1.   With the exception of your recent right knee injury, had you ever been injured before throughout your playing career? "I have not. In high school I sprained my ankle. I missed maybe a practice or two it was nothing too severe. Injury was definitely new to me. So no I've never been injured before."

2.   What was your initial thought when you went down in the game at Cleveland State on Jan. 8? "I think I went into shock; my whole leg was in excruciating pain. The second I hit the ground I couldn't really tell where the pain was coming from or how I got hit. I remember knowing it was bad but I didn't think it would be as bad as it was just because I was lucky to never have been injured before. I was just trying to tell myself the best and that I would be able to go back in and it wasn't going to be a big deal."

3.   What was your rehab process like? "The rehab process actually starts pretty early just because ligament heals better in motion than it does resting. It was maybe a day and a half that I didn't do anything and I was walking with a limp and icing. But very soon we started doing mobility things and trying to keep my strength in my hip because I wasn't walking normal. My hip couldn't get weak otherwise it would be hard to walk and run when I was ready to. We did leg raises and ankle raises just to keep my body remembering how to walk. We also used this laser machine just to break things up while ultrasound was used for the healing process on the inside. "

"Every day we did a little more. Bending and doing leg extensions while trying to get my knee bent as far as I could is a lot harder than I thought it would be and a lot harder than it looks. Then eventually we did lifting machines, stuff to practice walking again and then my strength was back within a week almost to 100% percent. "

4.   Did you confide in Heather (Golden) at all for advice or did she offer up any advice when you got injured? "I don't think we ever really talked about it just because I didn't really want to talk about it I liked to pretend I wasn't hurt. But she was definitely present there in the training room when I was working with Dusty. I would see her at least once a day and would sit with her on the bench. We became closer just because I knew she experienced what I was going through."

 "I'll never forget when I first got back in the game she was the one cheering the most and smiling the most for me. As soon as I got subbed in I heard her say 'Yeah Adrian' and smiling pretty big so I knew she was really happy for me."

5.   You've been back to live game action now for three games, how does your knee feel compared to before you sprained your MCL? "As soon as I get out there I try not to think about it, but it does take longer just to get warmed up. It's a little stiff but I really try to take the mental approach to play the same way. My heart and my body are telling me two different things so sometimes I do have to realize, especially at first, that I can't just jump in and be sprinting everywhere and be the same person that I was before. It's a process and that was definitely the hardest part, realizing that I'm not the same player."

6.   Are you back to 100%? "I think mentally I am but I can't say right feels like my other leg if I'm being totally honest. In our most recent game, at Loyola, I felt the best I've felt so far. It didn't take me as long to get into the flow, I was sprinting and wasn't over thinking things or afraid to dive on the floor. I think I'm as close to anything as 100%."

7.   What do you need to do to get to 100%? "It's just mental. I think your body can hurt as much as it wants but as long as you're tough mentally, it's not going to matter. You're going to play hard because when you're out on the floor it's still basketball, it's still the same thing. It's like riding a bike, you get out there and you still remember how to do everything. It's just telling your body that it's ok, you're not hurt anymore, you don't have to be afraid of getting reinjured. Just play how you always play."

8.   Are you conscious of "hurting" your knee again since you've been back to the playing floor? "I think the first game I was just because I hadn't run or sprinted yet. I think I'm meeting my goal every game. I don't worry about it much and just realize that I'm out there because I'm ready and I wouldn't be out there if I wasn't ready or my knee couldn't handle it. I just need to tell myself that I'm not hurt anymore and it's completely capable of playing."

9.   What have you learned throughout your injury? "I've learned that you have to take every game, every practice as an opportunity to soak it all in and play basketball. At any second you can be out for four weeks and it can change your whole season and your whole career. The part that scared me the most was worrying that I couldn't play with Celeste and Kayla again. I've learned to appreciate the team more (not that I hadn't before) and appreciating our seniors and using every practice to my advantage. It's an opportunity and it's a privilege and at any second you could be set back. "

10.  What's been the most challenging thing for you dealing with the injury? "I think mentally just staying focused and believing in myself, knowing that my knee injury isn't going to change my game. I'm not going to miss more shots and I'm not going to play any less hard. I'm still the player I was before and I'm not going to let a small knee injury change me."