Exclusive Interview: Munis Tutu Talks Loyola Marymount Commitment

Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to speak with Munis Tutu, the highly-regarded incoming point guard for Loyola Marymount.

Munis’ commitment to the Lions came shortly after Evan Payne announced he was transferring from LMU, thus filling a temporary glaring hole in the Lions’ roster. Munis brings a lot to the table for Mike Dunlap, and a commanding floor general is certainly one of those assets.

Thank you to Munis for taking the time to answer some questions and can’t wait to see you on the court next year!

What are you most looking forward to at Loyola Marymount? And what about the program attracted you to commit? 

“What I’m looking forward to at LMU is just the challenge to try and bring this program to be [the] winning basketball program it once was back in the day. I wasn’t really paying attention to what it was then, but I’ve heard and seen documentaries and the opportunity to come in, to make a serious impact, to contribute, to make this school again a winning basketball school is what I look forward to most. And I believe with the team we have now and going forward that we can do it. I believe so.

What made me commit was the relationship I’ve had with the coaches and they’ve had with my family. I was really comfortable on campus. They made me feel like family. And ultimately just the opportunity to come in and play right away.”

What do you think is your greatest strength(s) on the court? 

“My greatest strengths on the court are my basketball IQ, playmaking ability, ball handling, and playing in a fast system that likes to go in transition.”

What particular skills do you want to improve on/have you talked with coach Dunlap about which areas you’d like to focus on? 

“Right now, I’m just working everyday on furthering my range shooting. I just came out of high school and the three point line is further, so I have to really get used to that. So that’s what I’m working on right now.”

The WCC has a rich history of talented Canadian players, ranging (most recently) from Kevin Pangos all the way to Steve Nash. How does it feel to be the next in line on this impressive list of Canadian prospects? 

“It’s very exciting to be the next line of Canadians trying to keep the future bright for the country and playing coming up under us. I watched all those Canadians you’ve mentioned and I want to personally keep the rep they’ve brought up for us going.”

It’s a big transition going from Canada to Southern California. How are you feeling about that big move to the sunny streets and beaches of Los Angeles? 

“The move has definitely been comforting and a good transition actually. The city is beautiful and so is the campus. My teammates who are going to be my second family keep me grounded when I miss family. I’m used to all of this being away from family because I’ve been at La Lumiere, a prep school outside of Indiana, since the 10th grade. I definitely think it’s going to be easy, simply because California is just a better location than Indiana. I’m just really ready to get the season started and get this show rolling. I think we have a special group. Hopefully we can bring LMU to be one of the top WCC teams for basketball.”

We can’t wait to see you in uniform, Munis. You ready to be a Lion? 

“I’m ready. So ready! I can’t wait to get started. Lions fans should be excited and look forward to piling way more Ws than they’ve gotten the past couple of seasons.”