DJ Horne: "The Sky Is The Limit For This Team"
NC State guard DJ Horne recently met with the media to discuss the start of workouts, the upcoming season, returning to Raleigh for his final year, and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
“I’m getting more and more excited every day for the season to get here.”
“I think this group has a lot of grit... the first day was May 15th and every day has been a battle. I think coach Keatts has done a great job of instilling competitive teams everyday... not really getting into a starting lineup but giving everybody that feeling of coming in and working for what you get.”
“I love the grit everyone has. I feel like the grittiest teams are the most-winning teams. I hope this carries over into the season.”
“I’m so excited. It means everything. For me to have been gone for four years and this being my last year, to do it in my own backyard, it means every thing.”
“NC State has always been in my backyard so they’ve always been in the back of my mind. The way some recruiting things went it wasn’t an option for me early on until this past summer.”
“When the opportunity presented itself I couldn’t really pass it up with it being in my backyard.”
“In recruiting talks with Keatts and the rest of the staff they made it feel like this was the best fit for me.”
“I don’t want to give us any ceiling. We haven’t played against another team outside of ourselves, so I think I’ll have a better feel then, but I think the sky is the limit for this team. The only people who will be able to stop us is ourselves.”
“To be back in my own hometown and be able to give back to the community, it means a lot. Just a couple of years ago that was me, in those little kids’ shoes aspiring to being a college basketball player. For it to turn full circle, it means a lot.”
“I definitely looked up to TJ Warren. I watched Dennis Smith. He was at my high school, so to see him at my high school and come to NC State and produce in one year, it meant a lot.”
“For me, as weird as it may sound, it doesn’t feel like I’m starting over at all. With me being home and everyone knowing I’m being here and showing that support, it’s a lot different than my past stops.”
“I think it’s been very competitive up to this point and will only continue to get competitive. It will be good for our team.”
“It was always a goal of mine [to play in the ACC]. Just unfortunately some things didn’t work out recruiting-wise my first couple of years. I didn’t let that deter me. I just put my head down and kept working, and here we are now. For me it’s kind of like a dream come true. I just always believed in myself and my work and this is it paying off.”