The only player on the Runnin’ Rebels this season to start all 31 regular-season games, Royce Hamm Jr, has kept his game day routine simple all year.
“I wake up, I say my prayers, I meditate,” Hamm said. “When I wake up, it depends. Some days I work out in the morning before shootaround, which is at 1 p.m. If I want to work out that morning I’ll wake up at 7:30, 7:45, between there to get to the gym at like 8:30.”
The UNLV forward will sleep in until 8:30 or 9 a.m. if he decides he doesn’t want to go to the gym on that particular game day.
“I listen to guided meditation,” Hamm said. “I’ve been doing it for a few years now.”
Unlike his fellow teammate and roommate, Donovan Williams who likes it to be completely dark while he meditates, Hamm likes to keep the lights on as he stated, “I like to have light in my room. The light kind of gives me energy.
After meditating and getting in a morning workout, Hamm will listen to music and chill before the team shootaround.
“I don’t really eat much on game days,” Hamm said. “On game days I eat fruit, so after shootaround I get some fruit, probably drink a smoothie.”
Once team shootaround ends and Hamm grabs a light snack, he’ll head back to his place for a few hours, where he’ll rest before heading to the Thomas & Mack two hours before tip-off.
Before the season started, Hamm stated he listened to NBA Youngboy before every game when he played at Texas, and after a full season with the Rebels, his music has not changed, in fact, he’s gotten the entire locker room into NBA Youngboy.
“I still listen to him,” Hamm said. “As bad as the song sounds, Drug Addiction is my go-to song. But it’s a good song.”
The team will then finish warm-ups, run out for introductions and walk out on the court where Hamm meets his opponent on the center circle to jump for the tip-off.
This season, Hamm has averaged 8.7 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Rebels which ranks him 26th in the nation in rebounds per game. Hamm is also third in field goal percentage on the team shooting 48.1%.
While Williams leads the team in three-point shooting percentage, Royce is right behind shooting 40.4% from behind the arc.
As far as what Hamm does after the game he said, “it depends like I’ll be here for a minute so I kind of just eat the same thing. Sometimes I’ll get Five Guys, Chipotle, Jack in the Box… I eat bad.”
Hamm will be traveling for his final regular-season away game this weekend where he made it very clear he gets his own row on the plane ride and isn’t next to anyone.
While the season comes to an end, the Runnin’ Rebels still have at least one more home game as they are locked in on the No. 5 seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Before the conference tournament, Hamm Jr and the Runnin’ Rebels will face the New Mexico Lobos on FS1 for their final regular-season, tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
UNLV will return to the Thomas & Mack to play in the tournament on Thursday, Mar. 10 at 2:30 p.m as they are set to take on the No. 4 seed, the Wyoming Cowboys.
