Joey: Yeah, sure. I just signed a basketball scholarship with the University of Texas (San Antonio). It's been a long time coming. I played high school in Folsom, California, went to a J.C. locally, still living at home just looking for a chance to get out, get a scholarship and get to the next level any way that I can. And I finally got a shot. Coach offered me a scholarship to a D1 school out in Texas in San Antonio and I took it. And I'm really looking forward to getting out and playing and trying to pursue my career even further.

Athlete Show: Were you recruited out of high school?

Joey: No, I wasn't. I had a few walk on opportunities, but I felt like they wanted me to be a practice player. They didn't want to give me a scholarship, they just wanted me to kind of help their guys, and I didn't want to do that.

Athlete Show: What was it like for you as a freshman? Were you a starter? Did you get much time?

Joey: No, I didn't. As a freshman, I didn't really see much time. I saw buddies of mine who I felt maybe didn't work as hard as I did or didn't put as much into it as I did, I saw them start ahead of me. I couldn't really figure out why. These were coaches who were real nice to me off the court, we got along really well, but on the court there was something in between us. For some reason, I wasn't getting much time.

Athlete Show: What about your sophomore year?

Joey: My sophomore year, new coach, but still pretty much the same result. Didn't really see eye to eye with him, he didn't give me much time. I probably didn't develop as well as I could have because I didn't see as much time and get as much guidance as I could have.

Athlete Show: When you look back to your freshman year, what was the turning point for you as a player and as a person?

Joey: I was going to the gym everyday, I was working hard and couldn't really figure it out. But honestly, I had a mentor, Damon Smith, who really helped me out. Finally talked to someone who had been there, had experience, and told me I could make it. Someone showed faith in me when I was feeling a little bit down because coach wasn't showing me any time. I had no idea how far I could really go. But someone showed faith in me and that really turned it around.

Athlete Show: When did this happen?

Joey: This happened right about my freshman year. During the basketball season and right after. During the freshman/sophomore summer I really started to ask a lot of questions, tried to figure out what I needed to do. All I was looking for was someone to tell me - besides my family, mom and dad who were real supportive - you know, I needed someone else that I could really respect their word, someone with real legitimacy to their name. That's what really turned it around for me.

Athlete Show: So during this time, what was the first thing you recall? Was there a point in your mind when you said, OK, if I take these steps, I think I can do this?

Joey: Well, yeah, I was playing a lot and doing a lot of things, and I was always researching guys who were really successful. Researching high school players that would become McDonald's All American. I would read ESPN and Slam Magazine, anything I could. I said, what are these guys doing? Well, he's waking up at 5 in the morning and running and shooting a thousand shots, doing push-ups and sit-ups. And I was like, OK, well that's what I've got to do. You know, I might not be as highly recruited as these guys, but these are the guys that are making it successful and this is what I need to do. If I need to wake up at five while my friends and other teammates are sleeping in, to get that extra work, that extra step, you know, that's what I've got to do. So that's what I did, I worked real hard. I'm not a professional athlete, but I think I took the steps and lived [it], as far as diet, sleep, not going out, not partying. I took those steps like a professional athlete to try and get where I am now. And now it's starting to pay off a little bit.

Athlete Show: I see a lot of great athletes and great people who might also be great students. What was your SAT score?

Joey: My SAT score was 1000.

Athlete Show: What was your GPA?

Joey: My GPA out of high school was 3.33.

Athlete Show: So you were a pretty good student, a pretty good guy overall. You never got in any legal trouble or anything like that. You never got suspended from school.

Joey: No.

Athlete Show: OK, so a lot of times what I see with coaches is sometimes if they don't see that they play a part in a person's success, or if they can't even relate to an athlete - it may be an athlete that they're just not used to. An athlete that's driven more than what they're used to - I see those coaches sometimes give those players a harder time. Did you feel that there was something between the personalities of your coaches that didn't click? That hindered you from getting more playing time? That hindered your development?

