Dec. 13, 2004
Ashley Cheesman (pronounced chess-MUN) is a freshman forward on this season's Aztec women's basketball team. A native of Orem, Utah, Cheesman led Mountain View High School to four consecutive state titles and a national championship as a freshman. She comes from a basketball family with her father, Jay (1975-77), and sister, Heather (2000-02), both having played at Brigham Young. Her other sister, Danielle, is a senior forward for this year's Cougar squad.
Q: With your sisters and father playing or having played college basketball, was it all basketball all the time at your house growing up?
A: "It's basketball, but it's not obsessive basketball. I'll call (my dad) and he'll ask about how practice went, how I'm doing and how my game's coming along. If we had a game, I can tell him about how I played and he'll try to help me, but we have plenty of other conversations that aren't anything basketball related."
Q: So were there any fierce Cheesman pick-up basketball games?
A: "We played a lot of 2-on-2. My dad would take us a lot to go work out together. My little brothers and I are pretty competitive (at basketball) as they are getting older and better."
Q: Seeing that there is such a family tradition of playing basketball at BYU, why did you choose to come to San Diego State?
A: "Since I have my two other sisters (who play/played at BYU), I didn't want to exactly follow their path in life. I kind of wanted to venture out and see what it was like somewhere else besides Utah and experience something on my own."
Q: What's the best part about basketball?
A: "Getting to know everyone. I love basketball, because of the relationships you have."
Q: What has been the most difficult part of your transition from high school to college hoops?
A: "It's hard to get to know a whole new coaching staff - what they want out of you and what they are implying when they say something to you. You need to know how they are. Just getting to know a whole new system has also been kind of difficult, but as time has gone on, it's definitely become easier."
Q: Is there a big difference between high school and college hoops?
A: "I really haven't noticed a huge difference, because my high school program was run a lot like a college program. Our coaches were very strict, so I haven't seen a huge difference. The level of competitiveness and players' skill-level is much higher, though."
Q: What do you do for fun off the court?
A: "I like to be social or go shopping. I just like to do fun things, hang out and kind of chill."
Q: What are you doing for the holidays?
A: "I'm just going home. My family is always around during the holidays, because my one sister (Danielle) goes to BYU, so she's always close, and my other sister (Heather) lives five minutes away. We're all just together and it's fun to be together as a family. We usually just go see movies and go out to dinner - just normal things."
Q: So how do you think it will be facing your sister on the basketball court when you guys play BYU this season?
A: "We talk about it now - we try to think about how it is going be. It will be intense, definitely. It's like any other game - it's something competitive - but it's also against each other. She's my sister, so it will be weird."
Q: So there won't be any trash talking involved?
A: "I don't know - in the heat of the moment in a game, you never know. We play them the last game of the regular season, so you never know where everyone will be standing and what will need to be done. I'm really excited and I know a lot of the other players, too, so it will be fun."
2004-05 Aztec Women's Basketball Player Features
Nov. 3 - Lindsey CaseyDec. 13 - Ashley Cheesman