The Biggest Artist on Campus

At 6 feet, 10 inches tall and 230 pounds, James Vincent is a force in the paint for the Panthers basketball team - but he may be just as talented painting in the art studio as he is blocking shots and pulling down rebounds on the basketball court.

As the drawing, painting and printmaking major in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design tells it, he's been doodling on paper long before he was dribbling a basketball.

"I became interested in drawing and painting when I was around 2 years old," Vincent said.

His interest was piqued by the classic video game, Sonic the Hedgehog.

"I remember playing Sonic, and I was intrigued by how Sonic was created, how he was drawn, so as the years went on, I got into creating art and illustrating video games," he said.

Vincent says he has his sights set on a career in video game design.

Though Vincent is only a sophomore, Barnes has seen enough to think the promising young post player has the potential to be a big time contributor for the Panthers.

"James is a kid that has a great upside," Barnes said. "He's got a chance to be an impact player and definitely one who can be very effective in our league."

It turns out that Vincent isn't the only member of the basketball team with an artistic side.

"[Senior] Dante Curry draws too, and we go at it every day about who can draw better," Vincent said.

If you ask Vincent, however, there is no doubt who's the best artist on the team. "I draw better," he says.