One-on-one with J.R. Patrick

In his second season with the men's basketball team, senior guard J.R. Patrick sat down Tuesday to chit-chat with Sports Editor Brian Betz.

BB: You were almost signed to play for Baylor right?

JR: Yeah, they were looking at me when I was playing my last year of high school in Toronto. Then my second year in junior college I definitely thought I was going to sign with them. They were sending me letters all the time, every week.

BB: So did you deal with former Coach Dave Bliss then?

JR: I talked to him only twice. I more talked to the assistant coaches.

BB: So you were almost signed, sealed and delivered to go there. What changed your mind?

JR: I had a conversation with Coach Kevin Lewis and he was saying that there were conflicts with some of the players and I was like, "Well what are you talking about?" And he was like, "Well, some of the guys on our basketball right now team aren't having any respect for some of the coaches and don't want to be here" and this and that, and I didn't want to be in that kind of situation.

BB: So did you ever interact with any of the players?

JR: Ah, no I didn't. I never talked to any of them and I never took a visit. I was about to take a visit until I had that last conversation with [Kevin Lewis].

BB: So what other schools did you look at?

JR: Creighton was looking at me. Eastern Washington. Eastern Kentucky was heavily recruiting me, I mean, heavily recruiting me.

BB: So what's happened with you guys in the past two games?

JR: Basically, just, the ball is not going in. We were getting the same shots we've been taking all year and the ball just doesn't want to go in. And the coaches have just been stressing to keep shooting and it's bound to go in. Every team goes through this kind of slump and we've got to shoot our way out of it.

BB: You guys have Portland and then Gonzaga on Saturday. Let me be honest, I have faith in you guys. But Gonzaga is so overpowering for a WCC team. How do you prepare for them?

JR: You basically just have to go out and bust your butt. We had them here last year and had a chance to beat 'em. It came down to the last minute of the game and we were up two and [Blake] Stepp hit a clutch three. So we know we can play with 'em and beat 'em, we just have to be on our "A-game" in order to do it.

BB: As one of the many recruits in past years to come here from Canada, how much did guys like Steve Nash influence you to come here?

JR: That was one of the main reasons. It was kinda fate too. Steve Nash blazed the trail for the rest of these Canadians coming in here, including me and Sean [Dennison].

BB: Did you ever talk to Nash?

JR: I did, when I first got recruited. What happened was I took my last two choices of colleges, Eastern Kentucky and here. And I get off the phone with my mom and had said, "Mom, I don't know what to do I talked with both coaches" and she's like "Call Steve Nash." And I'm like "What are you talking about?" And it was the night before one of his playoff games and I'm like "He's not going to be around." So I said whatever and called him. No one was there, so I left a message and he called me back in like 10 minutes and we talked for a half hour about everything.

BB: So what players were your inspiration growing up?

JR: Michael Jordan definitely. He's the one that made me go in the driveway and work on reverses and all those cool moves.

BB: What play is most memorable to you?

JR: Off the top of my head, probably when Tracy McGrady threw it off the glass to himself in the All-Star Game.

BB: As the elder-statesman of the WCC, how does Coach Davey relate to college players today?

JR: He's an old style coach. He's down for doing everything precisely and starting off with the fundamentals.

BB: Kind of like "Hoosiers?"

JR: Exactly, like a Bobby Knight.

BB: Without the strangling thing.

JR: Yeah. Ha, ha.

BB: I asked Brandon [Rohe] this two weeks ago and I asked Quinn [Thomas] last week, so maybe the third time's the charm because I've yet to get a great response. Who's winning the Super Bowl?

JR: Ha, ha. Who's in the Super Bowl? Just kidding.

BB: Ha, ha.

JR: That's a toughie. That is a tough one. But, I'm gonna say, I'm liking my boy right there at quarterback. I'm gonna have to go with New England.

BB: Give me a score.

JR: Put me on the spot just like that. No idea. Ah, it's been a while since there's been a high scoring Super Bowl. I'm gonna go out there and say 39-27.

BB: Is Tom Brady the MVP?

JR: Yeah.