Q&A with KT Harrell

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Question: How would you describe your freshman season thus far?

Harrell: It has been really fun and exciting for me. It has been a great experience, especially since I have gotten a lot of time on the court. I am just trying to learn and better myself with each game.

Question: What has been the biggest adjustment you have had to make playing at the collegiate level?

Harrell: The pace of the game is certainly quicker. You need to use your wisdom and think a lot more on the court to be successful, where in high school you could just get by on your athleticism. Everyone at this level is a great athlete, so you need to use your head to find other ways to gain an edge.

Question: What is the best advice that one of the upperclassmen has given you?

Harrell: Mustapha [Farrakhan] has told me not to over-think on the court and trust my instincts. He said to not worry about trying to do everything out there, but let the game come to me. If you try too hard, you start to press, and it makes it worse.

Question: What has been some of your favorite experiences of your freshman season?

Harrell: Getting to play at some of the places we have visited, like Maui and Duke. Maui was incredible. It is beautiful, the weather is perfect and you are there competing against some of the best teams in the country. Duke is such a historic place to play. You see games there on TV all the time, but to play on that court, in that atmosphere, was fun for us.

Question: As approach the final few games of the regular season, what do you need to finish the season strong?

Harrell: We are a strong team and we need to make sure the adversity we have faced, the injuries and the close losses, doesn’t affect us. We know we have to work hard and not get down on ourselves. That is where we need to depend on our toughness.

Question: Do you think that facing the adversity you have this season will help you in the future?

Harrell: Definitely. It will make us a better team for years to come. It has given some of us some more minutes to learn on the court and it has taught us how to adapt to a lot of different situations. Everything that has happened this year we have treated as a chance to learn and get better.