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We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with ASU SR SF Kimani Lawrence. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Kimani about being a veteran leader and his expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Rhode Island: what made you choose ASU? I wanted to go to a school that needed me and at the time Coach Bobby Hurley did not have all of his guys here yet. I felt it would be the best place for me to get onto the court right away.
What makes Hurley such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He has taught me the importance of competing regardless of the game situation. He is really good at connecting with his players, especially since he was a big-time college player himself, so we have a lot of respect for him.
In December of 2018 you scored 7 PTS in a 4-PT win over an undefeated Kansas team: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is definitely 1 of my favorite ASU moments: it is up there.
1 of your biggest heroes is Kobe Bryant: what was your reaction when you learned that he died last year? It was really sad, especially with his daughter Gianna and several other people also dying in the helicopter crash.
Last February you had 21 PTS/20 REB in an 8-PT win over Washington: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? That was definitely my best game as a Sun Devil.
Your FG%/FT% both went way up from 2020 to 2021: how were you able to improve so much in just 1 year? Just simplifying the game, moving more without the ball, and being more aggressive. It helped my confidence and took my game to another level.
After 3 straight 20-win seasons you went 11-14 last year: what will it take to turn things around this season? 1 of our biggest problems last season was not being on the court enough with each other due to COVID/injuries. The big thing this year is to just learn each other’s game and create a bond off the court so that we can gel on the court.
There are 10 newcomers on the roster this year: how much pressure is there on you to be a veteran leader? Coach Hurley trusted me to help get the new players to buy in. Being a veteran I know what is expected of the players. The newcomers are all high-character guys who want to win so there was not much pressure once I got to know them: there is a mutual level of respect and we all get along.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against San Diego State/Baylor/Creighton and either VCU or Syracuse: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? There is not 1 specific game that stands out, but the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas is a big-time opportunity to show that we can compete with Baylor and other high-level teams.
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? My biggest goal is just winning, since that will help us all get to where we want to be individually. This is my last year: next year I hope to play professionally and winning this year will give me the best opportunity to do so. If you look at a championship team like Villanova from a few years ago you can see how many of their players went pro.