When the University of South Alabama men's basketball team takes the court this winter, one student-athlete may look new, but not to those that closely follow the program. Forward Dionte Ferguson transferred to USA last year from Morehead State but had to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Montgomery, Ala. native spoke with USAJaguars.com about his year away from competition, what made him choose South Alabama and the biggest influence on his life.

When did you start playing basketball?
I started playing when I was about five or six when I met my stepdad, but I didn't start taking it seriously until around middle school. I gave up playing football and decided to concentrate on basketball. I liked football but I was more into basketball – I was watching the NBA all the time and watching video clips of old-school guys like Nick the Quick and Magic Johnson. My dad was a Lakers fan and I became one too. We watched a lot of basketball together.

Take me through your journey to get to South Alabama
In high school I was one of the top players in the Montgomery area. I was going to exposure camps in Atlanta because I didn't really have a Division I offer. I talked to a guy who ran these types of camps and he called Morehead State and told them he knew me. Morehead came and saw me and I took a visit up there. I liked the atmosphere and Coach (Donnie) Tyndall was great. I met with the players, like (future NBA draft pick) Kenneth Faried, and they made it feel like a good place to be so I decided to go to Morehead.

I played there for two years. The first year was frustrating because Kenneth was the big starter and playing time was hard to get. But my second year Coach wanted me to move to the '5.' Basically it was a miscommunication: he wanted me to play center but that's not my true position; I didn't feel comfortable playing center so we decided to go our separate ways.

Coach (Michael) Floyd heard I got my release and called me and asked me about my plans. I told him that I wanted to play closer to home and came on a visit. I liked the staff and the Mobile area felt like home, plus it was only a couple of hours from Montgomery.

What were you looking for in a school when you were transferring?
Mostly I wanted to be closer to home but I knew I wanted to go to a DI school. If I didn't get any Division I looks, I'd go DII.

Why did you choose South Alabama?
The coaching staff made me feel like they wanted me to come here. The players were down to earth and humble, and not cocky. They said, 'We need a guy like you on the team.' The people in the city welcomed me here and told me they couldn't wait to see me play. Last year with me redshirting, even though I wasn't playing, I felt like I was a regular member of the team; they treated me the same way.

What was last year like knowing you couldn't play but only practice?
It was tough because I've played basketball every year since I picked up a ball so with last year being the first year I couldn't play in any games or travel, it was tough. But it made me get better and work on stuff I needed to work on.

How did you stay focused mentally in February and March as the season dragged on?
For the most part I was just focused on helping the team get better and help them achieve their goals. When they were gone, I was in the gym, getting shots up and keeping my mind right.

What were some of the aspects of your game that you worked on last season?
Mainly getting my jump shot more consistent, ball handling and footwork. Those were the big three I needed to work on.

What were your first impressions of Coach Graves when he talked to you after taking the job?
I knew he was a great coach – I'd heard of him when he was at Butler. He was really humble and set it out for me that nobody is guaranteed anything, they were going to work us out for a month and see where we go from there. He talked to me like anyone else and didn't treat anyone better than anybody else.

How did you feel after the individual workouts in the spring?
I feel like I got a lot better. Individual workouts are a big thing for them, working on your game and see what else you need to work on. That helps you get in the gym extra and get a few more reps in or a few more shots up to try and get it down.

What NBA player do you model your game after?
I'd say Michael Beasley. When he was at Kansas State I watched a lot of his games and I feel like our game is kind of the same even though he's a little bit bigger than I am. I like watching Amar'e Stoudemire. My dad had me watch a lot of old-school players like Oscar Robertson, Patrick Ewing and Shawn Kemp and I tried to see what I could get out of them.

How would you describe your playing style?
Athletic, hustler, rebounder and doesn't give up on plays. I'm not a player that's looking to score every basket; I'm looking to get hustle points and play hard. If they see me on the court, they know I'm not going to give up. I like playing defense too.

What do you consider to be the strongest part of your game?
My post game and rebounding.

What do you enjoy the most of the game of basketball?
Being able go out there and clear my mind of everything else that's going on. This summer was crazy for me, losing my grandma, so I was able to go out and hoop and ease my mind a little bit. I was her first grandson and if I wasn't with my mom, I was with her. When I was at Morehead she tried to make it to all of my games because we were about an hour away from each other, so we always saw her and she came down on the weekends.

Who is the biggest influence on your basketball life?
My stepdad. He told me not to give up and that I could make it, playing professionally overseas. He kept pushing me and told me that what I put in is what I get out. When I was little I just played for fun, playing on the block with other kids. But the taller I got, he knew I could be pretty good. We'd go to the gym all the time and get shots up. It really set in my seventh grade year when I didn't make the basketball team. After that, I told myself that I'm not getting cut from another team again. We basically spent the entire summer working out in the gym every day and I played with all the guys that he played with and got myself stronger and tougher. I used to hate him and couldn't stand doing it, but now I'm thankful for it. It's gotten me where I am today.

What do you expect of yourself this season?
To be a major contributor to the team, in any way possible, whether it's scoring, coming up with rebounds or screening people. If I could do it in all of those ways, that would be great, but I'm going out there and giving 110 percent and help us get a Sun Belt championship.

Quick hits
Favorite NBA team: Los Angeles Lakers
Favorite college team growing up: Michigan State
Favorite sport other than basketball: College football
Favorite musical artist: Starlito, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky
Favorite class: Sport management
Favorite movie: Paid In Full

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).

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