By Serena Crawford, UNOPrivateers.com Feature Writer
 
He stands six-foot, seven-inches and weighs in at 200 pounds. He is a new addition to the New Orleans men's basketball team and has traveled from Anchorage, Alaska.
 
His name is Tommy Hobbs, and he is ready to start his first season as a Division I student-athlete, traveling far from home to live out his dream of playing at the NCAA's highest level.
 
This Alaskan native is determined to be the best he can be for himself, teammates, and coaches. With a strong team dynamic between the players and the coaching staff, this coming season is full of positive expectations.
 
“We have a good team this year with a lot of new guys joining the five returners, “said Hobbs. “My teammates and I live together and we pretty much spend all day together.”
 
“We have a good thing going, we are like brothers. There are ups and downs, but we are like a family. No matter what happens, you love your family at the end of the day.”
 
A 19-year old, Hobbs is four thousand miles away from home and although he has achieved one of his goals, he still has more expectations from himself.
 
A standout student-athlete at South Anchorage High School, Hobbs was a 2011 All-Conference selection and the school's single game record holder for blocks and rebounds, a pair of marks established during his sophomore season. These are attributes he would love to carry on in Division I, but that is the least of his worries now.
 
“I really want to work harder to be a great player,” said Hobbs. “I am very competitive and I really want to do well by eating right, practicing right and doing everything I can because I do not want to lose.”
 
Hobbs strives to accomplish this task by not only working hard every day alongside his teammates, but taking some time to hone his skills by himself.
 
Always striving to be better than the day before, Hobbs finds a way to juggle the basketball-associated tasks with those duties related to school, in order to get all of his work done. It is a daily schedule that he is able to accomplish day in and day out.
 
“We have 6:15 a.m. practice or conditioning before weights at mid-day with evening practice around 4:30 p.m. followed by study hall,” said Hobbs. “They are busy days, but this is something I always wanted to do.”
 
“I know I will do well in my classes because I have a study hall to go to. Our coaches make sure we are in every class. I wake up in the morning stoked because I may not be the best and may never be, but know I have the chance to work all day to be the best, I could not be happier!”
 
Hobbs' expectations for himself are greater than those placed on him by others, which is why even in his free time, he continues to work hard.
 
“I want to get better, so when I get beat in practice, somebody blows by me or I miss a shot, it sticks with me, “said Hobbs.  
 
In order to get to New Orleans, Hobbs traveled nearly four thousand miles from home.
 
Though he is away from family and friends, Hobbs' daily routine is a constant reminder of why he came to Louisiana and why he wants to stay. While being so far from home can be difficult, on the contrary, Hobbs feels it allows him to keep his focus on accomplishing his goals.
 
Playing Division I is Hobbs' dream come true and something he has long awaited, and he won't let the far distance from home hold him back now.
 
“I have a big family and I love them,” Hobbs said. “It is hard being away, but it is definitely worth it.”
 
His family will not be too far away from the Privateers while he plays.
 
“They will be able to come to games and they travel a lot, so I will be seeing them,” said Hobbs.
 
Hobbs is a young player with high expectations for the future.
 
He believes in his team, coaches, and most of all himself. Hobbs' high hopes for a victorious year are not farfetched for the Privateers.
 
With his determination to go far away from home in order to accomplish his dream while reaching higher heights in life, Hobbs could very well inspire some younger athletes to never let anything hold one back from becoming the best they can be.
                             
Serena Crawford is one of several students at the University of New Orleans that will be writing feature stories and contributing content to UNOPrivateers.com throughout the academic year.