University of Tennessee Athletics
Hello My Name Is: Quinton Chievous
June 07, 2011 | Men's Basketball
June 7, 2011
This is the second installment of a multi-part series highlighting the 2011-12 Tennessee basketball newcomers. In this edition of "Hello My Name Is," UTsports.com chats it up with guard Quinton Chievous, a freshman from Niles, Ill.
Q: You've been on campus for about a week now. What are your initial impressions of the team and how do you feel like you fit in?
A: "I feel like I fit in really well. I'm comfortable with all my teammates. They've welcomed me, and I feel really good about that. I'm just getting started with all my classes and I feel comfortable with that. I've got an organized schedule. I love the campus and I just like being around everyone at the university--I like the whole environment."
Q: What about the reception you've received around campus and around town?
A: "I'm always with (fellow freshman Josh Richardson), so when people see us together they recognize us and ask us how we like it here. It feels good to know we have fans who are so friendly and supportive."
Q: What's something Tennessee fans don't know about you that they might find interesting?
A: "I've only been playing organized basketball for about two to three years. When I lived with my dad, I never had the chance to play. The public school I was at wasn't the best environment. I got in trouble from time to time, and until I got my act right, my dad wouldn't let me play. Then I moved with my mom back to Chicago, when I was a sophomore. I joined the high school team then and started playing and really getting the gist of it."
Q: The world is going to end tomorrow. Where are you going for your last meal, and what are you going to eat?
A: "I'd probably go to Harold's Chicken in Chicago. I'd order the chicken plate meal."
Q: Prior to moving here for school, had you ever spent much time down South? And what do you think about the area now that you're here?
A: "I'd never been down South until my visit. It's really different from the city People talk with a little bit of an accent. But the people are all so nice and welcoming to me. I really like it a lot."
Q: Your father, Derrick Chievous, is the all-time leading scorer at Missouri and also played in the NBA. For those who don't know about his band-aid superstition, can you explain it?
A: "I think it started when he was in high school. His original nickname used to be `Yeast' because he'd rise like bread when he jumped, I guess. He was always getting hurt and getting cut, and I think one of the sports writers always saw him with band-aids on his body so he gave my dad that nickname in high school. The nickname `Band-Aid' really became popular in college, and in the NBA he had that nickname, too."
Q: Mavs or Heat?
A: "I'm going to have to go with the Heat. I think--with Kobe not in the NBA Finals--LeBron is the next-best go-to guy. I think him, Bosh and D-Wade are just clicking right now and they're probably going to come out on top."
Q: In your opinion, what is your biggest strength on the basketball court? And what area of your game do you most want to improve upon?
A: "My biggest strength is scoring and getting to the rim. I'm a good shooter from the outside, too. I need to improve my ball-handling and becoming the best player I can defensively. Coach Martin is big on defense."
Q: Who would you pick to play you in a movie about your life?
A: "Mike Epps, because he's funny."
Q: Did you play any sports other than basketball while you were growing up?
A: "I was really good at baseball, but I threw my arm out pitching. So I stopped playing after about the sixth grade. But in my opinion, if I stuck with it, I might have been able to go pro as a pitcher."
Q: What reality TV show would you most like to be a part of?
A: "I don't know ... Jersey Shore."
Q: What reality TV show would you absolutely NOT want to be a part of?
A: "The Bachelorette or a show like that."
Q: Who is your favorite pro athlete in a sport other than basketball and why?
A: "Walter Peyton. Being from Chicago, he was big time. With the Bears winning the Super Bowl when he played for them, everyone from Chicago just has a lot of love for him."
Q: Who is your favorite basketball player?
A: "Bernard King. I love the way he scored so effortlessly. My dad's got a lot of old film, so I've seen a lot of film on him. I know he played here at Tennessee. He could score the ball with ease and was really smooth with his game."
Q: What three words would you use to describe head coach Cuonzo Martin?
A: Tough. Disciplined. Hard-working."
Q: When you think about your Tennessee debut at Thompson-Boling Arena this winter, what do you envision as your first big play?
A: "It would be me guarding my man and getting a steal. As soon as I get that steal, I'd have a wide-open fast-break dunk. Then I'd probably just smile and get back on defense."
Q: Who are some of the more well-known people to have come out of Niles?
A: "Jim Les, who played in the NBA and used to be the men's (basketball) head coach at Bradley. John McDonough, the president (and CEO) of the Chicago Blackhawks, also went to my high school. There's also Abe Badmus, who played basketball at Bucknell and set a lot of assist/turnover records while he was there. He played at Bucknell when they beat Kansas (in the 2005 NCAA Tournament)."
