Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D., lecturer and associate director of the Tucker Center, was mentioned in a FoxSportsNorth article on the dichotomy between Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio’s competitive court presence and his laid-back off-the-court persona. A selection from the article, by Joan Niesen, appears below:

LaVoi said Rubio’s ability to switch between a laid-back manner and the competitive intensity he displays on the court should not be considered a facet of his personality. Rather, she said, the young point guard most likely possesses keen mental and psychological skills.

“Regardless of how he is off the court, what we find from top performers is that they can switch into a performer identity, by getting into the zone, being at an optimal arousal level,” LaVoi said.