Q&A With Travon Bryant
12/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2001
Q: If you weren't playing basketball, what sport would you be playing?
TB: I'd probably say football. I played a little bit in high school. You know, just to stay active. I could see myself playing football. I could see myself playing tight end. I'd be a pretty big target. I think that would be an ideal position for me.
Q: What's in your CD player right now?
TB: I'd have to say Jay Z's new album, and if it's not that, I have his mixed CD that I like listening to. Or, I like listening to Jazz too.
Q: Should Michael Jordan have come back?
TB: If in his mind he did it for the right reasons, yeah, he should have came back. He's good for the game of basketball. He's building his organization up, and he's helping the NBA. I believe he's doing it for the love of the game. Everybody knows what Michael Jordan's accomplished, and if he doesn't have any doubts about the type of player he is, it shouldn't matter. So, I think he made the right decision.
Q: When was the first time you ever heard of Mizzou?
TB: Actually, I used to collect basketball cards, and one of my cards had Doug Smith on it. It was his NBA lottery card, and he was dressed up in a nice suit. I turned the card around and saw that he graduated from the University of Missouri.
Q: When did you start playing basketball?
TB: I started pretty early. I think I was about 11. It really had grown on me early.
Q: What's your favorite class?
TB: I'd have to say Communications 75. My teacher's real crazy, and he makes the class a lot of fun. It's a real interesting class.
Q: What was the last movie you saw?
TB: Last movie I saw was American Pie 2. It was hilarious. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD. That's going to be the first thing I'm going to get.
Q: What's the hardest thing about being a student-athlete?
TB: Time management. It's real tough being here for practice. After 2 to 3 hours of practice, I have to be able to meet with groups or write a paper. The toughest thing is being able to prioritize.
Q: What's it like going away to school far away from home like you are?
TB: It's been great for me. Personally, I wanted to get out of California. I wanted to get away from the city life. Columbia is not near the size of Long Beach. I mean Long Beach is right next to Los Angeles so there is always something to do, but I just felt Mizzou was the place for me. I think there's enough to do in this town to keep me occupied.
Q: Do you have any superstitions or routines that you go through before games?
TB: I pray before games, and starting this season, I've been wearing my "What would Jesus do," band under the tape on my wrist. Then, I write a little message to myself on the outside of the tape.
Q: If you were interviewing Trevon Bryant, what would you ask him?
TB: I guess I would ask myself, why don't you talk very much. I keep a lot of things inward. If I don't have anything to say, I'm not going to talk.
Q: As a big man, do you prefer the big dunk or the big blocked shot to get the crowd going?
TB: Both! The big dunk is a momentum thing. People that really don't pay attention to the game of basketball just pay attention to all the offense. People love the big dunk that come off of a missed shot that bounces off the rim just perfect, or another favorite is a guard or someone throwing up for you and then you just slam it hard. But, a big block is just as important. You come from the weak side and nobody sees you and all of a sudden you come out of nowhere and send the ball down a guy's throat. That's a great feeling too. But, I would say I would prefer the big dunk.
Q: What do you do in your downtime, when you don't have to worry about school or basketball?
TB: I play video games. If anything else, if I have some school work to do or a paper to write, I try to get that done.
Q: Do you have a favorite TV show?
TB: I catch myself watching Tom & Jerry. I watch that, and I also watch Married with Children. I love Al Bundy. That family is just funny.
Q: Give us a scouting report on Trevon Bryant.
TB: He's a very versatile post player. He prefers to play outside, but will go inside if necessary. You have to block him out because he's always looking for that key offensive rebound, and keep him moving around on the defensive end.
Q: Who's been the most important figure in your life:
TB: I would say my mother, my brother, and all the coaches that have been a part of my life from youth basketball to AAU to high school. They all give me good advice about what I should do in life. My mother and brother have always been there through thick and thin. I thank them for that everyday.
Q: You're brother played at Long Beach State. Was he the one who got the basketball in your hands first?
TB: Yeah, he forced me to play outside one on one with him. I've got a funny story actually about that. He broke the rim on me one time. The rim was a little bit old. He still throws that in my face. Now, I get him every time we play one on one.
Q: What basketball player(s) do you or have you admired?
TB: I like Tim Duncan. He's not a get in your face kind of guy. He just goes about his business. He lets his game speak for itself. For the emotion he plays with, I love Kevin Garnett. He has a lot of energy and that's one of the things I'm trying to work on right now. I'm trying to increase my energy output. I'm trying to get real emotional out there on the court. When I watch games, I try to notice those types of little things and see if I can put those into my game.
Q: Have you ever had a chance to meet Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett?
