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#UNC dressing room interviews with Lubin, Withers, Cadeau, Davis, Trimble and Powell
Mar 20, 2025
#UNC dressing room interviews with Lubin, Withers, Cadeau, Davis, Trimble and Powell
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0:00
precursor. This is a little bit
0:01
different, I would think. Yeah. Um, we
0:04
just want to carry that momentum into,
0:06
uh, tomorrow. Just, uh, coming with the
0:08
sense of urgency like we did our first
0:09
game. It It was different the other
0:11
night. It seemed like you guys were as
0:13
locked in as you've been all year long.
0:16
Is that is that the recipe that you guys
0:19
need to continue on through this thing
0:21
to be as locked in as you were? Cuz it
0:23
was at a different level than
0:24
previously, right? as we um you know you
0:26
want to you want to have your best
0:28
basketball in March and I think um you
0:30
know we need to sustain what we did um
0:33
so we can make this run. What is your
0:35
take on then Allan being so productive
0:38
and so consistently productive over the
0:40
last nine or 10 games?
0:42
Why has he been able to have that kind
0:44
of uh production and and success? I
0:46
think um his hard work is paying off. uh
0:49
you know Vinn he's always I think he's
0:51
always been that guy that uh you know
0:53
has the level that he's uh playing at
0:55
and um you know we just want to sustain
0:57
that throughout the run. How much of it
0:59
is you know Jay would be at the four
1:01
you're now at the three your vantage
1:02
point of the stuff that Ben Allen gets
1:05
inside maybe more one-on-one coverage
1:08
defense instead of maybe a help side guy
1:09
a little bit closer. How much is that a
1:11
reason why he's had success? Um, I think
1:15
from your vantage point, because I'm
1:16
sure it looks a little different from
1:17
the wing and when I know you guys have a
1:19
little interchangeable stuff, but when
1:20
you're the wing and you guys are bigger,
1:22
it looks like he's in a lot more iso
1:24
situation. Yeah. Um, you know, when he's
1:27
posting up, we want to um, you know, get
1:29
the ball to him whenever we can. That's
1:30
something that we've emphasized. And,
1:33
um, yeah, just just able to get him the
1:35
ball so he can do his work. So, what are
1:37
some things about Old Miss that you guys
1:38
are kind of learn about?
1:40
um just that you know they're a very
1:42
talented team with guards and bigs and
1:44
it's a full team effort. What what what
1:47
has been the best part of playing the
1:50
three as opposed to the four earlier in
1:52
the season for you? What what has that
1:54
allowed you to do differently?
1:56
Um there's not really a lot differently
1:59
than the three and the four. I think um
2:01
you know with this basketball team you
2:03
know we have a lot of talented players.
2:05
I think um you know it's just you know
2:08
certain spots where you can be
2:09
successful.
2:11
Is it more defensive than on offense?
2:14
Sorry. Is it more is it bigger
2:16
difference defensively for you? You're
2:18
not dealing with these bigger guys a lot
2:20
of times a lot of you battle guys for
2:22
bigger guys for rebounds. I think my um
2:24
my teammates and coaches uh they trust
2:26
me to guard uh three or four like
2:28
whoever that's needed and um I think I
2:30
can do that myself. How much is your
2:33
ability to take advantage of switches
2:36
given Ben Allen opportunities inside? It
2:39
seems like uh when other teams are
2:42
switching, you guys are able to get him
2:44
open opportunity. Yeah, definitely. Um
2:46
you know, we the smaller defenders get
2:48
switch on to him. We just want to um
2:49
fire the ball in so he can do his work.
2:52
What's been the biggest difference
2:54
between the team you guys were at
2:57
Clemson and the team now? I think um our
2:59
sense of urgency and um just our
3:01
approach to defense, the physicality
3:03
level. Is it me mentally, but also
3:07
execution? Sorry, what mental? You you
3:10
seem like it's a lot of it is mental and
3:13
attitude. Yes. But is it also execution?
3:16
I'd say so. Yes. Yes, sir. Thank you.
3:19
Yeah. What's up, dude? How you doing?