Joey: Right. I'm not the type of person to try and more or less argue with an authority figure. I was young and didn't want to step on anybody's feet. And I wouldn't want to say anything as far as jealousy or couldn't relate. But I knew there was something in the background, you know. I knew some of these coaches to the level that they didn't maybe play past high school, didn't play even J.C. ball, and I didn't know if they really respected or took me seriously, even though I was taking these necessary steps. And even when I would try to sit down and talk to them, to ask, coach, what do I need to do? I'm working really hard. And they'd tell me certain things, things I'd need to do, and then still wouldn't follow through. If it was because they didn't want to see me succeed or they didn't want me to go further than they did, I couldn't say for sure. But I definitely knew there was something going on because now, when those same guys come and talk to me, when they see me in the gym or see me in the street, now they want to be my friend. And now they want to talk about the good times we had when we were playing and when I was younger and stuff. And I just can't really celebrate with them, I can't really be happy with them because they didn't contribute in any way besides driving me to be better to where I am now.

Athlete Show: That's how you have to look at it. And, you know, I think, even if it's not a personality issue where someone wanted to oppress you or stop you from reaching your dreams, I think a lot of times if people haven't necessarily lived it, they don't know. So when they see someone that's coming along and they're driven, and they want to get to that level and they're asking questions - they don't know! It could be they're almost intimidated because they haven't seen someone that driven. That's actually what it takes to get to that level. Could that be a reason?

Joey: I think that could definitely be a reason. Because I tried to surround myself with only positive people and people who had been there and had that experience and could let me know what it took, I feel like I knew what I had to do. I think it definitely could have been a reason, that those guys were intimidated of the steps I was taking and the people they knew I surrounded myself with.

Athlete Show: Now, given the fact that you've now got your scholarship, did you always know that would happen or was there a lot of doubt? We just shot a documentary and I talked to a person in Brazil. I asked him, what kept you moving on when you were 11 years old and homeless? What kept you from saying this is it, I can't take it anymore? And he said, "I don't know, I didn't always think I would make it." Did you always think you'd get that scholarship? What was your mindset during that whole time?

Joey: You know, my mindset was up and down. It really was. There were times when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, I wasn't sure if I was going to make the dreams I wanted to have. I made a point not to go out and party. I made a point not to associate myself with anybody that was negative. And there were times when I was telling myself, you know, is this all for nothing? Because I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but then when I saw myself progress. When I knew the God-given athletic ability that I had and what I had worked to get and I saw myself progress every year, I knew that I could keep getting better and I knew that I could achieve what I wanted. But it was up and down. After bad games I sad, man, maybe I'm not going to make it. But I'd have success and I'd just keep pushing and keep pushing. And with some reinforcement of some really supportive parents, a supportive brother, really supportive friends, I pushed through. But my mindset was stay focused, stay on the path, get good grades.

Athlete Show: You figured out the formula. You said if I consistently do this routine, if I do this positive action everyday, and I do it for a year, I improve. If I do it for another year, I improve. So you said I know I'm going to improve, the mystery is whether or not I'll get there.

Joey: Right.

Athlete Show: So now, talk about some of the schools that were interested in you.

Joey: Well, the recruiting process I found is a really tricky one. Even can be a little bit devious, can be a little bit misleading. When I first got into J.C. I was told by my coach and a couple other scouts that had called me, "you probably won't see much attention after your freshman year." So I got one letter from a school I'd never heard of my freshman year. I was a little bit worried, and then it really started to happen for me between my freshman season and sophomore year, now I'm through my sophomore season and signed a scholarship. But leading up to that, it really happened fast. I had a couple good tournaments and had ten D1 coaches call my phone within the next two days. I had schools from the Big West, schools from the Big Sky, schools from Conference USA, schools telling me, "we're really interested and want you to come out on a recruiting trip." And I took all of it in stride. I was promised some things that didn't fall through. It was all worth it and I really learned a lot from the experience. And through that experience I chose the school that I thought was right for me.

Athlete Show: Now as far as the education part of it. I think athletes take a bad rap on the education part of it because on the news that's what's highlighted is when an athlete doesn't graduate or fails in the classroom. I happen to know plenty of athletes that are extremely intelligent, that graduated, that took school very seriously. Actually, my rookie season I had athletes saying I'm not gonna come back and play, I'm gonna go to law school. What is your goal as far as academics?

