In terms of moving past it, I think we just thought more about what was ahead than what was behind. Guys leaving didn’t change our goals. I think the most special thing about my experience was going from the struggles early on to what we experienced fourth year. I wish the seven of us would’ve been able to experience all four years together, but I think it worked out for everyone. Akil, Joe, and I will definitely have a special bond forever because of what we went through together.
I will say, it’s really interesting seeing reactions to transfers or bad games now that I’m just a fan. I never noticed it when I was playing, but the overreactions to individual games or transfers is crazy. You have to have a level head to deal with it, for sure, or just completely ignore it. As a part of a team, drowning out noise is crucial to staying focused on the big picture.
Q. How were you able to handle the transition from playing all the time in high school to hardly playing at all in college?
A. It was hard in the moment. I chose UVA over better playing time situations because of the whole package, not just basketball. I also wanted to challenge myself to try and play at the highest level I could. Playing time never materialized for me, but I have no regrets. I look at the guys whom I competed with every day and love watching my friends playing professionally. I feel no shame that I wasn’t able to steal minutes from Joe or Malcolm or Justin.
Q. What were your favorite memories from your time on the team?
A. There are so many. I’ll never forget the road trips. First year, when we went to Maui – that trip was amazing. The games didn’t go great, but we had a lot of fun as a team and that was my first time in Hawaii. My wife and I actually went back to Maui for our honeymoon; even more fun the second time around. Going to Europe was an incredible experience. I had never been to Europe, so that just opened up my whole world.
Then there’s just the little things that come with being on a team with some of your best friends. We spent so much time together doing nothing. Some of the best times we had were when UVA was on break and it felt like we were the only ones in Charlottesville. We’d just kind of drive around looking for things to do.
Fourth year was the most memorable on the court, but we were all so close off the court building up to that, it made all the success so much more special.
Q. Now let’s get to that Senior Night game against Syracuse when you hit that 3-pointer to put the exclamation mark on the win. What was that feeling like? What made the moment so special, and do you literally dream about that shot every night when you go to sleep?
A. Someone asked me the other day – I don’t remember a lot about that day and night! It was a blur.
I remember being really nervous about the game for our team. Syracuse was so good that year and it was the biggest game of our careers. I definitely had no expectation of playing that night. So when I checked in, I didn’t have much time to think about what was going on. I knew I was going to put one up if I got it, because why not?
I’m so glad it went in [smiling]. All the video reactions from that night are amazing – it’s really cool to relive it from a bunch of different vantage points. I love the pictures of my teammates freaking out, but the coolest picture is the one of me with [author] John Grisham cheering in the background. I’ve read like 20 of his books – huge fan!
Q. You should have had a chance for a four-point play, right? I remember [former UVA player] Caid Kirven said you were mad because you thought you got fouled on the play.
A. I definitely got fouled! I get it, though. The refs didn’t want to run the score up too much.
Q. Did former UVA player Mamadi Diane, a Darden alumnus, play into your decision to come to Darden?
A. I talked to Mamadi a lot during the application process. He walked me through everything it took to get accepted, but bigger than that, he just encouraged me that I should apply and that I could get in. Applying for grad school is stressful, but I always felt better about the process after I talked to Mamadi. He also introduced me to a couple of professors and friends in admissions, which helped me feel better prepared. Mamadi also made me feel like Darden was right for me. I’m so thankful for all his help.