3:22
What what really just like my my peoples
3:24
like my my close circle, my family, my
3:25
friends. um uh you know high school
3:28
friends, high school colleagues that you
3:29
know I went to school with. So they all
3:30
reached out just congratulating me on
3:32
just um obviously getting here but then
3:34
obviously the performance I put on. Um
3:36
so yeah it was really just a lot of like
3:38
my close free family and friends. Did
3:40
you get a chance to look at Old Miss's
3:41
film yet? I mean what what do you think?
3:42
What do you see from the reps? Yeah, I
3:44
mean I I watched Old Miss throughout
3:45
this whole year just because I'm a
3:46
basketball dunky. I watch basketball um
3:48
all year round. So um and I know Jaylen
3:51
Murray so that's me and him grew up
3:52
together. We played uh basketball
3:54
together. KU and PSA Cardinals and just
3:56
you know going at each other from high
3:58
school. He played for Cardinal Hayes I
3:59
was at Stephan. So um just like you know
4:01
showing my support from him but um
4:03
they're a really good team. Uh nothing I
4:05
really haven't really seen before in
4:07
terms of like offensively defensively
4:08
wise. They're a gritty team. So uh we
4:10
just got to do a good job on preparation
4:11
today and tomorrow to to come up with a
4:14
win. Are I got a crazy question here.
4:16
Are your shorts regular length or mine 2
4:19
in? Mine are uh mine are regular length.
4:22
Okay. I don't like so like when I
4:25
first my my freshman year it was kind it
4:27
was minus two because I was a little
4:28
scrawny and stuff so um the swords look
4:31
a little bit too big on me but now it's
4:32
like um if I get minus two it look too
4:34
tight and I don't like that at all so I
4:36
get the regular Jaylen said he thought
4:38
maybe a little too sharp that's what he
4:40
said that you got what we doing now bro
4:44
uh what we're doing my fault he asked me
4:47
I asked I said there's anyone's are any
4:49
ones you think might be a little too
4:50
short I'll get the the Oh jeez. No
4:53
second. They hang. Do they Is there a
4:56
plus two option? Um I actually asked for
4:58
one. They said they don't they don't
4:59
make those. They can't do like I was I
5:01
was trying to do like the little the
5:02
little baggie look this year. Old
5:04
school. Yeah. But they they said no.
5:06
Come on.
5:09
I know.
5:11
You had to hear all the criticism early
5:13
this week about y'all whether you belong
5:16
what in the field and everything. Do you
5:18
feel y'all proved your point against San
5:19
Diego State or is it still
5:22
you still go into this game with a lot a
5:24
lot to prove do you think? Uh I think we
5:26
still have more left in the tank and um
5:28
a lot more left to prove not just to
5:30
anyone that you know doubted us but more
5:32
to ourselves. Um I feel like we everyone
5:36
in this locker room know that we're
5:37
capable and um that we deserve to be in
5:39
this tournament. So, um it's really
5:41
about just proving ourselves right
5:42
rather than, you know, going out there
5:44
and proving um the opinions, the the
5:48
negative comments that being made
5:49
throughout this whole, you know, past
5:51
couple weeks. Got the title game all the
5:53
way to the title game as an eight seed a
5:55
few years ago. How much I mean, how much
5:57
does that get? Does it give you any
5:58
juice, any motivation knowing what you
6:01
don't think you've done something like
6:02
this before? Yeah, 100%. I mean, uh,
6:05
being the eighth seed, being the 11
6:06
seed, being a one seed, doesn't really
6:07
matter as long as you get in the
6:09
tournament and you're able to go out
6:10
there and make some noise. But
6:11
obviously, from, you know, my experience
6:13
of being in the eighth seed and um going
6:15
all the way to the national championship
6:17
run, I think it's
6:19
uh it's good to have that type of
6:21
experience behind you because it doesn't
6:23
matter um the seed and where you're
6:25
ranked, as long as about, you know, your
6:27
preparation and how you guys prepare
6:28
leading up to the game. So, um I mean I
6:31
love it and obviously the just the
6:33
history behind the being the 11 seed and
6:35
just seeing those teams go all the way.
