Guard shares thoughts on heated MAC race

Q and A with Anthony Castrovince

He is a team leader on and off the court, a veritable fixture in the starting role, and one of the best point guards in the Mid-American Conference. Ohio guard Dustin Ford has been associated with the men's basketball team for five years, having redshirted for the 1996-97 season. He is averaging 9 points and 2.8 assists per game and leads the team with a .762 free-throw percentage and a .393 three-point percentage this season. Ford sat down with The Post's Anthony Castrovince to discuss married life, his role on and off the basketball court and the hunt for a MAC Championship.

THE POST: You have been with the program for five years, you are a married man, and you just had your high school jersey number retired. Do you feel like the grown-up of this team?

FORD: I guess, yes. But I'm probably as immature and like to joke around as much as the other guys, if not the worst. I act a little different in here than I do when I'm at home with my wife.

THE POST: In four seasons you have missed only nine starts. Describe your leadership role with this team.

FORD: A lot of it is guys come up to me and say, "What's coach going to do about this or that?" I've been here five years, so I pretty much have a good feel when something happens, how (coach Larry Hunter) is going to react to it. Being in the league five years, I know what a lot of coaches like to do and what a lot of players like to do. I think the guys look at me as a leader, but obviously, you have to make plays to be a leader, too, and we have a lot of guys on this team that can do that. We have probably four or five.

THE POST: For two seasons your older brother Geno has been an assistant with the team. What has it been like having him bossing you around? Or has he been bossing you around your whole life?

FORD: Growing up, he probably had me by 4 or 5 inches and probably 40 pounds until I got here. It's a professional relationship here. It's a business atmosphere, which is the way it should be. We don't have that brother-to-brother relationship. We may when I'm done here. Not many people can play for their dad in high school, then turn around and play for their brother in college.

THE POST: Geno played on the 1993-94 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. How much would it mean to you to follow in those footsteps?

FORD: Especially with it being my last year, and I probably have about five weeks left to play, it would be a great feeling if we could put it together here in the end and win the MAC Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. That's our goal, and that's our whole team's goal. I've had that goal for four years, and this is my last chance to get it done.

THE POST: Do you feel that this a championship-caliber team?

FORD: I think the good thing about this year's team is we have 13 players who are on one page. I think we have a chance to get it done, but we also have some tough games we have to win. This is definitely the most talented team with the best chemistry that I've seen here.

THE POST: With the MAC race as tight as it is, what would it take to win the conference?

FORD: I think we need to go 9-0 at home and 5-4 on the road, and that puts you at 14-4 in the conference. I think 14-4 will win it outright and 13-5 will get you a share. If somebody wins it at 13-5 outright, I will literally be shocked.

The Bobcats put their undefeated home record on the line against Bowling Green at 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Convo.