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Malcolm Pope is a 5-foot-11, 155-pound point guard from New York City who plays for Blair Academy in New Jersey. The 16-year-old is a quality basketball player with a bright future. InsideHoops.com presents an exclusive Malcolm Pope interview.

InsideHoops.com: Where are you from?

Malcolm Pope: I grew up in the Bronx, around Yankee Stadium, and I live in Harlem now.

InsideHoops.com: What parks did you play at when you were younger?

Malcolm Pope: I played at a lot of different parks. I played in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic a few times. And local parks around my neighborhood.

InsideHoops.com: Everyone calls you Snoop. Where'd the nickname come from?

Malcolm Pope: I got it when I was a baby. When I was first born, I had big ears, and I was real pale, like Snoopy the dog. One of my dad's friends gave me the nickname.

InsideHoops.com: So how's it going at Blair Academy?

Malcolm Pope: I'm in 11th grade right now, this is my third year here. Last season I think we were like 13-12, but we won our league championship and we lost the game to go to the championship in State.

InsideHoops.com: What stats did you put up last season?

Malcolm Pope: I averaged about 8 points, 7 assists per game off the bench.

InsideHoops.com: When did college recruiters first start talking to you? When you were extremely young, I heard.

Malcolm Pope: Yeah, I talked to one coach when I was in 7th grade.

InsideHoops.com: What was that like? How did you react?

Malcolm Pope: I really didn't pay no attention, because I didn't think he was serious. But he's still recruiting me to this day.

InsideHoops.com: So obviously you know he was serious.

Malcolm Pope: Yeah.

InsideHoops.com: Which colleges are your favorites right now, as far as where you may go?

Malcolm Pope: It would probably be St. John's, Drexel, and that's it. And I'd probably throw Manhattan in there.

InsideHoops.com: And when you're older, if you keep progressing as a player, what NBA players do you think you might be similar to, as far as style of play goes?

Malcolm Pope: Well, a lot of people tell me I play between a Raymond Felton on my hard playing days and my smooth playing days like Chris Paul, so hopefully between them.

InsideHoops.com: What's your favorite basketball video game?

Malcolm Pope: Live 2006.

InsideHoops.com: You've been playing it already? It just came out a week ago or so.

Malcolm Pope: Yeah, I played it the whole weekend when I went home.

InsideHoops.com: On PS2 or X-Box?

Malcolm Pope: PS2.

InsideHoops.com: Is it a big improvement over 2005, or not really?

Malcolm Pope: It's not that much of an improvement, but it got different players in there. Like I play with Toronto because they got Charlie Villanueva, and he went to my school.

InsideHoops.com: And sneakers, what's your favorite?

Malcolm Pope: Adidas, all the way.

InsideHoops.com: And, your goals for the future, talk about what's up.

Malcolm Pope: I made a little pact with myself before the school year started that I was going to be a McDonalds All-American by the end of my senior year, then pursue my dream to go to the NBA after college. That's basically it.

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