6:36
So definitely some luck and uh some
6:39
positivity behind that. RJ, what do you
6:40
know about uh this this region? This
6:42
area know anything? This region? Yeah,
6:45
this area Milwaukee. No tell he was
6:49
going to be you guys tour guide. How's
6:50
he been so far? Man, bro, I was telling
6:52
Seth, but I'm not a fan of Milwaukee at
6:54
all. Like we got here it was cold, it
6:56
was rainy. Um like he's like the way if
7:00
you if you guys if the way Seth
7:02
explained it to us was like Milwaukee
7:03
was the best city in the world. Like but
7:05
when we got here we were all like
7:07
depressed like just the the weather. Um
7:11
yeah he was you would thought he was
7:12
describing New York for a second. I saw
7:14
the puffer jacket. Yeah. That's why I'm
7:16
saying it's spring. We supposed to be
7:17
supposed to be warm weather. It's acting
7:19
like we're in it's December right now.
7:22
It's cold bro. I ain't going to lie.
7:24
R.J. is this feeling more like that 2022
7:28
vibe with every game? I mean, the way
7:30
you guys were in February that year and
7:33
the way you were in February this year
7:35
and where you are now. Yeah. Um,
7:38
I mean, yeah. I mean, I think it
7:40
definitely gave us a little bit of some
7:41
flashbacks a little bit. Um, obviously
7:44
being a little bit lower seed and, uh,
7:47
just, you know, our backs against the
7:49
walls and, um, playing with a lot of
7:51
motivation, a lot of um, things to
7:54
prove. So, I think that can give you
7:55
some some similarities to, you know,
7:57
2022 run. What's the biggest difference
7:58
between those two teams and the run that
8:01
you guys have been on this year and then
8:03
that that year? Um, I would say the
8:04
biggest difference would be obviously
8:06
experience. Um, we have a lot of guys, a
8:09
lot of older guys, um, and returning
8:12
players that, you know, been with each
8:14
other for a long time. So, like myself,
8:16
C Love, Mando, Leaky, the only
8:18
difference was Brady. Um, and then you
8:21
know for this team it's a lot younger
8:23
team. It's a newer team transfer portal
8:25
obviously. Um, and a lot of guys never
8:27
really got the chance to actually
8:28
experience March Madness. So this is all
8:30
very new to them. So but I think just in
8:32
terms of the talent um I think this is
8:35
really probably one of the most talented
8:36
teams I played on. So yeah. Have you
8:38
talked have you talked to the younger
8:39
players about your 2022 experience? Um,
8:42
no not really. I think a lot of them
8:44
actually like saw it like live like they
8:46
were like might have been in high school
8:47
or different colleges. So, um, they I
8:51
mean they seen it, but they just
8:52
probably asked they asked like what was
8:54
the actual experience like of, you know,
8:56
being able to play in the final four,
8:57
being able to play in the national
8:58
championship. Um, you know, I was just
9:00
kind of just sharing those experiences
9:01
with them. I'm sure you just got they
9:04
forced a lot of turnovers and they
9:06
turned them into immediate points.
9:08
Obviously, ball security is a premium
9:10
for you guys tomorrow. Yeah, 100%. I
9:12
think Miss does a good job of kind of
9:13
just getting the gaps and they swarm the
9:15
defense. Um, and they're able to just
9:18
forth make things hard for you. So, we
9:20
got to do a good job of taking care of
9:21
the ball, getting the shots that we
9:22
want. Um, and just, you know, making the
9:24
easy plays rather than just trying to
9:25
make the home runs. Um, that's something
9:27
that coach Davis emphasizes a lot. So,
9:29
we got to do a good job maintaining our
9:32
our, you know, the ball handlers and our
9:34
turnovers and making sure that, you
9:35
know, they're not scoring off of that
9:36
because they can make runs off of that.
9:38
One real quick one. What do you remember
9:39
about Shawn Padulla at Virginia Tech?
9:41
You're going to have to deal with him
9:42
tomorrow. He's your leading scoreer.
9:43
Yeah, I mean Padoula is a really good
9:44
player. um he's the head of the snake.
9:46
He makes their team go. So, he's a
9:48
physical player and he's able to, you
9:49
know, just find shots for himself, but
9:52
also for his teammates. So, we just got
9:53
to do a good job of kind of just
9:54
maintaining him um and keeping him under
9:56
control. RJ, let's go spot here.
10:00
Mess up the card game.
10:03
Kade stealing your card.
