USC athletes are more than just champions on the field, court, diamond, and pool, they're champions in the classroom as well. Each week, we will get to know one of these scholarly Trojans a little better in our student-athlete spotlight.
Name: Chimezie Metu
Sport: Men's Basketball
Year: Freshman
Major: Political Science
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): One of the things I heard about you and your decision to come to USC was that academics played a big role. Why was that something that was so important to you and what was it about USC that stood out?
Chimezie Metu (CM): Yeah, it was very important because I want to be prepared for life after basketball. I also wanted to have an opportunity outside of basketball to do something for myself while in college.
SB: Do you know what you might want to do that far down the line? Or did you just recognize that USC would give you an opportunity to do something?
CM: Right now, I really want to be a lawyer. I'm in Dornsife right now and I just finished my first law class for political science. I really felt like there was a lot more stuff to do here at school that interested me. Like, for example, I'm really into Greek mythology and I know there are a lot of alternative classes like that here that might seem weird to some, but are really interesting to people like me.
SB: How did you get into Greek mythology?
CM: My senior year in high school, my teacher was really into it and she would always bring up stories and explain how they related to stuff that is happening now. And I was always so wowed by it. Towards the end of the class she had this whole PowerPoint on how all the gods are related and stuff and it was just really interesting to me.
SB: Do you have a favorite story/figure?
CM: Not really, but the story of Nike is really interesting. Everyone knows Nike the brand, but I didn't really know where it came from until a couple of years ago.
SB: You just wrapped up your first round of college finals. What was that like?
CM: I took my first final in Political Science 130 and it didn't really go too well (laughs) and then I had another one in this introduction to dance class. There was no dancing involved (laughs). It was just dance history and learning who started each type of dance. I also took a television symposium class and it was really interesting. And the last one I took was law history and culture.
SB: What's been the biggest difference about being in college?
CM: There are just a lot of people, a lot of different people, at this school. I'm not used to having this many people around and I just find everyone to be really interesting.
SB: I'm sure you've always stood out a little because you're tall, but do you ever get that on campus here, being a new kid? Do people just assume you're an athlete?
CM: Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone does but no one comes up and asks me. But when I was in high school, everybody every day would tell me 'Oh, you're so tall!' And these are people I literally went to school with for four years and saw every day. But here, I think people just look at me and think, 'Oh, it's a tall person.'
SB: You and fellow freshman Bennie Boatwright are really close, right? How did that friendship begin?
CM: It started before we got to USC. When I committed I started talking to him about how we'd be a really good combination here. We do a lot together. Our rooms are right across from each other and there's a living room in between and we'll just leave our doors open and play the same video games together one room apart. We listen to music, watch TV, a lot of Rush Hour. That's our favorite movie.
SB: The one with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker?
CM: Yep.
SB: That is both of your guys' favorite movie? Even before you were friends?
CM: Yeah, it was pretty weird. Actually that was one of the first things we realized. I was like, 'Oh have you seen Rush Hour?' and he said, 'Yeah!' We've probably watched it 100 times. That's really the one. I think that's the funniest movie of all time. Sometimes we just say random lines from the movie, it's pretty funny. We can quote most of it I think.
Name: Chimezie MetuSport: Men's Basketball
Year: Freshman
Major: Political Science
Sarah Bergstrom (SB): One of the things I heard about you and your decision to come to USC was that academics played a big role. Why was that something that was so important to you and what was it about USC that stood out?
Chimezie Metu (CM): Yeah, it was very important because I want to be prepared for life after basketball. I also wanted to have an opportunity outside of basketball to do something for myself while in college.
SB: Do you know what you might want to do that far down the line? Or did you just recognize that USC would give you an opportunity to do something?
CM: Right now, I really want to be a lawyer. I'm in Dornsife right now and I just finished my first law class for political science. I really felt like there was a lot more stuff to do here at school that interested me. Like, for example, I'm really into Greek mythology and I know there are a lot of alternative classes like that here that might seem weird to some, but are really interesting to people like me.
SB: How did you get into Greek mythology?
CM: My senior year in high school, my teacher was really into it and she would always bring up stories and explain how they related to stuff that is happening now. And I was always so wowed by it. Towards the end of the class she had this whole PowerPoint on how all the gods are related and stuff and it was just really interesting to me.
SB: Do you have a favorite story/figure?
CM: Not really, but the story of Nike is really interesting. Everyone knows Nike the brand, but I didn't really know where it came from until a couple of years ago.
SB: You just wrapped up your first round of college finals. What was that like?
CM: I took my first final in Political Science 130 and it didn't really go too well (laughs) and then I had another one in this introduction to dance class. There was no dancing involved (laughs). It was just dance history and learning who started each type of dance. I also took a television symposium class and it was really interesting. And the last one I took was law history and culture.
SB: What's been the biggest difference about being in college?
