Freshmen trio leads men’s basketball team

By Lindsey Williams | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Among Flagler’s newest basketball recruits, they are the youngest — but don’t let that fool you. Kenny Moore, John Pietkiewicz and DJ Ferguson might be fresh to Flagler’s men’s basketball team, but their talents haven’t fallen short of such demands. I sat down with the three Saints stars to find out how well they have adjusted to Flagler basketball.

Gargoyle: How does it feel to be among the younger players on the team?
Kenny Moore: At first it was scary because I didn’t know anybody at all.

Gargoyle: Have you received any different treatment? Was it intimidating?
John: No, I wasn’t intimidated.
DJ: Well, we knew [members of the team] already. Ben played with us in Orlando, and I knew Jon.

Gargoyle: Did you ever feel like you had something to prove? If so, to whom?
John: That’s a good question. Yes, I felt like I had to prove my scholarship.
DJ: Being on scholarship, you are expected to make somewhat of an impact — and I hope that I am.
Kenny: Yeah, because no one expected for me to even play. So, I had to automatically prove to coach that I could compete.

Gargoyle: Why did you choose to play at Flagler?
Kenny: I wanted to have a new experience, instead of following my friends.
John: I chose Flagler because it was closer to home, and here, I had an earlier chance of playing time.
DJ: For me, it just seemed like the right fit. The coaches treated me well when they recruited me.

Gargoyle: Sports and academics: is it tough balancing the two?
John: Yes. You gotta learn how to manage them both.
Kenny: It’s tough. It’s not going as good as I wanted it to- but I know that I can and will do better.
DJ: It’s definitely tough- but you gotta keep your focus.

Gargoyle: Do you feel, in your relatively young entry onto the team, like you’ve been able to step up to the challenges presented by Coach?
ALL: Yes.

Gargoyle: Alright- more about the team mechanics: For those that don’t know, is the team carried more by its offense, or are we stronger defensively?
DJ: Offense is definitely better- but our defense is getting better.

Gargoyle: Where do you think each of you fits into effectively penetrating the offense?
DJ: We all think that we have each been a positive influence on the team. John being a passer, me a shooter, and Kenny managing the intangibles, we hope that we have.