10:06
Kate can help you with the answers. Move
10:07
over here. Yeah, if you want to
10:12
play every NCA tournament game. Meant to
10:13
talk to you about it, but it got a
10:14
little hectic afterwards. So, what was
10:16
that it like just finally getting to
10:18
play in the tournament after a couple,
10:21
you know, tough years at at the previous
10:23
stops? Yeah, it was, you know,
10:26
unbelievable. You know, just the
10:27
atmosphere, just be able to say that I
10:29
get to experience, you know, playing in
10:31
this type of tournament. This something
10:32
I've been kind of dreaming ever since I
10:34
got to college, you know, just to be
10:35
able to have this opportunity. All I can
10:37
really do is just take my Lord Savior.
10:39
And you're one and0. One and0. Yeah. To
10:41
keep it going like that. It kind of
10:43
helped to already have a game under your
10:45
belt in the tournament and coming in and
10:47
playing a team that hasn't yet played in
10:49
the tournament. Yeah. I mean,
10:51
absolutely. We just continue to build
10:52
off of what we we did last game, trying
10:55
to come in and try to do the same thing,
10:56
you know, trying to have transition over
10:58
and just like keep building good habits,
11:00
you know, for us to win. I asked you
11:02
there, not about how locked in you guys
11:03
were. How much was that sort of the
11:06
proof of what Hubert's been saying about
11:08
being locked in at an exceptionally high
11:10
level and how do you sustain that from
11:12
Tuesday to tomorrow? Yeah, we just we're
11:15
never satisfied, you know, uh we just,
11:17
you know, continue putting foot on the
11:19
gas, you know, just continue to build
11:20
good habits and make good things on both
11:22
both ends of the floor. Um we're just
11:25
trying to play at the highest level with
11:26
the highest intensity and high energy,
11:28
you know, just make great things happen.
11:29
It's just the the small details. What
11:32
are some things that stand out about
11:33
Miss? Uh just their defense, you know,
11:36
that they turn, you know, turn guys
11:37
over. Um just really they get out in
11:40
transition as well when they turn the
11:41
guys over. So we were just trying to
11:42
take care of the ball and get good
11:44
shots. The criticism that y'all had as a
11:47
team after Sunday about whether you
11:48
belong or is that something you ignore?
11:51
You use it as motivation? Is it a chip
11:52
on your shoulder when you approach?
11:54
Yeah, I pay no touch at all to it. You
11:56
know, I'm just, you know, sticking with
11:57
my guys and sticking with what's in
11:58
front of me. uh just to be ready, be
12:00
prepared for what's what's up ahead. Do
12:02
you think you all you belong with the
12:04
way you played the other night or is
12:05
there still more? I believe that we
12:07
belong anywhere, you know, the way that
12:09
we played with the amount of beliefs and
12:11
trust and you know, capabilities and the
12:13
heart that we have in this team, you
12:14
know, I believe we can play against
12:15
anybody. What's the biggest difference
12:17
between the team that you were at
12:18
Clemson and the team you are now? I
12:21
believe that we just got better, you
12:22
know, just in terms of just taking the
12:24
right shots, you know, taking care of
12:25
the ball and just really d diving in on
12:27
the defensive end, you know, applying
12:28
the pressure, limit them to one shot
12:31
and, you know, just uh and also the
12:33
communication as well. I believe that
12:35
that's been improved ballity of this
12:37
team, what is the identity of this team?
12:40
Uh, just to be a great defensive team.
12:43
You know, I believe that offensively
12:45
that we have all the weapons that we
12:46
have. You know, we got great shot
12:47
creators, shot makers, and so we just
12:50
trying to be a great defensive team, you
12:51
know, to separate ourselves from other
12:52
teams. When you see RJ laid on the line,
12:55
you know, night in and night out,
12:56
especially at this time of
12:58
year, it, you know, how does that rub
13:00
off on even some of the other guys on
13:02
this team? Yeah, it just, you know,
13:05
gives us like an idea just knowing that
13:07
this is going to be our last, you know,
13:09
um for him obviously it's going to be
13:10
his last college game. For the younger
13:13
guys, it's kind of like, you know, this
13:14
going to be our last game for our
13:15
freshman year. So we should really, you
13:17
know, try to make it memorable. Um, so
13:19
that's something that we're trying to,
13:20
you know, carry off of, you know, the
13:21
older guys who are leaving next year and
13:23
try to, you know, sprinkle into the
13:25
younger guys to know how important it
13:26
really is. Was there anything about just
13:28
this brief tournament experience for you
13:30
so far that surprised you that you're
13:31
like whether it was the travel or where
13:33
you guys were playing or anything like
13:34
that, you just didn't know was a part of
13:36
all this? Yeah, I believe it was the
13:37
travel. I didn't know that, you know,
13:38
NCAA kind of took care of, you know, the
13:41
teams. Uh but you know that's something
13:42
that you know just want to follow
13:44
through you know just something that he
13:45
obeyed and you know continue to keep
13:47
keep going. Plan was waiting for you
13:49
guys basically in Dayton. Plane was
13:51
waiting for you guys in Dayton business.
