Meet freshman forward Isaiah Thomas. A native of Oakland, Calif., Thomas attended Bishop O'Dowd High School. His team won the CIF Open Division Boys State Championship, earning the school's first state championship in nearly three decades.

Q: Why NAU?

A: I chose NAU because the coaching staff was very welcoming to me. I felt as if I was a part of the team right when I stepped on campus. To add on, the campus was beautiful.

Q: When did you get started playing basketball?

A: I started playing basketball when I was about seven or eight years old. Ball has always been my life.

Q: What's your major? Why did you choose it?

A: As of now, I am still undeclared for a major, but I will most likely choose communications. I want to learn how to talk to different people, and with a communication major, I can basically do anything out of it.

Q: Playing basketball takes physical and mental toughness. How do you keep a solid ground?

A: It is not hard for me to keep a solid ground to be honest. I love the game of basketball, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to play at this level. Every time I'm at a workout, or anything to do with basketball, I try my hardest.

Q: What's the best thing about playing basketball?

A: The best thing about playing basketball is getting to travel all of the places it takes you. The farthest I have been to play basketball is Hawaii, and that was probably the best trip I've taken in my life.

Q: What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

A: The best advice that I have ever gotten has come from my Mom. She told me not to listen to what other people tell me, and just to do what I have to do. This may seem simple, but this advice has taken me a long way.

Q: How do you spend time away from basketball?

A: Away from basketball, I mostly like to hang out with friends and play 2k. My most favorite thing to do away from basketball is sleep, because I rarely get enough sleep.

Q: What's the biggest difference between high school and college?

A: The biggest difference for me between high school and college is the freedom. In college, you can make a lot more decisions on your own. In high school, basically all the decisions were made for you, everything was required. College is a lot freer, and the way that you choose to do things is mainly up to you.