One-on-One: Joanne Sheng and Jason Howie

DOB: 1/3/78
Ht/Wt: 6'/175 lbs.
Hometown: Weeping Water, Nebraska
Major: Psychology

Where to begin? This guy played basketball with the pros, and travels the world. And ladies, he's single…

JO: So, Jason. You look like a fine, young, bucking stallion. You could have played any sport, why did you choose basketball?

HIZZOW: 'Cause it's my heart. It's just something that feels right when I do it, you know what I'm sayin'? There's nothing like playing ball. When you're playing you feel almost invincible. When I'm in the zone I'm a step ahead, everything else moves so slowly and you just have a complete understanding of the game.

JO: Do you remember when you first started playing?

HIZZOW: I remember picking up a basketball was when I was about… six? I just went up to where the high school was and snatched the ball and was like, "gimme that I'll show you how to play basketball", and really I had no clue. In the competitive sense, I knew I wanted to play ball for college or pros since I was in fourth grade.

JO: Speaking of pros, I heard you took some time off from Pomona to train and try out for them?

HIZZOW: It was actually my only option at the time. I didn't think I'd get the financial aid that I needed to finish off my last year. So I was like, well this is what I want to do anyway I might as well go out and do it, you know what I'm sayin'? I just hit the ground running. I started running two miles a day, working out in the gym for an hour, shooting for two or three hours a day, just putting some work in on my game. Later, I went to Kansas City to try out for an ABA team. I wasn't too worried 'cause I'd worked hard and I was confident about what I was doing. I went in and the first few games were really good for me. I wasn't disappointed, though - I was beat out by an ex-NBA player. It was actually kind of an encouragement, it made me continue to work on my game.

JO: How is the pro game different from the collegiate level?

HIZZOW: On the pro level, the game changes in the way that you can't leave people. In college you know which guys can't shoot and you can sag off of them. But at the pro level a lot of those guys can shoot from the college three-point line so the floor opens up. And if somebody does leave their man, the rotations are more predictable because everyone knows the game so well, it flows in unison, so you can see what's coming and it's easier to make a pass.

JO: What are your feelings toward fried food?

HIZZOW: I am always hungry so I don't discriminate, I don't hate on fried food. But I try to eat healthy 'cause it's conducive for me as an athlete. I usually eat stuff like pasta, chicken breast, egg whites, spinach, and rice, just things that are good for you and give you energy. But sometimes I get hungry after dinner so I'll go to Wendy's and Jack in the Box and get some of that fried shit.

JO: What do you feel are the strong and weak points of your game?

HIZZOW: I'd like to say I have no weaknesses but I can always improve on taking the ball to the rack stronger. I settle a lot for jumpers and I've developed a stepback and a hesitation move that really work well for me. I shoot a lot from the distance, if you settle you know if you make one more move you can get it to the rack or at least in a little closer where the percentages go up. So this could be a good and bad thing.

JO: While on your time off did you do anything other than train and try out for pros?

HIZZOW: I took time off to be with my grandfather 'cause he had colon cancer; he's now fully recovered. I also took some time off to travel abroad and did some touring through Europe and Egypt, they were beautiful. I love to travel. My favorite part of Europe is Spain. Barcelona is my favorite city in the world. The first time I went to Europe was with the Kansas-Nebraska select team that played abroad in Belgium, Paris, and the Netherlands.

JO: Wow, Kansas. How do European teams differ from American ones?

HIZZOW: At the time I'd say they weren't as fluid with their motions, but they were very fundamentally sound. Now I'd say European players are more fundamental than American players but not quite as athletic. If you look at the NBA draft for the last two years you could say about a third of the players were from Europe. I think within the next three, four, five years half of the draft will probably be from Europe. Basketball can only get better over there, they're still in their infantile stages.

JO: The season was not so hot for you guys this year, what happened?

HIZZOW: Well, we lost Alex Lloyd at the beginning of the season because he was having trouble with his MCL and ACL, which was a really devastating hit. It was hard because during preseason we worked out a lot together and we'd go to LA and work out with the pro guys that were back home from overseas and a couple guys from the NBA. These guys had a lot of understanding for the game so we learned a lot from them. Alex and I developed quite a rapport between the two of us, we had a decent understanding of the other's capabilities and moves. It's important to be able to flow. We've had lots of other injuries and it hurt us in the beginning, there were times when there were only seven guys practicing on the floor and the assistant coaches had to come work out with us. When the guys from abroad came back we had to acclimate to each other, it was tough to develop a constant momentum. When you play with someone for a long time you understand what everyone else can do but we never had a chance for that because guys kept coming in and out. There's something else I gotta add too…

JO: Shoots, bruddah.

HIZZOW: I really mean this when I say it, I know sports aren't a big deal here but it means a lot to the players when people come out to support us. It'd be really nice if people could come out on a regular basis, and I know everyone's got work and studying to do but so do we, and what's an hour? It hurts when we see that we don't have a strong fan base, when the fans are there and things go bad it really turns things around 'cause they're there at the sidelines to pump us up.

JO: Being a senior and team leader, do you have any words of encouragement or advice for next year?

HIZZOW: There's always next season and nothing's gonna come easy. The work you did last year will not be enough to win and compete 'cause guys are working harder than what you did last year, so if you don't match that work ethic and put in the time then this season can easily repeat itself. Always be confident and never doubt for a second what you can accomplish on the court. If you do you'll never be as good as you could be. You just gotta make a decision and go with it, and if it doesn't work then learn from it. That's pretty much all I can say, just keep ballin'.

JO: What are your plans for after graduation?

HIZZOW: I really would like to continue playing basketball. I'm still training like always and I'm trying to get into the summer pro league in LA or Boston. I really wanna make moves toward that but it's not so much that my goal is to play for a particular league. What I'd really like is to play abroad. There's still a lot of places I want to see and I just love the game.

JO: Where else would you like to travel?

HIZZOW: I want to see all Seven Wonders of the World. I've seen Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Acropolis, and the Coliseum. I still gotta see the Great Wall and the Taj Mahal. There's debate about the seventh one so I'll have to figure that out then go there. I love to dance too so I want to visit Brazil. They dance from the heart there and it's so beautiful. I'd also like to go to Australia, Hawaii, and I've got to go to Africa and see the lions. I'm addicted to those nature shows. I also wanna go to Fiji, I've never really seen a picture but the name makes sounds good.

JO: Anything else you'd like to add?

HIZZOW: I'd like to say thanks to my teammates for making the transition easy for me. Much respect to the coaching staff, especially Coach Kat and Ray Portella. Ray's the guy I look to for intensity, this guy broke his nose twice in one season diving for the ball, and I just think man, that's what it takes to win. It gives you a better understanding of the "all or nothing" you must give to the game. The training staff was also awesome. I'd also like to thank Dorian aka DJ for spending time in the editing room mixing my exposure tape to help continue my career. I've had a great experience and I owe it to everyone who has helped.