13:52
Yeah it was. It was a little stressful
13:54
but you know we continue to bond and
13:55
stick together. So I think you guys took
13:57
off at 2:50 in the morning. Is that the
13:58
latest you ever taken off in a plane
14:00
before? Yes, absolutely. It was a long
14:02
night. Did you did you follow Carolina's
14:05
2022 run where they made a similar run
14:07
from a tough February to final four and
14:10
and have you talked to RJ about that
14:13
run? I have not. I wasn't too familiar
14:15
with it. I have seen that glimpse of it,
14:17
you know, on social media. Um I just
14:20
think for us we want to make that, you
14:21
know, similar type of run. Thanks.
14:24
as you look at for you personally.
14:29
How do you how do you guard against
14:30
that? Taking on a team that can force
14:33
you into a lot of mistakes, especially
14:34
on the perimeter. Uh just just being
14:36
strong with the ball. Um we played
14:38
against a team like that last game and
14:40
they they're really good at forcing
14:41
turnovers and we did we did better with
14:44
it like towards the second half. So
14:45
hopefully we can carry on with that. A
14:47
lot of people focus on the guy with the
14:49
ball when there's a turnover, but
14:51
there's a lot more that goes into it.
14:53
So, how much more connected you guys
14:55
have to be against a club like this in
14:57
the front of you in the past and all
14:59
that kind of stuff than maybe the
15:01
average fan understands? Yeah. Um,
15:05
we'll definitely have to be a little bit
15:06
more connected, but at the end of the
15:08
day, it's just us like playing our game.
15:09
Like, we have to be able to get open and
15:12
and make a good pass. I was talking to
15:14
you the other night. I had to go out
15:16
into the hallway like a minute and a
15:17
half or something. you have 30 assists
15:19
and seven turnovers in the postseason
15:22
and you told me the other night that the
15:24
game starting to slow down for you. Can
15:25
you kind of take me more through that
15:27
about the game slowing down and how you
15:29
see more now than maybe you used to?
15:31
Yeah, I'm just feeling a lot more
15:33
comfortable out there. Um, and I think
15:36
it's just uh really my confidence level.
15:39
Um, it doesn't just go into scoring, it
15:41
goes into assist as well. So, me playing
15:43
with higher confidence is just helping
15:45
me take care of the ball more. this. Did
15:46
you go through a period where maybe your
15:48
confidence was taking a little bit of a
15:49
hit because you did have a period where
15:50
high volume turnovers and you weren't
15:52
shooting very well. You're also five of
15:54
six from three in the first season.
15:56
Yeah. Um I definitely had Yeah. some
16:00
some like mental battle throughout the
16:02
season, but I feel like I'm doing better
16:04
now. Is that kind of the beauty of the
16:05
length of the season is it gives you an
16:07
opportunity, gives you time to work
16:09
through stuff? Yeah, definitely.
16:10
Definitely. And your teammates are
16:12
saying right now that they're all saying
16:13
this is the best basketball you play.
16:15
Yeah. You said the other night's best
16:16
basketball you played. Do you get the
16:18
sense that there's an even greater trust
16:20
than maybe there was when you were going
16:22
through a little bit of a struggle?