CM: There are just a lot of people, a lot of different people, at this school. I'm not used to having this many people around and I just find everyone to be really interesting.
SB: I'm sure you've always stood out a little because you're tall, but do you ever get that on campus here, being a new kid? Do people just assume you're an athlete?
CM: Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone does but no one comes up and asks me. But when I was in high school, everybody every day would tell me 'Oh, you're so tall!' And these are people I literally went to school with for four years and saw every day. But here, I think people just look at me and think, 'Oh, it's a tall person.'
SB: You and fellow freshman Bennie Boatwright are really close, right? How did that friendship begin?
CM: It started before we got to USC. When I committed I started talking to him about how we'd be a really good combination here. We do a lot together. Our rooms are right across from each other and there's a living room in between and we'll just leave our doors open and play the same video games together one room apart. We listen to music, watch TV, a lot of Rush Hour. That's our favorite movie.
SB: The one with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker?
CM: Yep.
SB: That is both of your guys' favorite movie? Even before you were friends?
CM: Yeah, it was pretty weird. Actually that was one of the first things we realized. I was like, 'Oh have you seen Rush Hour?' and he said, 'Yeah!' We've probably watched it 100 times. That's really the one. I think that's the funniest movie of all time. Sometimes we just say random lines from the movie, it's pretty funny. We can quote most of it I think.
SB: Getting to the basketball side of things... It's early, but how have you felt through the first portion of this season?
CM: It's been really fun. Last year they struggled a lot, and I feel like this year everyone is tired of losing. Everyone is willing to give something up to win games. From the coaching staff to the players, everyone is just really having fun.
SB: What are some of the things the older guys on your team have taught you and Bennie along the way?
CM: On the court they've been giving us pointers about what guys in college like to do. They're giving us information on where to be and the little things about some of the opponents we face or the way older guys might play certain situations. Bennie and I aren't as physically developed as some of the guys who have been at this level for a couple of years so it's been really helpful to learn those things. It's been really fun.
SB: What has it been like adapting to the change of pace of college ball?
CM: In high school, you can kind of coast through a couple plays. You always knew the ball was going to come back to you, you can kind of walk to your spots and decide where you want the ball. But in college there's an offense that you really have to run through. Coach has this thing that if you break the play you have to make the play. So if I have it and instead of running the play I choose to go score, I better score. It's just a lot different.
SB: Is it weird going from high school, where I am assuming you were the best player, to college where you might be one of the best, but you are on the court with nine other great players?
CM: Yeah, it's an adjustment but you've just got to get in and work every day so you can get back to actually being the best player on the court.
SB: Who are the players you look at in the league and try and model your game after?
CM: I watch a lot of people. I just like watching basketball in general. If I see something I like then I try and work that into what I do. I like to watch Paul Millsap, Porzingis, the normal ones like Kevin Durant and LeBron - I really like their demeanor on the court and their moves.
SB: If I talk to you a year from now, what do you want to be able to say you developed most in your game, whether it be a physical or mental skill?
CM: I would say just bringing it every day and being able to say that I really got better over the course of the year. I don't want to be like, 'Oh I should have done this or done that...' I just want to be able to say that I've improved.
CM: It's been really fun. Last year they struggled a lot, and I feel like this year everyone is tired of losing. Everyone is willing to give something up to win games. From the coaching staff to the players, everyone is just really having fun.
SB: What are some of the things the older guys on your team have taught you and Bennie along the way?
CM: On the court they've been giving us pointers about what guys in college like to do. They're giving us information on where to be and the little things about some of the opponents we face or the way older guys might play certain situations. Bennie and I aren't as physically developed as some of the guys who have been at this level for a couple of years so it's been really helpful to learn those things. It's been really fun.
SB: What has it been like adapting to the change of pace of college ball?
CM: In high school, you can kind of coast through a couple plays. You always knew the ball was going to come back to you, you can kind of walk to your spots and decide where you want the ball. But in college there's an offense that you really have to run through. Coach has this thing that if you break the play you have to make the play. So if I have it and instead of running the play I choose to go score, I better score. It's just a lot different.
SB: Is it weird going from high school, where I am assuming you were the best player, to college where you might be one of the best, but you are on the court with nine other great players?
CM: Yeah, it's an adjustment but you've just got to get in and work every day so you can get back to actually being the best player on the court.
SB: Who are the players you look at in the league and try and model your game after?
CM: I watch a lot of people. I just like watching basketball in general. If I see something I like then I try and work that into what I do. I like to watch Paul Millsap, Porzingis, the normal ones like Kevin Durant and LeBron - I really like their demeanor on the court and their moves.
SB: If I talk to you a year from now, what do you want to be able to say you developed most in your game, whether it be a physical or mental skill?
CM: I would say just bringing it every day and being able to say that I really got better over the course of the year. I don't want to be like, 'Oh I should have done this or done that...' I just want to be able to say that I've improved.
