DMV Elite's T'Neisha Turner recently sat down for an interview with Paul VI girls sophomore standout Ariana Freeman.

One on One with Coach T: Paul VI High School's Ariana Freeman

Coach T: You had a standout freshman year last season. What are your expectations going into your sophomore season?

Ariana: My main focus is to improve on my weaknesses from last season and continue to build on my success that I had as a freshman.

Coach T: So what is your biggest fear?

Ariana: My biggest fear is being average, not being able to get better, and just staying normal.

Coach T: What motivates you?

Ariana: My biggest motivation has been my parents, seeing everything they put into me playing basketball. All the driving from practices and games, and seeing all the hard work they put in so that I can be in a situation where I can succeed.



Coach T: Seeing as though you are ranked 15th in the nation for the Class of 2014 by ESPN HOOP GURLZ, what do you think separates you from all of the other athletes?

Ariana: I think what separates me from all of the other athletes in my class is the fact that I am diverse. I don’t think you can find many players that can play both inside and out. I feel like I have a lot that I can put into my game. I can work inside and I can work outside. I just have a lot of tricks up my sleeve.

Coach T: I know some athletes allow all of their accolades get to their head. How are you able to stay humble when receiving all of this attention?

Ariana: I stay humble because I look at the overall picture. I really haven’t done anything. I haven’t made it to college yet. I haven’t made it to that next level, so I just try not to look at it, and brush it off. I try to do what I have to do to continue to get better.

AT A GLANCE: ARIANA FREEMAN
Ranked No. 15 nationally by ESPN
Virginia All-State selection as a freshman
All-tournament selection (Bulldog Bash)
Career-high 30 points against Madison
Art-Turner Memorial Tournament MVP
Averaging 19.8 points per game


Coach T: So what are your future individual goals for these next couple of years?

Ariana: My future goals include trying to improve my ranking. I am ranked 15th , which is nowhere near number one. So I would like to boost that up. I would like to break some of the records at Paul VI High School, so I can leave my name in the record book at the school, when I am done.

Coach T: When people mention Ariana Freeman, what do you want them to remember most about you?

Ariana: I want people to remember how hard I played. A lot of players are very skilled but not a lot of skilled players work hard. It’s hard to put both together. So I want them to remember how hard I played.

Coach T: Use three words to describe yourself.

Ariana: Athletic, passionate, and driven.

“Good, better, best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is the best.” –Tim Duncan


T'Neisha Turner is the Girls Events Director for DMV Elite. She coaches for the Alana Beard's Future AAU Club, and is an assistant varsity girls coach at Annapolis High School. Contact her at tturner@dmvelite.com, (240-601-6025 or on Twitter @DMVeliteCoachT. Follow DMV Elite on Facebook!

Photo: Ariana Freeman in her team's 59-53 win at Archbishop Carroll on Jan. 6. (Photo by Marcus Helton, DMV Elite).