2K Sports Preseason All-American Team: Joshua Hairston
Words. Jason Jordan
Photo. fredericksburg.com
Fresh off of a strong showing at the Tournament of Champions with DC Assault, Joshua Hairston, a 6-8 forward who hails from Courtland High School (Va.), must now prepare to take on the world in the World Basketball Tournament in Douai, France from June 8-15. Hairston, one of the nation’s best high school talents, will be part of the 2K Sports All-Star Team that battles squads from Australia, Spain, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, France, Canada, and Croatia the second week of June. [Editor's note: We will be covering the whole tourney right here on highschoolhoop.com, complete with video of the team's trip.]
Hairston, a Duke commit who checks in at No. 35 on the HighSchoolHoop top 50, chatted with us about everything from his grueling schedule to why basketball isn’t the only thing he’s looking forward to in France.
HighSchoolHoop: You put in work at the Tournament of Champions last weekend, talk about that.
Josh Hairston: That’s one of the tournaments that I’ve done well at for the past two years. I had prepared myself for it all week long. My team didn’t finish out as well as I would’ve liked, but overall I was happy about not only the way I played but our team did show some strong points.
HSH: How did you prepare for the TOC?
JH: I got on the shooting machine at my school. I work out with my dad and my trainer. Even when I couldn’t get gym time I would go to my sister’s practices and get some shots up.
HSH: You played at Duke on the first night. How was it playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium as a future Blue Devil?
JH: Well, it was my second time playing there, but my first as an actual recruit. Just to be able to play in a gym that you’re gonna call home for four years was crazy. I really enjoyed myself. I told my parents I had good nerves. Just knowing that was my court. It was a little overwhelming, but all in all it felt great playing out there.
HSH: You play with Tyler Thornton, another Duke commit. Are you guys building chemistry?
JH: I tell people all the time, I feel a whole lot better when he’s on the floor with me. He’s one of those point guards who will pull the team together if we’re down and tell us to keep playing together. He’s a true floor general and defense comes first in his mind. I think that’s what really elevates us out there.
HSH: A lot of people dub Duke’s 2010 class as the class to bring them back to truly being title contenders every year. How much pressure is that on you being a part of it?
JH: I could see why people say that because we’ve got me, Tyler and Andre (Dawkins). Then we’ve got Harrison (Barnes) very high on Duke’s list. Then you’ve got guys like Kyrie Irving jumping in the mix and guys like Josh Smith. If we get all the potential targets that we want I do feel like we could be a very special class. All we can do is hope that the next three guys make the decision to come to Duke. But yeah it comes with a lot of pressure; we’ve just got to play through it.
HSH: You play at Courtland where people say the competition isn’t as stiff as some of the prep schools you’ve had the chance to go to. What do you say to people who say you put up numbers because you don’t play anybody?
JH: I hear that a lot. Ever since my freshman year when I came in I’ve heard that. They say I’m overrated, especially here in my own area. I hear that a lot in the stands. But then I’ll go on the AAU circuit and play higher ranked players and do the same thing I do in Courtland. So I honestly don’t pay much attention to that. My school is nothing like Oak Hill or Findlay Prep or anything like that, but I feel like my coach has developed me a great deal since I’ve been here, and I’m very thankful for that.
HSH: Who are you really hoping to matchup against on the circuit this summer?
JH: You know he’s probably gonna laugh when he sees this, but I’d have to say Tristan Thompson. I saw him this weekend and I haven’t played against him since last year. He’s a hilarious teammate and when you play against him it’s almost the same way. But I think he’s one of the best in our class.
HSH: You’re headed to France to play in the World Basketball Tournament in Douai, France…
JH: Yeah 2K Sports is sponsoring us I believe. It will be a great experience for all of us. This is something I’m really looking forward to. I’ve talked to Jared Sullinger and Jordan McRae about it, and we’re all excited to go. I think it will be a great experience to play against guys from all over the world.
HSH: What are your preconceived notions heading into competition in another country?
JH: I know that they’re supposed to be more fundamentally sound over there. I know that the rules are different too. I personally don’t feel like we’re better than them, and I don’t feel like they’re better than us. We all have our own styles of play. I just want to go over there and learn how they play it over there. I’m excited!
HSH: Aside from basketball, what are you looking forward to on the trip?
JH: I’ve never been to France and nobody in my family has ever stepped out of the country so I told my parents I’m bringing the camera. I’m gonna seize the moment. I’m gonna try some French cuisine over there and everything. It should be a lot of fun. I talked to Jared (Sullinger) last night about it and what we’ll do. When we get back we’ll have just two days to rest then we’re headed off to NBA Camp at UVA. It never stops, but it’s a lot of fun.
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You heard it from Hairston himself, “it felt great playing out there.” Blue Devil in the making…