To kick off our theme of kindness for the month of November I decided to sit down with my fellow teammate, senior guard DJ Ardoin, to discuss all things basketball with the season just getting underway.

DJ hails from Houston, TX and is now one of the experienced veterans on the Men’s Basketball team. Through the first three games of the season, DJ is averaging over 10 PPG and is coming off one of the best performances of his career in the upset win over 15th nationally ranked UMHB at home where he scored a game-high 15 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with under a minute left and the eventual game-winning free throw.

With the start of the interview I wanted DJ to share what a day-in-the-life looks like for a division III basketball player now in his fourth year on campus.

“In the morning I always start the day off by praying, then go workout, and then finish up some homework while I eat breakfast till classes start. After classes, depending on when practice is, I try to get a quick nap before then. After practice, I’m eating dinner, doing a little bit more homework, and then I relax and watch film or other basketball games on TV.”

DJ Ardoin

As you can see DJ has developed a very disciplined routine over the years, and along with that so has his role as a leader on the team.

“The leadership role going into my 4th year was something that slowly came upon me. Remembering me coming in as a freshman, I was always hanging out and looking up to the people older than me when they had that same leadership role. I took some traits from them and added them to my own. Last thing to mention, I came here in 2020 and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I feel it all prepared me for this year.”

DJ Ardoin

With this new leadership role DJ has taken on, I wanted to hear his thoughts on how things like positive reinforcement and just everyday kindness impact his teammates and the culture as a whole.

“Positive reinforcement is big! When you have confidence instilled in you from your peers it makes the self-confidence in yourself go up even more. I’ve always looked at it as positive reinforcement equals positive results.

DJ Ardoin

Lastly, I wanted to close out the interview with hearing some of the big picture goals DJ has for himself and the rest of the team this year.

“Goals wise, we’ve all discussed we want to win a conference championship, if not more. We have the tools and talent to do it so it’s just on us. The only team that can beat us is us. One personal goal I have is to give everything I have not only to myself but to my team this season. Not only just giving everything but leaving no more gas in the tank when it’s all said and done.”

DJ Ardoin