University of Minnesota Athletics
Senior Salute; Minnesota's Four Seniors Sound Off
3/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
What does it feel like being a role model, not only to the fans and young kids, but also to your teammates?
KF: A role model is a person that people look up to. I always wanted to be a role model when I was little. They motivate people to do the right thing, and give people someone to look up to. It's really a good feeling.
DR: We play at the only Division I university in Minnesota, and it's just a privilege to play for fans, family and alumni. I don't know if I can speak for the rest of these guys, but I feel proud to be in this situation as a role model where people look up to me as an athlete.
JL: Being a role model is a great feeling especially in your hometown where all the younger kids look up to you and want to be like you. It makes you feel good inside and you just want to set a good example for them.
TB: Being a role model is sort of like a gift. Being from Mississippi, I think it shows the kids from my area that they can expand and be a part of bigger things in other places. It gives people the opportunity to fulfill their dreams through you.
You each made your way to the University of Minnesota on different paths, and you will each leave in your own unique ways as well. How do you want to be remembered after you graduate?
KF: I want to be remembered as a winner, first and foremost. I really want to be remembered as a respectable person and great guy.
DR: I've been here through the thick-and-thin and I just want to be remembered as the guy who stuck with it even through the bad years. I hope people see me as someone who fought out the bad years and helped jump-start the good years. If fans remember me as a good person off the court, a hard worker and a guy people enjoyed watching on the court, then I would be happy, because I've always given it my all.
JL: I hope my teammates respect me as a person. I want them to respect what I do, what I've done on and off the court. I want to be known as someone who had a great deal of respect for the coaches and was always willing to work hard.
TB: I want to be remembered as a hard worker on and off the court. I hope people know that I'm one of those nice guys, but always give it my all on the court. Even through all the yelling I do on the court, I'm still a nice guy. Also, like everyone else you want to be remembered as a winner that helped get the program going again.
Are you going to leave your teammates any mementos or words of wisdom, something they can remember you by?
DR: I'm going to name off some people. "Don't cheat yourself" to Randy Chall, and that goes in the classroom, on the court and in the weight room. To MaBoy, I'm going to leave my MarioCart experience and my expertise of shooting pool and beating him every day.
TB: I want to speak for all of us. I don't think there is anything we can actually leave them except the good memories and fun times we have had. We've all been through the hard and good times together and those are the things we'll always remember. Also, I want to leave Chall the memory of rattling him in practice everyday.
What is one of the things you will miss the most about Williams Arena?
TB: Basically, the fans and the fan support.
KF: One thing I'll miss is the warmth of the crowd, and how the crowd is with us every step of the way.
JL: That goes the same for me too. The fans are Williams.
DR: They covered it - it's the fans!
Is there any one game that stands out in your Golden Gopher career?
KF: Last year against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, I scored my career high 31 points. That game is really the only one that stands out.
DR: I have a couple. The first is the Gonzaga game during the NCAA tournament in 1999, when the scandal had broken out. The other three have been the unfortunate losses of my teammates over the past couple seasons. The two games where we lost J.B. Bickerstaff at the end of the season. He was such a hard worker that losing him that way was really hard. And, Mike Bauer last year against Purdue, when he broke his forearm, which was really tough. Those were the four toughest games of my life and they'll stick out until I go to the grave.
TB: Last year at Northwestern, when J.B. [Bickerstaff] broke his leg. All the thoughts going through my mind of how hard he worked and seeing him wheeled off the court. He wanted us to win that game even though he was in so much pain. I came in and had a pretty good game but all through that game, he was in my mind.
JL: The Maryland-Eastern Shore game this year, when I got the most time of my career. I got to be in the game with some of the regular players, so I got a better feel of what was going on and what it takes to compete. Also, the two games against Penn State this year and last year. When we blew them out last year and I scored my career-high five points.
What is your favorite memory of a coach?
