Max Abmas looks to make his mark at Texas: 'I'll do whatever I have to do for us to win'
Max Abmas has heard it for as long as he can remember, that he was too small to make it at whatever the next level of basketball was. Since picking up the orange ball in the backyard at the age of 4 in his hometown of Rockwall, Texas, Abmas has worshiped Kobe Bryant.
"Kobe helped me fall in love with basketball," Abmas told FOX Sports. "Just seeing the work ethic he had, how he played the game, that got me into basketball. So, I focused on basketball from middle school all the way until now."
After finishing his senior year of high school without a single scholarship offer from a power-conference school, the 6-foot guard took the 263-mile trek north to Oklahoma and began his college career at Oral Roberts. He entered a program that was an afterthought in the Summit League, having not gone to the NCAA Tournament since 2008 in a conference that was being won by North Dakota State or South Dakota State virtually every season.
Along with Kevin Obanor and now current Wichita State head coach Paul Mills, Abmas led the way in putting the Golden Eagles on the map and in college basketball lore. After leading the program to the 2021 Summit League Tournament championship, Abmas engineered a 15-seeded ORU team to victories over 2-seed Ohio State and 7-seed Florida, making the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history and first since 1974.
Abmas became the first player since Stephen Curry (Davidson, 2008) to score 25 or more points in each of his first three NCAA Tournament contests.
Fast-forward to current day and Abmas is seven games into his fifth and final season of college basketball as a member of the No. 12-ranked Texas Longhorns. Having scored 2,679 points and counting, Abmas is the country's active leading scorer, and if all goes according to plan, he will finish his career in the top 10 on the sport's all-time scoring list.
You would never know it by talking with him. The son of Erika, a respiratory therapist, and Troy, a father working in cybersecurity, he is incredibly grounded and is pursuing a graduate certificate in strategic communication after getting a bachelor's degree in math at ORU. When the ball stops bouncing, Abmas has taken a deep interest in forensics. It's that attention-to-detail lifestyle, a circle that he's always kept family-oriented, and his Texas roots that Abmas has great pride in and has led him to becoming one of college basketball's best bucket-getters.
With No. 12 Texas taking on No. 8 Marquette on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app), I went one-on-one with the Longhorns' star guard in a FOX Sports exclusive. Here is our conversation:
What has it been like stepping into this Texas program and playing under Rodney Terry?
This has been a blast. I'm enjoying every part of it, from moving in the summer and getting to work out with these guys, I'm just enjoying all of it. It's really clear that there's a great culture down here. Everybody wants to win. When you have that, it brings everybody together.
What made you say Texas was the best choice for you?
Being from this state, it means something to be able to come home and represent the home state. The relationship that I had with Coach Terry and the rest of the staff, and there's just an expectation here – to win. I want to be able to compete for a national championship. That's why I'm here.
How would you define your chapters at Oral Roberts?
Man, it was a great time. For me, going to a program that was coming off losing seasons and had a brand-new coach with Paul Mills, just going in and being an impact player. I wanted to turn that program around and put it back on the map. We were able to come in and win a couple of championships in the Summit League, which was dominated by the Dakota teams for many years. For us to be able to do that, to bring that attention to Oral Roberts, and do it in a way that glorified God, it was so fun for me.
When you think about Oral Roberts and getting the opportunity to play there, you had a total of five offers coming out of high school. How much did that fuel you, and what was that process as a high school recruit like where you weren't getting those high-major offers?
I didn't pass the eye test. I was too small to play at the high level. So, Coach (Russell) Springmann, he recruited me to Oral Roberts, and it worked out how it was supposed to work out. It definitely created a chip on my shoulder to really just go out there and prove you wrong. For me, I'm just big on controlling what I can control. I control how hard I work, and then let that show in all of the games.
Once upon a time, Russell Springmann was identifying Kevin Durant and recruiting him to Texas. You just said it - he recruited you. And now he's the head coach at Oral Roberts getting that opportunity in his first year. What are your thoughts on that?
I'm really excited for him and I know that he's ready for this step. He's got such a great basketball mind, and he's so hungry to win. I know he's going to have success with that program, and a big reason why is he cares about you outside of basketball. That's what I love about him. From the recruiting process, he cares about your family and how they're doing, how life back home is. It's not just about basketball. When you have a coach who cares about you as a person and not just on a basketball court, it means a lot to you and you want to go out and play hard for him.
Let's go back to the start of your basketball journey. What got you to fall in love with the game?
I was originally in basketball, football and track too. My favorite player growing up was Kobe. I love Kobe Bryant, and watching Lakers games growing up, I think he helped me fall in love with basketball. Just seeing the work ethic he had, how he played the game, that got me into basketball. So, I focused on basketball from middle school all the way until now.
Who was working with you when you went to a court and played? Who was that inspiring force?
Well, after Kobe Bryant inspiring me, it was my older brother. He played too. I'm three years younger than him, so growing up, I was the kindergartner playing on the second or third grade team growing up. I didn't get into the game that much, but when I did, it was fun. That was something I cherished from my childhood in basketball.
Do you remember the first time that you were doubted?
