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We are still about 2 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with UC Irvine SR PG Deja Lee, who talked about a future in neurosurgery and her expectations for this season.
You were born/raised in Canada: how big is basketball up north? Basketball has grown over the years, especially the women’s game, compared to when I was young. I would not say that it is more popular than hockey, but it has garnered more attention and excitement towards it as the years have gone by, especially considering the growing number of Canadians in the NBA (and even in the NCAA).
What made you choose UC Irvine? I did not spend much time at UCI when I first came down: I only came on an unofficial visit just before COVID hit. After meeting the coaches and touring the campus, I had this feeling in my gut that I was supposed to be here, and I could really envision myself at the school. I also loved the fact that UCI is a research institution, and the entire coaching staff made me feel so welcome and that they truly cared about me as a person and not just a basketball player.
You play for Coach Tamara Inoue: what makes her such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? One thing that makes Coach T such a good coach is that she is very detail-oriented. She will never let things slide if we are not performing up to a certain standard, even if it is something as small as running to the corners and touching the baseline in transition, and those little things really do go a long way. The most important thing I have learned from her so far is that you always have a little extra to give, even when you are exhausted. In other words, you are tougher than you think you are.
You played in 29 games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? My freshman year was one of my most difficult overall. I struggled a lot in games and practices but the one thing I took pride in was my defensive intensity.
Last year you set a school record with 82 STL: what is the secret to being a great defender? One thing that I always tell myself is that I am not going to let my opponent get by me, and I do everything in my power to make sure that does not happen. One thing our coaches tell us is that if we are tired, the other team must be exhausted, so all it takes is an extra push to cause a turnover or slow the ball down.
You finished the year by being named conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It felt very rewarding to be recognized with such an award…but honestly that was not a focus for me at any point in the season. One of the best feelings was when my teammates surrounded me and cheered for me when I found out that I got the award after practice one day: it was a really humbling moment to see how proud they all were of me.
Take me through the 2024 postseason:
In the Big West tourney title game you scored 21 PTS in a win over UC Davis en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? I try to bring my best to every game, and playing on a stage as big as the Big West Championships raises the excitement tenfold. I think it is a combination of the excitement of playing in March and being part of something our team has been working towards all year that makes playing in those games that much more special.
In the NCAA tourney you scored 13 PTS in a loss to Gonzaga: what did you learn from the loss that you think will help you this season? March Madness was a new experience for our whole team, and I think having the confidence to know that we were right there with teams ranked higher than us was a big takeaway.
You are majoring in biological sciences and want to be a neurosurgeon: how did you choose that career path? I have been interested in the human brain ever since a science project I did during elementary school. That interest has really followed me as I continued my education into college, and I am passionate/encouraged by the fact that there still is so much to discover about the human brain. To turn that into a profession where I would be able to help people in real-time as a surgeon would be a dream come true for me.
Your mother played college volleyball, and your father played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say that the best athlete is my “baby” brother, Zane. He is only 13 right now but is already a better basketball player than anyone in our family was at that age!
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? One goal for me this upcoming season is to be more of a vocal leader on the court. It is a little outside of my comfort zone, but I have been trying to be more assertive with my voice in addition to my game overall.