De'Aaron Fox Q&A: Get to know the top-five NBA draft prospect

De'Aaron Fox — the freshman Kentucky point guard projected to be taken in the top five in next week's NBA draft — spoke with USA TODAY Sports and shared his mindset as he prepares to embark on his NBA journey.

Fox, 19, averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists, four rebounds and 1.5 steals during his lone season with the Wildcats. His most memorable performance was against fellow top point guard prospect Lonzo Ball in the Sweet 16, where he scored a career-high 39 points en route to the victory.

Editor's note: The following interview was conducted prior to the NBA draft combine (May 9-14). It has been condensed for brevity and clarity.

Q: In a little over a month you're going to be in the NBA. You're definitely going to be a lottery pick, even as high as the top five. Two months ago, you were playing college basketball as a freshman. I want to know what's going through your mind right now.

A: I'm just trying to have my mind go slow. Not trying to think about it too much. Like you said, it's going to be a month until I'm officially in the NBA. This year has really changed. It went by so fast. I'm just trying to take it step by step right now. I'm not worried about the draft at this point, just trying to worry about getting better right now. 

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Q: Fast forward to draft day. Does it matter to you at all what number pick you are? Do you have any preference on teams or where you end up or are you just ready for the next step of your career?

A: It doesn't really matter where I'm drafted or what pick it is. I just want to end up in a good situation and just be able to affect that team as soon as I get there.

Q: Once you're drafted, once all that dust settles, what are you most looking forward to about the NBA? 

A: Just being able to — I kind of just want to say that I'm a pro, that I'm an NBA player. But just looking forward to working. Those guys have been there — there's gonna be guys that are 15 year vets — just being able to learn from those guys and get better as a rookie. That's what I'm most excited for. Just being able to learn.

Q: If you could tell NBA fans one thing about yourself, whether it's you as a player or you as a person or whatever it is, what would that be? How would you describe who De'Aaron Fox is?

A: I'm just a hard worker, no matter what I've done. And I'm a competitor. I compete no matter what I'm doing ... playing basketball, soccer, anything, no matter what I'm doing I'm trying to compete. I always want to win.

Q: If we rewind back to March, obviously being with Kentucky you were in the national spotlight all year, but your tournament performances, particularly the one against Lonzo in the Sweet 16, turned a lot of heads. Looking back, what positives did you take from the March Madness experience?

A: Just being able to play in that environment and that intensity. It really ramped up during the tournament. ... The UCLA game, (we) didn't want to lose to a team twice. As a competitor, going up against someone like Lonzo ... you want to bring your A game. But that's just about every game. You see it in the (NBA) playoffs, how the intensity ramps up. I just want to be able to show that I'm able to pick up my game as others pick up theirs.

Q: If you're playing against these top guys, do you find that you up your game to the level of your matchup?

A: Yeah, but also if you're playing someone not as good as you just try not to play down. I always try to bring the same intensity, bring my A game every game. Sometimes you're going to have off games, but that shouldn't change your effort, the way you play defensively, like I said your overall effort. I mean, when you're going up against the top guys it always brings the best out of you.

Q: Can you take me through your process of getting yourself ready for the NBA?

A: After we lost, I just took time off. Tried to get away from basketball for a little while. After that, I started thinking about agents, going through all that. ... Then it was just finding a place to workout, somewhere I can stay for the summer. And just be focused. Keep my priorities right. I found a place out in L.A. So far, mostly three-a-days ... but we're getting in the gym, getting in the weight room, getting right, just trying to do everything we can so that I'm ready to take that next step.

Q: Three-a-days? That doesn't sound too fun.

A: Nah, I mean, any time I'm on the court it's fun. Basketball to me, it's a fun game. I enjoy working out. 

Q: What do you feel is your biggest strength right now that will translate over to the next level?

A: Speed and playmaking. You can't really teach that. Either you have it or you don't, and I feel like I have it. Just watching guys like John (Wall), the way he creates, his speed is unmatched. (Russell) Westbrook's speed, the way Kyrie (Irving) and guys like that create for others and create for themselves is something that's really tough to teach and I feel like I have that. I feel like those two things will be able to translate to the next level.

Q: And what do you feel is your biggest weakness? What have you been working on the most so far this summer?

A: I have to make shots from the perimeter. If I want to be the best I can be, then I know I'm gonna have to make shots. 

Q: I mentioned the combine earlier. A lot of the top players, as we see every year, decide not to enter because they feel like they have more to lose than they have to gain. Why did you decide to go?

A: It's always been a dream of mine to actually go to the combine. I never thought about not going to the combine. That's up to (the other players). I wanted to be at the combine, so that's why I'm going. At the end of the day, it's up to me, and I wanted to go to the combine.

Q: You mentioned John Wall. Obviously you've heard the comparisons based on your speed, your athleticism, the fact that you both played point guard at Kentucky. He's not a bad player to be compared to. I'm sure you want to be your own person, you want to make a name for yourself at the next level, but I'm curious if you compare yourself or your game to anyone in the NBA or if there's anybody in particular that you've modeled your game after.

A: There are a lot of great guards in the league. I try to take things from all their games. But there's not one single player that I just want to play like him and be like him. Like you said, I want to be my own person. But to become great you've got to do what great players are doing. I try to take bits and pieces out of all the great guard's games.

Q: You hear the stories of the young players coming in, they had posters of these guys on their walls and then they're going up against them. Is there one guy in particular you're really looking forward to either learning from him or matching up against him and seeing what that's like?

A: Not really, because growing up, my favorite player was Kevin Garnett. So if I end up on a team and he works out players or is an assistant coach then I'd be extremely happy. His were the posters that were on my wall. 

Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

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