What brought you to Hillsdale?
Coach Tharp sold me on this program. I like the program and the morals he brings upon us. I was looking at Cornell, Bucknell, and Washington University. But what separated them from Hillsdale was the family aspect that Tharp gives us. He makes us feel like a team. We’re all brothers.
Why Hillsdale over Cornell?
I’m an only child, so Hillsdale was a lot closer to my hometown of Lake Zurich, Illinois. New York is a plane ride away. But, also, the basketball program is so much better here. Tharp and the guys are like a real family, and not having any siblings personally brought me to this program.
As a redshirt freshman, have you been seeing any playing time?
I have. I should be getting anywhere from five to 10 minutes.
What was your highschool career like?
Despite being at a high school that mainly embraced football, I tried to make it my goal to make it more about basketball. We didn’t end up winning any regionals because of a very tough conference. I did manage to become a two-time all-state player, as well as an all-area and all-conference player.
What will be one of the biggest challenges for the Charger basketball team to overcome this season?
One of the biggest challenges is going to be learning how to play without Kyle Cooper. We’re going to need to find who we really are by playing really fundamental offense and defense.
What do you like so much about Hillsdale, and what do you dislike?
I love the people. They’re everything I could’ve asked for and more. One of the more difficult things about Hillsdale is the school work. Honestly, high school was kind of a breeze but here you really need to work your butt off to get good grades.
You played in your first couple games already for the Chargers. What was your takeaway from your first college game?
You have to be a lot more locked in and focused than high school ball. The speed and physicality is a lot different. You need to be on your A-game. In the next game, I’m hoping we go out and play as hard as we can. Hopefully we can get a big win against a top-25 team at our first home game.
When did you first start playing basketball, why were you drawn to it?
I first started playing in first grade for my local YMCA team. I was first drawn to it because it was my dad’s favorite sport.
Do you have any pregame rituals?
My only pregame ritual is that I do this shooting routine that takes me about 20 minutes to complete.
Why do you love the game?
I love the game because of the competitive aspect. Not having any siblings, I feel as if I’m on the court competing to win with my brothers. Also there’s no better feeling in the world than playing well and winning.
