'Just want to buy in': Siulepa on freshman season at Pitt

• Roman Siulepa is preparing for his freshman season at Pitt
• He passed up interest from the NBL, NRL and rugby union to go to NCAA Division 1 basketball
• Siulepa won back-to-back player of the tournament awards at the National Under-20 Championships for Queensland

Australian prodigy Roman Siulepa says he just wants to buy in to whatever role his team needs as he prepares for his freshman season in US college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt).

The athletic, tough and versatile forward appeared on Cut to the Jase with mentor Jason Cadee to discuss his move to Pitt, where he passed up offers to play in the NBL as well as in rugby league and rugby union to go to the US and develop his skills in NCAA Division 1 basketball.

Siulepa, 19, said it was an adjustment going to a US college but one that has been the right move for him.

"It is a big change, I guess, not hearing your everyday Aussie accent, but it's good. The coaching is different, every coach is different in their own way, but (Pitt coach Jeff Capel) always has been just a real head-on, switched on coach, telling me the right things, (he is) just a real player's coach," Siulepa told basketball.com.au.

"They look after me and that that goes with with the whole coaching committee. So, they're really looking after me and I wouldn't enjoy it without the coaches obviously playing a role into my time here, it's been good."

But as he looks to make an immediate impression in college basketball with a dream of making it towards the NBA, the Queenslander said he was focused on just doing whatever he can to help the team.

"Everyone wants to be the guy, you know, the guy that gets the ball, scores the most points, but I guess I just want to buy in to sort of a role where I can have an influence on the team and do my role that that they've provided me with," Siulepa said.

"I just want to step out on the court, give my all, and just keep progressing in the right direction because obviously college is over the span of four years and if that's the case for me, then just day by day work at it and establish my role.

"Then if they leave me needed to be bigger, then I obviously step up to the occasion and work harder and try and adapt to that. So that's all I'm looking forward to doing."

Siulepa was also a highly desired rugby talent and revealed how close he came to choosing football as well as whether playing as an NBL Next Star was another realistic option.

"Part of me wanted to (go to rugby), part of me didn't want to," he said.

"It was just weighing my options, I guess. It's easier to go from basketball back to rugby in terms of instead of vice versa because obviously there's more that goes into basketball and the fine-tuning (skills) aspects of it.

"Part of me wanted to do it but I guess picking the basketball and why I chose it was just I guess my love for the game and all I've put out in there in working my my butt off since I was young. Obviously I had a break from rugby which goes to show that basketball is number one, so that played a lot of the part why I chose to pick basketball.

"Of course, (I was) obviously thinking about NBL. But college was the main option after talking with my agent, talking to Jase and sort of making that decision... but having the NBL as another option isn't too bad either."