Tracking proCanes - Lance Hurdle - Part II

In Part II of our interview with Lance Hurdle he talks about who his favorite player growing up was, Jimmy Graham, the hardest away game he played in the ACC and much more! Click here to read Part I of our interview.

pC: So out of high school you weren’t really recruited by big schools?
LH: Actually I wasn’t recruited at all. I went to the Vegas Tournament going into my senior year. We played a team from Texas and I had 40 points and that’s when Santa Barbara had seen me so they were recruiting me and the Universtity of San Francsico was recruiting me and that’s the first year that Jessie Evans was there and actually he told me well I’m going to come down and take a look at you while you’re playing in high school, but that never happened. So, I was left hanging and I was real disappointed about that so at Santa Barbara it came down to me and a guy named Mike Roll that went to UCLA and he actually committed to Santa Barbara but really wanted to go to UCLA so UCLA came in with their offer and he backed out and that’s how I got put in, so basically I was second. So I really wasn’t recruited at all and when I went to Santa Barbara it really didn’t work at all and I left. Actually, when I left Santa Barbara the coach there told me ‘my concern for you is that you’ll be paying for your education come your junior year’ I said “ok” so I went to JUCO and did whatever I had to do.

pC: Was it a personal problem with him?
LH: No I think he was just a straight shooter. I guess he didn’t see it and that made me work even harder and I have a lot of friends on that team still. Actually one of my best friends is still playing for him and actually I told him and he jokes about it. After we had a big game and we beat Duke he said ‘I bet our coach is crying right now.’

pC: And you havent’ talked to him since?
LH: I haven’t talked to that coach since that day. But I do talk to the assistant coach that recruited me a couple of times but I haven’t talked to the head coach.

pC: So who’s the guy you idolized growing up? Who was your favorite player?
LH: Michael Jordan. No doubt Michael Jordan.

pC: Who do you think is the best point guard right now?
LH: It’s either Chris Paul or Deron Williams. I was watching them last night go head to head. They have some battles but I can’t pick one. If I did have to pick one it’d be Chris Paul.

pC: Are these games you’ve recorded or are you getting teams to give you film?
LH: Coach Suarez always makes tapes for me. They record NBA games. So I have a live tape of TJ Ford when he was at Texas and sometimes I watch that but sometimes I’m on the computer a lot and I just go on YouTube.

pC: So you see a move and you try to implement it in your game?
LH: The moves, the pace, the pace at which they play with how they take control of the game especially in crunch time. I just watch their demeanor on the court.

pC: What do you think about Jim Graham playing football now?
LH: I was excited to see him out there on the football field. I was excited because I always told him he could play, he was the second fastest guy on the team.

pC: He was?
LH: Yeah second to me. He almost beat me one time. He runs a 4.4 [second 40-yard dash] easy and he jumps a 40 inch vertical, so he’s an NFL prospect easy. So I said, he should be playing football. I said “you’re an NFL prospect easy because one time after practice we were throwing a pigskin around the court and Coach was like ‘stop, stop, stop.’ But Jim and I were throwing it and Jim was catching and running and I was like “you should play football” and he was like ‘ah, I don’t know.’ So I’m glad he picked up the helmet.

pC: Do you know how that happened? Did they approach him?
LH: Yeah they approached him. Actually some NFL teams were approaching him aswell so he turned down a big contract for basketball overseas to play a game that I think he can be a millionaire in.

pC: As a player when you were on the team would you gusy find yourself checking the message boards after the games and seeing what fans would say or would you guys stay away from that?
LH: Well I stay away from that. My little brother will always be on there looking and seeing what they said. And he’ll tell me and I’ll say I’m not concerned with that cuz that can mess up your game.

pC: So would you say most players don’t bother?
LH: No, most players don’t even know we have those unless they’re looking for them, but most people I know don’t care or don’t even worry about it.