16:23
Yeah, definitely from my from my
16:25
teammates and the coaching staff. So,
16:26
for sure. Yeah. Have the coaches talk to
16:28
you I know coach Davis has said in press
16:31
conferences about wanting you to make
16:32
the easy pass and not the spectacular
16:34
pass. Has have you kind of uh modulated
16:38
those what kind of passes you're trying
16:40
to make out there? Yeah. Um, coach, he
16:44
tells me that a lot to just like we
16:46
don't need home runs, we just need
16:47
singles. So, I just been trying to um,
16:49
yeah, just make a easy pass instead of
16:51
trying to go for like a home run. Are
16:53
you saying that you you feel like you
16:54
can make any pass, but he's trying to
16:55
tell you maybe you shouldn't? No. Um, it
16:59
was just he was just telling me that cuz
17:00
I was having like a problem with
17:01
turnovers. So, he was just trying to
17:02
give me tips on how to cut him down.
17:04
But, you've had home runs lately. That
17:06
lead pass to Seth on the break the other
17:08
day. That's a home run pass. Yeah. So
17:11
yeah, I could I I'll get some of those
17:13
in the game. You're getting more of
17:14
them, man. Is is when you're talking
17:16
about the increased confidence, is is it
17:18
making those passes, too? Yeah,
17:20
definitely. Definitely. Yeah. What was
17:22
the turnaround like for you guys?
17:24
Obviously you had that, you know, quick
17:25
fight, you know, right after the game
17:27
and then you practiced yesterday. Like
17:28
what was the turnaround like and kind of
17:30
what what was the schedule breakdown for
17:31
you guys? Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Um
17:33
that was probably the quickest
17:34
turnaround of my college career getting
17:36
on the flight at 2 a.m. and then
17:38
practicing the next day. But it it's
17:40
tough, but um a lot of other teams are
17:44
doing it, too. So, it's not just us. So,
17:45
we got to work through it and just take
17:47
care of our bodies. What's on job? Just
17:50
general question. What's the biggest
17:51
difference between the team you guys
17:54
were at Clemson and the team you are
17:56
now?
17:57
Um I would say,
17:59
uh there's no quit. Um, I think that,
18:03
um, the big thing for us has been, you
18:06
know, again, going to reiterate it as
18:08
many times as possible, but doing
18:09
whatever it takes. Um, and I think that
18:12
we've really, uh, made that our our
18:15
motto.
18:17
Uh, I was just asking some of the guys,
18:19
have you been with Have Have you been to
18:21
Milwaukee? What what what's your
18:23
experience been like so far? I know
18:25
Seth's been took us off as you guys tour
18:27
guide. Today Today was all right. Like,
18:30
it's a little sunny. You know, it's not
18:31
as gloomy as it was yesterday, but uh
18:33
yeah, I'm not going to lie. The first
18:35
day impression wasn't the best. We told
18:37
we were making sure to tell them about
18:38
that, too. Yeah.
18:42
Go. Did you follow the 2022 UNC run to
18:46
the final four? It was kind of a similar
18:48
arc with struggles in February and then
18:49
a run. Did you follow that? And have you
18:51
talked to R.J. about that run?
18:54
Um, I mean, we we've had general
18:56
conversations about it, but uh, as far
18:57
as like getting in into I guess all the
19:00
details, now we haven't really gotten
19:01
that far, but uh, I kept up with it a
19:03
little bit. They had a four who made a
19:06
lot of
19:07
three-pointers and now you got a four
19:10
who makes a lot of three-pointers. Uh,
19:12
you see those similarities? For sure. I
19:14
definitely see the similarities and uh,
19:16
comparisons. Um, I mean, I I think that
19:19
I'm me, but uh I think that I'm I'm me,
19:23
but uh at the same time, yeah, I
19:25
definitely think that uh the comparisons
19:27
are are pretty good coming from I guess
19:29
just how my career started here. Have
19:31
you talked to Brady? Um, no. We've
19:34
interacted briefly on Instagram, but
19:36
outside of that, now what is the
19:38
identity of this defense or of this
19:39
team? Of this team?
