Her Campus was lucky enough to speak with our resident star basketball player, Julian Mavunga. A senior forward, this guy really knows how to shoot some hoops. In the Redhawks’ recent game against UC, he scored his 1000th point–the 34th player in all college basketball history to do it!
HC: When did basketball become a part of your life?
JM: I first started playing basketball the summer before my eighth grade. The first time that I ever played on an actual school team was my freshman year of high school… and I was really bad.
HC: Does anyone inspire your game-playing skills?
JM: My biggest role model is my mother. She is the hardest-working and most selfless person I know, and I want to be the same as her.
HC: What are your goals for this season?
JM: We have a young team, so I just want to be a good leader and make sure that we improve every single game. We want to put ourselves in position to compete in the NCAA tourney at the end of the year.
HC: What’s it like to have a college workload on top of basketball?
JM: It can get crazy at times. I think of everyone who is always stressed out just because they have class or an exam. I have to deal with the same, as well as at least four hours a day focused on just basketball. It teaches a lot of discipline and time management, and it has made me a more responsible person overall.
HC: What are your plans for the future?
JM: I plan on continuing my career on the professional level when this season is over. But right now I am focused on the task at hand–making sure this year is a great one and graduating.
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Julian is a two-time all-conference player, and last year he was runner-up for the MAC player of the year. HC’s putting its bet on this talented Redhawk to take the title this winter. Photo credit: MURedhawks.com