Oct. 9, 2009
Columbia, Mo. -
With the official start of basketball practice tipping off next Friday, MUTigers.com caught up with Tiger freshman Michael Dixon to talk about his off-season and his excitement heading into his freshman campaign.
Q: First of all, how has the adjustment to college life gone for you this summer and into the fall?
MD: “It's been good, pretty exciting actually. I came down this summer and started taking classes and working out with the guys and I think that's helped me for the start of the school year. Of course there are some tough parts about being away, but I'm getting use to it.”
Q: Many Tigers fans will be seeing you play for the first time this year. How would you describe your game in a few words?
MD: “I think I am an unselfish guard that tries to get his teammates involved. I have worked hard on my shooting, so I think I can shoot the ball from three or in the mid-range, but I just try to set my teammates up. I also pride myself on defense. Hey, if you are going to play for Coach Anderson, you better be able to guard someone.”
Q: You have been around this team for the last few months. Was it an easy transition coming to Missouri have having such a good relationship with most of the guys already?
MD: “These guys are more than teammates, we are like brothers. It's a big family atmosphere here at Mizzou and that makes it easier for everyone I think.”
Q: Obviously being from Kansas City your family will have a chance to come see you play. How big of a role did location play for you during the recruiting process?
MD: “It was a big part of it. I am close with my family and that drive to Columbia is getting shorter all the time for them. I'm really just down the road for them, so the location was a great benefit.”
Q: I know you are close with your younger brother. Is he pretty excited to have you staying in-state?
MD: “Oh yeah. He knows where the campus is and how long it takes to get here. Had it been another school, I think it would have been tougher on him. He likes coming down here and staying in the dorm with me and I like having him around.”
Q: Speaking of Kansas City, we have quite the KC connection growing at Mizzou. Did your former AAU teammates, Marcus Denmon and Steve Moore, work you hard during the recruiting process?
MD: “Marcus is like my older brother. I have known him since I was in the third grade, so we are real close. I may have told Marcus I was committing to Missouri before I had a chance to tell Coach Anderson, because he would call me at least once a week and ask why I hadn't committed yet. He would play like he was real mad at me and he was excited to have me coming down here. Knowing Marcus and Steve so well has really made it an easier time adjusting to college.”
Q: Ultimately, what sold you on Mizzou after going through a pretty high-profile recruiting process?
MD: “There were a few things, but for me, it came down to the relationships I had built with Coach Anderson and the staff, the distance and my family being able to see me play. I know they wanted to have a chance to see me play as much as possible and I liked how Coach Anderson was real honest with me through the recruiting process. He talked to me about what I'll need to do to contribute as a freshman and that's what I've been trying to do.”
Q: Right now you are going through morning workouts. Are you much of a morning person?
MD: Not really. I mean the mornings are the toughest part, but once you get out there it's all the same. I love playing basketball. There are worse fates than having to get up early and make yourself a better basketball player. Actually, it's a pretty good way to start your day, so maybe I'll become a morning person.
Q: You were here all summer, did that help ease the transition into the morning workouts or is there a different level of intensity with the coaching staff being involved?
MD: Oh yeah, it definitely helped, but with the staff out there, they really have you maximizing your time. You move quickly through your drills and we get a lot done during our group, but I do think lifting and playing pick-up this summer helped me. I had never lifted and then gone to play immediately after. It was a new experience and that was a big transition this summer.
Q: Since you are a freshman, you get to live in the dorms, which is of course quite an experience. Who are you rooming with and has it been tough co-existing with someone you have just met?
MD: I live with Marcus, Miguel and Steve in a suite and with four guys, we don't really have a lot of room, but I am enjoying it. The thing I am learning most is responsibility and time management. You don't have someone looking over your shoulder telling you when to go to sleep and when to study. That's on you. If you have a 6 a.m. workout, you better get your stuff done early and get to bed. You learn to prioritize.
Q: What would you say is your biggest strength and biggest weakness as a roommate?
MD: My biggest weakness is that I leave toothpaste all over the sink. My strength would be picking up after people. Someone may leave a door open and I'll close it or I may pick up after someone. I like to think I am a pretty clean person.
Q: Now I understand you spent a couple nights sleeping in the locker room with our resident hermit, Kimmie English. What was that experience like?
MD: It was cool. I have a lot of respect for Kimmie. I try to follow his lead and do everything he does. He had a successful freshman year. He had a big impact on last year's team and that's because of the work he put in. There were times it seemed like we got up about a million shots when we slept in the locker room, because we'd get up at 3 or 4 a.m. and start shooting. Then we'd lift in the morning and we only had to walk about 12 feet to the weight room, so it worked out pretty well. It's actually convenient.
Q: If you've seen Wedding Crashers, you know that Maryland does crab cakes and football. But honestly, do you think they do anything else up there? (Be ready for Kimmie's wrath after you answer this)
MD: Ha Ha, not that I know of. Kimmie might argue that, but that's about it as far as I know. I guess Juan Dixon played at Maryland and they won a national title, so maybe we should give that to them too.
Q: It seems like you guys enjoy joking around and hanging out with one another?
Oh yeah, we get along great. Everyone seems to like laughing and joking around and it makes it a family atmosphere. Coach Anderson is big on family and he passes that down to all of his players.
Q: How are classes going and have you made any decisions on what you'd like to major in down the road?
MD: Classes are going great. Obviously we aren't that far into the semester yet, but the summer was a good adjustment for me. I would really like to major in sport management, but since we don't have that as an option, I am going to try to take as many management and sport-oriented classes as possible.
Q: You have a chance to play against two of the best defensive guards in America. What are you trying to take from this one season of playing with J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor?
MD: The main thing they have taught me is to play for the next play. If you make a mistake, you have to learn from it, but you can't dwell on it or something bad is going to happen again. You have to be able to put the previous play behind you, regardless of what happened and take care of your responsibility. Obviously they are both great defenders too and I am just trying to learn as much as I can from them. Defense is the way to get out on the floor, so I'm going to follow their lead.
Q: What areas of your game have you worked on this year and what's one key area that must improve before the start of the season?
MD: I have really focused on my shooting. I never had a goal at home, so we would always go somewhere to shoot, but now we have a gym that is available to us 24 hours a day and it's a huge benefit. Rain or shine, we have a place where we can come work on our game and that's really helped me this off season.
Q: If you weren't playing hoops, what other sport would you have liked to play?
MD: I would have liked to of played football. I played on the freshman team and had nine interceptions in eight games, so it was fun. They never let me be a receiver though. I would have liked to of played some receiver. Who knows, maybe I could have been playing wide receiver at Mizzou.
Q: You dad was a pretty big time college basketball player himself at San Jose State. Would you like a chance to go back in time and take your “Old Man” on? Who would win?
MD: Oh we talk about this all the time. No offense to him, but I would have destroyed him on the court. I think the last time he beat me I was like 12-years-old. He admits I'm a better player than him, but he says he would have outsmarted me. I'd love to be able to go back in time and play that game. Every once in a while he feels pretty loose and wants to play, but it never ends well for him.
This interview was originally part of the Missouri Official Sports Report.