Court's in Session with... J.R. Cadot
10/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 6, 2010
GoFrogs.com
How have workouts been so far?
Cadot
"I think it's going good. It's just been completely different then anything that I am used to. We never had workouts here like we did in junior college so it's been an adjustment for me. I think that I have really improved a lot and gotten stronger. It's definitely a lot more structured then I am used to."
GoFrogs.com
What has been the hardest adjustment for you from workouts in junior college?
Cadot
"It's nothing in one particular area, but I think I just needed to change my entire work habit. I'm working really hard now. I'm working harder than I ever have in the weight room and during individual workouts. I think that you see everybody pushing one another, and it changes your mindset because you know that you have to be at your best or somebody is going to pass you."
"Also, individual workouts are completely different then what I have been used to because Coach Christian is right there with you the entire time. You have to be focused and know that when you are on the court with him that your mind has to be sharp because he doesn't miss anything."
GoFrogs.com
How do you think your progression has come in a short period of time?
Cadot
"I'm happy right now. I think that I started off really good, but I think that I lost some focus during the middle part of workouts. I think that I wasn't playing as well as I knew that I could, and I felt sorry for myself and began to doubt myself. I think my confidence has really increased over the last few practices. I have a lot of confidence right now."
GoFrogs.com
What area do you think is your biggest strength, and where do you see needing the most improvement?
Cadot
"I think that my shooting is one area that I really need to improve. I just haven't been too consistent with my jump shot so I have been working really hard on that. I feel like that's the one area that I really need to improve on so I can become the type of player that I want to be. My biggest strength would probably be my rebounding because I can jump really high and love being physical. I think that rebounding and playing defense are my two biggest strengths."
GoFrogs.com
How has Fort Worth treated you compared to Sheridan, Wyoming?
Cadot
"It is definitely different because there's more to do. There is more people that you can socialize with and more places that you can go. There is always something that can keep you busy. I couldn't do that in Sheridan because it's so small, and there's not much to do. All we did in Sheridan was play basketball, do some school work and maybe go to the movies, and that's about it."
GoFrogs.com
What brought you to TCU?
Cadot
"I wanted to be a part of a change, and a part of what Coach Christian is trying to accomplish. I never knew too much about TCU before I started to talk with Coach Christian, and that's when I looked into it. I have a friend who went to TCU from the Bahamas so I heard some things about TCU growing up."
"I didn't look too much into it until Coach Christian and Coach Haut contacted me. They were interested in me, and that's when I took an interest in TCU and began to see what this place was all about and had to offer. I started building a relationship with Coach Christian and Coach Haut, and they kept telling me about their plans to change the program and how I could be a part of it. I wanted to be a part of that change."
GoFrogs.com
How have the academics been going for you?
Cadot
"It has been a little challenging. It's more work than I'm used to doing, and you need to keep up with it. You could slide by at my junior college, but here you can't slide because you need to be on top of everything. If not then you really fall behind in your classes, and that's not a good thing."
GoFrogs.com
Was growing up in the Bahamas the same as you would see in the movies with the blue skies and crystal clear water?
Cadot
"It's really different than people believe it is. It has the blue sky and clear water, and all that stuff that people see in movies. There's also a different part, and that's the part that I came from where tourists never really see. Growing up in that area really made me appreciate stuff. It gave me a mindset that no matter what situation came up, I knew how to handle it the right way."
"One thing that I really learned was how to appreciate what you have and who you are with. I would never take anything for granted, and I also appreciate all that I have. I'm a person who always wants to help people, and growing up in the Bahamas in ways made me the person that I am today. I'm really grateful for my life, and if I could go back and do it all over, I would not change a thing."
GoFrogs.com
Is basketball the number one sport in the Bahamas?
Cadot
"No, it's actually track and field, but basketball has been growing every year. I didn't get involved with basketball until I was in the ninth grade. I picked up the ball one day, went onto the court and just fell in love with it. I was small at the time, but I was on the court every day that summer. I kept working and working on different parts of my game, and I started thinking that maybe I could make this work. I started to take it more seriously and went about practicing everyday."
GoFrogs.com
How did you get to Sheridan, Wyoming, from the Bahamas?
Cadot
"The Sheridan coach at the time called and signed me. He ended up getting a new job that summer and told me that I could leave Sheridan and go to the school that he was going to. I decided to stay at Sheridan and give it a chance for a year or so. The new coach was really a good guy, and Sheridan began to feel like home for two years."
GoFrogs.com
How was the first winter?
Cadot
"It was crazy. I've never experienced so much snow and crazy weather in my life. I'm from the Bahamas where it's not like that at all."
GoFrogs.com
In your two years at Sheridan, how did you see yourself progress as a player?
Cadot
"I think that my first year, I made too many mistakes on the court, and I just started to learn how to slow down. I think that I really matured going from my first to second year because I realized that I wanted to be great more than anything. I began to set goals for myself that I wanted to accomplish, and I worked hard to achieve every goal that I set for myself. My second year, I really wanted to become more of a leader because I think that I was more mature and learned so much from my first year. I grew up a lot during those two years."
GoFrogs.com
What are your expectations this season?
Cadot
"We want to win and turn this program around. We all feel like we are in a position where we can change the history of a program, and we are all working hard towards that goal. We can become the team that begins a great tradition of basketball, and that's exciting. I'm happy to be in that situation, and it not only pushes you as a player, it's the ultimate goal. Not too many people can say that they played a big role in turning around an entire program, and that's what I want to do."
TCU Athletics Media Relations