I don't remember the first time I was doubted because it's always been the ‘he's too small for this level' mindset at every level. I haven't let that change me or phase me. At the end of the day, I can control a lot of the other things. The things that I can control, I make sure I do at 100 percent, and that way, you let everything else take care of itself.
How much do you live for the big moment?
I love it. I love the big moments. It's special because it's in those moments that all the hard work, the shots and everything you put into this, it can show.
What's the big moment at the top of your mind?
It's that first tournament for sure in 2021. Just going to Oral Roberts and wanting to turn that program around, they had not won a conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 2008. So for us, to win the conference tournament and go to the NCAA Tournament, that's everything you dream of as a kid. Growing up, and filling out brackets, and doing March Madness things, to be in that position and be in that game was a dream come true. And you know, you always see upsets. You see lower seeds beat the higher seeds. For us to take down Ohio State and Florida, and advance to the Sweet 16, it's something I will never forget.
What's the identity of this Texas team?
I think the identity for us is on the defensive end. Just understanding for us, defense is going to win us championships. We have to bring the right energy and intensity every night. Sometimes we may not be hitting shots offensively, but we can control our energy and intensity on the defensive end and let that defense create offense for us.
How happy were you when Coach Terry got the permanent head coaching job at Texas after taking this program on a magical Elite Eight run?
I was really happy to see that. They were recruiting me when I entered the portal, and we started to build that relationship. When you look at them last year, to face the adversity that they did, a lot of adversity that teams don't see, for them to come away with an Elite Eight run is special. It speaks volumes about the program. It speaks about the people within it and itself. Understanding that, along with building relationships with the coaches and the guys, that's something I wanted to be a part of.
How would you break down playing alongside Tyrese Hunter?
It's just been fun. I think we could be one of the best backcourts in the country. And so, as the season goes on, we're continuing to build that chemistry playing with one another. The few times we've been on the court together, it's been fun playing off of one another and helping the team in any way that we can.
Let's go off the court: Favorite meal?
Seafood.
The three artists on your pregame playlist?
Lil Baby, Tee Grizzley and Drake. The Drake concert at the Moody Center in Austin is the best concert I've ever been to.
Vacation destination?
I like Cancun.
The best dinner side dish?
Mac n' cheese.
Who would play you in a movie?
My older brother Maison.
You think he'd fill the role OK?
I think he would.
What's the head-to-head series between you two in the backyard all time?
Man, I think I'm up. I think I'm up (laughs). But as we got older, we stopped the one-on-one. Now it's just us playing together.
Your favorite show or series?
"Winning Time." The show about the 1980s Lakers.
You were one of close to 2,000 players that transferred to a new school in college basketball this past offseason. How did you go through that process, and what did you do as you came into the program to make sure that everything fit?
For me, it was about understanding the program that I was coming into. Being that I was able to win at Oral Roberts for four years, and that Texas won at a high level last year, that was a good fit. Both of us have an expectation to win. Then it was about sitting down with Rodney Terry and the coaching staff, and really understanding the role and what they saw for me coming into the program. What they wanted from me at the program and the winning factor that they preached about, that aligned with me. I will do whatever I have to do for us to win. I may not score as many points one night, and I'll get my teammates involved and feed the hot hand. And then one night, it may be my night where I have to score the ball. Just that winning aspect is so big in it, that when you bring a bunch of older guys together who have the same goal and mindset, I think we're able to flourish.
Take me through a routine day for you.
A routine day for me: We have practice in the morning, get an extra lift in after that, then shower, go to class. I gotta go to class even though I'm an older person. Then, I'll go get some lunch, do some treatment, get an individual workout in and then get one more lift in. We'll start at 9 a.m. and go from there.
When you're as great of a scorer as you are, how much time do you spend in the lab working on new ways to score?
A lot of time. I think you're always looking at different things you can add to help improve your game. I think the big thing that I've worked on is being able to extend my range to stretch the defense and make them guard more on the court. That just opens up space for all of the players on the court. I'm always looking for ways to add to it, and working with some pros this summer, seeing the things they do and the spots they get to, that was really helpful.
Who do you watch and take things from?
Steph Curry, Trae Young and Damian Lillard.
How would you define leadership and the way you try to lead?
For me, it's just being better and being more vocal. The first thing with leadership is you have to have the right approach. You have to show how it's done before you can say anything. For me, it's being able to set an example with the approach on the court and working hard. I think that goes off the court as well with school work, making sure you're doing well at that, because how you approach one thing is how you approach everything. It's all about having the right mindset.
This is Texas' last year in the Big 12. How much is it a point of emphasis for you and your guys to go out with a bang in what has been college basketball's best conference?
While we're staying in the moment, at the end of the day, we want to win a Big 12 championship and a national championship. We just have to understand what we have to do every single day to keep improving and put ourselves in the best position to achieve those things.
There's that saying that "everything happens for a reason." When you envision everything at Texas, playing for this program and inside your home building, you obviously have a vibe and dream there. How much do you feel all of this has lined up for a certain reason as you put a cap on your college career?
I feel it a lot. I'm just so excited to be a part of this, to play at the Moody Center in front of a great fan base. Being at Texas, there are so many people watching you and so many people supporting us. I want to go out there every single night and give it my all, and make this last year worth it.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.