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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Q+A with Tyler Harvey: Shoots the ball, not his mouth

Tyler Harvey’s best-kept secret? He was a shrimp when he started high school. (Colin Mulvany)
Compiled By Jim Allen

Eastern Washington basketball player Tyler Harvey does most of his talking with his 3-point shooting, which has helped him become the leading scorer in the nation this year. A redshirt junior from Southern California, Harvey tries to stay away from the limelight when he’s off the court.

Q. Who is your hero?

A. Definitely my parents. They taught me to work hard, and that if I want something in life, I have to work hard at it.

Q. Do you have a sports hero?

A. Not necessarily a hero, but as a role model I like (NBA guard Stephen) Curry, he’s one of my favorites. I like the way he plays and his demeanor and the way he carries himself as a person.

Q. Should athletes be looked up to as role models?

A. It depends. If in your eyes, he’s the kind of person that you want to be someday, then I have no problem with that.

Q. What’s something interesting that people don’t know about you?

A. I grew 10 inches in one year. I came into high school at 5-foot-4, and didn’t know if I was going to make the team. Then I grew 6 inches to 5-10. Then I grew to 6 feet and had to take three months off because my knees were catching up to my body.

Q. What’s the challenge of social media for an athlete?

A. You try not to say too much. People will try to heckle you, but I don’t respond to that. I tweet about our fans after the games. Mostly I keep to myself.

Q. If you had a roast for coach Jim Hayford, what would you talk about?

A. Probably his fancy suits. He thinks it’s swag. But I like them – they’re cool.

Q. What’s your pet peeve?

A. When people don’t get treated with respect. I like to get treated with respect.. And I don’t like bullying. If I see that, I’ll say something.