pC: What would you say was your best memory from your days here?
LH: I had a few. Obviously my career high at North Carolina. We played Carolina when I was at Santa Barbara. We went to Chapel Hill the day after Thanksgiving. My grandfather who passed away when I first got here came to that game. Him and my grandmother drove up to North Carolina. We have family in Carolina but they drove up there to watch me play and I only had one point and when he passed that year before the season, he actually passed our second day of official practice, I was really hurt. I was really hurt and I told him this game is for him, so I tried to go out and be aggressive. I was upset we didn’t get the win but you know I’m not trying to be selfish or anything but that 20-point game will always stand out. I know he was looking down and smiling. But other than that, beating Duke down here, Wake Forest, beating Kentucky at Kentucky, going to Madison Square Garden, everything actually, going to the tournament getting a win. Sometimes I’m a little kid, I’m a big fan, sometimes I look at the other bench, I look at Coach K, Coach Williams, Gary Williams too and they’re legends and I just think man I can’t wait till the game is over to shake their hands. It’s crazy, probably the most memorable thing as I think of it now, is after 20 points against Carolina, Coach Williams says ‘Man you couldn’t miss any huh? Why did you have to make all the shots on us? I will always remember that.

pC: You talked about your first year the team was really close. Was it as close the second year? Who was your closest friend or best friend second year on the team?
LH: Yeah we were still close, I think we just had something. We had to get tougher mentally. As a team we were just too laid back, that’s why, but I’d have to say James Dues is like a brother to me, just like Malcolm is, and so is Julian Gamble, but James Dues we’re so much alike in a lot of ways it’s so crazy. We’re so close we talk about him being my best man at my wedding and everything and we joke around like that, but James we’re still close now. We hang out all the time. After I work out I’ll call him and stuff like that. He’s a great guy and there’s great people on this team.

pC: Who would you say was the most leader of your team that would get in your face if the game wasn’t going right?
LH: That’s easy. Malcolm. Malcolm will do that even when he’s sitting out. Yeah, he’ll call team meetings. He’ll be at home watching. We came back from NC State, you know we didn’t play well at all, and it was the third game we lost in a row. He called a meeting and he is so respected by us, because he puts in the work and he works hard. He says ‘you know I know I’m sitting out but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit back and watch you guys not live up to your potential.’ He was just a vocal leader so even when he was sitting out he would still be getting in people. He would tell Jack ‘hey yo man pick it up.’ Yeah he’s very intense.

pC: He’s a transfer and he’s so young, you wouldn’t expect that.
LH: See that’s the thing about our team. We accept everything. He’s a basketball player and very passionate about the game just like we all are so he’s going to tell it like he sees it and he called all the seniors out one night and told them one day ‘you all are seniors and you are all letting your season go down because you are not being leaders’ and he said that in front of coaches in front of the whole team so I can’t wait to see what he does this year because he’s going to be special.

pC: Isn’t that the responsibility of the coaches to get the team motivated or you would say there’s only so much the coaches can do and then it’s up to the players?
LH: Yeah there’s only so much the coaches can do. We’ve had plenty of talks with the coaches and for whatever reason it just didn’t click. It clicks but not as much as when it comes from another teammate because he’s one of you, so if he sees it and he doesn’t think it’s going well it’ll click more.

pC: Do any former Hurricane players ever come to talk to you guys or hang out?
LH: They’ll come around like Rob Hite. Rob Hite will come and play pick-up with but you know what’s crazy is Ed Reed came and spoke to us one game after practice. At the end of practice he’s sitting there on the sideline and I’m like damn that guy looks familiar We’re shooting some free throws, about to bring it in, and coach says go in the locker room. We’re getting ready to leave the next day and he’s like go in the locker room Ed Reed is going to speak to you and I said ‘oh that is Ed Reed!’ So he talks to us, he’s real down to earth, very humble, he’s not about his ego at all and he gave us a lot of things to think about not just on the basketball court but off the court. He talked about how there’s a lot of guys that want to be in our spot and we’re taking it for granted. I will always remember that. He’s funny too. He’s one of my favorite football players, and to see him talk to us that was great.

pC: What do you think about twitter is it something you feel you can connect with your fans or something you use personally? Do you have a lot of fans messaging you?
LH: Yeah they [fans] do but they normally do it more on facebook. I haven’t been on facebook in a while but I had twitter earlier in the summer and I deleted it and when I got back to campus everyone was like man get twitter so I was like alright so I got it. It just keeps me up to date with everybody’s life and what they’re doing every five minutes. I think it’s fun to see what the big stars are doing when they’re like I’m watching TV or just chilling out

pC: Who’s your current favorite player?
LH: Kobe [Bryant]. Big time LA [Lakers] fan and I’m glad they won because it shut a lot of people up. You don’t realize how many Kobe haters you have until you go somewhere else and it’s ‘Kobe’s not going to win, I hope Kobe doesn’t win.’ Then Orlando is a Florida team and everybody’s like I’m going for Orlando and I’m like oh here we go, I like Orlando too but no match for Kobe.

