Senior forward Ross Neltner enjoyed success against LSU after some recent struggles. The big man took time to talk to the Hustler about his recent play, his daily routine, and even some of his hidden talents.

Vanderbilt Hustler: How good did it feel to get back into a good rhythm against LSU?

Ross Neltner: It was good. You don’t have to score a bunch of points to have a good game. I think that’s a misconception that fans have, but it was nice to go out and score some points after I had not played very well at Kentucky and UT. It was even better to get a win.

VH: Kentucky, Tennessee and then Florida are three of the toughest road trips of the year. Who has the toughest arena in the SEC to play in?

RN: One of those three, definitely. Arkansas is probably up there too; when they’re playing well they get a lot of people there. We understand that we’re in a tough stretch right now, but we feel like we still have a pretty good chance of winning down there [at Florida].

VH: Do you ever hear specific things that the hecklers say?

RN: Not really. Its one of those things that once you get in the game, you just start focusing on what you’re doing and not really what everyone is talking about.

VH: How’s the typical day of practice go?

RN: We get up here at about 2:15, get on the court by 3:15, get some shots up for about 7 to 8 minutes, stretch for another 7 or 8. Then we just do warm-up drills, shooting drills. Then we work on offense and defense, whatever coach (Stallings) thinks is important for the game coming up.

VH: What is your pre-game routine?

RN: It just depends. I listen to music, stuff like that, just rest and focus on the game and what I can do to help the team be successful.

VH: How many pairs of basketball shoes do you own?

RN: Whew, at least 20.

VH: Who is the toughest player you’ve had to guard?

RN: Probably Patrick Patterson. He’s a big, strong guy. He’s physical, he plays hard, and he knows how to use his body well.

VH: He was tougher than Tyrus Thomas every day?

RN: When I was down at LSU, Tyrus wasn’t what he ended up being. He was a red-shirt; he got injured. Brandon Bass and Glen Davis were the guys. Brandon Bass is a tough guy to guard. He was a monster.

VH: Do you have any hidden talents?

RN: I play piano and guitar, but I’m not very good.