19:43
um having the will and the want to. Um I
19:46
would say it's it's really uh can be a
19:49
number of things. Doing whatever it
19:50
takes, you know, locking on the low
19:52
details. Uh not turning the ball over,
19:55
crashing the glass hard or good
19:58
rebounding team. Um I think you can
20:00
really hit on a lot of things that we're
20:01
really focusing on, but uh I would say a
20:03
specific one that would be tough to
20:04
really give us one. Would you feel y'all
20:06
play y'all are playing with like a chip
20:07
on y'all's shoulders since people kind
20:10
of counted y'all out, but now y'all are
20:11
here? Um, I would say so. Yeah, I
20:14
definitely think that we use it as
20:15
motivation, you know, to limit if not
20:18
have uh or if anything not have the uh
20:21
mishaps on defense or the turnovers or
20:23
the, you know, like the miss box outs,
20:26
you know, it really makes us really lock
20:27
in on those type of things. Kevin, I'm
20:29
curious to what you've seen about from
20:31
Old Miss. Um, a team that kind of
20:33
similar structure to you guys, what
20:35
you've seen from them on the table. Um,
20:38
look pretty good. Um, I mean, that's any
20:40
team though. I think that, uh, you know,
20:42
film is to show their highlights just so
20:44
you can be aware of, you know, what
20:46
they're what they're capable of, you
20:48
know, their their best moments. But um
20:51
definitely given the the circumstance
20:54
and the
20:56
situations game of runs and the battle
20:58
of possessions at the end of the day.
20:59
What's been the coach what's been the
21:02
difference in this team since halftime
21:03
at the Duke game? What kind of
21:09
really uh keying in on the little
21:11
things, you know, the small mistakes,
21:13
those are uh really big for us. I think
21:16
that, you know, typically in the games
21:17
where we have little turnovers or we
21:21
have
21:22
um, you know, we we're really
21:24
outrebounding other teams or we're we're
21:26
out shooting other teams. Like those
21:28
little things uh usually, you know, help
21:30
us excel other teams. Come tomorrow, uh,
21:33
as soon as I wake up, I'm not worried
21:35
about who's at the game. I'm not worried
21:37
about where I'm at. I'm focused on Old
21:39
Miss and doing what we need to do to
21:40
beat them. Focus on my team. And this
21:42
team, I think, has a shot, right? I
21:44
mean, every team in this has a shot. You
21:46
guys look like
21:48
Absolutely. Absolutely. People outside
21:49
might not think it and critics might not
21:51
think it, but you know, we don't really
21:53
care what anybody else thinks about us
21:54
in this locker room with the coach staff
21:56
and us. So, we know the team that we're
21:57
capable of being. We know we can make
21:58
this run and we're here to do it. You
22:01
went back this year to South Carolina.
22:02
How did that process go? Was it the
22:04
right decision for you? It was
22:05
absolutely the right decision. Uh it was
22:07
a unique process. You know, I put my
22:08
name in the portal. Kind of got out of
22:10
town right away. uh you know to get away
22:12
from North Carolina to get you know get
22:14
the attachment away uh and just really
22:16
make the right decision. Uh, but I mean
22:20
it's a recruiting it's a recruiting
22:22
process all over again. And North
22:23
Carolina, they recruited me the most out
22:25
of everybody and I really felt that love
22:27
and passion not just from the coaching
22:29
staff and players but from the alumni uh
22:31
when it goes to Danny Green gave me a
22:33
call. Uh Jaw Williams reached out.
22:36
Shaman Williams, you know, everybody, a
22:37
lot of players reached out, a lot of
22:39
former players, and just the love that I
22:41
felt, the connection, and just the
22:43
Carolina family that everybody talks
22:44
about, you know, the way I felt that was
22:47
special.
22:48
Players there just last for me and the
22:50
Wisconsin players, a lot of them in this
22:51
tournament right here. Milan's here,
22:53
obviously. The kid from Lipkcom. What I
22:56
mean, what's that say about the
22:57
basketball here that we're legit? We're
22:59
legit. I mean, look at all we have a ton
23:01
of guys in the NBA right now that are
23:02
Wisconsin products. We have a ton of
23:04
elite college talent right now and uh we
23:06
have a ton of guys in high school, you
23:08
know, that are on the rise. Uh
23:09
Wisconsin's been here. Uh we're here to
23:11
stay and you know, I'm just really
23:13
really happy to see.
