WWU Sports Information intern Colin Floyd recently sat down with WWU men's basketball guard Trey Drechsel for a Q&A to learn more about Drechsel's basketball experiences.

Q: Coming out of high school you were pretty heavily recruited. Your senior season you were named the 1A State Player of the Year. What was that whole process like?

A: I wasn't very big my freshman and sophomore year; junior year I started to mold more into a collegiate athlete type of body and was starting to talk with some smaller schools. My junior summer I went up for a dunk in front of a bunch of coaches from all the Pac-12 and Big Sky schools and broke my pelvis. So after that I didn't get recruited at all, everyone dropped, even the small schools like D-III's and NAIA's. Then I grew three inches and put on 30 pounds while I was hurt going into my senior year. Then basically the whole GNAC conference started recruiting me and smaller D-I's like Idaho and Portland State. I had a walk-on spot at UW and preferred walk-on spot at Virginia. But Western was always close; close but far. It was a good fit plus I figured I'd rather go here and compete for national championships.

Q: You've got a pretty athletic family right?

A: Yeah my dad is 6-foot-6, my mom was the best volleyball player on her college team during her four years at Pacific Lutheran University and my little sister just signed her national letter of intent to play at Maryland. She just got invited to play in the Under Armour All-American game on Dec. 16.

Q: So where did your motivation come from to play basketball? Because you were also a pretty good baseball player in high school.

A: I was always better at baseball but I liked basketball better. In baseball there's a lot of repetition, there's not that much creativity. In basketball it's like read and react. I like basketball because it almost feels like an art form to me. If I get the ball and someone is running at me I have to choose which way to go and you know immediately if you made the right decision or the wrong one.

Q: You are currently in your redshirt sophomore season (third year at Western); what was it like to redshirt and have to sit out a year and just be a spectator of the game?

A: It kind of lights a fire under you because you feel helpless. Especially when the team is struggling and the other players are saying, "Trey we needed you out there," but you can't do anything.

Q: Which transfer or 2016 redshirt player are you most excited to play with?

A: I would really say all of them. Taylor (Stafford) is lightning quick and pushes the ball super well and has a really high motor so everyone plays harder when he plays; Daulton (Hommes) is super skilled and super athletic and a super good teammate too, like he makes the right passes; Dre (Deandre Dickson) too, even though he's hurt, he's really good at blocking shots and has a solid offensive game; Logan (Schilder) also and Trevor (Jasinsky) who is athletic and good shooter.

Q: How's the team chemistry?

A: This year you can feel that everyone wants everyone to succeed; it's more of a priority that we win the game. No one is really looking for their own stats, but the chemistry is way up and everyone is friends.

Q: You have any pre-game rituals?

A: I always take a shower right before and I put music on as loud as I can. When I get to the locker room I put on my stuff as fast as I can, go out to the court and shoot from about two feet away from the hoop over and over again just to groove my shot. Then I start taking crazy shots just to see if the ball is going in every time. Then I come back to the locker room and I always have this wrist band of my sister from Maryland and I always put that in my sock before the game and I slap it twice when my name gets called. I also started this new thing where I tape both my wrists, not because my wrists hurt and I don't think it looks cool, but it gives me the mentality that it's going to be a battle. I tape them pretty tight so it feels like I'm a boxer; I started it against UW and I really like it.

Q: What's on your pre-game playlist?

A: My go-to has been Loyal the Soil by Dame D.O.L.L.A., maybe some Big Sean and French Montana.

Q: What's the best pair of shoes you have right now?

A: I had a pair of white 2016 Hyperdunk Lows which just busted that were my favorite. I just got a pair of Kobe XI Lows, navy, those will be my go-to now. Off the court I like my all-black Hurache Ultras and these all-white Prestos I just got.

Q: Who is your favorite player and who do you model your game after?

A: My favorite player is Damian Lillard because of his demeanor; he'll dunk on you and not even smile and he knows he's better than you but he doesn't try to show it. He's got that quiet or calm confidence and that's what separates good from great. And last year, so many times I felt like I had to prove that I was better than people instead of knowing I was better; I've been working on that this year. As far as my actual play style, I'm not going to compare myself to LeBron James, but he tries to make the right play every time and not just be a scorer or this or that. I can lead the team in rebounds one game, assists in the next game or scoring the next game, or I can lead in all three. Essentially I want to be able to do whatever it takes for our team to play the best.