Meet The Big 12 Hoops Writers

Last year you met Matt, Joe and me, with the addition of Ellen and Nathan to the basketball community, we thought we'd give you an opportunity to meet them as well. So without further ado...

1.       You're stranded on a desert island. The only thing you have is a solar powered portable DVD player. What one movie would you have with you?

E. Carnes: Tough choice. Probably Blazing Saddles or The Princess Bride.
Nathan Kotisso: Its definitely Rush Hour 2. I know all the lines and when the punchlines come, yet it still cracks me up.

2.       What's playing on your iPod right now?  

EC: The Mountain Goats. Next in the queue are Taylor Swift and an episode of "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me." [Ed. Note: I'd never heard of the Mountain Goats before, but just heard them on Spotify and I think I like. Good recommendation.]
NK: I don't own an iPod [Ed. Note: WHAAAA????]

3.       What's on your iPod that you probably shouldn't admit?

EC: Oh man, my iPod is almost exclusively music I shouldn't admit. I'd sooner let someone read my diary than have unfettered access to my iPod. They would think I stole it from a 13-year-old girl.
NK: Still no iPod.

4.       Smartphone or dumb phone?

EC: Smartphone. My iPhone does a lot of cool things, but I mostly seem to use it for taking a million pictures of my dog.
NK: Dumb phone, no question. Expecting an upgrade by Christmas. 

5.       If you walked into your local bar, before you had a chance to order, what would the bartender have waiting for you?

EC: Gin and tonic with an extra lime.
NK: Haven't had a drop of alcohol. This Q&A's real interesting, huh?

6.       You are wrongly convicted of a crime and get a last meal. What do you have the chefs make?

EC: Goat cheese and prosciutto macaroni and cheese with a glass of prosecco. Those Halloween limited edition vanilla tootsie rolls for dessert.
NK: I'd get them to make the Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Buffalo Blasts along with a Key Lime Cheesecake for dessert from The Cheesecake Factory. I can die a happy man then. 

7.       What is your guilty pleasure?

EC: Well, I've seen every episode of MTV's "16 and Pregnant." And "Teen Mom." Aaand "Teen Mom 2." [Ed. Note: Hopefully people have stopped reading at this point]
NK: I like that new show New Girl. I don't know why. But Zooey Deschanel's a good actress. [Ed. Note: Yes! Zooey!]

8.       Writing for Big 12 Hoops probably doesn't quite cover your expenses. What is your "real" job?

EC: I'm a journalist (but I don't get to write about basketball at my day job).
NK: I am a full-time student. Looks that way for a few more years. 

9.       When you were 5, what did you want to be when you grew up?

EC: A ballerina, but Encyclopedia Brown was a close second.
NK: I wanted to be a professional golfer. On some weekends, I would practice putting into a red Dixie cup with a paper ball and rolled-up newspaper. Then something happened. A few years later, I was introduced to basketball. 

10.   If you weren't watching basketball, what sport would you watch?

EC: College football. The Tour de France. Anything in the Olympics (when I become a surprisingly avid fan of sports like curling and synchronized diving).
NK: I'd be watching baseball. Love me some Houston Astros even though they're terrible. But they're MY terrible Astros. [Ed. Note: Thoughts on the move to the AL?]

11.   Regardless of sport or level of play, what's your favorite non-Big 12 team?

EC: Texas is the only program I feel a strong allegiance to (except the Dillon Panthers), but I always pull for the Thunder and the Spurs.
NK: Always enjoyed North Carolina's style of play. They score a lot and they're exciting to watch. 

12.   Big 12 basketball has the night off, but all other conferences are playing. What conference do you tune in to watch?

EC: It used to be the Big East, but I guess it's the ACC now that Pitt and Syracuse are jumping ship.
NK: The Big East. The great games and tradition of that conference is unmatched by any another in my opinion. For another 27 months anyway.

13.   Why the love affair with the Big 12?

EC: I didn't attend a Big 12 school, but I'm from Austin and my dad took me to all the Longhorn basketball games when I was growing up.
NK: It started when I watched and was in awe of guys like Hollis Price, T.J. Ford, Brandon Mouton and Kirk Hinrich. That was my first exposure to college basketball and I've been hooked on the Big 12 ever since.

14.   Nebraska, Colorado, A&M and Mizzou will all leave the conference over a two year stretch. What should the ten team conference call itself?

EC: The Scarlett Johansson Pics and Funny Cat Videos conference? I'm just thinking about our web traffic.
NK: The "Tex and the Rest" Conference. 

15.   Besides Big12Hoops.com, what other websites do you frequent?

EC: Burntorangenation.com, nymag.com, mentalfloss.com, politico.com.
NK: Definitely CBSSports.com, Ballinisahabit.net, Deadspin.com, and TheBigLead.com