Joey: Academically I really set the standards high. Because, you know I would love to take basketball and sports in general as far as they'll take me, but through, again my parents and other supportive people it's been really set in stone to get a good foundation that I need to have a future as far as my career, what I want to do. And I really look forward to getting out there in the workforce. So my standpoint is, I really want to do good in school, get good grades, because I know after basketball there's a lot more life to live and there's a lot more things in life other than sports. And I really need to get good grades, get a degree, so then I can focus on life after sports.

Athlete Show: What were some of the distractions or things that you would face on the day to day basis, some of the details so to speak, while pursuing this goal of a scholarship?

Joey: It was difficult. It's really hard to hear some of the people close to you doubt you, and hear coaches or players talk about, "you can play a little bit, but you can't play first level. You can't play D1." Having distractions as far as friends, girls, high school coaches, hearing your high school coach tell you that you can't play Division 1, hearing that he told coaches that called about you that you weren't interested because you couldn't play at that level. These are all serious distractions. I had friends asking, "how come he doesn't come out and party? why's he always going to the gym instead of hanging out with us? He's not going to the NBA." And stuff like this can be detrimental and a little bit discouraging to hear your friends. But I always had that common goal, that common achievement that I wanted to reach. And I just kept going for that through my coaches and friends doubting me.

Athlete Show: You said something key, you said it could be detrimental. I remember when I was a college athlete and had set my goals out and if someone told me I couldn't do it I'd probably never talk to them again because there was no way I was going to allow that mentality into my everyday thought life. So I had to eliminate those people. So when you said "detrimental" what did you mean?

Joey: I meant detrimental in that I think it could affect you to hear things like that. It could be negative for you as far as reaching your goal. But the reason I say it could be is because I felt it at first, I thought why are my friends saying this to me, why is my coach telling me I can't do it. But I let it slide, I let it go, because they don't know. They don't understand. They don't know why I'm carrying a ball to school, why I'm dribbling all day long. They don't know. And I let them go, I forgave them, but I didn't associate myself with them anymore because all I wanted was that positive atmosphere. And I just kept pushing.

Athlete Show: So outside of basketball, what has this process taught you about life?

Joey: As far as life goes, I know there's gonna be doubters, I know there's gonna be roadblocks, I know there's gonna be people telling you you can't make it. And it may not even be in sports, it might be in life, it might be in a job you want to get. I understand that people are going to be in your way, whether it's jealousy, they don't want to see you do well or they're not as good as you and they can see it, they really can see it when someone's gonna go somewhere. And I really did feel that some of my coaches thought that I might actually have it, I might actually be able to make it. And as far as life goes, I'm just gonna keep pushing because I've been there. I've been told I can't and I've just really learned to push through it all.

Athlete Show: So it's really a life lesson. It taught you that you can apply this same formula to every aspect of your life.

Joey: Right.

Athlete Show: So now, moving onto where you're going. You're going to University of Texas, which is in San Antonio, a great city. The school's in the South Land Conference. And you guys have a great coach, Brooks Thompson, who is a shooter like yourself. So talk about that a little bit.

Joey: Well, I had a good tournament on Sunday a few weekends ago and coach Thompson called me up three days later and said, "Joey, we want to get you out to Texas, we want you to come out on a recruiting trip right now." And I went out the next weekend, I met with the guys. Coach Thompson is great. He played in the NBA for six years, he's a left handed shooter like myself, plays the same position. And I knew Coach Thompson would be able to offer me any and all knowledge I needed to be successful and move on as far as sports goes. And not just sports, really, but in life. And I had talked to players that had signed to Texas, San Antonio, that had major D1 offers but chose Texas, San Antonio, because of the coach. And that pretty much did it for me. Real family oriented guy, loves his players, wants a great relationship with them, and I knew right away. When I came back I told my parents this is the place.

Athlete Show: Yeah, I don't think you can beat that. With someone who was an NBA player, who's already done it, to say, "hey, I want to bring you along and show you what I know about this game." Was that the biggest decision that you had to make, was choosing to go to Texas? And what really did it for you going there - was it the fact that you had the coach there or the environment you saw?

