In step with Chaney's Roy Austin

Q. What's worse: a wrestler trying to play basketball, or basketball player trying to wrestle?
A. [Laughs] A wrestler trying to play basketball. I've seen it. You know it's ugly.
Q. Number of games you'll win this year?
A. 18
Q. Number of times you've entered a game thinking, "These poor saps have no chance"?
A. Every game. You've got to.
Q. Give me one player who cheats and how?
A. The Boardman refs.
Q. It has to be a player because they're not actually Boardman's refs. Boardman just hires them.
A. OK, the Boardman players. You get no calls whatsoever.
Q. Should white people ever wear cornrows?
A. [Laughs] Yes. If a black person can [be bald], then white people can wear cornrows. [Note: Chaney junior Dennis Brown, a white player, has cornrows.]
Q. Where does the name "Chaney" come from?
A. I don't know. Do you know?
Reply: Yes. It's named for Dr. N.H. Chaney, a former Youngstown educator. (I confess, I looked it up before the interview.)
Q. Last time you cried at the movies?
A. [Five second pause.] Never.
Q. You mean to tell me you didn't cry during "Field of Dreams" at the end when he gets to play catch with his father?
A. [Laughs] I've never seen "Field of Dreams," but if I see it, that'll be the movie I cry at.
Q. Who is your hero and why?
A. My mother, Eva Austin, because without her I wouldn't know anything. That's where I got my game from, on and off the court.
Q. Best/worst game?
A. Best game: Last year against Lakewood St. Edward because I had just sprained my ankle and I played anyway and scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds. We lost, but it was still my best. My worst: The game after that against Niles. The ankle effect started to be felt. We won that one.
Q. Best/worst place to play?
A. [The best] Boardman, because since the playoffs last year, we haven't lost there. [Worst] Fitch. We've never won there.
Q. Worst trash talker?
A. That guy from Campbell -- [Senior forward Anthony] Wright. He talks the most trash and ain't got no game.
Q. Three albums in your CD player right now?
A. Ludacris; Notorious BIG; Jay-Z.
Q. Number of students at Chaney who can kick your butt?
A. [Five second pause.] Nobody.
Q. Do you think I could?
A. Nah.
True or False
Q. I get goosebumps when I hear the theme song from "Rocky"?
A. True. Everybody does.
Q. Keilen Dykes is a much better dancer than you?
A. False.
Q. I sometimes have no idea what my coach is saying during timeouts because I'm too busy checking out the girls in the crowd.
A. [Laughs] Definitely true.
Q. I sometimes laugh about how much better I am than the clown trying to guard me.
A. [Laughs] True.
Q. I've faked an injury to get out of running suicides.
A. [Laughs] I don't know if I should say true or false to that one.
Word association
Q. [Head basketball coach] Jim Stickel
A. Gumby.
Q. [Boardman guard] Mike Finamore
A. Mighty Mouse.
Q. Roy Austin
A. Bruiser.
XJoe Scalzo is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at scalzo@vindy.com.