Joe Thompson is one of three Louisiana natives on the 2017-18 University of South Alabama men's basketball roster. The Kenner, La. native signed with the program last fall and was an all-state performer at Bonnabel High School. He spoke with USAJaguars.com about his relationship with assistant coach Brock Morris, coming from a big family and who played the biggest role in his life as a basketball player.

When did you start playing basketball?
I've been playing basketball ever since I was a little kid. It started with my older cousin – she got me playing ball outside. When I was 5 until about 12 years old, I was really teaching myself. I didn't really have anyone to show me how to play basketball. I just watched TV and looked at the NBA players and learned stuff from them.

Take me through your journey to get to South Alabama.
Coach Brock has been in touch with me for a good amount of time. That was one of the main reasons why I chose to come here – it's not really about basketball. He talked to me about who are you are and how you'll turn out as a person in life. He's been helping me since high school, if I have a problem. I got close with him, and Herb McGee, we grew up in the same neighborhood. I've known him my whole life and I always wanted to play with him. He is a grade older than me so never got to do that, but now I have the chance.

Why did you choose South Alabama?
The visit. I fell in love with the campus and everything about it.

What were some of the challenges of coming from a big family?
With me being the oldest, I had a lot of responsibility. There are three other boys and four girls. Everybody in the house can't get the same thing. Everybody felt like they didn't get the same treatment and mom was showing favoritism. There's a huge age difference too. I'm older than some of them by 13 years. I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I wanted to. It was chaotic every day. You don't really get your own personal space – somebody is always bothering you, especially for me being the oldest. There was always something I had to handle. My mom is a nurse and she worked all day, so I had to be at home watching the kids, and my dad was working too.

You grew up near current Jaguar Herb McGee – how do you feel about getting to play with him this year?
Herb is a great athlete and pretty much won a state championship every year. I've been looking up to him for a long time and we've always talked about playing together. We played together this one time in a tournament, but it was only for one game. We never expected to play together at South Alabama. It's pretty exciting.

How would you describe your playing style?
I like to play fast and up-tempo the whole game. Pressure busts pipes, so I like to put a lot of pressure on the other team and play with a fast pace. I've been playing like that my whole life. The first scrimmage we had here, I didn't expect it to be that fast, but I like it and I'm getting used to it. I'm quick with my first step and I love to play defense. I'm a good all-around player and I want to do what it takes to win.

What do you consider to be the strongest part of your game?
Attacking the rim from outside the paint. Not a lot of people would expect me to get the ball outside the 3-point line and go to the basket. Going to the basket and the one-dribble pull up is my game.

What part of your game are you working on the most leading up to next season?
Right now I'm working on being a '3,' '4,' and a '5.' Lately I've been inside working on my post game. Some days I'll be working on my shot, one-dribble pull-ups and attacking the rim. Stuff like that to get me ready to play different positions.

What do you enjoy the most of the game of basketball?
The excitement and atmosphere with the crowd, the screaming. Both teams going at it, trying to get the win.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life as a basketball player?
My family. In my neighborhood, everybody has been looking up to me for the longest time, hoping to make it out and go to college. Not many people in my neighborhood can say that. I don't want to mess it all up, being in the streets or being in the wrong place in the wrong time. My family keeps me going and I don't want to let them down at all. I'm trying to do the right thing.

What do you expect of yourself this season?
Do what I can to help the team win. We didn't have a good season last year and we don't like that. It bothers us. My teammates still talk about it. We have the newspaper when Troy won the conference. Personally, I don't like losing, so I want to do whatever I can to help the team win.

What was your relationship like with Coach Morris during the recruiting process?
It was like a father-son relationship. He was there for everything and any problem I had, I could have called him. He called my mom, checked on us, made sure everything was all right. I had that bond with him. It's been good since day one.

What professional player do you try to model your game after?
LeBron James. I look at his speed, explosiveness and how he carries his team. I'm trying to get that mentality.

Quick Hits
Favorite NBA team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Favorite college team growing up: UConn
Favorite sport other than basketball: Soccer
Favorite musical artists: Meek Mill, Migos
Favorite class: Drama
Favorite movie: "The Hangover"
Favorite video game: Call of Duty
Favorite social media: Twitter
Favorite TV show: "Game of Thrones"

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