Ajay Sheldon is one of six freshmen on Ohio’s roster, but only one of them, A.J. Brown, averages more minutes per game than his 10.3 minutes.
As the season has progressed, Sheldon has seen his role increase, playing more than 10 minutes in each of the last three games. This includes his best game of the season in which he scored six points to go along with two rebounds and two assists on 2-for-3 from 3-point range in just 13 minutes against Stetson.
The Post chatted with Sheldon about his name, his favorite comedians, his favorite shoes and more:
The Post: You’re one of three AJ(ay)s on the team (A.J. Brown, A.J. Clayton). You guys also have an I.J. (Ezuma) and a D.J. (Dwight Wilson III). What has that been like to deal with being one of three AJ(ay)s?
Sheldon: I lost my actual name two weeks after I came here. I’ve just gone by Shelley or Sheldon pretty much the whole time even though I’m the only one whose actual name is Ajay. It was an adjustment at first, even if someone says A.J. I still look sometimes, but I’ve gotten better at it.
TP: Before coming to Ohio, you were co-(Ohio Capital) Conference Player of the Year with Quinn Corna. How much did you know him before and what was it like to have a guy that you played against and competed against now be on the same team?
Sheldon: I didn’t know him that well as a person, but obviously we played twice a year. I never had a problem with him, he was always a cool guy, so it’s been cool getting to know him here as a different person than just someone I played against in high school.
TP: When you guys are traveling, what are three things you always need to make sure you have with you?
Sheldon: Headphones, lotion and shoes.
TP: When you’re wearing your headphones, what are you listening to?
Sheldon: I listen to some podcasts, some music and I listen to stand-up comedy as well.
TP: Who are some of your favorite comedians?
Sheldon: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock (and) Kevin Hart.
TP: What podcasts do you like to listen to?
Sheldon: I listen to Brandon Marshall’s podcast and J.J. Redick’s podcast, most of those are old episodes, but I’m still cycling through them.
TP: You mentioned shoes, what’s your favorite brand or signature shoe?
Sheldon: Right now Trae Youngs have been my go-to to wear in games.
TP: Since you have to wear Adidas here, was there something else you liked before or were you always going with Adidas?
Sheldon: I probably wore Nike until my junior year, then I played for an Adidas (Amateur Athletic Union) team, so I kind of made the transition over and I still haven’t gone back. It wasn’t too tough because of AAU.
TP: You guys took a trip to Spain over the preseason, what was your favorite part of that trip?
Sheldon: My favorite part of the trip was the off-court stuff like going out to eat, going to the beach, all that kind of stuff. J ust getting to know everybody (and) hanging out in the hotel, that stuff was really fun.
TP: When you’re not practicing, what do you do when you have a couple hours to kill?
Sheldon: I go through phases, like phases where I play a lot of video games, and I talk on the phone a lot. I also listen to music, do schoolwork and sometimes go eat by myself.
TP: When you’re playing video games, what do you usually play?
Sheldon: Call of Duty.
TP: Do you play with some of the other guys on the team like Ben Roderick or Aidan Hadaway?
Sheldon: I’ve played with Aidan a couple of times?
TP: Do you have the new Call of Duty and if so, what do you think so far?
Sheldon: I like it, but I’m not great. You go through phases, you have two days where you’re great and then the next day you play one game and get off, but I like it.
