Sept. 30, 2008
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by Brad Rudner
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Freshman forward Aaron Fuller came to Iowa City knowing that his hometown of Mesa, Ariz., was 1,507 miles away. Other freshmen might look at the distance and get homesick, but then again, Fuller is not like most freshmen.
“I knew I wanted to get out of Arizona,” Fuller said. “It was a little factor, but some things weigh more than others. Once you get into the groove and stay busy, it takes my mind off of home.”
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward brings some pretty impressive high school credentials to the University of Iowa, including being named Player of the Year in Class 4A-5A by the Arizona Republic. At Mesa High School, Fuller averaged 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game. So what was it about Iowa that caught Fuller’s eye?
“The players and the coaching staff were obviously important to me, but I was amazed by the fans,” Fuller said. “Hawkeye fans are very passionate about their sports. I saw the crowd and how every seat was filled and I really wanted to be a part of that.”
This summer, in addition to being enrolled in two classes, Fuller worked on his game and on his physique. He wants to bulk up to 215 pounds by the beginning of the season and he has really embraced the strength and conditioning program.
“I would be lying if I said it was easy,” Fuller said. “But to play in the Big Ten, you’ve got to be strong and physical and that was my main goal this summer.”
Getting stronger, however, isn’t the only goal Fuller has for himself.
“I don’t want to waste a day,” he added. “I just want to get better. As far as my game goes, I’m working primarily on my ball-handling and I want to become more consistent with my jump shot.”
Fuller admitted to taking some naps whenever he is not on the court or in the weight room, but he also has a hobby that goes hand-in-hand with his projected major as Iowa.
“Definitely video games,” said Fuller, a computer science major. “I’m really into Call of Duty 4 right now. It gets really intense and almost always ends in someone yelling at the television screen.”
Though the season may be more than two months away, Fuller is anxiously awaiting the day when he can step on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena floor for Iowa’s home opener.
“I really can’t wait for this season to start,” Fuller said. “To come out of the tunnel for the first time and to see all the fans cheering and lights flashing… it’s going to be an unbelievable scene and I can’t wait.”