Last Sunday, I was able to attend Prolific Prep media day. Below is a transcription of my Q&A session with Amadou Sow. I figured that in addition to Cal Rivals, I should post this in here as well.
Q: What are you looking forward to about your upcoming season with Prolific Prep? What are you looking forward to? What are you excited about?
A: “I’m just looking for having a great season, you know, senior year. Put that work in and get ready for college.”
Q: Jordan Brown, another Cal target is coming here [to Prolific Prep]. What are you looking forward to about playing with him and how do you expect to make each other better?
A: “Jordan, he’s a great player. He’s gotta learn our style of play and he’s going to be a helluva player in our system. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun to play with him.”
Q: You told me on Thursday you already have visits set up with Colorado and UCSB. Where are things with Cal in terms of getting a visit set up?
A: “Me and Coach Wyking, we’re still targeting a visit, but, he doesn’t know when is a good time to do the visit, but we’re still talking about it and he wants me to go to an official visit there. Should be fun.”
Q: What major goals do you have for this upcoming season? What do you hope to accomplish?
A: “Personally, I’m looking forward to leading these guys. I’m a senior. I’m one of the seniors, I’m going to try to lead them. I’m going to try to work on my game as hard as I can and work on my perimeter game. The inside game, I think I got that already, but the outside game, that’s what I need to work on and that’s what I’m looking forward to working on this season the most.”
Q: In addition to Cal, what other schools are still in play to get a visit from you at this time?
A: “Virginia is trying to get a visit, Santa Clara is trying to get a visit, and Illinois is trying to get a visit. Those are the schools that are in line trying to get a visit.”
Q: Out of those schools, do you have any feel for a front runner right now? Is there any school that’s leading the charge?
A: “For me, all the schools are the same for me right now. Because I’ve done unofficial visits. Both of the schools I went to they both kinda showed me what they want to use me for, they both showed me their facility and stuff like that. I think wherever I go it’s a great school. All those schools are good schools. I don’t know, man. I’m just going to wait and find the right place and then go there.”
Q: So you have taken an unofficial to Cal, then?
A: “Yeah, I’ve taken an unofficial to Cal, to Santa Clara, and to UCSB as well.”
Q: What was your impression of the Cal campus and everything when you saw it?
A: “The Cal campus is huge. I got a lot of respect for those guys. You know, the studies are high level. Everything is just high there. It was just what I was expecting and it was great.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you that most people may not know?
A: “I would say a lot of people think I’m shy or a lot of people think I’m just one of those guys just on the court just mean or outside the court is the same person. On the court I’m different. Off the court I’m a good person. I’m interactive, I talk to people, I like kids. A lot of people don’t know that. They just think I’m on the court always having this mean looking face. That’s how I am outside, too, but it’s not like that.”
Q: In terms of evaluating a program, what do you feel are the main factors that you are looking for? Is it playing style? Is it coaching staff? What is the most important thing to you?
A: “I have three things in a program that I’m really looking for. Relationship, their playing style, and how they’re going to use me in their system.”
Q: As far as Cal is concerned, have they talked to you about how they plan to utilize you in their system?
A: “Yes. They kinda showed me a little bit of how I play and how they want to use me and so, I’m just looking forward to it and everything.”
Q: How do they plan to use you, exactly? Do they see you as more of a 5? More of a 4? How do they plant to use you?
A: “They said they see me as both a 4 and a 5. So for me, if I go there, I’m just gonna go and do my thing.”
Q: Which position are you more comfortable playing? Are you more comfortable playing the 4 than the 5 or does it not matter?
A: “For me it really doesn’t matter. I play a 5 a lot of times, I play a 4 a lot of times. With those guys, I play a 4. With the [Oakland] Soldiers I played the 5. But, for me it really doesn’t matter.”
Q: I hear you are developing a bit of a three-point shot. Is that something that you are trying to develop? How are you planning to implement that into your game?
A: “As a four man, I think if you have an outside game, a lot of people is going to respect you. So that’s why I want to take the extra step and then build that on top of my game. Build my outside game and then everything else will be fine.”
Q: When did you start developing that part of your game?
A: “I started this summer, actually. During the AAU season I wasn’t really shooting the ball outside and I felt like I needed to. So, after AAU season stopped, I just came into the gym and started working on my shot every day, every day. It’s fun.”
