A football standout at Riverside Academy, Reserve, La. native Herb McGee turned down offers from SEC and AAC schools to play basketball at the University of South Alabama. McGee led Riverside to three straight state titles and was the 2A state player of the year, as well as a three-time all-state performer. In his chat with USAJaguars.com, he talked about going through the recruiting process, his post-college career plans, and his experiences on the team's trip to Europe.

When did you start playing basketball?
I began playing the game of basketball at the age of 3 in Kenner, La. My dad played around the community so he put a ball in my hands. After that, I just loved it. At an early age I loved football more, but as time went on, I loved basketball more.

Take me through your journey to get to South Alabama
Coach Brock (Morris) came by and we sat down and talked. We didn't talk much about basketball, we talked about life. That was one of the things that blew me away and swept me off my feet. When a guy comes in and wants you on his team, he doesn't talk about basketball, he talks about your family, morals and stuff like that. That was pretty big. After that, we just kept in touch. I kind of got tired of the process, and prayed a lot, every day. I asked the Lord to show me a sign and I think that sign was Coach Brock continuing to call and them showing me the most love. I called my coaches that have been with me my whole life and it wasn't to get their permission, but it was similar to that. Coach Timmy Byrd, Shawn Wright and Charles Hogan, I talked to them and told them how I felt. After that I called Coach Brock and Coach Graves and told them that I wanted to be a Jaguar.

Why did you choose South Alabama?
The biggest two things were family – I felt at home and felt like they had my best interests at heart – and the medical field. I did research – I forgot the percentage – students that get accepted into med school, and South Alabama had a higher percentage than most schools. Being a pediatrician, this is where you want to go.

How did you decide to play football over basketball?
I still reminisce about football. I'm trying to talk to the coaches to let me play football for South Alabama. Basically, everything you do is like a job. You have to love your job in order to do it 100 percent – you have to be fully committed to it. Basketball is the love of my life, and I love football but I played football for the guys around me because I know they wanted me to play. There was a time where I was going to focus on basketball and guys kept coming back, so I chose to play for them. I prayed on that too. You have to give all of your problems to God and I let God handle all of it. Something told me that basketball was the route that was meant for me.

Why do you want to be a doctor?
I always had goals of being a pediatrician. When I set my mind to it, I'm going to achieve it. That's what it is with being a pediatrician. I had people telling me it was going to be tough, but I'm willing to put in the work. Being a pediatrician, you get to impact young people's lives and that's something I want to do – I want to make a change in the world. I want to give knowledge and pass it on to maybe the next president. That's the biggest thing – I want to help people and impact people's lives.

How hard do you expect the balance between classes and athletics to be?
It's tough to say right now. It OK now because there aren't any games and not staying out late playing. Right now I'm ahead in my work and I have a tutor. She takes time out of her life to tutor me and we have one of the best guys in David Potter, who helps with everything. I think it'll be a challenge but I don't think it'll be impossible. I think I'll maintain a 3.0 GPA or better – I'm shooting for 3.8 to 4.0. I think I can achieve it.

What was your favorite part of the European trip?
I loved it there. If I had enough money, I'd stay there and try to play basketball for a team. It was different. You can see another lifestyle and culture, and out there, they were friendlier. Not too many people drive cars, so you walk and get to meet new people. You can see how people act and that was really nice. The thing I enjoyed the most was me, Don (MuepoKelly) and John (Pettway) rode bikes. We rode down a hill, and I was the leader and had to pull over because cars were coming. Don tried to do the same thing but he tipped over and went sliding down the hill.  

How was long flight?
When you go to the airport, the thing you hate the most is waiting for the plane, so that was the worst part. That was the best plane trip I've ever been on because they had movies you didn't have to pay for. The flight wasn't too long and we had nice leg space. On the way there, I watched movies, but on the way back, I slept the whole way.

How would you describe your playing style?
I would say I'm one of the most unselfish players out there. I want to see other guys be more successful than I am. That's just the type of person I am. I would also say that I'm a combo guard that can dish the ball out or shoot it.

What do you consider to be the strongest part of your game?
Right now the strongest part of my game is shooting the 3-ball because I shoot good shots. I'm in the gym every day working on my craft, so the time I'm putting in is paying off. In high school, it helped me the most because we had the green light.

What do you try to accomplish during the offseason workouts?
Working on my ball-handling, having the ball on a string, not turning the ball over and coming off pick-and-rolls and reading difference scenarios, making the right choices.

What part of your game are you working on the most leading up to next season?
I'm trying to work my ball-handling. I feel like if you have effective ball-handling, that creates more opportunities for other guys. If you're breaking down your man one-on-one, then that means other guys have to help, so when they help, it gets open shots for guys like Juice and Shaq (Calhoun).

Who has had the biggest influence on your basketball life?
My mom first, then my dad and my sister. They passed away, but I know they're up in heaven looking down on me every time I step on the court – I'm doing it for them. As far as my mom is concerned, she continues to push me. She sends me scripture and tells me to give my best no matter what happens.

What do you expect of yourself this season?
I expect to perform well. I set goals for myself and one of the goals is being freshman of the year. I also expect to contribute to the team, help win the conference tournament and get the team to the dance.

What assistant coach recruited you and what was your relationship like during that process?
Coach Brock is a good guy. He's consistent, determined, persistent, so it was stressful because he was calling every day. Sometimes it got to a point where I'm like, Dang Coach, I talk to you more than I talk to my girl. He was like family. It reminded me of Coach Timmy because we are so close. We were talking every day and not just about basketball. That reminded me of a father figure, someone who would step in and make sure you're doing the right things, and that's what he did. Most of the time we talked about my family and school. I felt like that was a big part of why I came here.

What professional player do you try to model your game after?
I want to be like (Steph) Curry. It's a mixture of shooting the ball like Curry and attack the rim like Russell Westbrook. I want to pass like Chris Paul. I think he's an awesome player. It's a mixture of a lot of guys, but mainly Curry.

Quick Hits
Favorite NBA team: Wherever LeBron goes, that's where I go, but I like the Warriors because of how they pass and share the ball.
Favorite college team growing up: USC with Reggie Bush
Favorite sport other than basketball: Pro football. I don't watch too much college football or basketball. I like watching Cam Newton – he has that knack for getting other players better, plus he's always out there smiling. I want to be that guy that guy that can smile all the time, even when things go wrong.
Favorite musical artists: Kodak Black, Future, Drake
Favorite class: Drama
Favorite movies: "More than a Game," "Like Mike" and "Sixth Man"
Favorite video game: Grand Theft Auto
Favorite social media: Twitter
Favorite TV show: I don't watch a lot of TV

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