Durham talks about life on court
Anyone that knows mc,
and talks to me regularly will
tell you that WSSU junior for
ward Jamal Durham is one of
my favorite athletes, period.
I like how versatile he is
on and off the court. I mean,
he could easily be a star foot
ball or track athlete if that's
where his focus was. But he's
decided to concentrate on bas
ketball, his favorite sport. I
can't get mad at that. After all,
he's been doing his thing for
the Rams for the last two-and
a-half years. No doubt that JD
has been putting it down.
I caught up with Durham
after he got out of class on
Tuesday to get his thoughts on
the season, playing in the Joel,
girls, Super Bowl commer
cials and a number of other
things.
We also discussed whether
he would consider the NFL if
basketball didn't work out
next year. Take a look at some
of the other things he and I
talked about earlier this week.
Anthony: What's good,
JD?
Jamal: Nothing much.
I'm just doing my thing ? liv
ing life how I want to live it.
Anthony: I hear that.
Kind of tell me about the sea
son for a minute. How's
everything been going for you
all this season?
Jamal: The season has
been a little rough. But I think
it's been an improvement from
last season. I think all of the
new guys are coming around. I
think we're going to be a pret
ty good team.
Anthony: It's kind of sad
for me to see you doing your
thing this season, but not be
able to compete for a title.
How much has that weighed
on your mind?
Jamal: It weighs heavily.
I think about winning a title
every year. I just go out and
play as if I have a chance at
winning a championship. I
just play hard every game.
Anthony: . What is your
motivation?
Jamal: The tradition. This
school is known for basket
ball. We have a bunch of great
legends. I'm just trying to
keep the legacy going. We
want to be known as hard
workers and good basketball
players.
Anthony: OK. 1 know
you're on pace to graduate on
schedule. What are some of
the things going through your
mind when I say that?
Jamal: I'm thinking about
the real world. Coach does a
good job of preparing us for
the real world. He gives us
examples of life situations that
we may go through. All of that
e> File photo
Winston-Salem State junior star Jamal Durham backs down Wake's Chas McFarland, who's a 7-foot center . 0
correlates to what we do on
the basketball floor. Little
things like going to class and
showing up on time go a long
way.
Anthony: Speaking of
going to class. I have to get
your thoughts oji Mike
Puckett. I don't remember the
l|st time I saw a college bas
ketball player not make it
through a season due to grades
How disappointed are you that,
he wasn't able to get it done in
the classroom?
J a m a I :
That's a big disappointment.
Mike was coming around. He
was one of our top scorers. He
led us a few times. Mike was a
good spark. Mike is a good
driver that can create shots.
We're lacking in that right
now. It hurts your team to lose
a player like that.
Anthony: Let's talk about
you for a minute. How much
have you improved since your
freshman year?
Jamal: My level of bas
ketball IQ has grown. I'm able
to see the floor a lot better.
I'm able to make better deci
sions. I'm learning to drive
more, instead of settling for
shots. My game has grown.
Anthony: I know that you
have solid basketball plans,
but have you considered a try
at the NFL?
Jamal: Nah. (Smiles.)
Football is out of here. I still
love watching it. I think about
playing football. But not to
the point that I want to try it
out again. Everybody tells me
that there aren't many 6-6
receivers in the NFL. I'm
focused on basketball and
proving the people that said I
couldn't do it wrong.
Jamal: (Smiles.) Yeah.
We tried to contain him, but
he turned it up in jhe second
half. You have to respect a
player like that.
Anthony: What did you
think about the Super Bowl?
Jamal: Neither team was
my favorite. I wanted the
Patriots to win so Moss could
One-on-One
with Anthony Hill
Anthony: Let's move on.
A lot of teams are looking
good around the nation.
Kansas is looking* good.
Carolina and Duke are looking
good. Which team do you
think is the best right now?
Jamal: It's between
Georgetown and Kansas. They
have the most experience. We
seen both of them last year.
Kansas is full of athletes.
Anthony: Who's the best
>player in college basketball
this year?
Jamal: Michael Beasley.
We played him, and you have
to respect him. He gave us 40.
Anthony: Whoa.
get a ring. 18-1 is almost the
biggest heartbreaker. The sea
son was a failure.
Anthony:
Which commercial was your
favorite? I like the D-Wade
and Charles Barkley joint.
Jamal: (Smiles.) Me and
my roommates' favorite com
mercial (Doritos) was the one
where the guy put the mouse
trap in front of the wall and a
big rat just comes out and
tackles him. (Both laugh.) I
also like that Coke commer
cial with Stewie and the
Underdog floats. (Both
laugh.) WeTike Family Guy.
Anthony: (Laughs.) OK.
If you could play with any
athlete who would it be?
Jamal: Chris Paul. He's a
good floor leader. He will get
you the ball. He sees the court.