Joey: I really enjoyed the city. San Antonio is great. The players were really good, the team I really think is going up and gonna do big things. But if I were to say the one thing that really set my decision in stone was when coach sat me down in his office and he said, "Joey, this isn't just a two year commitment. You're gonna play your two years here and we're gonna be successful and we're gonna do really well together. But I'm not just your friend for two years. I'm gonna be your friend for life. And when coach told me that, you know, after hearing experiences of other high profile athletes who were in D1 who hadn't had great relationships with their coaches, coaches wouldn't sit down with the team, wouldn't eat with them. I knew this guy was sincere and legitimate. And when he told me that I knew this guy would be a friend for the rest of my life and I really appreciated that.

Athlete Show: I think that's a big decision. That's something that a lot of coaches should take to heart. Because, really, as a D1 coach you've got a young lady or young man at the most critical time in his life. You've got their future in the palm of your hand. That's why I have so much respect for coaches like Dean Smith or Duke Colemine, because you see the years and you see the relationships they develop with the players that last beyond their playing years. Those playing years are only 4 years or 2 years. Tell me a little bit about Brooks Thompson, the player. I remember him as really gritty, as a shooter. He said that you kind of remind him of himself, so that has to be a compliment coming from someone that made his mark.

Joey: You're absolutely right. This is someone who, in college he played for Eddie Sutton, obviously a legendary college coach. A first round draft pick in the NBA. Played on the NBA finals team with Shaquille O'Neal. Has an NBA record for points in a quarter in a finals game. I mean this is a guy who's been there. He's done it. And when he called me and said everyone on my staff, including myself, are thinking that you play like me. They even said, "we think you're the next Brooks Thompson." And to hear that is really, it feels really good. Because I had guys telling me that I wasn't even going to play college ball. And now I have someone at that stature who's been there and done it saying, "you remind me of me. I think you could be the next Brooks Thompson." And to hear that, it kind of all came together for me, what was happening in my life at this time. And it felt great. I was honored.

Athlete Show: I think that's a good decision. You have D1 coaches that never saw the NBA floor. And a lot of times these D1 programs, as large as they are, are really meat houses. They get the cream of the crop and whoever can make it through the system makes it through. And it's not really a lot of great coaching going on. But I look at this as a great opportunity for you.

Now this is TheAthleteShow.com and I like to dig deep. So tell me, a lot of your AU teams, you were the only white guy on the team. Or in a lot of the tournaments you were the only white guy there. What was that dynamic like when you had a lot of people looking at you like maybe you're not as good?

Joey: That stuff was all a good experience for me, actually. I struggled with it at first, maybe I didn't fit in, maybe I wasn't exactly like everybody else on the AU team. But I took that stuff as anyone who wanted to say anything about that, I just took it in stride. I'd just listen. I wouldn't really even comment back when anyone would say anything about my color or the way I played. This was a good experience for me. I got to play with guys who wouldn't pass me the ball, who didn't even really want me on the team, and the only reason I was on the team was because I knew I needed to play in the summer, I needed the exposure. And if I couldn't find a team where I could play a lot, I was going to play anywhere, on anybody's team, anytime I could. And, you know, it actually taught me some more stuff about the game. When I got the ball, I just took it and went. It made me a better player coming away from those tournaments. It was a little bit of a struggle to go when guys didn't really want me there, but I really almost benefited from that more than I lost.

Athlete Show: And you could kind of dunk on people, too, so that's kind of a surprise thing, too, when you'd come on the floor, people may not have been expecting the certain aspects of your game. They may be expecting just a shooter, or someone that's extremely fundamentally sound as yourself, I mean, I think that can be an advantage, the fact that you have some explosives to your game.

Joey: I enjoyed that. Even in practice with some of these teams during warm-ups, you know, I wouldn't really show anybody what I really had. I might just do a regular lay-up or I might not shoot really well in warm-ups. But I used to enjoy taking some people by surprise in games, showing them that I was a little bit of an athlete. That I wasn't just a shooter, but I could shoot. I could play defense, you know, I could do anything you could do. It was fun, seeing the reactions of some people. And through that, some guys that weren't liking me, who didn't want me around, they wanted to be my friend. They wanted to pass me the ball, they wanted to let me be a part of a little bit more. It was interesting to see how just playing well and doing that would really help me out.

