MOSCOW, Idaho – Heading into the 2016-17 season, GoVandals.com will be sitting down with every member of the Idaho men's basketball squad with the @VandalHoops Hotset.
Brayon Blake joins the Vandals for his junior season, after spending last year at North Idaho College. While there, Blake led NIC to its best record in program history at 31-2, earning Third Team NJCAA All-America honors. A 6'7 forward, Blake adds another dimension to the already impressive roster.
HOW'D YOU END UP AT IDAHO?
"My coaches out at NIC, George Swanson and Corey Symons, they had a good connection with Coach Verlin. It's a small school compared to some of the other Division I schools that were looking at me. I had a lot of Pac-12 schools on me coming out of there because we played really well last year. But I thought Idaho gave me the best blueprint to succeed in life, including after basketball as well. I just fell in love with it here. When I came on my visit it was just perfect for me. There was a good energy, a good support system. And I didn't want to get too far from Coeur d'Alene, it's only an hour and a half away. It's good for me."
WHAT MADE YOU SWITCH JUCOS? HOW DOES LAST YEAR'S JUCO SUCCESS TRANSLATE TO DIVISION I?
"There were just some bumps in the road that happened. I kind of wish they didn't happen, but I'm glad it did because I'm here now. Coach Carillo at Cochise College was one of my best coaches. He turned me into the player I am now, a whole different player. He taught me a lot about the game. He's a great coach. But there were some bumps in the road that happened with me and teammates and coaches as well, so I found a new home at North Idaho. And it was better for me, in academics and on the court as well. It was kind of a win-win for me. I didn't want to leave though, I liked Cochise, it was nice over there. It was a good experience.
"To really be honest, it's different levels. It's just different. When I first got here, a lot of the guys knew a lot of the stuff, they were faster, they were stronger. To me, it was a real learning process. I normally get onto to stuff quickly, but I'm learning how to take steps to really adapt to it so I can know it in my head perfectly. I played freely last year. We had a free system. We had plays, but when two guys are scoring 24 per game you just give them the ball. It's a big difference, but it's a lot of fun. I'm still having fun with basketball, having fun with my new teammates and bonding with them. I'm just ready to play and do what I can to help the team get the Big Sky Championship and go to the tourney."
THE FANS DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT YOU, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR GAME AND WHO DO YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO IN THE NBA?
"That's pretty tough. I would compare myself to Kevin Garnett. I kind of have his attitude toward the game. I kind of have his confidence. Maybe not all the skillset, but I think I'm a Kevin Garnett guy that doesn't stop talking. He talks all the time, on the court and off the court. He cares about his teammates and he's the type of player that would do anything to win. And I feel like I'm that type of player. I can dive for boards, dive for loose balls or anything, I'm that type of guy. I just want to win."
PERSONAL GOALS FOR 2016-17?
"Just to build. Off the court and on the court. When I say off the court I mean academics, and relationships with different types of people on campus. I'm the type of guy, I like to get into different social groups, not just all athletes. I like to build connections with my teachers. I know a lot of fraternity and sorority members. It's just about bonding together so we can join in with them. But also, just to have fun. This is something that I have been working for my whole life. There were a lot of bumps in the road but I'm finally here. I'm not wanting to give up. I know there were already a couple of times this season where I thought 'oh man, is this really what you want to do?' but then I'm waking up the next morning at 6 a.m. to lift weights. I'm blessed to be here. I want to do whatever I can to help us win. I want to win."
TEAM GOALS FOR 2016-17?
"We want to win. We want to be an elite team, as coach would say. An elite team has 'above the line' behavior, not below. What I mean by that is helping a teammate out, picking up the trash in the locker room. That's 'above the line'. Just encouraging, learning, all that. Of course winning the Big Sky and getting to the tournament, but we have to do it one game at a time and sustain the energy for the whole game. Not half the game, or a little bit of the game, but the whole game. Be an elite team, that's our goal."
Stay tuned for the next edition of the @VandalHoops Hotseat.
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The season begins with a pair of exhibitions, against Carroll College on October 25 and LCSC on November 4. The regular season begins at home on November 12 against Corban University.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
