Q and A with Adoum Bang

Hailing from Yaounde, Cameroon, the prince of Eagles’ men’s basketball answers questions about his royal connections, his time as a CSC athlete, and what his future holds.

How long have you played basketball?

I started playing since high school, so as a teenager I was living the dream.

What was your motivation to become a basketball player?

At the time I was growing up so fast, and my friends were playing so I thought why not try something different, so I decided to get involved in basketball.

How does being an athlete bring the best side of you in terms of being a better student? Positives of being an athlete?

I’m just so grateful to be a student athlete. I’ve been lucky to be part of it my whole life. It allows me to grow as a man, discover, learn certain things throughout my whole high school and college life, things I wasn’t aware of. I’m just really thankful.

What is your favorite place to compete?

My favorite place to compete has been The Rock (Chadron State College)

What do you eat the night before a big game?

The night before a big game if we are on the road, we get fed pretty well at a decent restaurant making sure we are all good to go, but if we are home we get fed some Subway or most of the time we eat in the cafeteria.

What position do you play and has that always been your position since high school?

Since high school I’ve been playing forward, and that has always been my position.

How do you find the balance between school and sports?

It’s easy. I try to get school work done early, and the rest of the day I focus on working out and practice which doesn’t take that long. As long as I get done with that, I get back to my books, study again and make sure I’m doing good and not missing anything because we’re gone most of the time during basketball season.

If there was another sport you would play besides basketball what would that be?

I would love to be a soccer player because I played soccer my whole life before I switched to basketball.

What will be your fondest memory of basketball?

My fondest memories will always be the game days. Those couple of hours before game days is just different. The feel of it makes me excited and keeps me alive.

How has Coach Houston Reed and your teammates impacted your life?

They impacted my life in so many ways because immediately I got recruited he was able to help me in different ways that makes me who I am today. He believed and had that confidence that he shares with so many players and spending time with my teammates on and off the court and having that family mentality amongst each other, and the help we give one another is something that will forever be in my memories.

Tell us a little more about your family, your background, country. It’s no secret you are royalty (a prince from a small town in Yaounde, Cameroon) can you tell us more about that part of your life?

I grew up in Yaounde, Cameroon. I’m originally from a village called Pouss. That is my tribe and that is where my Dad is a leader. He has been on the thrown since his brother passed away. We have been a royal family since my granddad took over, and it has been like that in my family. I’m from a big family with six siblings, all still back in Cameroon and I’m the only one who chose to pursue my dream by playing basketball and becoming an athlete, so I ended up coming to the United States.

Now that you’re a senior in college and almost graduating (in December), what are your plans for the future?

I’m just excited to graduate. Finally I can say I’ll be able to obtain my degree and after graduation I would love to pursue my basketball career oversees or continue my studies by doing my Master’s program.

How challenging or easy was it for you to adapt to CSC setting and environment, and especially meeting your “new basketball family” when you were recruited in 2017?

I would not say it was challenging, but it was definitely a new experience and they were all very welcoming. Settled in easily and adapted to the setting and environment pretty quickly.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far? And what do you wish to accomplish in the future?

My biggest accomplishment so far was to get my associate degree and now working on my bachelors, making my family proud and being here representing them and trying to gain some knowledge every day is something important.

Do you look up to anyone or have a role model (in basketball)?

I love watching basketball a lot and appreciate a lot of talents. Kawhi Leonard is one of the players I’ve looked up to but with my position I’ll say Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon are two talents I emulate to make it part of mine. They really impacted me by playing a great role in my evolution of basketball.

How has your family supported you since you became an athlete? Coming from an African background, parents are sometimes unpredictable: Were they positive or negative toward your decision to become a basketball player?

They’ve always been positive and supported me in my decisions. My parents were there when I needed anything and till this day they continue to support. It’s hard to be away from them, but when I want to achieve some goals, I’ll take any chance and since I have their support I’m doing pretty good.

Noticing you’re a “people’s person” what will be your advice to young athletes coming through the ranks?

It is exciting to wake up with great energy every day, getting involved in conversations with people, talk to strangers, and doing so much for people without wanting anything in return, and that is something very important on campus because we’re from different parts of the world so the best thing is to care for each other, communicate, be confident and give back.