TB: I'm not going to take a Minnesota coach because my best memory is with my junior college coach. He walked off the court and sat in the bleachers because he wanted to see what the fans saw. He was very disappointed with us and just wanted us to know how upset he was. That is by far my best coach memory.
DR: My first year here with Coach Prevost, we had a manager named Al Slindee. Coach Prevost played one-on-one with Al Slindee in front of a crowd of about 20 people including some cameras and Sid Hartman. Coach Prevost got it handed to him by Al Slindee. That was one of my better coaching experiences.
KF: My favorite is the whole last year when Coach Prevost had a lot of pressure put on him. All the other coaches put a lot of pressure on him when he was doing drills with us. He was just a really nervous little guy all last year.
JL: My favorite thing about the coaches is my relationship with Coach Prevost and Coach Couch. I feel that we understand each other well, joke around and just get along real well. We're serious when we need to be, but can joke around quite a bit.
If there was a one-on-one tournament between the four of you, who would win? You can't choose yourself.
DR: Lorang has a good shot because he's not cheap and doesn't try to cheat himself. Bennett would have court rage and slap the heck out of your hands and not get a foul. Kerwin will push you in the back; you go up for a lay-up and Fleming will have you in the bleachers. If you come away with no broken legs or no injuries or anything like that you'll win. Lorang and I will be hurting because we'll be in the bleachers with broken ankles or something. So, it would be whoever survives the battle between Kerwin and Bennett, which would be fun to watch.
TB: Justin's got a good shot, Dusty's really crafty and Kerwin has the city thing with the shaky cross-over. But, it would really be a tough game.
JL: I pick Dusty just because he's more crafty than any of us here. He seems to get the job done in games so he would definitely get the job done and win the tournament. If we were keeping track of fouls, Kerwin would definitely foul out, so I'd win by default if I played him. `T' would be up in my face and slapping at me, so I'd probably lose to him too.
KF: I'll have to go with Travaras with that because he's the best defender on our team. It's hard to play one-on-one with someone like that for a long time before you give in. So, I'd have to go with `T.'
What do you hope to be doing five years from now?
KF: I hope to be playing still somewhere, in some professional league, making good money.
DR: Everyone's dream is to still be playing basketball, but I'm going to be realistic. If the opportunity doesn't allow me to string out my career for another five years, then everyone can come to my restaurant/club called Padoonkadoonks and the Boom Boom Room in the cities here. Maybe I'll run a chain of them, but that's one of my dreams in the next five years, to open a bar or restaurant or club of some type. I want to own some sort of business and be my own boss because I can't handle people bossing me around my whole life. I'd probably go crazy or "Triple Turbo" on them to use Coach Pete's slang. So, I'll be playing or I'll own Padoonkadoonks.
JL: I'll probably be in a high school or elementary school somewhere teaching physical education. Hopefully, I'll be coaching a high school basketball squad and winning a lot of games. Also, I'll probably be married and thinking about having a kid. I don't want one before then but I'll be thinking of having a kid.
DR: Man, are we invited to this wedding?
JL: I just want to be married, have a job I enjoy and be looking forward to a family.
DR: We better be invited to this wedding.
TB: Hopefully, I'm still playing. If I'm not, I hope I'm an assistant coach at a junior college level or a head coach at a high school level. I'd definitely like to be involved in the game in some way.
Take a look at this picture of Dusty from his freshman year (bottom right). What is the first thing that comes to mind?
KF: In this picture, compared to now, Dusty looks like a puny little man that needs to hit the weight room.
DR: No Comment.
JL: He once told me he looked like the Karate Kid. Looking at the picture, he was right. I really like the hair parted down the middle. Yeah, he really looks like the Karate Kid.
TB: He just looks young. He was a little guy.
DR: I was only 188 pounds when I first came here.
TB: Man, they really got to work on you didn't they?
JL: How come they haven't put that much weight on me yet?