pC: What do you think of LeBron James?
LH: He’s a beast. I don’t know whatever he was fed as a child, I mean 6’8 270 lbs, that’s ridiculous and he can jump out the gym like a guard, a fast guard. I don’t know how he can be stopped.

pC: What do you think from what you’ve heard is the biggest difference between college and the D -League?
LH: They really haven’t told me the game difference too much. I guess playing in the ACC is really hard every night so Raja Bell told me one thing is that there might be a lot of older guys in the D-League, more seasoned. Maybe 29 or 30-year old guys that might have gone overseas. A lot of people play in the D-League to get into the NBA so some go overseas and go to the D-League and some people are out of college for a while and then go to the D-League so for whatever reason they’re older so they’re a lot more physical. They’re going to be trying to knock you down so I’ve been in the weight room everyday trying to put on weight.

pC: Are you big follower of Canes football?
LH: Definitely.

pC: Do the basketball and football players ever hang out or cross paths? LH: Well we don’t hang out, like let’s go to the movies because our schedules are too different. They’re football schedule is different from us. So, it’s like we’re always doing something. We’re busy. But we’re all cool with each other and we support them, they come support us.

pC: A lot of football players go to basketball games?
LH: Jacory is always at the game. Jacory was on the court when we beat Wake Forest. He was jumping up and down. I’ll tell you one thing, Jacory is a real humble dude and I’m glad to see what he’s got coming to him because he deserves it. He’s not going to let none of that stuff get to his head. A lot of other guys are also very humble like Javarris [James], Graig Cooper. They’re not going to be walking around with their noses in the air.

pC: Who would you say is the biggest rival for the basketball team?
LH: Well Florida State we always took seriously because it was Florida State. But if anything, I couldn’t think of one to be honest. I couldn’t think of one. You know which one might start to become a rival, Virginia Tech because they booted us out of the ACC tournament the two years I’ve been there, so we don’t like that at all.

pC: Is it tough playing up there?
LH: Oh yea real tough and the only time we beat them is up there. But it’s real tough up there. Their fans are loud. They’re right on top of you too because of the way their arena is set up. Hopefully that’s going to turn into a rival

pC: Word Associations, give me the first thing that pops in your head when you read the following:

Frank Haith: Great coach
Sebastian the Ibis: The best mascot in the country
Jack McClinton: Best pure shooter I’ve ever been around
Florida State: I don’t like them
Chris Paul: My idol right now
Jimmy Graham: A beast
Coral Gables: A beautiful city

pC: Do you have a nickname?
LH: El boogie.

pC: El boogie? Why?
LH: Well Malcolm came up with the name. They would call me that when Malcolm got here and they put it in the media guide and everybody would see it, and during the game I would hear el boogie, the fans would say el boogie, let’s go el boogie. So it stuck and I like it because everyone’s like el boogie when they see me around.

pC: Do you have any pre game rituals?
LH: Yeah, I have to shoot around, then eat. Well I’ll shoot around for an hour then eat then I’ll come back and take a 45 minute nap and shower just to wake myself up.

pC: You go back home?
LH: I go back to the dorms or my apartment. I used to watch TJ Ford in the middle of when I’m getting dressed. Watching his pace. I watched it before the one time I woke up late and I only had like 15 minutes because we had to be there at a certain time and I was like oh, I have 15 minutes to get taped and everything so I rushed to the arena and it was the day we played Wake Forest this past year. I was like oh this is going to be a tough night so I’m sitting there trying to wake up on the way there. I get there and I throw water on my face and after we won I was like man I should do that more often!

pC: Who’s your favorite NFL team?
LH: My favorite NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys. I’ve always been a Cowboys fan but I’m a Saints fan too because I went to high school with Reggie Bush.

pC: Were you guys friends?
LH: Yeah, we were cool.

pC: He was good in high school?
LH: He was ridiculous.

pC: Did he only play football?
LH: He played basketball his first year. Freshman basketball and after a while the football coaches were like you’re a football player. He did track too. He was second to Michael Johnson in a 200.

