Interview with UD fifth-year senior forward Josh Benson

Q. Everyone wants to know, how’s the knee doing since your ACL surgery 11 months ago?

A. The knee feels really good. I’m coming along, and I feel like I’m taking strides to get back to where I was. … I’m still getting constant treatment. There’s still things I’m not able to do as far as change of direction. At the same time, the more I’m out on the court with the guys, the more reps I get, the better it’s getting.

Q. How would you describe Archie Miller?

A. Tough. I’ve got a great deal of respect for Archie. Very high intensity. He’s a competitor. You can tell it from practice or when he yells or even when he’s just having a little powwow. He’s competitive and only wants the best for you. I just think Archie is a guy who can impact this program for a long time, win some championships and get them where they need to be.

Q. What do you like to do away from the court?

A. If I’m not sleeping or eating, most of the time I have an Xbox controller in my hand. I probably play Xbox — if I’m not in class or doing homework — three or three and a half hours a day.

I play online a lot. And most of the time, we play (NBA) 2K13, which is a basketball game. Me, KD (Kevin Dillard) and D-MO (Devin Oliver) are probably the top three competitors in that. I also like playing Call of Duty and Gears of War.

Q. Did you know they have 12-step support groups for that?

A. (laughs) I don’t do it to the point that it’s an addiction. It’s just something that’s a way to stay out of trouble or when you need some ‘me’ time and relaxing time.

Q. Are you a movie fan?

A. Yeah, I like horror movies, but I really don’t get scared at horror movies. I would watch one over anything — probably because they amuse me since I know they’re fake. But one of my favorite movies would be “Friday” with Chris Tucker and Ice Cube.

I’ve also got Netflix. I’ve got movies at my fingertips. You can set it up and have thousands of movies and shows.

Q. What kind of music do you like?

A. I really like R&B and Gospel. One of my favorite artists right now is Kendrick Lamar. As far as Gospel, I would say Smokie Norful. Growing up, I had parents who, if they heard the vulgar language and a lot of beating and stuff, it was, ‘Put your headphones in. I don’t want to hear it.’ But if I wanted to listen to music out loud, it had to be something that was acceptable to them.

I was raised on old school music. When I go home and we have our family gatherings, all my uncles and the others have all that old school stuff, and I find myself singing along to them. That’s what I grew up around and that’s what I heard day in and day out. I like the Ohio Players, Zapp and Roger Troutman, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bootsy Collins … I could go on and on.

Q. When you really want to pig out, what do you eat?

A. Chipotle. I blame that on (teammate) Jordan Sibert. I used to eat Chipotle all the time my freshman year, then I fell off it. But he got here (this year), and he literally eats Chipotle every single day. Constantly seeing him eat it … it’s not just me, everybody on the team is heads over heels about Chipotle.

Q. Do you want to play basketball after college?

A. I’ve always been a humble guy. I’m not saying I want to play basketball for a long time. However long God blesses me to play basketball, no matter if it’s overseas or over here, that’s fine. If that doesn’t pan out, I’ve been looking into law enforcement. … I have a backup plan if basketball doesn’t work.

Q. Are you guys going to the NCAA tournament this year?

A. Hopefully. That’s one of my dreams since my freshman year when the guys actually made it to the (2009) NCAA tournament. I was in a sling (with a shoulder injury). Even then I felt that rush. If we make the tournament this year, to actually get there and play and maybe advance, it would be a dream come true.