By Savannah Ruiz, University Communications and Marketing intern
At 6-foot-10, USF men鈥檚 basketball forward is a powerhouse on the court, most recently helping lead an , and previously matched a season high of 25 points when the Bulls 109-88. Nelson鈥檚 success predates his time at USF 鈥 having earned all-conference honors while playing for Bulls head coach at Arkansas State before both came to USF. Learn more about the senior communications major and American Conference Player of Week.
How did you get your start in basketball?
I started playing basketball growing up at parks and rec in my hometown, Marietta, Georgia. I didn鈥檛 really start taking basketball seriously until I was probably a sophomore in high school. I used to love football. People don't know it, but I was a dog at football. My height grew to be what it is, and I just found my skills favored hooping. Don't get me wrong, though, I was never scared to get hit.
Who鈥檚 your inspiration?
My Mother. She is the ultimate caretaker. Through ups and downs, she is the same woman every day. She is the rock for my brother, sisters and me. She is at every game. I love making her proud and seeing her up in the stands, no matter the score.
What made you decide to follow coach Bryan Hodgson to USF?
I just know what I have with coach B, and that is an elite coach who is going to coach us really hard, hold us to an extremely high standard, but also care for us to an extremely high standard. Coach's play-style isn't easy and he told Joe (Joseph Pinion) and me that he needed us to help set the culture at his next stop. He needed guys who had been through it with him to help guys see the light at the end of the tunnel in the middle of July workouts. I followed him because I knew if I gave my all every single day, I'd have the best opportunity to be great as I would have anywhere else in the country. Tampa, 91社区 isn't bad either.
What goals do you have for yourself and the team this season?
It's pretty simple. On a day-to-day level, we want to give the same effort and dedication every day. Long term, you play to win. We want to be regular-season conference champions, we want to play in the conference tournament and be the champions. We want to make it to March Madness and see how far we can go. We believe in ourselves and it has taken us this far.
What would you tell USF students who are thinking about coming out and supporting the games this season?
I鈥檇 tell them to come out, bring a lot of energy, and continue to do what they鈥檙e doing. We have a fun group of guys and all of us feed off the crowd's energy. We need you to bring the juice, and we'll take it from there. I love the signs they鈥檝e made about the 鈥淗,鈥 and shoutout to the guy with the 6-7 poster. It's a great student section and we appreciate their dedication a bunch.
What鈥檚 something that people under six feet can never relate to?
I鈥檇 probably say finding clothes that actually fit, hahaha. My height is a blessing, allowing me to be able to play a game for a living. But the small price to pay is having to order XXL sizes for anything that ever catches my eye.
The Bulls next play at home against Memphis on Feb. 19.