HH: He played at Austin too right?
AW: Yeah, he played at Austin, He graduated in '81. His team was the only team to win conference too, like our team won conference last night and his team won it in '81 and then I won it when I was a freshman.

HH: How many teams are in the conference?
AW: Nine teams in the conference and this is the first year that our team has won the conference outright. The other two years our team was tied in conference but this year we won it outright.

HH: Have you got any favorite players that you've maybe patterned your game after?
AW: Not really. I just try to have an all around game, but there's not really any players that I try to make myself like or anything.

HH: So what do you feel are your strengths as a player and which aspects of the game do you enjoy the most?
AW: Well, I'm a really good offensive player, I'm a real good shooter off the dribble...this year, more than I have been in the past, but I drive to the basket pretty good and I shoot pretty good and I'm a really good ball-handler and a good passer.

HH: What do you feel that you'll have to improve on the most as far as once you get into college?
AW: Well, like when I played with the players from Western I felt the thing that I lacked was my strength, that they had on me. So that's probably the main thing and just my quickness.....and probably my three-point shot too.

HH: Well, you've put on 15-20 pounds since last year haven't you?
AW: Yeah, last year I was pretty weak, but I'm up to about 200 pds. now....like about 198 really....around 200, so that's pretty good but I'm only going to get stronger when I get there.

HH: What do you think about your shot at Mr. Basketball? I know since you play 2-A ball a lot of people say you don't play against good competition and all of that....what do you think your chances are?
AW: I think before this year it was really like a landslide....it was supposed to go to the kid from Bloomington North (Sean May), but the way I've been playing it's only improved my chances and helped me. I mean I think I have a pretty good shot if my team was to advance in the tournament. That's pretty much all I can do now is just keep on winning....because I've been winning but I just have to take my team into the postseason.

HH: Yeah, last year it was pretty much the same story with Patrick Sparks. He had a lot of people kinda putting him down and everything, saying he played at a small school and they gave it to Josh Carrier and everybody knows now who the real Mr. Basketball was.
AW: Yeah, I saw Josh Carrier play in that Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game and he didn't get to play really, but Patrick.....I mean he was.....when I saw him playing there I was like, "God, he's good." And then at first I thought he was going to Eastern Kentucky for some reason, I don't know why, but then later I found out he was going to Western and I was like, "God, he's a good player, I want to play with him."

HH: You've said that you're a lot similar to Patrick in a lot of areas right?
AW: Yeah. Just watching him play I can tell that some of the things that he does I do too. We're pretty similar, I mean just the way he plays and passes the ball and handles himself, I think I'm kinda like him in a way.

HH: Talk a little bit about the recruiting process. How many schools do you think contacted you over the last couple of years?
AW: When I was a sophomore is when it pretty much started. I had all kinds of big schools...like Bob Knight came here and watched a game and then later on I went to IU and watched a game and went back in the locker room and talked to him and stuff. There were just pretty much all kinds of schools...like Iowa was really interested, but there was a bunch of schools and it really came down to Western, Indiana St., Evansville and Northwestern.

HH: When did Coach Felton first enter the picture?
AW: Well, they didn't ever like recruit me or anything until last summer. I played in a tournament and I think Coach Herrmann was the first one to see me and then Coach Mac saw me too. The first time Coach Felton saw me was up in Louisville. He saw me in a game and I played pretty good, and after the game I was outside and he came up and he shook my hand and he said, "I just wanted to meet you. You're a heck of a player."

HH: You said you liked the way Coach Felton recruited you. Why did you decide to sign early and not wait until later on?
AW: He wanted me bad, Coach Felton did, he told me that I was his number one recruit and he wanted me to come there. The reason I signed early is 'cause I went to Western....and I knew after the year that they had last year and then they got Patrick Sparks that they were only going to be better. And Coach Felton, along with everything else, that's the reason I just wanted to sign early just to get it over with because I knew.....I mean I knew I was going to have a good year and probably if I wouldn't have signed early I would have probably had a bunch of more colleges...but that didn't bother me at all because I knew even if I didn't sign early that I wanted to go to Western...no matter what. So, it really didn't matter if I signed early or not.

