Wake Forest's Jeff Teague NBA pre-draft combine interview

When did you start becoming serious about basketball?

It was my junior year that I really got serious about basketball. My sophomore year I played with great players, and I really didn’t get a great opportunity to be on he court a lot. So when I finally got my chance my junior year he said (his HS coach), “You could be really good with his.” He told me, “If you keep working you can go to a big-time school and are probably going to play a lot.” He gave me the confidence. He instilled it in me and ever since then I’ve just been rolling.

How much influence did your father have in basketball (Jeff’s dad played ball at Missouri and Boston University)?

My dad pushed us to the limits. He played basketball so he knew what it took. He played college basketball and he always pushed us. But my coach was the one that told me because my dad didn’t really know about scholarships and how to get recruited because when he came out there weren’t AAU tournaments and things like that. My high school coach really helped me with that.

What's the most important thing you learned in college to prepare for the next level?

I learned a lot of life lessons. It wasn’t even basketball. It was more growing up, being more mature, being on your own because I was eight hours away from home. I had to learn how to survive on my own, I had to make my money stretch. I had to eat, get good meals and things like that. I think that was the biggest lesson for me.

As you grow into an NBA player and improve, is there a player that you think you could play with that would really help your career?

Any great point guard. I want to learn for someone. The Jason Kidd’s, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and just learn from them. I like to soak things up. When Chris comes back in Winston Salem, I try to listen to everything he says. He’s been there, he knows what it takes to be an All-Star. I just listen and I want to play behind a great point guard and try to learn and develop like that.

Was there any added pressure coming in as a replacement to Chris Paul?

I knew coming in as a point guard for Wake Forest I would have some great shoes to fill. But if you’re a basketball player you want that kind of pressure. You want to come and try to see where you’re at. When I came in, I think I did a pretty good job for Wake Forest in the two years I was there.

Do you see yourself as an NBA PG or SG and is Aaron Brooks’ the type of player you think you are that’s tough to guard on the perimeter?

I feel that any position on the floor, you have to have the ability to score. As a point guard, guys will not respect you and they’ll sag off. It kind of hurts your offense. I always want to be in attack mode and show that I can score, but I really have to show my ability to run a team, pass and get other involved. Aaron Brooks was a prime example this year of what I’d like to be in the NBA.

You’re projected as a mid to late first round pick. You’ll likely go to a playoff team so do you mind having to learn behind a veteran point guard for a year or two?

Every player in the NBA is really good. Whatever team you go to, there’s going to be a starting point guard, and they’ve been in the league for more than one year. You’re going to learn something from them. They had a year of doing this. I’m willing to learn from anyone. If you’ve been there before, I’ll soak it up, and I’ll try to learn as good as I can.

NBA Pre-draft Combine Results:

Height w/o shoes: 6' 0.25"
Height w/ shoes: 6' 1.5"
Weight: 175
Wingspan: 6' 7.5"
Standing Reach: 8' 2.5"
Body Fat: 4.5 percent
No Step Vert. 30.5
Max Vert. 36.5
Bench Press: 13
Lane Agility: 11.05
3/4 Court Sprint: 3.18 sec.