pC: Do you keep in touch with him now?
LH: A little bit. I mean he’s busy. He’s really busy.

pC: How about favorite NBA team?
LH: Lakers

pC: Baseball? Do you follow baseball?
LH: I used to but I’d have to say the Padres or the Yankees

pC: Favorite food?
LH: Chicken and mac and cheese

pC: What’s one band or group/artist the most we could find on iPod?
LH: Jay Z or Little Wayne.

pC: What’s a movie you could watch over and over?
LH: He Got Game.

pC: A TV show you can’t miss?
LH: Martin

pC: What do you do in your spare time?
LH: Sleep or listen to music. Yeah, I like sleep

pC: Two websites you have to check daily?
LH: Twitter or my email

pC: Play video games? Madden?
LH: I love Madden. I actually play football games more than basketball games. That’s the crazy thing. I love basketball games but the football games everybody loves. I play Madden and NCAA Football.

pC: XBox or PS3?
LH: I’m a Playstation guy myself but I’ll play on anything

pC: What would you say was the toughest thing about playing at Miami?
LH: Balancing school. This year we were on the road a lot so we were missing a lot of classes and that obviously was important because it was a last semester. So, sometimes I was writing 2 or 3 papers a week and I had to take a laptop with me on the road. That was the toughest part because when I was at Santa Barbara we bussed a lot. But here we would go and stay the night and we would come back the following day so we would miss like 3 days. That was the tough part I just had to do a lot of catching up.

pC: So does Dorrell Wright come by?
LH: Yeah he does. He was at the camp. Dorrell is a great guy, he’s funny. He’s from LA so we clicked like that. When he first came out here I asked Jack to take me out to meet him. He’s really funny. If you’re around him you won’t stop laughing. He’s just real laid back you know there’s something about these NBA guys that they’re laid back. It amazed me how much alike they are to us. They’re just playing basketball. They’re just real funny and cool.

pC: So do you have to be conscious of what you eat during the offseason?
LH: No, I have a high metabolism I’m probably losing weight right now. I eat everything. I eat at late hours on purpose. For me I take that to the weight room and that turns to muscle. I have a real high metabolism. Last summer for a week I didn’t do anything, I was just resting my body, I was just eating everything, no weight lifting or nothing and I found out I lost weight because I wasn’t doing anything. So I have to do something. I try to stay away from McDonald’s and things like that, but my girlfriend she cooks me meals and I find that they put the most weight on me. So she cooks me meals and she helps a lot with that, she’s like ‘you gotta eat, you gotta eat.’ Breakfast I never used to eat, so she will wake up make me for breakfast so I wake up eat and go workout.

pC: So you lose weight during the season?
LH: A little bit but we’re always eating because we have pre-game meals, meals on the road, meals after the game and we’re always weight lifting, so I won’t lose a lot of weight but I will lose some because of how much I run.



pC: So what do you guys do on the road?
LH: Say we play on Wednesday, we leave Tuesday after class around 4 or 5 pm we’ll get there at night go straight to dinner and have our film session and scouting report and stuff like that. Then we’ll go straight to bed or we’ll go to our rooms and I had Dews who would pop in a movie and we’ll fall asleep to that and next day we wake up, breakfast, shoot around, a pre-game meal. Depending on how late we play we look at the schedule make changes and then we’ll play, go back to the hotel they’ll have food for us or whatever and the next day we’ll come back

We have charter flights for certain games so we’ll go on charter flights. For like Duke, and UNC they give us extra time to see our families out there. Last year when we went to Wake Forest and then played Duke we stayed there for a week so we had a lot of time. We went to a movie one time, we went to the mall, we got to experience what the Carolinas were like.

pC: Do the fans recognize you on the plane?
LH: Not really. Some will ask ‘who are you?’ Sometimes like when we’re going to Virginia the opposing fans will recognize us and say thing like your going lose and they just mess with us. If we won the stewardess would give us a shout out and say we have the University of Miami on board and the whole plane will be cheering. It’s just fun playing.

We at proCanes.com would like to thank Lance Hurdle for being so gracious with his time to do this very insightful interview for our new feature "Tracking proCanes." Click here to check out our past interviews with Leon Searcy, Steve Walsh, Frank Costa, John Routh, Chad Wilson and more!