Athlete Show: How it changes the whole environment.

Joey: Right.

Athlete Show: So now you're staring at this scholarship at the University of Texas, San Antonio. What do you see you guys doing this next year. You'll be there for the '07/'08 season and the '08/'09, correct?

Joey: That's right. I talked to coach about it and one of the first things I asked him was who else do you have coming in? And he showed me a real impressive list. He showed me two Juco All-Americans, he showed me a top 5 point guard in the whole state of Texas. He showed me a seven footer from Compton that's ranked fifth big man in the state of California. He showed me a real impressive list and I was real excited about it. Coming from someone who's been there and done it, I really listened to him. And he said, "Joey, if you come here, you're gonna play on TV, you're gonna go to the NCAA tournament." And the way he said it, I could see in his eyes, I believed him. And I was talking to the other guys on the team and they said the same thing and I believe them. So I think the team's on the upside and I think we're gonna do some good things.

Athlete Show: So this is his first year?

Joey: It is.

Athlete Show: So he's got a chance to really put his system in place so when you get there the next season everything's in place and the ball is rolling. You get a chance to jump in there while the ball is rolling. So that's a great opportunity in itself. So what are your parents thinking at this time?

Joey: My parents are really excited. My parents feel really grateful and lucky that they have two sons who have gotten scholarships to Division 1 sports. I see their faces light up everytime they tell their friends that their youngest son just received a scholarship and they feel great. They got to watch my brother and I excel at our highest level in sports and they're really excited. Whether or not they want to see me go a few states away, I can't say. I know that'll be a little tough on everyone, but my parents want what's best for me and they're really excited.

Athlete Show: Was the process as frustrating for your father, or for your parents, as it was for you?

Joey: It was. My parents are almost a little bit more competitive than I am. I might even say that my dad was a little bit more frustrated that I was at times like this. Because he didn't want to see anybody treat his son in a way that was disrespectful or neglectful or wouldn't allow me to develop. My dad is a real fiery competitor, he might even go up and say stuff to coaches, or go up and set things straight. So it has been hard for them because we're so close, and when I'm hurting, they're hurting. And I usually tell them everything that's going on. And when it's not good for me it's not good for them.

Athlete Show: A lot of people disagree with that, but me, playing D1 and remembering that experience, I think it's good that parents hold coaches accountable. Because I see a lot of times when athletes aren't doing their part but a lot of times coaches aren't doing their part, either. And there needs to be some accountability in that process. And I think once you come into a person's home and you promise this person's gonna get an education and that student athlete is taking those steps to get an education and develop athletically, that there's a responsibility on the coach's part, as well. I certainly think there's nothing wrong with that.

Now you're finishing up this year at Junior College, how do you see you guys doing this year?

Joey: I think we'll have a better season than we had last year. Last year we were below 500, this year we're already a few games above 500. We had two really good freshman that came in and made a really big impact, and I think just because we were all so young last year, just the sophomore experience has already won us a few more games than last year. So I'm really excited about it. I signed a few weeks ago, every day I felt like I was playing for a scholarship. And now I don't feel that way at all. I feel like I know where I'm going, the coaches want me there and the pressure's off so now I can just go win some games.

Athlete Show: Did that help your development, though, playing under that kind of pressure?

Joey: Yeah, it did. Because I knew coming in, I used to tell myself when we first stepped on the court for the jumpball that the guys on the other team were trying to take away my scholarship. And everyday I would do that and I think that pushed me more than anything else because I wanted this scholarship. This was all I'd been working for the last 6 years, it's all I wanted to do. And playing for a scholarship everyday, I knew there was gonna be coaches there, I knew I'd have to perform. And it helped me out a lot.

Athlete Show: Well, thank you for coming to TheAthleteShow.com. We want to wish you a great career and many years of success after that. And it doesn't end with basketball, there are a lot more years and a lot more great things to do! So thank you!

Joey: Thank you very much, I appreciate it!