Standing 6 feet, 4 inches, Billy Parrish is hard to miss when he is walking around campus. Staff Reporter Richard Morse had a chance to sit down with the senior forward this week to discuss the Barack Obama inauguration, basketball memories, and his final year here at Eastern, and helping the new recruits along, saying “It’s nice to get knowledge out and see that you’re helping people.”

What’s it like to be the lone senior this year?

It’s different, last year I was a junior with a bunch of seniors, and the year before that I was young too. It’s different because I know a lot more than they do, its like I can give them stuff. A guy like Josh Gomes, when he played here, he was that to me, he was the guy I see myself becoming more and more like him. He was they guy saying “You need to do this, it’ll be easier.” Pointing stuff out. And I do that a lot with these guys, they’re receptive, and they want to get better. That’s a big help, but being the only senior, it’s nice to get knowledge out and see that your helping people.

Who has been the most influential person on your athletic career?

Probably my dad, he’s been everywhere, my dad and actually my mom too. They go to all the games. Whenever I’m having problems, they’re always right there. They’ve been through all the ups and downs with me.

How does it feel to be the last recruit of Rick Samuels?

Good, I mean, Rick was a really cool guy. I really enjoyed him, I really liked the school, ya know. He sold me on it, coach Samuels was a really cool guy.

What is your most vivid basketball memory?

My most vivid is playing in high school at home at the YMCA right up the street. Me and my friends, we used to go up there and just be up there all day. And it was something we did religiously everyday all day. We’d go to the gym and just work out or play, playing with the old guys. It’s probably the most vivid thing in my head.

What was the Nike Peach Jam like?

It was just a huge deal. I look back now and it’s bigger. Back then I played on an AAU team with a bunch of guys, people that when I say their names and people don’t believe me, like ‘man you played with (Duke’s) Jon Scheyer or (Kansas’s) Julian Wright or Josh Tabb from Tennessee.’ We had a great, great team, back then everyone was just basketball players and we all wanted to play ball. It wasn’t a big thing. To me it was a big thing because we got to play against a whole bunch of different kinds of big name people. It was big to me. The Peach Jam is the Peach jam, when you play the Nike circuit that was it. I played on such an elite team it just made me realize ‘I’m real good at this, I can hang up here with these guys.’

How different has this year been, playing without friend and high school/college teammate Bobby Catchings?

It’s been different. It’s different because Bobby and I have been friends for a long time. It’s a different feeling, it’s good though, ya know I learned a lot of stuff from Bobby. He’s a great player. I miss him. But I kinda want to take my senior year and do something with it.

Do you have any superstitions or rituals for game day?

Not really, not specifically. I always like to take a nap, but I take a nap every day, so I don’t know if that’s a ritual.

What was the deciding factor in choosing Eastern?

Probably just how close, and far away from home it was. It wasn’t too far, just far enough away that my mom wouldn’t ride down to pop up and say ‘Hey, how you doin’, but it was close enough that I could get home when I needed to, that was probably the deciding factor. And like I said I love the campus, everyone I know is here.

What is your favorite basketball movie?

Above the Rim.

Is there any significance in the number 12?

People don’t know this, my cousin is Ricky Davis, and he used to wear 12, I don’t know if he’s really wearing 12 that much anymore, but he had it on when he was at (the Boston Celtics), so I wore it. And I like the number, it makes me feel like a big guard.

Are there any nicknames the team has for you?

Not really, they call me a lot of names, but I don’t know if they’re nicknames.

Did you get a chance to watch the inauguration? What are your feelings on it?

I didn’t get a chance to watch it. I had to catch some film on the Murray State game. I saw pieces of it. My feelings are man it’s just a relief. I was relieved because I was really hoping something bad wouldn’t happen. But then just some of the stuff he said in the speech was just uplifting. It’s a good day to be an American really.

Quick Hits

Breakfast Cereal: Frosted Flakes

Sports Team: The Bulls

Teammate: Dewayne Wright, Jr.

Song: Don’t Speak by No Doubt.

Movie: Step Brothers

TV Show: The Wire

Color: Green

Cartoon Character: Daffy Duck

Super Hero: Spiderman

Richard Morse can be reached at 581-7944 or at rrmorse@eiu.edu.

Senior forward Billy Parrish as he spins a basketball on his fingertips. As the only senior on Eastern’s men’s basketball team, Parrish says it is nice to be able to help out his teammates with the knowledge he has. (Alycia Rockey/The Daily Eastern News)

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