KF: Yeah, you were a little guy.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
With the careers of seniors Dusty Rychart, Kerwin Fleming, Travarus Bennett and Justin Lorang winding down, this piece offers a chance for fans learn a little more about the four Golden Gophers that have helped the Minnesota's program return to its status as one of the top in the Big Ten.
What does it feel like being a role model, not only to the fans and young kids, but also to your teammates?
KF: A role model is a person that people look up to. I always wanted to be a role model when I was little. They motivate people to do the right thing, and give people someone to look up to. It's really a good feeling.
DR: We play at the only Division I university in Minnesota, and it's just a privilege to play for fans, family and alumni. I don't know if I can speak for the rest of these guys, but I feel proud to be in this situation as a role model where people look up to me as an athlete.
JL: Being a role model is a great feeling especially in your hometown where all the younger kids look up to you and want to be like you. It makes you feel good inside and you just want to set a good example for them.
TB: Being a role model is sort of like a gift. Being from Mississippi, I think it shows the kids from my area that they can expand and be a part of bigger things in other places. It gives people the opportunity to fulfill their dreams through you.
You each made your way to the University of Minnesota on different paths, and you will each leave in your own unique ways as well. How do you want to be remembered after you graduate?
KF: I want to be remembered as a winner, first and foremost. I really want to be remembered as a respectable person and great guy.
DR: I've been here through the thick-and-thin and I just want to be remembered as the guy who stuck with it even through the bad years. I hope people see me as someone who fought out the bad years and helped jump-start the good years. If fans remember me as a good person off the court, a hard worker and a guy people enjoyed watching on the court, then I would be happy, because I've always given it my all.
JL: I hope my teammates respect me as a person. I want them to respect what I do, what I've done on and off the court. I want to be known as someone who had a great deal of respect for the coaches and was always willing to work hard.
TB: I want to be remembered as a hard worker on and off the court. I hope people know that I'm one of those nice guys, but always give it my all on the court. Even through all the yelling I do on the court, I'm still a nice guy. Also, like everyone else you want to be remembered as a winner that helped get the program going again.
Are you going to leave your teammates any mementos or words of wisdom, something they can remember you by?
DR: I'm going to name off some people. "Don't cheat yourself" to Randy Chall, and that goes in the classroom, on the court and in the weight room. To MaBoy, I'm going to leave my MarioCart experience and my expertise of shooting pool and beating him every day.
TB: I want to speak for all of us. I don't think there is anything we can actually leave them except the good memories and fun times we have had. We've all been through the hard and good times together and those are the things we'll always remember. Also, I want to leave Chall the memory of rattling him in practice everyday.
What is one of the things you will miss the most about Williams Arena?
TB: Basically, the fans and the fan support.
KF: One thing I'll miss is the warmth of the crowd, and how the crowd is with us every step of the way.
JL: That goes the same for me too. The fans are Williams.
DR: They covered it - it's the fans!
Is there any one game that stands out in your Golden Gopher career?
KF: Last year against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, I scored my career high 31 points. That game is really the only one that stands out.
DR: I have a couple. The first is the Gonzaga game during the NCAA tournament in 1999, when the scandal had broken out. The other three have been the unfortunate losses of my teammates over the past couple seasons. The two games where we lost J.B. Bickerstaff at the end of the season. He was such a hard worker that losing him that way was really hard. And, Mike Bauer last year against Purdue, when he broke his forearm, which was really tough. Those were the four toughest games of my life and they'll stick out until I go to the grave.
TB: Last year at Northwestern, when J.B. [Bickerstaff] broke his leg. All the thoughts going through my mind of how hard he worked and seeing him wheeled off the court. He wanted us to win that game even though he was in so much pain. I came in and had a pretty good game but all through that game, he was in my mind.
JL: The Maryland-Eastern Shore game this year, when I got the most time of my career. I got to be in the game with some of the regular players, so I got a better feel of what was going on and what it takes to compete. Also, the two games against Penn State this year and last year. When we blew them out last year and I scored my career-high five points.
What is your favorite memory of a coach?
