March 15, 2000

by Derrick Burson
Athletic Public Relations

DB: You've struggled with injuries this year, how frustrating has it been?
DK: "It was rough at the beginning, because my knee took a while to heal. Then once it was better, I hurt my toe and that was very frustrating because it kept me off the court for longer than I expected. But with injuries, you just have to fight through them and keep a positive attitude."

DB: It looks like the injuries are behind you now. Your minutes have gone up and you've had some pretty good games lately against Big Ten teams. What do you see is your role on this team?
DK: "I think that everybody has their own role on the team. My role is to set a lot of screens, rebound the ball and bring some activity and intensity to the team when I'm out on the floor. I'm healthier now and am getting the opportunity to go out there and help the team win games.

DB: Your trademark as a freshman was your ability to rebound the basketball. Is being aggressive on the boards something you take pride in?
DK: "That's one of those things that I think I do well, and I know it helps the team a lot, especially on the offensive end. If you can get a couple extra possessions every game from offensive rebounds, that will make a difference in the game."

DB: Who would you say you are closest to on the team?
DK: "Robert (Archibald), Lucas (Johnson), and Cory (Bradford), because they are my roommates. But we don't have that much time to hang out together, it's mostly spent on the basketball court."

DB: What's your favorite activity besides playing basketball?
DK: "I like to watch TV a lot. I watch the History Channel and the Discovery Channel, which I know sounds kind of geeky, but it's interesting to me. And of course I like to watch Sportscenter."

DB: When you first moved to Rockford as a sophomore in high school from Bosnia, you were separated from your family. How did that happen?
DK: "My dad brought me over to America before the start of school. Then he went back and got my mom and my sister, and the three of them moved to New York. They lived there for about six months until my dad moved to a new job in San Fransicso. When my sister finished her school year, her and my mom moved to San Francisco to be with my dad, and they were there for about another six months before they moved to Rockford and we were finally together again."

DB: Now you are here in school and your family lives in Rantoul. Is that important to have them close by after the time when you were forced to be apart?
DK: "That was the ultimate goal, for our family to be together. It was tough when we were living in different parts of the country, but what matters is that we're together now."

DB: Finally, how is this team progressing, and what have been the keys to a successful season?
DK: "I think we're definitely taking steps forward. We have to continue to get tougher and win games. Nobody wants to go through what we felt like last year. I think we have a very talented team and toughness will be the key to winning the rest of the season."