BIRMINGHAM – Incoming transfer Tyreke Locure’s path to Birmingham began in New Orleans as a child. After Hurricane Katrina hit, Locure’s family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa to be relatives. After a great career at Des Moines North High School, Locure played two seasons at South Alabama before coming to UAB.
UABSports.com sat down with the 6-0 guard to talk about what brought him to UAB and what the fans can expect from him in 2021-22.
What influenced your decision to come to UAB?
Honestly, it was the conversations with the coaches on how I was going to be used. It was also the culture for me. I saw the culture that was built in one year with Coach Kennedy. I’ve never had single-digit losses in a season in my two years of college and Coach did that in his first year. It tells a lot about him. It was a win-win decision for me.
What kind of play style will you bring to the Blazers?
I feel that I will bring a little bit of everything to the team. I’m bringing toughness for sure. I have the ability to score and get my teammates open. I’m also bringing a winning mentality because I hate to lose. I’m going to do my part to make sure the seniors enjoy their last ride and help build a foundation for when they leave to keep up the standard.
What NBA player would you say you modeled your game after?
Chris Paul is who I modeled my game after with more athleticism.
What’s your pregame ritual?
I like to be zoned in and get my mind prepared for the game with individual and team stretches. My Beats headphones are essential.
How many siblings do you have?
I have eight siblings including two stepbrothers and a stepsister.
How was it growing up in a house majority boys?
It was rough but my older brothers made me tougher. If I can take them picking on me and roughing me up, there’s nothing that can really affect me. They really made me who I am today.
Did your older brothers motivate you to play basketball?
Definitely. All my brothers were hoopers and they were good too. My older brother, that’s close to me in age, was a great player but he ran into knee problems.
How was the relocation process after Hurricane Katrina for your family?
It was the best decision my Dad ever made. He had to make a grown man decision as a young father with three children at the time. He realized that it would be best to relocate from New Orleans to Iowa to get connected with my aunt and uncle for a better life.
Did you play AAU ball and did you ever come across any of the current UAB players in the AAU circuit?
I did play. I played against Elijah Tate because he’s from Louisiana. I feel like I might’ve played against some players earlier in my career but Elijah is the only one I remember right now.
How would you describe Coach Kennedy?
He’s a cool guy but he is definitely about business. He’s going to be hard on me and I expected that. I just felt that it was good decision to play for him. I’m going to take care of my business for him so that it is easy for him to take care of business to get me to the next level.
In your college career, what has been your greatest accomplishment or moment so far?
In my freshman season at South Alabama, we went on an eight-game winning streak to establish ourselves, but we weren’t able to go to the NCAA Tournament because of the pandemic. We did it again this year, but it just wasn’t the same as my freshman year because of the uncertainty of the season.
Is there anything you would like to say to Blazer Nation?
Blazer Nation, you’re getting a hard worker and a player who is going to put it all on the line every game. We are going to take the team to places we haven’t been in a while. I’ve been paying attention to UAB, especially since the win over Iowa State in 2015. We are going to try to duplicate that year and go even further!
MEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their original 2020-21 seat locations prior to social distancing adjustments. Click here to purchase new 2021-22 season which start as low as $100 with the Blaze’s Corner season ticket.
Fans interested in season tickets can fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 to receive additional information.
For more information on the UAB men’s basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
