Darius Johnson-Odom interview
Here's what MU's latest recruit had to say on Wednesday night:
What made you choose MU?
"Since my junior year in high school I've been interested in Marquette. That's when Tom Crean was there. They were recruiting me my junior year. I played some summer ball, I kept getting attention from them, and I really liked their style of play. Then they found me out at 'Hutch' probably at mid-season, and ever since then we just kept talking, and I kept watching them play more, and how they use their guards. It wasn't a quick decision for me. I just felt like it could be a place for me to go, with the three guards leaving, and I'd have a chance to come in and play. I can't wait. I'm excited."
Who else was recruiting you at Hutchinson?
"Pitt, Kentucky, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Tennessee. That's all the schools that were looking at me. Pitt, Kentucky and Cincinnati offered."
You went from Wakefield High School in your hometown of Raleigh, N.C. to The Patterson School to Hutchinson, Kan. What's that journey been like?
"Man, I'm not going to lie -- it's been real frustrating these last couple years. Fighting with the Clearinghouse, trying to get me cleared. I'm just thankful, blessed, really, to be able to play Division I ball at a big-time school such as Marquette."
How are you doing academically right now?
"Everything's cool. Last semester I got a 3.2, and I'm doing real good right now -- As and Bs right now in my second semester classes. So I should be fine."
How would you describe your game?
"I'm going to say I'm a tough guard who can get to the rim, who can shoot the ball, can shoot the three real well. I'm real athletic. I'm just going to compete. That's what I'm going to come in and do: compete and play hard and get Marquette back to the tournament."
How would you say you are defensively at this point?
"I think my defense has stepped up, especially from high school. I don't really believe I played as hard on defense and I did on offense, but as I continued from Patterson to Hutch, I see defense is important. I play real good D. I might need a little bit of help on the help side, but that's going to come with Coach Buzz."
You're going to be the third left-hander in this class. Can you talk about how that's helped you as a player, if at all?
"I'm actually ambidextrous, as most people would call it. My mom calls it just being weird. I shoot with my left, I dunk with my right. I throw with my right hand, I dribble with my right hand, I drive with my left. It's hard for a lot of people to defend me because I can go both ways just as well."
You set a Hutchinson record by scoring 46 points in a game, including 32 in the last 12 minutes, at the Jayhawk Shootout. Were you simply in the zone?
"Man, we came in at halftime and I was probaby 1 for 7 in the first half. We were down to Coffeyville. I just had to turn it on and get the team going, and they followed my lead and we got right back in the game, but we just lost by a few points. It was an on-night for me. My teammates kept feeding me the ball, and I kept hitting and hitting and hitting. I was real proud of myself after the game."
Did the interest in you really jump after that performance?
"It did a little bit. A lot of coaches didn't even know where I was at in the beginning of the year. Then a lot of coaches came to the Jayhawk Shootout. After that, I think I blew up a lot."
You being from North Carolina, in the heart of ACC country, is the Big East a draw to you?
"I figured that out after all the Big East schools were coming and trying to recruit me that I was a Big East player. But I just love the way Marquette plays, how they utilize their guards and how they get up and down. I love that style of play."
You said you watched a number of MU games. Did you have a favorite player, or someone you might have modeled your game after somewhat?
"I don't really pattern my game after anybody, but I liked Dominic James' game the whole four years he was at Marquette. He was really consistent in playing, he could get to the rack, shoot jumpers. He was a very good combo guard for Marquette."
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