Freshman guard Madeline Kish is just like any other freshman, dealing with the adjustments of college life and being away from family. She has embraced the new atmosphere, saying that Lantz Arena has become her favorite building on campus. Staff Reporter Richard Morse sat down with Kish in Lantz Arena to discuss the differences on and off the court, and how much she misses her family.

What are some adjustments you’ve made this season?

Being on my own and not having my parents here to do anything I need for me. Having a roommate in a small room, (and) having to cram two people in there. Classes are a lot different. It’s not like you have every subject everyday. Some you have twice, some three times. I like it though. I think I’ve adjusted pretty well. I like it all.

How does it feel to be a freshman at Eastern?

I have to do my own laundry. I make sure I do my own homework. I don’t have my parents telling me I need to get stuff done. I need to make sure I stay on top of things. All the freedoms of college life, I take advantage of them. It’s a four-year thing, you don’t get to enjoy it forever. It’s only my first year, and I think I’ve done pretty good at it.

What are other adjustments you’ve made this season?

I think the speed of the game is so much different. (Eastern head coach Brady Sallee) always says to me and other freshmen that you’re not guarding the short (slow) kids you did in high school. It’s a lot different. Everybody has done really good in their high schools so every college team is composed of a bunch of really good athletes. It’s adjusting to that. In high school, everybody had a few really good players on their team and then a bunch who did it for a social event. So just the speed of the game has been a big adjustment.

How have your goals changed this season?

I came in as a 3-point shooter. It was a part of our team that our coach wanted to build on. I came in to shoot and it’s what he looks at me to do and one thing I’ve tried to do all year; I don’t really have the biggest role yet, I’m not looked at to change things. And I’m OK with that. I know that when I go out there, I need to try my hardest and hit some (3-pointers) because that’s what he needs me to do.

How comfortable are you shooting from long range?

I’d rather shoot a 3-pointer than anything inside. It’s something that I’ve worked on really hard and because of that — it’s just become very comfortable. When I play, I just don’t think about it. It just comes naturally.

What is it like playing at Lantz Arena?

I love it. We have a lot of fans and the atmosphere is hyped up. It makes everything bigger and a lot better and a lot more fun. Everyone gets so pumped up it helps us so much. We have a lot of fans a big group of people at every game and it helps us so much.

What was it like to win the IHSA 3-point shootaround?

It just builds confidence. It was a fun postseason thing. Our team had lost pretty early that year. So I could concentrate on shooting. After that I worked on it a lot and ended up wining. It was really just a big confidence boost.

What would you do if you weren’t playing?

I would still be in college. I might have actually still come here. Either here or (at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) because (it is) close to home. I’d probably be an intramural junkie. I would just play every intramural sport and be involved in a lot of things because I love to be involved.

Is there one quote you try to live you life by?

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” In (the Amateur Athletic Union), my coach would always say you need to shoot because when I was younger, I would miss one shot and it would upset me, and I just wouldn’t shoot. So they used to tell me to keep shooting, because you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.

What is the one thing you miss most about home?

My family. My friends I have here, I have a lot of things to keep me busy. But the one thing I miss most is my family. My extended family all live really close, so you can see them whenever you want to, I’m two-and-a-half, three hours away now.

What is your favorite place to eat on campus?

I’m going to go with Stevenson (Hall) for breakfast because it’s so close, and it’s never bad.

What is a crazy thing that has happened on the court?

I’ve gotten punched, straight-up punched right in the face. She literally looked at me and BAM punched me in the face. I was in eighth grade, and the ref didn’t call a foul. I was like “Ref, she just punched me in the face,” and then he called a foul. I was just so shocked.

Quick Hits

Actor: Owen Wilson

Breakfast cereal: “Frosted Flakes”

TV show: “The Office”

Movie: “Wedding crashers”

Cartoon character: Spongebob

Sport besides basketball: I like to watch football

Vacation spot: Tampa Bay/St Pete Beach

Three things you can’t live without: Cell phone, computer and family

Richard Morse can be reached at 581-7944 or at [email protected].