TB: No, I haven't met those two guys, but I have met Michael Jordan. That was great. I met Magic Johnson, and I met Kevin McHale when I was in Boston.
Q: What's one thing that you really want to do but you haven't had a chance to yet?
TB: I always watch the Travel Channel. I always enjoy watching and learning about some of the most historic sites in the world. I'd love to go to the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower of Piza, and Stonehenge. That type of stuff I really find interesting. I'd love to go to places like that.
Q: What other schools were you looking at when you were a senior in high school other than Mizzou?
TB: I was really seriously considering Cal-Berkley and that "other" school down I-70.
Q: What made you decide to come to Mizzou over an established program like KU?
TB: It came down to the comfort level. I told the schools that I wasn't in a rush to make a commitment. I wanted to it on my own terms, and certain schools backed off of me. For instance, Kentucky was recruiting me, but they backed off because they wanted a commitment soon. And, I told them that I wasn't going to do that. I pretty much let the schools pan themselves out. Mizzou was out there looking at me, and they stuck with me through thick and thin. That's why I chose Mizzou. Plus, I believed Coach Snyder would take this program to the top level. And now that I'm here we're doing that.
Q: What are some things about you that people don't know about you that might surprise them?
TB: I want to be the owner of my own marketing firm. I want to be a CEO. I want to market basketball players in the NBA and try to get them the best deals possible, like shoe contracts and things like that. Those types of things I find interesting.
Q: Describe yourself in three short words.
TB: I would say young, intelligent, and soft-spoken.
Q: Do people come up to you in public when you're out on the town or at a restaurant?
TB: Yeah, people come up to me a lot. It's great that people recognize us, but most of the time when I go out to eat I go with Wesley (Stokes), my roommate, and usually they recognize his hair. They recognize us, and that's a good thing. We're playing well, and people are recognizing us. People might find it surprising, but I don't mind if people want to come up to me and talk.
Q: Even though you've only been here less than a year, what has been your favorite MU moment.
TB: Well, I have two. I'd have to say the Iowa game this past week or so in the Guardian's Classic. That was just an unbelievable game the way we fought and the way we played. And even though we lost the game last year, the Oklahoma game had just a great atmosphere. The way we competed, even though we lost the game, was incredible. It was just a great game overall.
Q: Do you have a favorite professional team right now?
TB: The Lakers. The Lakers and the San Francisco 49ers. I'm sorry Rams fans. We're tied up 8-2!
Q: What's the best place to play other than the Hearnes Center?
TB: My high school gym. I shot well there. Okalahoma St. and KU also have big time atmospheres. It's crazy in there. Pretty much anywhere you go in the Big XII it's a great atmosphere. The fans are really behind their teams.
Q: Do you get nervous before games
TB: I get a few butterflies, but once I get out there on the floor, those all go to the side because I'm out there playing the game of basketball, a game I've been playing for years. I just go out there and have some fun.
Q: Other than Michael Jordan, who has been the most famous person you have met?
TB: Well, I went back home right before school started and I met Jay Z out in LA. I was pretty excited about that.
Q: What do you enjoy about your hometown (Long Beach)?
TB: The weather. It's unbelievable. When you can have 63-degree weather in the summer and in the middle of January, that is just unbelievable. It's also a very diverse city. Any nationality you can think of is there in that area.
Q: Do you ever get homesick?
TB: No. I've got pictures of my mom all over my room, and then I talk to her 3 to 4 times a week. If I stay in contact with her, I do just fine.
Q: How was living in Columbia over the summer for the first time?
TB: We stayed pretty busy in that weight room. We did a lot. It really wasn't that bad. I enjoyed my time out here because I was doing something productive. Time flew by so it wasn't that bad.
Q: I here you're a big Jazz fan. Who is your favorite artist?
TB: I like Boney James, Rick Braun, and Kirk Whalem. I also listen to Miles Davis.
Q: Do you play an instrument?
TB: Nope, I don't know how to play an instrument, but if I could, I'd like to play the piano.
Q: You took some tae-kwon-do lessons over the summer. How did those go?
TB: They went great. I got my butt kicked a couple of times. It was a great experience working on some things I needed to work on. It was a great experience being able to try something different.
Q: What did you learn from the lessons.
TB: It's all mental. You have to be able to stay focused. You can't veer off. Whatever you're doing you have to stay concentrated on. If you don't concentrate, you get kicked in the head or punched in the chest. Something is going to happen.
Q: Was it difficult joining the team at mid-year last year?
TB: Yeah. I was just out of shape and out of sync. I felt like I was holding the team back a little bit. I feel a lot more acclimated this year.
