After averaging only 6.0 points per game last season for the Boston University men’s basketball team, sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson has become the leading scorer for the Terriers (2-6) during the 2014-15 campaign with an average 17.8 points per game. He is second on the team in rebounding (4.4) and assists (24).
The Miami native is also second on the team in minutes (34.2), as he has been a constant presence on the court for the majority of the Terriers’ games this season. Speaking with The Daily Free Press, Hankerson answered some questions on school, sports and superstitions.
1. How’s school going this year?
“School’s pretty good. I’m in the School of Management, so it’s no days off with basketball. I think I’m going to finish out the semester pretty well. I’m confident.”
2. Is business what your passion is in?
“Yeah, definitely. I want to have a career in the business field. I’m really into SMG.”
3. Is that what you want to do once you’re out of school?
“I really want to try and get to the corporate world. Either start my own business or try to find a way to move up in a really solid company.”
4. Do you have a favorite class?
“Right now, it’s accounting probably because that’s the class I’m doing the best in. I really like numbers and formulas a lot, so it’s good for me.”
5. How difficult is it to balance class and basketball?
“It’s pretty difficult because with basketball, I need to be away from class a lot, but the staff here really helps us out with that. Our academic advisor helps. I have like four tutors for all my classes right now, so they help a lot, and they make it pretty bearable.”
6. You’re coming up to Boston from Miami. Are you now fully adjusted to Boston weather or are you still adjusting?
“I’m pretty well adjusted. For instance, today it’s pouring down, but it also pours in Miami, except up here, you’re battling the wind and the cold. It’s different, but I think I’m adjusted pretty well. I can’t wait to go back to Miami in a couple of weeks to get that sunshine for a little bit.”
7. Do you have a favorite thing about Boston?
“Well, I’m a city boy at heart, so coming to Boston wasn’t really a huge change from Miami. I just love how there’s always something going on, like we’re right next to Fenway, just the excitement. It’s a really fun city.”
8. How has this year differed for you as opposed to last year as a freshman?
“It’s a lot different because last year, I kind of was just settling in, finding my place on the team. This year, I’m more comfortable with everybody. I’m more comfortable on the court. This year, obviously my role changes because we lost [guard] Mo [Maurice] Watson [Jr.] and like four seniors from last year. I definitely have a bigger role this year, especially because we don’t have that much experience. Every day, I’m just trying to get better as a leader, and we just have to take it day by day and learn from each experience.”
9. Would you consider yourself a leader of the team?
“Not just yet. I think that’s more in the hands of our upperclassmen like [junior guard] John [Papale], [junior forward] Nate [Nathan Dieudonne] and [junior forward] Justin [Alston] but especially lately, I’ve been trying to back them up and help them out, find my spots to talk to the younger guys. I’ve just been trying to help them lead the team in any way I can.”
10. Do you have any NBA players you emulate and try to mold your game after?
“I’ve always been a fan of Deron Williams [of the Brooklyn Nets] and Stephen Curry [of the Golden State Warriors], just the way they control the game in so many ways, scoring, passing and making plays for others. I’ve sort of grown up watching highlights of them and trying to shoot like them, so those are the two.”
11. Do you have a favorite team?
“It changes so much. It was the [Miami] Heat for a while. I wouldn’t consider myself a bandwagon fan. I just haven’t been as interested in them since LeBron [James] left.
12. So you’re a Cleveland Cavaliers fan now?
“No, I just like to see good basketball. I can’t say I’ve been a particularly big fan of a certain team. I just like watching good games, especially during playoff time in the NBA, because that’s when players really start to go hard and show their true talents.”
13. So what can you tell me about the team chemistry this year?
“Compared to last year, we’re definitely closer. We really enjoy each other’s company this year compared to last year. That’s off the court. On the court, we really have to focus on learning each other’s tendencies and where we like to be because like I said before, we’re a really inexperienced team. It’s getting that better chemistry on the court that will help us in the long run.”
14. What’s your favorite hobby off the court?
“I love movies. I’m a Netflix fanatic. I love action adventure shows too like “The Flash” and “Arrow.” I just love watching movies and TV shows whenever I can.”
15. Now that you have a few games under your belt for the season, what are some of your goals for the rest of the year?
“Personally, I would like to try and create more for my team. Try and get more assists per game and be an overall playmaker, rather than just a primary scorer. I want to get my teammates in the right spots. That will help us win more games. [For] team goals, we just have to learn how to play better with each other, learn how to gel and connect better. We don’t really understand each other’s habits fully, and once we really start to gel, we’ll start to pick up more victories.”
16. Do you have a favorite memory from your time at BU?
“One of my favorite memories was flying to California last year. That was so much fun. It reminded me of home a little bit, but in Cali, there’s no humidity, so it was a little better than Miami. I have to say, it was an amazing time.”
17. Do you have a pregame routine that you go through?
“Not really pregame routines. I just enjoy listening to music. My pregame music isn’t really the type of music that other players listen to like the hype music. I tend to listen to soft R&B music because before games, I’m usually thinking about the game too much or [I’m] too nervous and R&B kind of calms my nerves and excitement.”
18. Any superstitions on the court?
“If I’m playing well in a certain pair of shoes, then I’ll keep using that same pair of shoes, but if I have a bad game, then I have to switch shoes.”
19. Does the team have any rituals that it performs before games?
“We don’t really have any rituals. We just try to remember that it’s all fun so we might dance in the locker room. Just try and provide that levity and take the seriousness out of anything, so we might just dance to some music.”
20. What goes through your mind when it’s the end of the game and you’re either taking free throw shots to ice the game or you know you have the chance to win it?
“Just composure. That’s the main thing that most players taking the last shot have to have, composure. You can’t let the moment get too much for you. You can’t really change based on the crowd or anything. You just have to be calm, cool and collected.”
