Sundance Wicks‘ basketball career has taken him around the globe, from South Dakota to Europe and back to the states again. The Northern Star sat down with Wicks to both pick his basketball mind and learn how he became a DJ in college.

Northern Star: You are the announcer and emcee at the NIU Track & Field and Cross Country meets. How in the world did you get involved with that?

Sundance Wicks: I’m DJ Dance. At Northern State I was playing basketball, but I was also the DJ and announcer for our women’s soccer team. I was DJ Doc Wicks but over here it transformed to DJ Dance. NIU Track & Field head coach Connie Teaberry gave me the nickname. I’m widespread throughout the northern Illinois region at cross country and track & field meets. I’m probably the best show out of any cross country meet you can find.

NS: How do you balance high-school recruiting with your duties as an assistant coach on the NIU men’s basketball team?

SW: There’s no real off days. People ask me when my vacation is, but there is no vacation. In the first semester it’s easier because we have practice that ends at 3 p.m. and I can go and watch high-school games at night. Right now, though, practice ends at 5:30 or 6 p.m. So, that means I have to catch games on my off day. It’s kind of hit or miss, trying to find balance at this job.

NS: How does the coaching staff prepare for an opposing team?

SW: We get all our video from our video coordinator. We also have a program that helps us break down player tendencies. And as assistants we try to watch at least five games on each opponent we play. Also, if we know a player resembles another player we will put that in too. Basically we know how a kid on the other team sleeps at night.

NS: The NIU men’s basketball team hosts a team camp every year in an attempt to find the best high-school talent in the area. Have you already begun preparations for the camp?

SW: Yes, we’ll start sending out all of our invitations to high schools during the month of February. We are going to hold it again at Proviso West HS. We have the dates June 17th and 18th reserved already. That starts now, because in March guys are already locking up their team camps.

NS: After graduating from Northern State, you played professional basketball in Europe. What is your favorite moment from your time over seas?

SW: When I actually got to play in my first game I couldn’t enter the country before I got my six-month work visa. So, they just let me stay in Norway to basically practice and train until the first game. And on the day of the first game after I got my visa, I had to fly from Oslo, Norway to Sweden. Then I had to take a bus and then a car to the actual game. So, it was planes, trains, and automobiles for my first game.

I was so fried, because I went out and scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds that night. My blood sugar was so low that instead of bringing me saline solution and water, they brought me waffles with berry sauce.

They told me to eat some waffles and drink a coke. So, on the floor of the locker room I’m eating waffles and drinking a coke trying to get some energy.