Andrews says basketball kept him out of trouble

The Lookout Sports/Photo Editor Julie Newell recently spoke with men's basketball player Xaviah Andrews. The Lansing Community College sophomore, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., is studying marketing.

How long have you been playing basketball?

"I've been casually playing basketball as a kid since I was young. I really started playing organized basketball my freshman year of high school."

What made you start playing basketball?

"I had to find a way to get out of trouble, I wasn't the best of kids. I did a lot of stuff that wasn't in the best interest for my life. In order to channel my issues other ways I picked up basketball. My dad helped me get a trainer and I got a scholarship to a private high school to play … I just fell in love with it since then."

Who inspires you as an athlete?

"I (had) seen one of my cousins when he played … seeing that he could even do a lot of the stuff he did on court … it was like 'I want to play now.' A definite inspiration to me was Kevin Durant (and) Russell Westbrook, just off the way they play. Russell Westbrook's aggressiveness alone … it makes me want to play."

What struggles do you face as a college athlete?

"Time. (It's hard to) get everything I want to get done. Generally just not being where you want to be all the time … the expectations and time."

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

"Since I was young it kind of just kept me out of different stuff, because in New York there's a lot of gangs and a lot of different stuff, Basketball kind of just saved my life."

What is the best part about playing basketball?

"Winning. I feel like everyone gets to play, but not everyone gets to win. When you put 100 percent of your heart and soul into the game and you can come out on top, that's like the best feeling."

Do you have any embarrassing or funny moments in your career?

"I blew an open layup one time; that was just like completely a fast break, I had no one around me, I think I just got like real fancy and lazy and completely smoked it. That was my junior year of high school."

How do you handle stress and pressure?

"On court it's more (about) embracing the moment … you've got to recognize the pressure and use it as like a catapult in a sense."

What are your plans after LCC?

"I definitely want to transfer to a four-year university to continue playing basketball. My main goal is to definitely get done with school as much as I can and focus on possibly doing pro sports if the chance arrives."