Houston Mallette is a standout freshman men's basketball player at Pepperdine. He is on pace to break the freshman record for three-point baskets in a season, while also totaling over 765 minutes played so far in his first season. We caught up with Houston to discuss his thoughts on his stellar freshman season, team dynamic, and how he hopes to become a leader both on and off the court:
 
Q: What has your transition to Division I basketball been like?
 
A: My transition to D-I basketball has been tough, but it has also been a ton of fun. I'd say at first I was nervous, the summer went by and I got really close to the guys on the team, but it's not quite like the regular season. The competition level has been great, and I started to become a man and realize this is a business and I have to perform at a high level. It's been a fun adjustment, and I'm trying to work and develop every day to become the best student-athlete and leader I can be.
 
Q: Did you anticipate playing so much as a freshman?
 
A: No, actually. So, summer went by, and I thought I was okay, but I honestly didn't think I was going to play. We were having practice, and I was still struggling. I couldn't guard, couldn't play defense, and the games were moving so fast. The team went to San Juan Capistrano for the team training camp: just to get to know each other better, go bowling and do team activities. Then we had practice, and the first day we did "core values", which is a score of how well you do with a lot of different things, like taking a charge, diving for a loose ball, and rebounding. At the end of those two days, I was eaten alive, I didn't think I was going to play at all, I thought I was going to have to redshirt. Finally, that second day, I started to handle my composure, and I thought, "I can play at this level". It wasn't until the first game, when I was out there playing significant minutes, after I thought I wasn't going to play.
 
Q: How do you feel about being on pace to break the freshman record for three-pointers in a season?
 
A: Honestly, I didn't even know that, but I'm excited, it's a really cool accolade to have, but I just want to win. If that helps us that's great, but my focus is on winning games. 
 
Q: You're a part of a very talented freshman class, what do you think you guys can build together?
 
A: I think we can build something special. Now having played 20+ games, I really believe we have something special with our young guys and with the older guys to guide and teach us. I am trying to become a leader, kind of a leader of the young class, and help head us in the right direction. We have a lot of talent, so I think we can definitely make a tournament run. My goal is to win every game in the WCC as well as in March Madness, but we just have to keep working every single day with high intensity and playing consistently. I think if we hold each other to a high standard and the coaches hold us to a high standard, we just have to compete.
 
Q: What are some of your current goals for the rest of this season?
 
A: Some of my current goals for the rest of the season ... well, it's been a rocky season, just with guys leaving, and coming out of COVID, new guys not really having a regular high-school season. I think it has been weird, but a lot of fun. I want to win more games, so I think we can make a run in the conference tournament, and upset someone's season each game, kind of kill someone's season. It sounds kind of mean, but it's my goal, I want to get out there and get better while developing.
 
Q: Coach Romar is an iconic presence on campus, how has the relationship you guys built influenced you both on and off the court?
 
A: Coach Romar is by far one of the greatest people that I have been around. He is a man of his word, he believes in you, he's a man of God, and he has just inspired me to be a better person in the classroom, around campus, and on the court. He has taught me so many things, like being able to watch someone's film and just talk for hours. I get pretty down on myself, and after losses I am very hard on myself, but Coach Romar is always able to talk me through things. I appreciate him, and we just have something special brewing. He is easily one of the best men I have been around.
 
Q: What or who motivates you?
 
A: My dad is one of my best friends. Growing up with him, we had some hard times and some good times, but I see how hard he works and the man he is. He sacrifices his entire life for his children, he sacrifices job opportunities, and he's just someone I really look up to for motivation. I just want to make him and my mom proud. I am also pretty self-motivated, I want to get better, and keep maturing and developing to be the best I can.
 
Q: What role do you want to grow into on the team?
 
A: The easy answer would be that I want to be the best player I can be, but the main goal is to have a presence in people's lives. I just want to affect people's lives for the better, influence people's lives, and be a leader on the court as well as on campus. My goal is to be someone who's there for everyone. I want to be a leader on the team, as well as have a vocal and energetic presence to help everyone believe in themselves the way I believe in them. 
 
Q: Have you had a favorite game from this season?
 
A: It was probably the last game against Pacific at home that we won. That was the longest losing streak I have ever had in my life, as well as probably everyone in that locker room. It's really hard to win in college basketball. Also, when we played LMU away, that was the first time that as a group together, the whole team, coaches included, everything was starting to click like all of the things we work on in practice. Those two games we put in a lot of work, and it's good to see it show up on the scoreboard. Even though we didn't win the LMU game, it was a good checkpoint to know regardless of if we're up or down, we can still come back and compete.