Jan. 15, 2002

Q: Talk about the game of basketball, why you love it so much. AJ: It's just so much fun. When I was little, there wasn't much to do, so my friends would just go play basketball at the park all the time, and I started loving it from there.

Q: When did you start playing the game? AJ: I started playing when I was nine or so, but I didn't play organized ball until ninth grade.

Q: If you weren't playing basketball, would there be another sport you could see yourself playing? AJ: I'd probably be playing baseball, I played baseball when I was little. I played centerfield, but nobody could hit it out there, so it got boring out there.

Q: What's in your CD player right now? AJ: I'm listening to Mac 10 right now.

Q: Who's your favorite artist of all time? AJ: I'd have to say LL Cool J.

Q: When's the first time you heard about Missouri? AJ: A lot of Detroit guys have played here before, so I was familiar with Missouri before I was getting recruited. Tony Harvey started contacting me when he got the job here, and I got more interested from there.

Q: What separated Missouri from the other schools you considered? AJ: I guess I was thinking about having the chance to go down here and be part of something that's just getting started, with the new coaches and everything. That was more interesting to me than going somewhere that was already established. A lot of people didn't like my decision at first, because I was leaving home, and Michigan and Michigan State were right at home.

Q: What's the last movie you saw in the theater? AJ: Ocean's Eleven. It was very cool, two thumbs up.

Q: Do you have a favorite movie? AJ: Menace 2 Society.

Q: What's the hardest part of being a student-athlete? AJ: The whole thing about going from class to practice then to study hall and writing papers. You have a lot of people to help with all these things, but you're usually really tired after practice, and it gets tough to concentrate all the time.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or routines you go through before a game? AJ: I always like to take a shower at the hotel or my place before we leave. I always like to talk to my Mom before the game, too, so I always try to call her.

Q: What celebrity would you most like to hang out with for a day? AJ: I'd like to hang with Chris Tucker. I've seen all of his movies, and he's hilarious.

Q: What's your favorite play to make in a game? AJ: I like getting an offensive rebound and putting it back in and getting fouled. That's a big play that usually excites everybody.

Q: Why do you wear #50? AJ: When I played at my middle school, they didn't have any jerseys that fit me, and 50 was the only one that came close to fitting, and I've just been wearing 50 ever since then.

Q: Did you see a lot of Detroit Pistons games growing up? AJ: I always saw them on TV, and I went to games every once in a while. I met Isaiah Thomas and John Salley before.

Q: What's one thing you'd like to do that you haven't done yet? AJ: Learn how to swim. Now, when everyone goes to the lake, everyone jumps in the water and I can't. I just sit on the boat. I've got to learn how, because it looks like fun.

Q: What's one thing about you that might surprise people? AJ: I'm really a mother's boy.

Q: Do people come up to you when you're out in public? AJ: Yes, they probably want an autograph, or to tell me that I had a good game. It's cool, sometimes you like to have your privacy, but it comes with the territory, so I understand.

Q: Do you have a favorite moment at Mizzou so far? AJ: It was cool getting to play against my best friend Jesse King (Texas A&M), who was my high school teammate.

Q: Do you get nervous before games? AJ: I get anxious before games, but not really nervous. I don't worry about it, because I know it leaves at some point.

Q: What do you see yourself doing when your basketball playing days are done? AJ: I want to work with kids. Probably a teacher with little kids.

Q: A lot has been made of you about what you went through this summer to slim down. What was the process like? AJ: Coach Wat (Jeff Watkinson) helped a lot, because he was right there with me pushing me. He made it fun, so I just went out and did it. Now, I don't mind getting up and running a couple of miles.

Q: How has the improved conditioning helped you this season? AJ: It gives you confidence, because I know if I could get through that, then there's nothing I can't get through.

Q: You're known as the team jokester. Have you always been that way? AJ: Yes, I just like joking around, sometimes pulling jokes on the guys. It's just me, I've always been like that.

Q: Were you always the biggest kid in your class growing up? AJ: I was always the tallest kid in my class. When I was in second grade, I was the same height as the teacher. She was a little lady, but I was the same height as her, so that was funny.

Q: Describe your role on the team? AJ: Just to be a presence out there, play hard and do what I know I can do on the floor.

Q: What's it like to be in the middle of the trenches each game? Most people probably don't understand what it's like to be out there against the big guys. AJ: It's a lot harder than what anybody would ever know unless they played. My boys back home, when I play with them, I can usually do whatever I want. Then when they watch me on TV, they wonder why I don't dunk all time, that's funny.