University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: E’Torrion Wilridge
January 26, 2019 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
E'Torrion Wilridge comes by his abilities and passion for basketball quite naturally. Both of the Georgia senior's parents played collegiately at small schools and you can be sure that more than a little of Cicely and Errol's wisdom was passed down to their little boy, who's now a 6-foot-6 forward in his fourth season with the Bulldogs.
Wilridge, from Beaumont, Texas, recently sat down for a Quick Chat. He talked about heading toward the end of his Bulldog career, about taking on his dad, how he's changed since coming to Athens and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Both your mom and dad played college basketball, so I'm guessing games of H-O-R-S-E in the driveway are or were pretty darn competitive when you were a kid.
Wilridge: I used to play my dad a lot. My dad played on into his 30s, but my mom, when she stopped, she stopped, but I used to play my dad a lot. It took me a while to beat him, like I was 16 or something, 16 or 15, so my dad was pretty good.
Frierson: Did you learn any moves from him?
Wilridge: My mom always tells me that I get my athleticism from my dad, and my dad was good at the fundamentals.
Frierson: You're heading into the final months of your Georgia career — does it seem like you've been here long enough for it to almost be over?
Wilridge: I don't know, it kind of flew by. It goes by very, very quick, especial during the season. It's been a long ride, but it's been a great year, too.
Frierson: How have you changed the most as a person since you first got to Georgia?
Wilridge: I think I've become a lot more social, making new friends and stuff. Simply just talking to people, because normally I'd just stick to myself a lot. I've come out of my shell a little bit.
Frierson: Was there anybody in particular that helped bring that out of you?
Wilridge: It really kind of started when Jordan Harris got here. We've been living together since he got here, so we've been living together for three years, and he's just a bundle of personality — he kind of rubbed off on me.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up and how would you rate your abilities in those sports?
Wilridge: I played baseball, basketball, of course, and football. I would say I was maybe the best in baseball, so growing up I'd give myself a 10 (out of 10) in baseball. I was pretty good, I was the man, kind of. Football, I wasn't very good, I'd give myself a 6, maybe. And basketball, I'd give myself a 9.
Frierson: So you're a college basketball player at Georgia, no small thing, yet you rated yourself a better baseball player.
Wilridge: It's kind of hard playing third base when you're 6-5 in the eighth grade. I grew a lot and it became more beneficial to me to play basketball, so that's why I made the transition.
Frierson: Someone your size could also have become a pretty good pitcher, I bet.
Wilridge: I injured my shoulder, too, so that's part of why I stopped playing.
Frierson: Was there a sport you wanted to be good at and just weren't?
Wilridge: Oh, football, definitely. Growing up, I was a big Cowboys fan and I really liked Michael Irvin, so I really wanted to play receiver. It just didn't work out for me.
Frierson: You had to have had good hands, at least.
Wilridge: True, but the speed part wasn't there. I wasn't very fast.
Frierson: What's something really old-school that you're into?
Wilridge: I listen to a lot of older music, like '90s rap and stuff.
Frierson: Now you're making me feel old; I graduated from high school in 1990.
Wilridge: (Laughs) I like listening to Tupac, Biggie, I really like those guys, and the classic Jay-Z and stuff. I like older movies, too — one of my favorite movies is "Pulp Fiction." I really like watching that.
Frierson: What are one or two things you have to take with you every time you travel?
Wilridge: My laptop for sure, just in case I've got to do any homework or anything like that. I don't know, I tend to forget more things than the other guys.
Frierson: What do you tend to forget?
Wilridge: Toothpaste is a big one, I'm always asking around for toothpaste, and soap and shampoo and stuff.
Frierson: What's the best live performance you've ever seen?
Wilridge: I went to the Elite Eight, I think, in Houston, back when it was Utah against Duke, when Duke had Justise Winslow, Jahlil Okafor and all those guys. It was a great experience to be in that crowd and see that. Being a basketball fan, it was something you always dream of.
Frierson: Are you still the same basketball fan that you were back then? Or do you now want to get away from it a little when you're not doing Georgia basketball stuff?
Wilridge: I wouldn't say I watch as much as I did but I try to watch if any of my friends are playing and I try to support them. I try to catch Rockets games when I can, to see James Harden do his thing, but it's kind of hard, not being in the region.
Frierson: In a perfect world, what are you doing 10 or 15 years from now?
Wilridge: Hopefully I'm retired and just chilling (laughs), I plan to play basketball as long as I can, but not to overdo it. Some people play way too long, like Vince Carter, for example.
Frierson: Wow, blasphemy.
Wilridge: He's still kind of doing his thing (laughs). I just want to keep playing basketball as long as I can, and after that, I'm planning on getting into coaching one day.
Frierson: What's one thing you've learned during these years as a college player that will help you as a coach one day?
Wilridge: The attention to detail: the coaches that I played for on the previous staff and this staff, they leave no stone unturned when it comes to preparing the game plan. That's probably something I will try to incorporate when I become a coach.
Frierson: Would you like to coach in college or would high school be more to your liking?
Wilridge: I'd probably want to start in high school, start small, and try to work my way up.
Frierson: You've been living away from home for a while now, so what do you miss from back home?
Wilridge: I like eating Whataburger, so that's one of the Texas things — you can't go to Texas, or that area, without eating Whataburger. That's something I miss. Really, I just miss my family and stuff, because they don't get to come to many games. I just try to embrace them when I get to go home.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