Just run with him.
Anthony: No doubt.
Who's the funniest person on
the team?
Jamal: That would have
to be my roommate. Max
Funderburke. He's quiet, but
he's the funniest person you'll
know that never tells a joke.
He's pretty cool.
Anthony: You played
Wake earlier in the year. Do
you think they can make some
noise in the ACC?
Jamal: Yeah. That team is
a big surprise. They're playing
really well, despite being so
young. L.D., James Johnson
and Teague are really playing
good. I think they'll be OK.
Anthony: You guys play a
lot of games in the Coliseum.
But it seems like you would
have a better crowd if you
played in the Gaines Center.
Do you have a preference?
Jamal: I think it's better
to play here because we have a
crowd, and that's a better
advantage "point. Coach
always tells us to make our
own momentum. We like the
Coliseum too. We like the btg
floor and open space. It really
doesn't matter.
Anthony: That's easier
said Chan done. It's definitely
better to play in front of a
crowd. Even if it's only a
pick-up game.
Jamal: True. The best
crowd we've played in front
of is A&T. They have a Sixth
Man for real. Our players
would probably be more
hyped if we had a crowd like
that. Then again, it shouldn't
matter.
Anthony: Who's your
favorite player in the NBA?
Jamal: Kobe and LeBron.
1 really can t choose. Every
time LeBron dunks it seems
like his head is at the rim. I
wish I could do that.
Anthony: What do you
and your room dawg usually
bump around the room?
Jamal: We usually bump
LiF Wayne. We play a lot of
those "Crank That..." songs.
Anthony: Where's your
favorite spot to eat.
Jamal: It would have to
be Pizza Hut. Stuffed crust
pepperoni. I love it.
Anthony: Do you have a
talent that no one really knows
about?
Jamal: I can dance. We go
to clubs and dance a lot.
Anthony: How many tat
toos do you have?
Jamal: I'm pretty much
even. I have two on each arm
and two on my chest. My most
important one is on my chest.
It s a dog tag for my grandfa
ther, who past away in July.
He was my biggest fan. He
was my hero. I had to get one
for him. He taught me every
thing from how to change a
tire to riding a bike.
Anthony* That's cool.
Let s finish with free associa
tion.
Jamal: (Smiles.) All
right.
Anthony: Roy Peake
. Jamal: Sporadic, floor
leader.
Anthony: Jamal Durham.
Jamal: Dunker.
Anthony: North Davidson
(Jamal 's old high school).
Jamal: My home.
Anthony: Winston-Salem
State.
Jamal: My second home.
Anthony: Girls.
Jamal: (Smiles.)
Beautiful.
Anthony: Coach Collins.
Jamal: My coach.
Anthony: (Smiles.)
Coach (Tim) Wells.
Jamal: (Smiles.) Coach
Wells is my homeboy. We go
back in forth in practice. He
dunks more than us. (Both
laugh.)
Anthony: I hear that. Hey,
we're done. Good luck with
the rest of the way.
Jamal: Thanks. ^
NCAA's Brand to give address to tip off CIAA
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association welcomes
National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) President
and Chief Executive Officer,
Myles Brand, to address par
ticipants of the 2008 Men's
Basketball Tip-Off Banquet.
This event is scheduled for
Feb. 26 at the Westin Hotel
Charlotte; 6:30pm.
Myles Brand has served as
president of the NCAA since
Jan. 1, 2003 and is the fourth
chief executive officer of the
Association. <
Termed by some the "edu
cation president," Brand has
presided over passage of the
most comprehensive academic
reform package for intercolle
giate athletics in recent history
- a package that refocuses the
attention of student-athletes,
coaches and administrators on
the education of student-ath
letes. Brand has also changed
the national dialog on college
sports to emphasize the educa
tional value of athletics partic
ipation and the integration of
intercollegiate athletics with
the academic mission of higher
education. His tenure has
helped reestablished the indis
pensable role of university
presidents in the governance of
college sports.
Brand was himself presi
dent of two major universities.
From 1994 through 2002, he
was president of Indiana
University, an eight-campus
institution of higher education
with nearly 100,000 students,
17,000 employees and a budg
et of $3.4 billion. Brand also
served as president at the
University of Oregon from
1989 to 1994.
Brand has served on the
Executive Committee of the
Board of directors. Association
of American Universities
(AAU), and as board chair,
1999-2000; a member of the
board of directors, 1992-97,
and executive committee,
1994-97, of the American
Council on Education (ACE);
and a member of the board of
directors of the National
Association of State
Universities and Land Grant
Colleges (NASULGC), 1995
98. He served too as a board
member of the American
Philosophical Association and
of the University Corporation
for Advanced Internet
Development, the umbrella
organization of Internet2.
Myles Brand
? ? 5^?=^===
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