He was an Academic All-American, and declined a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford to play professional basketball. He was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in 1996 with a bachelor of science in applied mathematics from NC State.
A standout athlete, he chose not to accept a prestigious scholarship to attend the University of Oxford to focus on his basketball career instead. He was also honored as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and earned top honors in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from NC State.