1. Looking back on your first year, what has been the biggest transition for you in terms of adjusting to the collegiate game/life?
“I think the biggest adjustment is just knowing that everyone is good. I guess in high school you can kind of get away with playing a certain person a specific way, and I guess here you can’t do that. You have to know that everyone can score, and I guess just finding ways to score. Instead of the offense coming to you, you have to go and get your points. For life in general, it’s hard not being able to go home or talk to your friends whenever you want; and just being not too far, but far enough from home.”
2. You are also a jumper for track & field. What kind of challenges does that present with balancing practice and training between basketball and track?
“It’s just hard because it’s all year. I don’t really get a break. Just transitioning: new teammates, new staff, just getting used to the different rules and the different environments that they have.”
3. What has made you want to continue playing basketball, even with all the additional work and stress that comes with competing in two sports?
“I’ve always loved basketball since I was little, so I kind of can’t just throw that away. With track, being good at it just makes me want to keep going and see what I can accomplish. I like the team environment (of basketball). I love team sports, and with track it’s individuals and you just kind of do your thing and that’s it. I guess with basketball, it’s things like celebrating together and being with people all the time.”
4. Is there anything from your jumping that translates to basketball and helps you on the court?
“My jumping abilities even though I’m way smaller than a lot of people. Just having that advantage that I know how to jump and use my body.”
5. Last spring, you finished second at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the long jump. What was that experience like for you personally, to come in as a freshman and earn a podium finish?
“My first two jumps weren’t good. I kind of just expected to come in 5th or 6th. Then with my last jump, it took me to 2nd place. I was really happy because I wanted to be an ACC champion. I felt like I could do it, so I was just woken up a little bit earlier. After that, it gave me motivation for this year.”
6. What went right with that last jump?
“My teammate, she was on the sideline, she was like, ‘You’ve got this. This is your last jump.’ And just my coach being on the sideline making sure my steps were correct. That helped a lot.“
7. Being a part of two teams, you’ve had an interesting experience in having your basketball teammates out to support your during track meets. What’s it like to have your teammates supporting you out at T&F?
“At first it was kind of embarrassing because I saw the big head thing, but then I was really happy because I knew that they were there for me and they didn’t just forget about me. That made me really happy.”
8. Have any of your basketball teammates tried their hand at jumping?
“No. I think I could teach it to Amadine. I think she’d be the closest one.”
9. You (and Amadine) have a really special relationship. Talk about your relationship with her.
“Yeah, we became close at the beginning of last year. We had two classes together (statistics and lit), and we were both new and from far away, so I guess we related and we laughed a lot about little things. We’ve been really close ever since.”
10. You have three brothers and your names all start with K-H-Y… who gets called Khy?
“We don’t really call each other Khy. We just call each other by our names. But from our friends, I’m called Khy out of everybody. They (the brothers) don’t really like that. But nobody calls them Khy, so I guess they want people to call them Khy? But nobody does, so I get called Khy.”