HH: You said really enjoyed your visit down here at the campus. What all did you do while you were here? Did you tour around the campus and everything?
AW: Yeah. I took an unofficial visit first and we just toured the campus and stuff and met a bunch of different people and Patrick came down on my first unofficial visit and I talked to him for a little while. Then I came back for my official visit and Jamaal (Brown) was there. And that was pretty fun, we just hung out with the players and stuff and had a real good time.

HH: You played pickup with Jamaal, I guess Matt Gorman and some of those guys while you were here....what did you think about Jamaal?
AW: Jamaal is pretty good. He's like real strong and he can shoot the three pretty good. He seems to be a pretty good player. And then one time I played with the Gorman kid and he was real good, he was a good post player.

HH: So were you more impressed with Patrick once you played with him?
AW: Oh yeah, definitely. I mean I saw him play but when you really play with him.....he just makes you better, he's easy to play with and he gets you open shots and stuff and he's a real good passer.

HH: So how familiar were you with Western before the Coaches first talked to you? Did you know anything about us much at all?
AW: Not really. I remember watching you guys against Florida last year and that's pretty much it, but then Coach Felton....and everything started happening with Western and that's when I first really found out about it.
HH: Was your dad very familiar with Western and the tradition?
AW: A little bit. I mean he knew about when you guys were good and stuff and he told me about the tradition and about how you guys were always good and used to be Top 25 year in and year out. He knew a little bit about it.

HH: So have you been able to see any of our games on TV this year?
AW: Yeah, I watched the kentucky game, that game was awesome. And then you guys played on ESPN, you played New Mexico State...and you guys just drilled them. But I watched the kentucky game....that game was awesome, they played real good that game.
HH: Yeah, that was a great game. Have you been able to make it down for any games in person?
AW: Yeah, I came to the Creighton game at Western. That was a big game for them (Western) because they lost to them at Creighton in double overtime or something but they came back and killed them....without Chris.
HH: Are you going to make it down for any more games in our final three home games?
AW: I'm coming to the last home game of the year, it's Senior Night I think. I don't remember who they play but Coach Mac told me it's the last home game. I think I'm coming.
HH: Yeah, that's the Middle Tennessee game. So do you ever have a chance to check out Hilltopper Haven and keep up with anything?
AW: Yeah, I talked to my dad and he said he gets on there. And I've been on there a couple of times....I just get on the message board and read what people say and stuff. I get on there every once in a while.

HH: I've been looking around on some of the Indiana websites especially.....does any of that stuff bother you, when some of these idiots get on there and just write a bunch of garbage?
AW: No, I mean that's just how they are. It doesn't bother me at all. I get on there and I can read it and it won't even phase me or anything, I don't even think twice about what they say, even if it's good or bad. I mean I don't get a big head or I don't get down on myself. It doesn't bother me at all really.

HH: So do you have any idea what you may major in at Western?
AW: I know I want to be around basketball. I really have a passion for it....I love the game. So I want to coach and I'll probably teach.

HH: I know there's been a few Western fans that have come up to see you play. Have you noticed very many up there so far?
AW: Yeah. There was a married couple at the Paoli game, when I had 55, and they came up afterwards and told me 'great job' and that they couldn't wait to have me down . Then at the North Harrison game there was about 5 or 6 older guys down there. I scored 55 in that game too. And they stayed after the game and talked to my dad for probably 10 or 15 minutes. So that was pretty nice of them to come down.

HH: Yeah, I think I was telling you there's gonna be quite a few coming up for your last game.
AW: Yeah, on the 22nd. I saw that on Hilltopper Haven, that they're all planning to come. That would be great for them to come up here and just get to watch me and I'll get to see like how it's gonna be when I go down there. I don't think it will be sold out but even if it is they'll still let people in, but I don't think it will be sold out or anything.

HH: Are you planning on coming down this summer and going to school and playing ball all summer?
AW: Yeah, I think I'm going to take classes....I plan on at least, taking either the July classes, or June. I know Pat did.....and he got in the weight room and stuff and that's what I plan on doing, coming down there and getting in the weight room and just working out every day and stuff like that.