A late addition to the 2016 signing class, Dederick Lee signed with the University of South Alabama men's basketball program in late June. The junior from Clarksville, Ark. signed with Oral Roberts out of high school, but comes to USA via Indian Hills Community College, where he led his conference in assists and assist/turnover ratio. In his conversation with USAJaguars.com, he talks about the influence his father had on his career, what he's looking forward to the most on the team's upcoming European trip and how his two years at Oral Roberts will help him this upcoming season.

When did you start playing basketball?
I have five brothers, so my dad asked us if we wanted to play basketball or football, and we all said basketball. I was probably seven at the time. My dad is a basketball coach so he coached me until I was about 15.

Take me through your journey to get to South Alabama.
I went to Clarksville High School and won two state championships. I got recruited by Arkansas, I committed then de-committed, and I went to Oral Roberts. I thought that was a better fit for me. I was there for two years; I redshirted my first year. The redshirt year was good because I got better, bigger and stronger, but the next year, it wasn't the fit for me – I didn't like it too much. I was cool with the coaches, but the lack of playing time hit home and I had to make a move to better myself, so I went to Indian Hills (Community College). That was the best decision I could've made because I had a pretty good season and we had a great year.

Schools started calling me, and basically at the last second South Alabama called and wanted me to come on a visit. I did some research and went on the visit. I really liked the school and Coach (Brock) Morris called me and I thought he was really cool and straight forward. From the beginning, I liked it. I talked to my dad the night before I signed and said, 'I'm 95 percent sure, you just have to give me the 5 percent,' and he said he liked it too. The next day I signed and now I'm here.

Why did you choose South Alabama?
The coaches – I liked them. They're really straight-forward and I liked how we connected and made me feel comfortable.

You came from a junior college but you have two seasons of Division I experience under your belt - how do you think that will help you this year over a typical junior-college player?
I've been through it so I know what I have to do to better myself and what I shouldn't do. I know I have to get my team involved. When I started at Oral Roberts, I really wasn't experienced enough, so I tried to play by myself and not distribute the ball. Now I know I have to get the whole team involved, so that will help a lot.

What part of the upcoming European trip are you most looking forward to?
Mainly bonding with the team, winning games and soaking it all up. Most people don't get to go on trips like this.

How would you describe your playing style?
I am a pass-first point guard that gets the whole team involved. I'd say I'm an energy guy too.

What do you consider to be the strongest part of your game?
Finding the open man and attacking the rim. I attack the gaps and put people in a position where they can score.

What do you try to accomplish during the offseason workouts?
Limiting my turnovers and getting the team involved, but mainly limiting my turnovers.

What part of your game are you working on the most leading up to next season?
My right hand. I'm left-handed so I want to work on my off hand, and get stronger and faster.

What do you enjoy the most of the game of basketball?
I like the process – going through workouts and seeing improvement. You'll do this workout and you might not do it right, but you keep working on it so you can say, 'A week ago I couldn't do this, but now I can.'

Who has had the biggest influence on your basketball life?
I would say my dad, because he has been with me through everything: the bad times at Oral Roberts and the good times at Indian Hills. He helped me understand that when you're getting yelled at, they aren't doing it just to get on you or make you mad, they're trying to help you. I'm one of those players that if I'm getting yelled at, I'm listening because I know you're trying to help me.

What do you expect of yourself this season?
Winning games and being a big factor in that, getting my teammates involved and limiting my turnovers.

What assistant coach recruited you and what was your relationship like during that process?
Coach Morris. I liked him from the start because he called me and got to know me before he knew anything about basketball. He called my high school coach, my parents, almost everybody and asked about me. I liked that because a lot of coaches just think about the basketball part of it and not the person. I also felt comfortable talking to him.

What professional player do you try to model your game after?
Mike Conley. He reads the play so well and finds the open man. He doesn't care that much to score, he just wants to win the game.

Quick Hits
Favorite NBA team:  Los Angeles Clippers
Favorite college team growing up: Syracuse
Favorite sport other than basketball: Tennis – I played tennis in high school
Favorite musical artists: J Cole and Kendrick Lamar
Favorite class: Coaching, because I want to be a coach
Favorite movie: "Training Day"
Favorite video game: NBA 2K16
Favorite social media: Instagram
Favorite TV show: The Boondocks

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—