The Basketball Interview with Steven Fernholz
When it comes to numbers few frontcourt players can match those of Steven Fernholz who spoke with PHD today.
At your school, what is your favorite part or parts about game days in terms of the routine leading up to the game?
SF: At my school my favorite part about Gameday is the majority of the varsity team going uptown to eat on our lunch break every and the excitement everybody has for the game.
What makes your crowd unique? What is a memorable thing that they’ve done that you will always remember?
SF: What makes our crowd unique is that our student body is small and we still have a few obnoxious kids always screaming when something good happens. We also have a kid that weighs 280 that will occasionally do the worm for the whole crowd to see!
Who is the toughest player that you have faced in your career?
SF: The toughest player I played was probably Tiegen Priebe out of Chamberlain! Smallest and for sure the fastest kid on the court!
Who is your biggest rival and what about them makes the rivalry both heated and memorable?
SF: For as long as I can remember, Chamberlain has been our biggest rival! The games are intense and most years Miller and Chamberlain see each other in regions.
Who is your favorite basketball player in the world and why?
SF: My favorite player has to be John Wall. When the ball is in his hands he can make some crazy things happen.
All basketball players love gear. What brand of gear or type of gear are you partial to?
SF: My favorite gear is definitely Nike
What is your favorite venue to play basketball in that you’ve played in?
SF: My favorite place to play is the Huron Arena. Being from small town South Dakota, Miller doesn’t play on many bigger courts.
What court that you haven’t played on would you dream of playing on?
SF: I dream of playing in the state tournament just like every other player. Before that stage I want to play in Pierre’s arena in a packed house for the sweet 16 game to head to Sioux Falls for the state tourney.
Explain the relationship varsity players have at your school with youth players?
SF: The varsity players play a huge role with the youth at Miller! The kids look up to us. They sit in the bleachers and dream of being on the court like us, we were all at that stage of our life. Now the dream is a reality. Us varsity players ref the youth games and also help at our annual summer camp.
What was the best advice you’ve received from a coach over the years?
SF: My best coaching advice was from my summer coach, Coach Knippling, he told me that no matter how good an opponent is, if I’m confident in myself I’ll be just as good.
Who is your basketball influence?
SF: My basketball influence is Beau Keeter! He was a stud from Miller and I played on the same court as him until leading into my sophomore season! He accomplished a lot at Miller and was continuing his career at DWU until he unexpectedly passed away from a rare illness before he could play a single game. He has been a role model to me for a long time and I have always wanted to follow his footsteps
NBA. Who is your team?
SF: My NBA team is the heat