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| Photo by Chicago State Media Relations |
After Saturday’s game against Samford, I sat down with Chicago State Cougar David Holston to speak about play, his team, and his goals. Although he is soft spoken off the court, on the court, his play speaks for itself.
Attendance has been pretty low this year, even with you playing lights out. Is it hard to get energized for your home games when there isn’t much of a crowd to support you?
We motivate ourselves to come out and win. We haven’t been a successful program the past couple years, but we’re starting to win more now, and we’re getting more and more people to show up.
Some of your best games as far as scoring goes were actually in losses. Was there anything you could have done differently to help your team win?
It was more of a team thing. We’re getting way better on defense. At the beginning of the season, our defense wasn’t where it is now. Now we’re playing as a team, talking on defense. We lost those games as a team.
Is your offense tailored to your strengths, or were you able to mold your game to fit in to your coach’s strategy?
I think it’s good for everybody. We have good guys; we have good post men. It fits well for everybody. I really like it; it lets us run up and down. We have set plays on dead balls. I really like the system. It really lets us go.
Did you play any other sports in high school?
In middle school I played football. I think I was actually better at football, but my dad made me focus on basketball once I got to high school.
Did playing those sports translate to or help improve your skills on the court?
I think playing football makes me more physical on the court.
You’ve methodically improved every aspect of your offensive game every year at Chicago State. To what do you attribute such consistent improvement?
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| Photo by Mike Moran |
Working hard, getting in the gym every day. After practice I shoot a lot of shots, and before the game. I wasn’t that on today, so I have to get back in the gym, get my form back. But that’s what I do every day, just work hard.
There were times today where play got sloppy, but when Samford pulled in close, the team tightened up and went on a run. Is that resilience something that you can just turn on when you need to?
I think it’s more of everybody starting to mature. Last year we had a lot of freshmen, but their game is developing. The game got close today; I think last year we would have slipped up and lost it. This year, their mindset is different.
Do you feel like the development of the team is in part because of your leadership?
They say I’m kind of hard on them, but I think they’re starting to realize that it’s just to make them better.
Who do you try to model your game after?
Probably Allen Iverson. I watch him a lot, but I just try to make myself better in general.
Do you plan on exploring your possibilities of playing professionally in the NBA or abroad?
Yeah. I love the game. All I think about is the game. That’s what I want to do. Whatever comes to me after the season, I’m going to take advantage of my opportunities.
You’re the nation’s second leading scorer behind Davidson’s Stephen Curry. Are you frustrated with not getting as much exposure as other quality players?
It doesn’t really get to me. When my time comes, it will come. I’m not really focused on that, I’m more focused on winning. We haven’t had a winning season since I’ve been here, so it really doesn’t bother me. I’m just out here playing my heart out every night.
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