Season preview: Eastern Michigan JR PG Raven Lee

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Nobody doesn’t like Raven Lee!  He only played 8 games in 2012 due to a foot injury, then bounced back the following year to play 36 games and set a school freshman scoring record.  Last year he played 35 games and set a school sophomore scoring record, including 33 PTS in 21 minutes during a 3-PT loss at Ohio last February.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Raven about overcoming injuries and making the most clutch shot of his career.

Your dad went to Eastern Michigan: how much pressure was there on you to follow in his footsteps? My dad went to Eastern but never had the opportunity to play D-1 basketball. There was no pressure to follow in his footsteps: it was more like pressure to do the things that he taught me and put myself in the position to play basketball at the highest level.

You play for Coach Rob Murphy: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? I like playing for Coach Murphy because he is a great guy to get along with both on and off the court. In high school I was getting recruited by several colleges, but I never lost contact with Coach Murphy and his staff.  I felt very comfortable that they would have my back and work hands-on with me to become a better player/person. The most important thing that I learned from Coach Murphy regarding basketball is that defense can win championships. It is something we stress every day in practice.

In your 1st season you only played 8 games before hurting your foot and having to get a medical redshirt: how bad was it, and how were you able to overcome the injury? The injury was tough: I knew that I possibly broke my foot right when it happened. The worst part was having to use crutches. Things became a lot better after I began using a walking boot because I could walk around and start to shoot a basketball. The way I overcame the injury was by staying positive, keeping an upbeat mood, and becoming closer to some of my teammates because I was only as freshman at the time.

In November of 2013 you scored a career-high 38 PTS (12-15 FG/5-5 3PM) in a 5-PT win over Texas-Arlington: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That was a fun game because I was very comfortable on the floor and felt that I could do anything. That is what opened me up to begin taking some great shots and sinking them. I hope to have more games like that this season because I have continually worked on my jump shot and think I am shooting great right now.

Last year your 16.7 PPG was #2 in the MAC: what is your secret for being a great scorer? My secret is just putting in extra work on my game. I like to come in late at night when there are not many people around. I am not afraid to try new things like practicing post-up moves, and now I am very comfortable getting my shot off from posting up. We do not work on that type of stuff in practice, so you have to get into the gym on your own time to be able to get comfortable with the extra stuff.

In the 2015 MAC tourney you scored 19 PTS including a 3-PT shot in the final 15 seconds of regulation in a 1-PT OT win over Miami Ohio: did you think the shot was going in, and where does that rank among the most clutch shots of your career? I made an important runner on the play before so I was in rhythm. I just wanted the ball on the next play because I knew that I had a very good chance of making the shot. That is probably the most clutch shot that I have made during my career: if I did not make that shot then our season was probably over.

In the 2015 CBI you scored 17 PTS in a 4-PT loss to Louisiana-Monroe: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? The CBI was not the place that we would have loved to be playing: we would rather have been in the NCAA tourney, which is our goal every season. We just need to take each game 1 possession at a time and realize that every play matters.

Your non-conference schedule includes road trips to Michigan State/Penn State/Louisville: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I think that the Spartans will be our biggest test. They made the Final 4 last spring so they will use that to try and get off to a great start this season. They play a very tough style of basketball so the game should be very physical.

You are the only returning player who started at least half of your team’s games last year: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? There is not much pressure on me to be a leader on this team. I have been on the team for 4 years now and I just like to lead by example. My experience allows my teammates to focus in when I am giving them instructions or advice.

What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My biggest goal for the season is to play in the NCAA tournament. Some other goals would be to finish the conference with the best record and go undefeated at home.