Q: What are you looking forward to about your upcoming season with Prolific Prep? What are you looking forward to? What are you excited about?
A: “I’m just looking for having a great season, you know, senior year. Put that work in and get ready for college.”
Q: Jordan Brown, another Cal target is coming here [to Prolific Prep]. What are you looking forward to about playing with him and how do you expect to make each other better?
A: “Jordan, he’s a great player. He’s gotta learn our style of play and he’s going to be a helluva player in our system. So, it’s going to be a lot of fun to play with him.”
Q: You told me on Thursday you already have visits set up with Colorado and UCSB. Where are things with Cal in terms of getting a visit set up?
A: “Me and Coach Wyking, we’re still targeting a visit, but, he doesn’t know when is a good time to do the visit, but we’re still talking about it and he wants me to go to an official visit there. Should be fun.”
Q: What major goals do you have for this upcoming season? What do you hope to accomplish?
A: “Personally, I’m looking forward to leading these guys. I’m a senior. I’m one of the seniors, I’m going to try to lead them. I’m going to try to work on my game as hard as I can and work on my perimeter game. The inside game, I think I got that already, but the outside game, that’s what I need to work on and that’s what I’m looking forward to working on this season the most.”
Q: In addition to Cal, what other schools are still in play to get a visit from you at this time?
A: “Virginia is trying to get a visit, Santa Clara is trying to get a visit, and Illinois is trying to get a visit. Those are the schools that are in line trying to get a visit.”
Q: Out of those schools, do you have any feel for a front runner right now? Is there any school that’s leading the charge?
A: “For me, all the schools are the same for me right now. Because I’ve done unofficial visits. Both of the schools I went to they both kinda showed me what they want to use me for, they both showed me their facility and stuff like that. I think wherever I go it’s a great school. All those schools are good schools. I don’t know, man. I’m just going to wait and find the right place and then go there.”
Q: So you have taken an unofficial to Cal, then?
A: “Yeah, I’ve taken an unofficial to Cal, to Santa Clara, and to UCSB as well.”
Q: What was your impression of the Cal campus and everything when you saw it?
A: “The Cal campus is huge. I got a lot of respect for those guys. You know, the studies are high level. Everything is just high there. It was just what I was expecting and it was great.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you that most people may not know?
A: “I would say a lot of people think I’m shy or a lot of people think I’m just one of those guys just on the court just mean or outside the court is the same person. On the court I’m different. Off the court I’m a good person. I’m interactive, I talk to people, I like kids. A lot of people don’t know that. They just think I’m on the court always having this mean looking face. That’s how I am outside, too, but it’s not like that.”
Q: In terms of evaluating a program, what do you feel are the main factors that you are looking for? Is it playing style? Is it coaching staff? What is the most important thing to you?
A: “I have three things in a program that I’m really looking for. Relationship, their playing style, and how they’re going to use me in their system.”
Q: As far as Cal is concerned, have they talked to you about how they plan to utilize you in their system?
A: “Yes. They kinda showed me a little bit of how I play and how they want to use me and so, I’m just looking forward to it and everything.”
Q: How do they plan to use you, exactly? Do they see you as more of a 5? More of a 4? How do they plant to use you?
A: “They said they see me as both a 4 and a 5. So for me, if I go there, I’m just gonna go and do my thing.”
Q: Which position are you more comfortable playing? Are you more comfortable playing the 4 than the 5 or does it not matter?
A: “For me it really doesn’t matter. I play a 5 a lot of times, I play a 4 a lot of times. With those guys, I play a 4. With the [Oakland] Soldiers I played the 5. But, for me it really doesn’t matter.”
Q: I hear you are developing a bit of a three-point shot. Is that something that you are trying to develop? How are you planning to implement that into your game?
A: “As a four man, I think if you have an outside game, a lot of people is going to respect you. So that’s why I want to take the extra step and then build that on top of my game. Build my outside game and then everything else will be fine.”
Q: When did you start developing that part of your game?
A: “I started this summer, actually. During the AAU season I wasn’t really shooting the ball outside and I felt like I needed to. So, after AAU season stopped, I just came into the gym and started working on my shot every day, every day. It’s fun.”
