The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Los Angeles with an interview of Arizona Pomline captain Molly Hofer.
You are from Olathe, KS: what made you choose Arizona? The biggest reason was the way that the city of Tucson was all about the Wildcats, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of their Pomline. It is also a step up from the Kansas scenery!
You are pursuing a B.S. in Psychological Science and a B.A. in Law: why did you choose those subjects? I have always been fascinated by how the human brain works: to make people’s lives better you have to know how their brain works. I also have an older brother with autism and I want to advocate for people who cannot advocate for themselves.
You are a junior: what is the post-graduation plan? I want to go to law school so I am studying to take the LSAT this June.
You are a member of the Honors College: how do you balance your work on the Arizona Pomline with your work in the classroom? It definitely requires good time-management skills but I have supportive professors who encourage me. Academics always come 1st and my teammates/mentors make it easy for me.
You are captain of the team: what is the key to being a good leader? It is almost impossible to define but it is a lot about your character. You build credibility by being an honest/genuine friend so that people can trust you. You also need the humility to do the right thing all the time both inside/outside of practice.
1 of your hobbies is listening to music: what is your favorite song/band/singer right now? I love 80’s rock like AC/DC and Bon Jovi, and I also love country stars like Garth Brooks, so I might have been born in the wrong decade!
In addition to performing at games for the men’s and women’s basketball teams (who both made the NCAA tourney), you also got to travel with the football team as they went 10-3 and won the Alamo Bowl: how excited has everyone on campus been for the past 7 months during this incredible sports run? It has been 1 of the most amazing parts of my college experience. The city was supportive before that but now the whole community has come together. It also makes our job so much fun because we get to travel (San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl, Vegas for the Pac-12 tourney, Los Angeles this week, etc.).
How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tourney, and what will it mean to you to see your team doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? It is based on seniority for the most part. This year we have 5 seniors + me as the junior captain at the men’s tourney, and 6 other Pomline people went to the women’s tourney, but for football we all get to travel. We have been trained to do this since the day we made the team and it has taught us a lot about how to be an ambassador and ready for the camera at any moment.
Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for Los Angeles? Yesterday we got to take a day trip to Venice Beach. Hopefully we will be here tomorrow and explore more of the city: maybe the Santa Monica Pier?
Any predictions for your Sweet 16 game vs. Clemson? Wildcats all the way! I have full confidence in the team and am super-excited to watch.