Freshman men's basketball player Ryan Amoroso brings promise and potential to the team. The big man (he is 6'8" and 242 pounds) from Burnsville, Minn. represents the future of the low post at Marquette.

Amoroso sat down for an in-person interview at the Brew Bayou in the Alumni Memorial Union.

Tribune: You're known as "Amo" to those you play basketball with. Where did you get your nickname from and how long have you had it?

Amoroso: Back when I was younger, I really didn't have a nickname. My friends just called me Ryan all the time. I got it in ninth grade when I was in high school.

Tribune: What makes you who you are, and what are some of your positive and negative aspects?

Amoroso: First and foremost, God and my family, because without my faith and without my family I really wouldn't be here right now. Also, my friends, teammates, coaches and all the other people that help surround me and want me to do well. The negative about me is that I really don't know when to take things as serious as they should be. So that's something that I need to work on.

Tribune: What is something from your life that has shaped you into the person you are today?

Amoroso: Just being part of the Catholic religion. Reading the Bible and understanding all the Bible stories and the scripture readings. It has kind of helped to shape me into the person I am right now.

Tribune: Tell me some of your main goals while here at Marquette, both on the court and academically, and how do you plan on getting there?

Amoroso: My academic goals probably will focus on having the highest G.P.A. on the team. Relating to basketball, I want to go out there and help the team, do as much as I can and win as many games as possible.

Tribune: If you could be remembered for one thing in basketball, what would it be?

Amoroso: Probably my sportsmanship because I sometimes have the tendency to be too nice out there. Back in high school, I would be the player who would talk to the other teams in good ways. I would compliment players on their game, but I guess when you get to college, that all changes.

Tribune: Since you had some playing time in the Black Coaches Association tournament (Nov. 14-16), what do you think you did well?

Amoroso: I thought I came in there and gave some quality minutes. I thought I played hard. I'm not going to be the leading scorer but I can do other things like create turnovers, create rebounds and just work my butt off. Once I start doing that stuff, everything else falls into place. I thought I played pretty hard, though.

Tribune: You have a lot of people on the team to look up to for guidance. Who is your mentor and why?

Amoroso: I'd probably have to say Travis (Diener), Steve (Novak) and Todd (Townsend). All three of those guys have helped me to make the adjustment to college. They are all veterans, and they all know the system and how it all works.

Steve helps me with my positions since I have to learn two positions for all two hundred plays that we have. He helps me learn the plays. Travis helps me with the mental aspect of confidence. Todd is just the father of the team. He's always there to help encourage.

Tribune: Did you find it difficult learning the new information and plays once joining the team?

Amoroso: (Laughs) Yeah, it was definitely a challenge for me because in high school we had maybe about five plays and now we have about two hundred. So for the first couple of weeks, it was pretty rough. I was going in and I didn't know my position or what to do because I had so much stuff thrown at me, which the coaches understand. I have to keep reading my playbook and it will all work out.

Tribune: You were heavily sought after by many schools around the country. What were your first impressions of Marquette when you first visited?

Amoroso: My first impression was the togetherness and the family atmosphere. It's a smaller campus compared to all the other campuses that I saw. You get a chance to make better friends and have closer relationships with people. That was the first thing that hit me and that was something that I was really looking for.

Tribune: What do you think of the move from Conference USA to the Big East, and are you ready for it?

Amoroso: I think it's great. It's going to be great for the program and the teams that are moving. We'll be playing some better teams and there will be some better competition. I'm ready for it.

Tribune: Is there anything else that people should know about you that they wouldn't already know?

Amoroso: Well, let's focus on the team. I've heard some people tell me that since they don't know basketball players, they are pretty intimidated. We're all just normal people. I'm not saying that from the sense that we think we're above everybody. We're students who happen to play basketball so people shouldn't think that we are unapproachable.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Nov. 30, 2004.