Talkin' With Tomas

Q: What is going through your mind as you enter the finish of your final season at Stanford?
 
A: Looking at previous captains and seniors like Brian (Nana-Sinkam) and Brandon (Vincent) go out on high notes, I want to be one who can always remember their last season as one in which they gave it their all and was successful. Leaving that legacy for future teams is really important.
 
Q: What advice would you give to Tomas Hilliard-Arce when he arrived at Stanford as a freshman?
 
A: I wouldn't change a ton, but I'd tell myself to have more confidence coming in. We had a really good class, including some guys that had national team success where I hadn't. I was nervous at the beginning, especially with switching positions, so I'd be surer of myself at the start.
 
Q: What position were you when you came in?
 
A: I came in as a center mid. There were about eight of us that came in at that position and then people switched and found their niche.
 
Q: Did you expect to have the kind of success the program has had the past few seasons?
 
A: Our freshmen class had seen articles and heard people say nice things about us so we knew we had a good, solid group. But we were not sure how soon that could translate into being a really successful program. Being surrounded by the guys for the first two or three weeks, you started to realize that there was something special. I think we knew that we were going to become a team that people didn't want to play.
 
Q: How helpful is it to have had so much experience return?
 
A: It's huge. Everyone has been there and done that. We know exactly what to do at this point in the season – the right balance of taking care of our bodies while at the same time pushing ourselves to continue to improve. I think a lot of different teams maybe have those one or two seniors that they can look up to whereas our team has a bunch of different people that guys can talk to and know that they have experienced success on the field.
 
Q: Do you and the senior class take a measure of pride in all it has helped the program accomplish?
 
A: I think so, but right now isn't the time to look back and think about how great of a time we've had because there's still a lot to be done. You can look back after this season and think about all that good stuff, but right now we're still in game mode.
 
Q: What does this team need to do to keep the momentum going into the postseason?
 
A: Just focus on the next game. You can talk about looking at standings and counting points, but in reality all we have to do is win. As far as seeding for the NCAA Tournament, that's still three weeks to a month away so there's no need to focus on that when we have UCLA coming at us on Thursday.
 
Q: What will you miss most about being on this team?
 
A: The camaraderie and family. I know that people who have graduated and moved on talk about it being a little lonely because you aren't surrounded by your best friends every day. I'll miss these relationships, being on campus and having a routine, but at the same time it's always nice to challenge yourself and try something new.
 
Q: What does your relationship with your teammates and coaches here mean to you?
 
A: I feel like everyone on the team and these coaches will be at my wedding so I think that says a lot. They're honestly my best friends, my mentors, people who push me and even people who make me angry sometimes. They do a little bit of everything and I'm grateful to have them.