OCP’s Segu Talks City Of Palms, Schedule, Firepower
In this article:
PH: How would you sum up the experience of playing in an event like City of Palms? What did you guys really take from the experience as a whole?
RS: City of Palms was a great experience. I always wanted to participate in it before my high school career ended. I’m excited I got the opportunity to do so. City of Palms was a great test for us. It showed where we stand with the nationally ranked teams and stuff we need to work on to get better.
PH: The OCP name, on a national level, is pretty much synonymous with guys such as yourself, Nassir Little, and C.J. Walker. Who would you describe as some of the supplemental pieces to this team? Which role players have really stepped it up in recent games?
RS: Dejuan Lockett, he’s one of our starters and he really does a lot for us. He does all the little things for us to win. He rebounds, defends the opponent’s best player, and he’s a really good passer.
Jordan Goodson is another player that really helps us. He’s another starter in the backcourt with me. He’s a really good finisher and defends and always keeps the defense off balance.
Kai Jones, in my head, is the secret weapon we have. He’s 6-foot-10 and can run the court like a guard. He does a lot for us when he’s out there like blocks shots, and he really makes it hard for opponents to finish at the basket. He’s going to blow up this summer, I know it. He’s very special. Our whole team and our togetherness really helps us as we all work together.
PH: Which are some of the bigger games you’ve got coming up? Obviously, this year saw the program really increase as far as strength of schedule goes. What would you pinpoint as the most heavily anticipated games remaining and how would you describe the method of attack looking forward?
RS: We have raised the bar as far as our schedule. In order to be the best you must beat the best. We want to show that we can compete with the top schools in the country. We are heading to West Virginia tomorrow to play IMG Academy, which is a top program in the country.
We’re going to follow the game plan and the stuff we’ve been working on in practice these past few days and play hard on both ends of the court.
PH: It’s no secret, today’s player tends to fall in love with the highlight reel dunk or a flashy one on one move. Being a guy who has signed a Division I letter of intent with Buffalo and piled up countless offers throughout the recruiting process primarily as a creator, what would you tell some of the younger guys out there about the value of sharing the ball?
RS: For the younger guys out there or point guards, I’ll tell them that sharing the ball is important–nobody wants to play with a ball stopper. That won’t work at the next level.
Also, for the younger point guards out there I’ll tell them I can’t even remember the last time I went for 30 or more points in my career of basketball. Yet I still finished with 20+ offers. It’s not all about scoring. Separate yourself from the next person.