This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.
There were a lot of guys in my high school who played sports, but none of them were serious athletes. Coming to Vandy and seeing what actual athletes looked like was quite an experience. Needless to say, the first basketball player I met towered over me. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Josh. You may know him as that guy who is, like, really tall. Towering over us at 7’, Josh is both an amazing and comitted basketball player as well as a really nice guy.
1. How long have you been playing basketball? What made you start? Have you played any other sports?
I’ve been playing basketball practically my whole life. Probably around the age of 7 or so was when I played in my first rec league. My dad played at Maryland so like any other kid I wanted to be just like my dad. My dad never pushed me like I had to play, but when I decided I wanted to, he was there to help any way he could (he was my first coach). Besides basketball, I played soccer and baseball up to 7th grade. I also ran track and threw discus in middle school.
2. Do you think your height (7 ft tall?!?!?!) is an advantage in the game?
My height definitely helps me in my position and in my sport. My height allows me to be higher than most people when I shoot and defensively my length can alter shots. Even if I wasn’t 7 feet, I’ve always felt I would have still become a good player. I’m not just a good player due to my height but also from hard work.
3. What is the best part about being on the team?
The best part about being on the team is the friendships you build with everyone. We spend about 85% of our time together, whether that be on the court, in classes, or hanging out. We all have a fun time together and there is no better feeling than winning big games with your closest friends.
4. Playing on an SEC team is clearly a huge commitment. Do you feel like your college experience has been significantly different than students who aren’t on an athletic team?
My experience is definitely a lot different than the average student’s. Basketball is very time consuming and because of that, it means sacrifices. I can’t go out and do as much as regular students and my whole schedule revolves around basketball. Although basketball may make me miss out on some experiences, I get to experience things normal students never get to. I get to play in front of tens of thousands of fans and know what it feels like to beat a big team like Kentucky. I also get to travel all over the world and so much more.
5. How do you feel about McGugin?
I like McGugin. The food is good some days and not as good the others. The buffet style is what makes it so good and the fruit and salad bar is consistently good. My favorite nights would have to be the steak nights as well as the wing nights.
6. What was it like to play this season coming back from an injury?
It was definitely a challenge. After playing my whole life, I basically did not play basketball for a year and I was in a wheelchair for about 5 months combined. So coming into the season, I practiced two full times before my first game, which seems crazy considering I was going against some of the best players in the nation that have been practicing year round. It definitely took some time to get back into my comfort zone at the start of the year, and I think that if I would have had an offseason, the way I ended the season could have been the way I started. I felt I played better near the end.
7. What can we expect for next season?
Next year will be a good year for the team. We lose no one and we gain the additions of Eric who had to redshirt after transferring from Tulsa and a freshman named Damian that should contribute. So next year we will have experience and I don’t think we will be giving games away like we did this past year. For me individually I hope to improve in every aspect and this offseason will be a very big one. Next year I hope to be more of a presence on the block and be a more efficient scorer.