By: Jason King (Yahoo.com) -

Ask anyone who follows Ohio State’s program – or college basketball, for that matter – to list a position for Buckeyes standout Evan Turner and the common response is a blank stare.

Turner passes like a point guard, hits outside shots like a 3-point specialist, slashes like a small forward and rebounds better than most centers. Even Turner isn’t sure what to call himself.

“I guess you should just say that I’m a basketball player,” Turner said. “I pass and I dribble and I shoot and I play defense – all the things you’re supposed to do.”

And he does them well.

A 6-foot-7 junior, Turner leads Ohio State in points (21.8), rebounds (14.8) and assists (6.0). There aren’t many players out there as well-rounded as Turner, an All-American candidate who had 23 points and 11 boards last week against North Carolina. Less than two weeks earlier, he posted a triple-double – 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists – in a season-opening victory over Alcorn State.

During a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports, Turner talked about his progress, his team and his life off the court.

Q: You averaged 17.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in 2008-09. Still, as well as you played as a sophomore, you seem to be taking things to a new level this season. What’s the biggest difference?

A: I just think I’m maturing mentally more than anything. Coach [Thad] Matta always says that when your mind is right, your game is right. So now that I’m mentally ready, I’m able to do a lot of different things.

Q: You were a member of the U.S. team that captured the bronze medal at the World University Games in Serbia over the summer. What was that experience like?

A: I was pretty upset that we lost overseas. That really wasn’t cool at all. I don’t really know what to say about it, other than it was a tough situation and I was glad to be able to get back around my teammates.

Q: Still, it had to be nice to get out and see a different part of the world, right?

A: Definitely. It was actually kind of crazy at times, though. Everyone wanted to beat us because we were Americans. When we got our award at the awards ceremony, there were 23,000 people booing us all at once. When we beat Serbia in one of the early rounds, the fans started throwing coins and nickels and stuff at us. People were walking up to us in the streets, telling us we were going to lose. When we did lose in the playoffs, people were getting on our Facebook pages saying, “Ha, ha, ha – America goes down.”

Q: Purdue standout Robbie Hummel was one of your roommates in Serbia. How much trash-talking was there about this year’s Big Ten race?

A: We definitely joked around about it. Robbie hasn’t won in Columbus yet, but I’ve never won in West Lafayette. So we’re both going to be trying to get some big victories.

Q: For a guy who plays on the perimeter, you get a ton of rebounds. What kind of mentality does it take to succeed on the boards for someone who’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-7?

A: You have to want the ball – and I mean you have to want it. That’s the biggest thing. Also, for me, once I get that ball, I have to be ready to do something with it. We have the ability to score real well in transition, so I’ve got to get the rebound and then get us into our offense.

Q: Speaking of your team, despite last week’s loss to North Carolina, this clearly looks like a squad capable of winning the Big Ten. What do you like most about this group?

A: Honestly, we’re one big family. We all get along well from a chemistry standpoint. When we practice, it’s actually not a bad experience. We’re out there having fun and getting better. We like to work. We’re a versatile group that can play with a bunch of different lineups. We’re all about competing and all about winning. We’ve paid our dues. We want to win big this year.

Q: In the preseason, most people picked Michigan State and Purdue to finish No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big Ten race. Are people sleeping on the Buckeyes?

A: I don’t know, maybe. Either way, we just have to go out and play….

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE PAGE AT YAHOO.COM BY CLICKING HERE.

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