23:15
Thank you. Thank you. How special is it
23:17
to play in Wisconsin and are you getting
23:19
a lot of complaints from your teammates
23:21
about the weather? It's very very
23:23
special to play in Wisconsin. First of
23:24
all, I haven't played here since my
23:25
senior year of high school. Uh, so just
23:28
to be able to play in the Fiser, you
23:29
know, where I grew up watching Bucks
23:30
games, where I've always dreamed about
23:32
playing in the NBA, I mean, it's it's
23:35
it's an amazing experience. And I get to
23:37
have my family here, I get to have my
23:38
friends here. It's it's amazing, like I
23:40
said. Uh, but about the weather, it has
23:43
been a little cold. Uh, my teammates
23:45
maybe haven't been expecting this type
23:47
of weather. You know, the rain, it
23:49
turned into a little bit of snow last
23:50
night. And then the windshield, I think
23:52
the windshield caught him off guard the
23:53
most. But I had to explain to him we're
23:55
right by the lake, so we going to get
23:56
that heavy breeze. So, you've never
23:58
played in Mr. Arena? No, sir.
24:01
What What's the biggest difference
24:02
between the team that you were at
24:04
Clemson and the team you are now?
24:07
Uh I won't even speak about the team
24:09
that we're at Clemson. The team that we
24:11
are now, we're jailed. Uh we're one
24:14
unit. Uh and we're a team. We're playing
24:16
for each other. We're, you know,
24:18
sacrificing for each other. And we're
24:21
just having fun out there, you know. you
24:22
know, we're we're we're really jelling
24:24
at the right time and we're doing the
24:26
right things that coach preaches on us
24:28
and we're doing the things that we need
24:29
to do to be a team and to be a
24:32
successful team. So, that's not the team
24:34
that we were, you know, a few weeks ago
24:36
in class. Did uh did you follow the 2022
24:39
run to the final four a little bit? Um
24:42
and it's kind of a similar arc with some
24:45
struggles in February and then then a
24:47
run. Um what do you remember about that?
24:49
And have you talked to RJ about that
24:50
run? Uh R.J. has talked to us about
24:53
like, hey, it's a long season. Uh you
24:55
know, it's not too late to turn out the
24:57
right time, which we have, I feel like.
24:59
But you know, we're not really trying to
25:01
compare ourselves. Uh 2022, that was a
25:04
different group. They made an amazing
25:05
They made an amazing run and I was
25:08
fortunate enough to be there at that
25:09
final four for that run. It it was
25:11
awesome. But, you know, this is a 2024
25:14
2025 group and that's what we're focused
25:16
on. Uh, but we're just fortunate enough
25:17
to have a leader like RJ, you know, vet
25:20
guys like me and Jaylen, uh, just to
25:22
help carry us through, you know. So, so
25:24
you had already signed with Carolina and
25:26
you went to Final Four or we're still
25:27
being recruited? Uh, I was signed with
25:29
Carolina already. I wasn't on the team,
25:30
but I was a senior and signed with North
25:32
Carolina. So, got that was a that gave
25:35
you a little taste of of that. Yeah,
25:37
absolutely. Absolutely. Uh, I can't even
25:39
imagine what it feels like getting there
25:40
as a player, but just as a fan and as a
25:42
potential future player being there, it
25:45
was amazing. So, you know, I'm really
25:46
hungry to try and get back. So, how was
25:48
it practice in that Bucks facility
25:50
yesterday? It was amazing being able to
25:52
practice in the practice facility, but
25:55
it was still amazing. Uh, I was just
25:57
always growing up seeing videos of
25:58
Giannis playing in there, Dan, Chris
26:00
Middleton, uh, Eric Blessel, Drew
26:03
Holidayiday, whoever. I mean, so just
26:05
being able just to just to, you know,
26:07
get my feet on that court and play in
26:08
that gym was amazing. You know,
26:10
hopefully it's not the last time. Yeah.
26:12
I heard that Mo was the recommendation
26:14
for yesterday. Moe's was Yeah, Mo
26:16
Carnivore was the other recommendation,
26:18
but they couldn't get us in. But I'm a
26:20
huge fan of Moe's. Coach Sullivan is a
26:23
huge fan of Mo, and we're kind of the
26:24
Milwaukee vets here, so we made sure we
26:27
connected to the right restaurant. So,
26:28
was that one that you grew up going to
26:30
like I guess with family and stuff like
26:32
Yeah. Yes, sir. Actually, the night
26:33
before I came to college to North
26:35
Carolina, Mo is a restaurant that we
26:37
went to. So
26:39
been out these last few weeks
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