DA Houston | Longwood University Lancers Sr. Guard

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See store for details. DA Houston, the Senior Guard for the Longwood Lancers. And really neat to watch some of these incredible parties where the atmosphere is confetti and cheering. And yeah, just so much enthusiasm.

What was that like for you the second time, DA? Going through it in three years, the selection show, the fans, and all the buzz. It was always a great experience, especially sharing with people that have been supporting us throughout the season. And being alongside the people you care about, my teammates. We call each other brothers and it's something we really embrace. And it was a great experience and it felt good to see our names up there and knowing that our work paid off.

Well, you're a senior, so this is your last run through it. So how much different does it feel to you knowing that your basketball experience will come to an end relatively soon? It's sad, but I mean, it's a great feeling as well.

It's something you always dreamed about, something I've always dreamed about as a kid. And just to get the experience of just playing college basketball alone is a blessing itself. But being able to go to March Madness especially two times is really a blessing and something that I'm going to embrace and take all in once again. How different are you as a player, maybe as a leader, this time around as opposed to two years ago when you all were experiencing it for the first time? Well, I've really grown in the leadership role. I believe I've always been a leader in a way, probably more of an example in the past couple of years. But this year I really grew being a vocal leader and just learning more about my guys and different ways to lead them.

Because you can't lead everybody the same way or try to get a message across to everybody the same way. So I feel I really grew in that area of learning my teammates and being more vocal. Is that tough sometimes though, especially when you're going through adversity and you have to be the one who speaks up and maybe does try to light a fire under your teammates?

Yeah, it could be tough. But at the same time, my teammates make it easier. They know where I'm coming from is all love.

We're really brothers. You want to hold each other accountable. And that's kind of how we look at it. But it can be tough sometimes, especially going through adversity.

And sometimes it can just leave you thinking of where you can be improved. Because sometimes you feel like it's part of your job to get your team to where we need to be. Well clearly, and the team wouldn't be in the NCAA tournament if not for the leadership of you and your fellow seniors. DA Houston is with us from the Longwood Lancers. Back in the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years as the champs of the Big South.

It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. I saw this quote from your coach in which he talked about you and a couple of other players grabbed hold of the team, told them what they're going to do and how they're going to do it. What does that mean? What did you do to help turn this team and your season around? Kind of what I spoke on earlier, just being more vocal and let them hear my voice. I feel like I've earned the respect of my teammates and just using my voice. Because as Coach Marty said, I know I've been around a little bit in this game.

But just being more vocal and really pushing them and holding them accountable. Well let's talk about that stretch in which you all were 2 and 10. So you lost 10 of 12 games.

I know a bunch of them were close. So it's not like you were getting blown out. You were working hard.

But what did that feel like at practice and in your locker room? I mean it was disappointing honestly for us as a team. We all felt disappointed but at the same time we had a belief in each other and we knew we could be better. And we had that belief that even when we was going through those tough times that we still is a team capable of winning it all. During that stretch we just dug in deeper.

We never lost faith. We just turned everything up a notch and became more focused as a team overall. It was tough but with the guys we had we uplifted each other and that really helped. You feel like that really solidifies your relationship and your situation with your brothers as you say, your family?

Yeah for sure. We kept each other going through all those times because we felt like we were still getting counted out. But like I said we had that belief and faith in each other and that confidence always that we could be better and we knew we could be better. Okay so then what changed?

You win your last 9 games including the Big South. What changed over these last couple of weeks? I would say just our approach and practices. We got more focused on the little things and I feel like we really grew into our identity of being tough. Tougher on the defensive end and being more execution focused on the offensive end.

I feel like that's really kind of what changed. When you say tough, a very tough first round opponent in Houston. They're known for being physical.

They're known for being a team that wants to kind of beat you up and will go toe to toe and wants to make your offense look awful. What was it like to see your name pop up or your school's name pop up right underneath Houston as the one seed? Honestly that was a great feeling especially with me being raised from Houston and that being the team I've always seen around the city. It felt good to see us match up against them and I feel like we're just as tough and just as physical and it's going to be a dog fight. DA Houston is a senior guard from Longwood. We'll take on Houston as the number one seed in the South.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. What do you remember about the tournament appearance two years ago DA? The whole atmosphere overall. It's something you can only dream of.

The media everywhere. The college basketball environment is definitely one of the best stages in sports. That experience is once in a lifetime. Do you remember any nerves or anxiety over it as you started playing in your first tournament? Nerves? I'll say more of an excitement. I wasn't really nervous but just excited.

Just being able to be in that environment is something I've always wanted to do as a kid and wanted my family to experience with me. I was just overly excited but this year it's kind of a different approach. Last year we wanted to win the game but this year we've been there before and now we're trying to get us a game in this tournament.

How much does it matter that you've been there before and you know what to expect? It matters so much to me. This is a game I love and am very passionate about. I want to win. I'm very competitive. I don't want to just be there. I want to make some noise in the tournament. My teammates feel the same way. It's kind of cool to know that so many people are rooting for you though, right? Even if they're not there in the arena but they're back in Farmville, they're going to be watching all over the country and then just in general.

The fact that it is possible, we know 16 Seeds have upset 1s recently. Yes ma'am. Farmville is a great place. We get so much support out here and honestly it's a great thing to be able to play for the people of this town and this university as they put so much into us and to see kind of what they put in paid off and just to see how you can uplift the community.

It's great. The support is amazing out here. What's the approach as you go into a game where you're not expected to win? Just doing what we do, what got us to this point and honestly just still having that confidence in ourselves. A lot of teams probably go into certain games like this and have no confidence and can be defeated before the game starts and I feel like that's half of it, just having that confidence in ourselves still.

And then just doing what we do, being tough, physical, whatever our culture instills. When you go through a game like you did in the semi-finals of your conference tournament and you have to win in overtime and it's a one point affair and it's really tight and it's really tense, how much do games like that prepare you for what's to come? It prepares you I feel like in every aspect. Just being in those close games where the details really matter and then the pressure is really on especially when there's meaning behind the game.

I mean it prepares you and I feel like everything you do. So finally before I let you go DA, for you and for your fellow seniors, what will you take away from this last season of basketball? The brotherhood we built, I mean we had highs and lows and the relationships I built here are forever remembered especially in those low times. We had each other's backs and that's something I'll always remember.

Not everybody gets to experience a love like that. Well no wonder you're such a good leader DA because you didn't say wins, you didn't say cutting down nets. And I know you're excited about the tournament but the fact that you care more about the relationships I think speaks volume of your team and your culture. Yes ma'am. Well congratulations. Getting a chance to go again and I remember watching you a couple years ago and just believing with you and wanting you to pull that upset. Well I love the confidence that you take into it.

Can't wait to watch. Yes ma'am. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Absolutely. Thank you DA.

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