The Rambler, Vol. 92, No. 6
Gerren Odum, contributing writer

     A new state, the same state of mind. This is how freshman computer science major Aldis Presley enjoys his new life for now. The 18-year-old who grew up in Atlanta is having fun and adjusting to the Texas heat in the process.

     He says it's fun for him because he gets to participate in two activities he loves: basketball and table tennis. Presley is a member of both the junior varsity men's basketball team and the table tennis team at Wesleyan.

     "I lean toward basketball, but I enjoy them both the same. The preparation for each is just different," said Presley. "The biggest similarity is foot work. Staying on the tips of the toes allows good, quick reactions, which is necessary for both."

     Presley has played basketball for more than 13 years, but finds pleasure in table tennis as well, which he has played for eight years.

      In basketball, match-ups can be spread across the floor to make defending easier, while in table tennis, hand-eye coordination and quicker hand reflexes determines the level of competition.

     "The change of match-ups varies, but I put the same effort into both sports, so I match the challenge," said Presley.

      Presley attended high school at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, where he played alongside childhood friend and No. 1 overall draft pick of the 2004 National Basketball Association draft, Dwight Howard II. The two were quite the match.

     "Well, he's obviously much taller than me - he's almost 7 feet," he said. "His complete game is also better than mine, which allowed him to make it to the professional level, but I'm a better shooter."

     Just like friends, though, Presley helped Howard work on his free throws, develop his court sense and improve his shooting from 15 feet and closer.

     "The rest of Howard's game is close to a Kevin Garnett type player with a mix of Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal. He has good dribbling ability because he played point center for us in eighth grade. His overall skills just got better as he progressed," says Presley.

     Despite all the media attention around school caused by Howard his senior year, Presley said he never got excited, but remained levelheaded because he and Howard were such good friends. One of Presley's fondest memories came when their team beat Whitfield Academy in Georgia in the Regional and the Class A state championship game.

     Presley also enjoyed success in table tennis. The summer before his senior year, he was picked by the United States Table Tennis Association and the Butterfly Company to represent the United States in Tokyo for a three-week training session. Only four juniors or players ages 12 to 18 were selected to participate in this session.

     After graduating, Presley was recruited by Christian Lillieroos, Wesleyan's table tennis coach. After that, Presley decided to join the basketball team.

     "Aldis is a very hard worker and is a very determined individual. It takes a lot of dedication for a person to play two sports at the collegiate level," said Junior Varsity Coach AAron Whaley.

     Presley said he keeps the same mindset he had at the Academy in Atlanta, which includes a focus on "Almighty God, academics, attitude, and athletic ability." His father, Ralph, and his mother, Marie, instilled Christian values in Presley.

     "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead," Presley said is his motto, which comes from James 2:26.

     Presley plans to graduate from Wesleyan with a computer science degree and become a professional athlete in whichever sport presents him the opportunity. His long-term goal is to go into business with his brother David Presley James, 20, who is currently pursuing a computer engineering degree at Florida A&M University.