Entering his senior year at Cincinnati Sean Kilpatrick is looking to lead his Bearcats in an inaugural conference year. Leaving the Big East for the America 12 conference will be a daunting task and all eyes will be on the guard from Yonkers.
Kilpatrick chops it up with The Source about playing for Team USA, the Big East and America 12, plus his relationships with Jadakiss and Stalley.
You are about to enter your senior year at Cincinnati, what has your experience been like up until this point?
It’s been amazing actually. Just to see myself grow up and play here at Cincinnati. I never thought in a million years before I got here that I would be able to play at a big time university like this. And just being able to come out here and excel in the whole basketball environment and excel in the classroom as well has just been a crazy journey. I never thought I could get this far in my life but God has put me on that path where I can actually put myself in better positions and make things easier for myself and that’s what I have done since I been here.
This summer you played for Team USA at the University Games, what was it like to represent your country on the basketball court?
It was amazing especially playing different guys, different collegiate guys from different schools with the USA team; just being able to unite as one to go over there and play against the other guys overseas. It was an experience that I will never forget. Going over to Russia, taking the flights and just being able to sit down and say I’m in Russia. It’s something I basically strive for everyday so it was just amazing. I really just want to thank the USA basketball organization for giving the opportunity and chance to do that.
You got a new conference this year since the Big East disbanded, how do you feel about being in the America 12?
This is something that will be new to all of us and it’s still a great conference with all of us: Cincinnati, Louisville, and Connecticut. Being able to play against those guys that you previously played against. This is going on my 4th year in the Big East and now I’m in a different conference and doing this, it’s amazing. It will be great to play against Memphis and the other schools that are in our conference but I’m just more interested in my team and just getting my team ready. We know how important this season is and we know there are a lot of great teams out there but we just got to focus on us.
What are you going to miss most about playing in the Big East tournament and Madison Square Garden?
Just playing in the garden (MSG), being able to have my mom just drive 30 minutes from her house to come and see me play. It’s going to be hard because I heard our new conference tournament is in Memphis now or something like that. Just having that type of environment around you in New York. It’s an experience that no one wants to miss and that something I’m going to miss. You’re playing against the best competition in the world in the Big East in the best arena. Its mind-boggling that were aren’t going to play in there but it happens.
What’s your favorite Big East moment whether it is as a player or maybe a moment you watched growing up?
I think my favorite Big East moment would be Syracuse (2012) actually. I mean we were the underdogs and no one thought we were going to beat them. We were just watching ESPN the night before and everyone was just really counting us out. That we weren’t going to be able to pull a win off. Everyone was real pumped up for the game and then when that game showed up the next day the lights were on. Everyone was really focused and ready to play and everyone played a significant role in that game. It’s something I will never forget in the Big East.
You have a relationship with Stalley and Jadakiss, how did those come about?
Well Jadakiss, him and me live down the street from each other. My mom actually grew up with him; he knew me since a kid in Pampers. That relationship just kept growing over the years especially with us not being that far from each other. We live down the street from each other but it was one of those relationships where we knew each other before the streets.
I actually met Stalley when he was in Cincinnati, Ohio my sophomore year. Ever since then it has been crazy. I was one of the up and coming guys playing here at Cincinnati and I was one of the hot guys at that moment. Me and him, we met each other at a concert that he had here. We exchanged numbers and we have been like brothers ever since, my older brother. He has really sat there and guided me through this whole situation especially having high expectations for yourself and being an icon in this whole collegiate thing because he played basketball as well.
It’s been amazing especially with those two guys and having those two guys in your corner. Knowing that they’re rooting for you and you’re actually somebody in their lives.
Do you have a top 5 songs from either Jadakiss or Stalley?
Jadakiss I’d say Can’t Stop Me, By The Bar, Nightmares and Migraines, Lil Bro, and my last one is Child Abuse.
For Stalley it’s Slapp, Pound, BCGMMG Remix, Swangin’ and Sampson.
