By Chris Estrada — Staff Writer
An Aries gives the attribute of leadership to people born in between the dates of March 21- April 19.
Born on March 31, men’s basketball freshman Seneca Knight also believes in the leading role of the Aries.
“I have always been the type of person to take lead,” Knight said. “When I was young, my parents always told me to be myself and never try to follow or be like someone else.”
Even though he doesn’t have a particular interest in zodiac signs, Knight doesn’t shy away from looking up horoscopes once in awhile for the fun of it.
Originally from New Orleans, transitioning to a new state can be tough and the freshman is still getting used to his new home.
“It was really difficult at first,” he said. “I’ll get home sick every now and then, but my teammates and coaches took me in like family and that made the transition easier at times because I know I can depend on them.”
Being able to adapt to new surroundings and situations quickly help lead to success because game flow can change in a matter of seconds. Being able to remain unrattled can mean the difference in a win or loss.
The Aries’ mother Melanie Knight believes the ability to adapt is a strength for Seneca.
“Because he is such a laid-back person, he is able to adapt and change into the flow of things,” she said.
Knight is excited for what’s to come and is grateful for the opportunity because where he’s from, not many people get the chance to leave.
In his last two years, the freshman attended Northside High School in Lafayette, La. and was the top scorer in the whole state as a senior.
Traits of the zodiac can be recognized when watching a player’s given attitude on the court. The positive and strong characteristics of the Aries sign are displaying passion, determination and enthusiasm.
“I always go the extra mile to improve my game,” Knight said. “If that means I have to sacrifice certain things to get better, then that is just what I have to do.”
No matter how hard life gets, he stays positive and energetic — attributes that are recognized by his teammates.
“Seneca is very ambitious and evenly skilled,” junior teammate Michael Steadman said.
Even though Knight’s father is a big sports guy, he insists that it was his mother who got him into basketball when she brought home a Fisher Price net before the age of 3.
“I would just play outside on that goal, dunking all day,” Knight said. “That’s where I feel that I found the love for the game.”
Sometimes, Knight says he can be moody, short-tempered or impatient, traits for also found in Aries — but his parents introduced him to two activities that someone can easily fail at: chess and golf.
“We introduced him to those two things really early on so he would learn to control his emotions,” Melanie said.
Because of that, he doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him while on the court, but instead push him towards success.
Aggression is a weakness for an Aries, but Knight uses that as a strength on the hardwood.
“I feel that my aggression helps me out when I’m playing during a game because it always keeps me in attack mode,” he said.
He loves to score and shoot, meaning he’s hungry to get his hands on the ball.
His mother says that he would constantly want to work on his game back in high school.
Knight would wake up early before school and practice shooting — and after practice, he would go to the gym with friends and work on shots.
“He is constantly working,” Melanie said. “He is always looking for ways to improve.”
Even though it is not easily noticed during the game, if you look between the lines you can see a player’s personal characteristics.
Every athlete has the same goal, to win — but each goes about getting there in different ways. Some go with the flow of the game while others attack and decide the game for themselves.
“I think right now as a freshman he is working on it, but he will eventually get there,” Steadman said regarding Knight as a potential leader for the team.
San Jose State seems to be excited about their new forward, Seneca Knight, a leader in the making.
Follow Chris on Twitter @estradadotc