is your biggest role model in the basketball world?
A: My biggest role model would have to be my dad. My dad played in high school and played in intramurals in college but he plays all of the time just to enjoy it. He’s always been there for me in practice and since he’s so [involved] in it, he’s been my biggest supporter.

Q: What would you ask your basketball hero?
A: I’d ask him what he misses the most about playing so I could think about [what he thinks] and know what to cherish in the moment.

Q: What is your daily motivation?
A: It would have to be to push myself so I can be the best I can be. There are so many people who get injured or can’t play as much as they want and I cherish being able to play basketball. Making sure that when I’m playing I can help my teammates be as good as they can be.

Q: What would be the perfect game in your eyes?
A: Having points doesn’t even matter as much, but if we were to win off of a good game, everyone would have a big number of assists, showing everyone that we have been working together and having multiple people [score] in double digits. That shows how much we’ve been playing as a team instead of individually.

Q: What impact do you hope to have on the team atmosphere?
A: I want everyone to be able to work well as a team, and if I can help that’s enough. I want to make everyone on the team feel like they’re included and excited to go out and win.

Q: How do you move past the difficulties you are faced with on the court?
A: Mostly, this year has been kind of hard because we’ve lost a lot of people from last year, so it’s mostly just knowing that I can play or what I can and can’t do for my teammates. It’s knowing everybody’s strengths and knowing that we can all go through it.

Q: If you were to tell your younger self when you started basketball something, what would it be?
A: I would tell myself to work more on one-on-one because most people look at how you play individually. [Also] hiding your reactions to things, because I don’t hide my reactions when I’m upset, and I need to put that aside for my team.