Najul Ervin spends most of his time patrolling the paint in the Convocation Center for the NIU men’s basketball team.

The forward is averaging 4.7 points and 4.8 rebounds a game in his second season with the Huskies. Ervin also ranks second on the team with 20 steals.

The junior Kankakee Community College transfer took time to chat with the Northern Star about his hobbies, his hometown and basketball influences.

Northern Star: When you want to step away from basketball, what do you do in your spare time?

Najul Ervin: I spend time playing cards and playing video games. We play spades and NBA 2K9 and Halo on Xbox 360.

NS: Who is the best spades duo on the team?

NE: Me and ‘Red’ (guard Jeremy Landers). We pretty much run the whole team.

NS: What is the biggest difference between DeKalb and your hometown of Memphis, Tenn.?

NE: DeKalb is quiet and it’s pretty steady. Memphis is a big city and [has] a lot going on. DeKalb pretty much keeps me out of trouble. In Memphis, you can go to a bowling alley and get in trouble. People are calmer out here.

NS: What do you miss most about Memphis?

NE: Being in DeKalb is a good thing for me, but I mostly miss my family.

NS: What was it like playing so close to home earlier in the season?

NE: [My family] got a chance to come support me like they did in high school. They gave me a lot of confidence.

NS: What brought you to NIU?

NE: An assistant coach from the Memphis area who coached at Kankakee brought me up here. Then he got me connected with [former NIU assistant coach] John Anderson who coached with Ricardo Patton at Colorado.

NS: Who was your biggest basketball influence growing up?

NE: Penny Hardaway because he’s from Memphis. Penny put me on to basketball. I also grew up watching Michael Jordan.

NS: Are there any athletes scattered throughout your family tree?

NE: I have a cousin who retired from the NFL and (former major league baseball player) Kenny Lofton is my distant cousin. He’s my mom’s first cousin and we don’t see him that much. That’s why I call him a distant cousin.