TB: I'm not going to take a Minnesota coach because my best memory is with my junior college coach. He walked off the court and sat in the bleachers because he wanted to see what the fans saw. He was very disappointed with us and just wanted us to know how upset he was. That is by far my best coach memory.
DR: My first year here with Coach Prevost, we had a manager named Al Slindee. Coach Prevost played one-on-one with Al Slindee in front of a crowd of about 20 people including some cameras and Sid Hartman. Coach Prevost got it handed to him by Al Slindee. That was one of my better coaching experiences.
KF: My favorite is the whole last year when Coach Prevost had a lot of pressure put on him. All the other coaches put a lot of pressure on him when he was doing drills with us. He was just a really nervous little guy all last year.
JL: My favorite thing about the coaches is my relationship with Coach Prevost and Coach Couch. I feel that we understand each other well, joke around and just get along real well. We're serious when we need to be, but can joke around quite a bit.
If there was a one-on-one tournament between the four of you, who would win? You can't choose yourself.
DR: Lorang has a good shot because he's not cheap and doesn't try to cheat himself. Bennett would have court rage and slap the heck out of your hands and not get a foul. Kerwin will push you in the back; you go up for a lay-up and Fleming will have you in the bleachers. If you come away with no broken legs or no injuries or anything like that you'll win. Lorang and I will be hurting because we'll be in the bleachers with broken ankles or something. So, it would be whoever survives the battle between Kerwin and Bennett, which would be fun to watch.
TB: Justin's got a good shot, Dusty's really crafty and Kerwin has the city thing with the shaky cross-over. But, it would really be a tough game.
JL: I pick Dusty just because he's more crafty than any of us here. He seems to get the job done in games so he would definitely get the job done and win the tournament. If we were keeping track of fouls, Kerwin would definitely foul out, so I'd win by default if I played him. `T' would be up in my face and slapping at me, so I'd probably lose to him too.
KF: I'll have to go with Travaras with that because he's the best defender on our team. It's hard to play one-on-one with someone like that for a long time before you give in. So, I'd have to go with `T.'
What do you hope to be doing five years from now?
KF: I hope to be playing still somewhere, in some professional league, making good money.
DR: Everyone's dream is to still be playing basketball, but I'm going to be realistic. If the opportunity doesn't allow me to string out my career for another five years, then everyone can come to my restaurant/club called Padoonkadoonks and the Boom Boom Room in the cities here. Maybe I'll run a chain of them, but that's one of my dreams in the next five years, to open a bar or restaurant or club of some type. I want to own some sort of business and be my own boss because I can't handle people bossing me around my whole life. I'd probably go crazy or "Triple Turbo" on them to use Coach Pete's slang. So, I'll be playing or I'll own Padoonkadoonks.
JL: I'll probably be in a high school or elementary school somewhere teaching physical education. Hopefully, I'll be coaching a high school basketball squad and winning a lot of games. Also, I'll probably be married and thinking about having a kid. I don't want one before then but I'll be thinking of having a kid.
DR: Man, are we invited to this wedding?
JL: I just want to be married, have a job I enjoy and be looking forward to a family.
DR: We better be invited to this wedding.
TB: Hopefully, I'm still playing. If I'm not, I hope I'm an assistant coach at a junior college level or a head coach at a high school level. I'd definitely like to be involved in the game in some way.
Take a look at this picture of Dusty from his freshman year (bottom right). What is the first thing that comes to mind?
KF: In this picture, compared to now, Dusty looks like a puny little man that needs to hit the weight room.
DR: No Comment.
JL: He once told me he looked like the Karate Kid. Looking at the picture, he was right. I really like the hair parted down the middle. Yeah, he really looks like the Karate Kid.
TB: He just looks young. He was a little guy.
DR: I was only 188 pounds when I first came here.
TB: Man, they really got to work on you didn't they?
JL: How come they haven't put that much weight on me yet?
KF: Yeah, you were a little guy.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
