Kanita Shepherd is a senior forward from Garner, N.C., majoring in pre-physician assistant.

Q: What was your favorite childhood cartoon to watch growing up?
KS: I enjoyed watching a lot of cartoons when I was younger. Most of them air late at night on "Teen Nick," so I like to stay up and relive the "good ole days"! Such as: "Hey Arnold," "Rugrats," "Rocket Power," "Doug," and "AAhh Real Monsters."

Q: Which animated character does coach Brooks remind you of?
KS: Bugs Bunny from "Looney Tunes." He always has a scheme/plan (tends to always out-think his competitors); he is very witty and can be sarcastic. He can also be slightly goofy and has a "Lola Bunny" in his life (his wife, Chrissy). He is a signature character on "Looney Tunes" and coach Brooks has been around JMU forever.

Q: Which school in the CAA has the toughest environment to play in?
KS: I may be biased but as long as JMU is in the CAA the answer is always going to be us!

Q: What's the biggest life lesson you've learned from coach Brooks?
KS: "On To the Next One" by Jay Z, and Kenny Brooks. When you're down you're not out! You'll have your ups and downs during a season, but with the encouragement from Coach Brooks we will keep fighting. Just like we fought our way to back-to-back CAA championships, two NCAA appearances, and the WNIT championship game!

Q: What would you say to someone who's considering coming to JMU?
KS: JMU is not for the faint of heart; we go hard here! I'm proud to be a Duuuukkkeee!!!!

Q: What are you going to miss most about JMU?
KS: The loving environment of the fans, the students, my teammates, my sorority, the professors, just the people overall. This is by far one of the best institutions to attend!

Q: What song is on "repeat" on your iPod right now?
KS: "I Need You Now" by Smokie Norful, and Kirk Franklin's "He's Able"

Q: How would you describe our coaching staff?
KS: Hilarious! I always find myself laughing at them... but at the same time they are dedicated to preparing us for the season, and all of them are competitors which I love! I love their drive.

Q: Describe how it felt to play in the WNIT and make it to the WNIT championship game last season.
KS: Although I was unable to contribute physically, I still enjoyed the electrifying crowds and all of the love and support. We were able to be a part of great things that will forever be remembered in the history of JMU women's basketball, and that is a blessing!

Q: What was the best movie you saw last and why?
KS: I definitely have to go with "The Avengers" and the last Batman movie! However, I can't wait until November 16 for the last "Twilight" movie --"Team Jacob."

Q: What is your funniest Coach Brooks moment?
KS: I have to go with him dancing in the locker room... he is so "old school" with his two-step and pop-locking!

Q: What is your team goal for this season?
KS: My team goal is to be more successful than we were last year. We can't strive for excellence if we are content with dwelling on last year's success. I love my team because we are all competitors and none of us do well with complacency. I look forward to another great season this year!

Q: What do you love most about basketball?
KS: Basketball is my outlet. When I want to clear my mind, the gym is a great place of solitude for me to reflect on my life as well as my goals.

Q: What's your favorite reality TV show?
KS: I don't really have a favorite reality show that I can think of off the top of my head, but one of my favorite shows is "Teen Wolf" on MTV!

Q: If you could be any animal, what would you be?
KS: An elephant... who wouldn't want to STOMP LIKE AN ELEPHANT! :)

Q: What makes JMU's pep band the best in the CAA?
KS: First off, I need way more space to answer this! You have to come to a game at JMU to understand, that's all I can say.