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#UNC player interviews with Kyan Evans, Caleb Wilson and Jarin Stevenson
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0:00
Hey Kion, what do you attribute the
0:02
first half uh choppiness to?
0:05
Um I would just say we were just kind of
0:07
lack of days and um had low energy, but
0:10
um we picked it up in the second half,
0:11
so that was good.
0:12
Is it just finding the chemistry maybe?
0:15
Also,
0:16
um I think maybe just a little bit of
0:18
everything. First game at um home in
0:20
front of the home crowd is a little
0:22
different for us, but um I think we
0:24
we'll be good. We'll fix it for sure.
0:26
What were just your impressions of
0:27
getting the chance to play here at home
0:29
right before the start of the season?
0:31
You know, the hype is real. You know,
0:33
the season's finally here.
0:34
Yeah, it was great. It was uh really
0:36
fun. Just another opportunity for us to
0:38
get out there and um just get better as
0:40
a team.
0:40
What do you think you guys need clean up
0:42
to to to be a better team come Monday?
0:45
Um I think ju just being more
0:47
disciplined and taking care of the ball
0:49
for sure. That's going to take us um far
0:51
in itself. And then I think we can
0:52
rebound a little better for sure. What
0:54
went well in the second half when you
0:55
guys were rolling? What did you think
0:57
worked well?
0:58
Uh, I think we just started sharing it
1:00
more and um, we got out of transition
1:02
what we want to do and we we started
1:04
getting some more stops.
1:05
H, how do you feel like the first two
1:06
exhibition games sort of help you guys
1:08
and sort of see what you have and see
1:10
what you need to work on going into the
1:11
first game?
1:12
Uh, yeah, they're definitely good just
1:14
to kind of see what we need to get
1:16
better at and what we're already pretty
1:18
good at and just just building
1:19
chemistry, getting better every game.
1:21
Kai, how would you rate the uh defensive
1:23
intensity tonight? Do you feel like it's
1:24
where you guys want it to be?
1:26
Uh, I think we just we want to get
1:28
better every game. So, so we're not
1:29
there yet for sure.
1:30
Does it take a little time for teams to
1:32
gel? I mean, because you guys are all
1:33
new. This is a whole new team.
1:35
Yeah, it takes some time, but um we're
1:37
going to get there for sure. We'll be
1:38
good.
1:39
What was Coach Davis's message to you
1:40
guys after this game? Um, you know, he
1:43
he was happy that we came out in the
1:45
second half and and uh picked it up a
1:47
little bit, but uh he definitely um
1:50
wants us to come out out the gate a lot
1:52
better.
1:54
Do you think any of the looks you guys
1:55
got in the second half uh were a result
1:57
of better shooting or do you feel like
1:59
it was just not being able to hit in the
2:00
first half and kind of got into the
2:02
rhythm?
2:02
I think just kind of getting in a rhythm
2:04
of the game and um connecting and then
2:07
just just getting better throughout the
2:08
game. kind of starting to get more
2:11
comfortable now in this new environment,
2:13
new team, and and playing more point
2:15
guard.
2:16
Uh, yeah, for sure. I think every game I
2:18
I'll get more and more comfortable every
2:20
quarter. So, it's just every time we get
2:22
out there is a new opportunity to um
2:24
gain some confidence.
2:25
How great is it to have the passing
2:26
targets like Caleb and Henry inside?
2:30
What What does that help you as far as
2:33
the half court offense? Yeah, it
2:34
definitely um it makes it a lot easier
2:36
on me as a point guard for sure just to
2:38
be able to throw it up to those guys and
2:39
let them kind of go make a play.
2:41
Kind of see it on like the baseline out
2:42
of bounds play quick to give it to the
2:44
to the open man or Henry Basar kind of
2:46
unguarded.
2:47
Was that kind of the game plan there
2:49
just whoever's open get it quick and not
2:51
looking for it?
2:52
I think um opportunity just kind of
2:54
presented itself and that's just what we
2:56
took.
2:57
What's it like?
2:58
I feel like we did good. We came off in
2:59
the first half not aggressive as we
3:01
should have been and you know we picked
3:02
up in the second half got more
3:03
aggressive created more turnovers and uh
3:05
feel like we got a good win.
3:07
Did the coach say something to you guys
3:08
at halftime to get you guys going in the
3:09
second half?
3:09
We got to pick it up. We got to be some
3:11
dogs. Like you can't beat Carolina
3:12
playing soft. That's what the coach said
3:13
to us, Coach Davis. And you know we
3:15
implemented it.
3:16
How about you? You had a really big
3:17
game. How did you feel out there?
3:19
I felt good. Uh I mean I'm I'm still a
3:22
freshman. I'm still learning. So I got a
3:23
stuff I got to pick up on and get better
3:24
at. But I feel good. You know 20 and 10
3:27
is my goal every game. So, as long as I
3:29
get that, I feel like I did somewhat all
3:30
right.
3:31
Caleb, what do you think the issue was
3:32
with the turn turnovers tonight? How do
3:33
you guys kind of go about cleaning that
3:35
up a little bit?
3:35
A bit a bit of underestimation. Uh, I
3:38
feel like your opponent should determine
3:40
your play. I feel like we didn't come
3:41
out aggressive like we were playing
3:42
Kansas next week. We came out like we
3:44
were playing what we were playing. So,
3:46
no disrespect. They had a great game,
3:48
but I just feel like we were under our
3:50
opponents. Once we picked it up, it was
3:51
good for us.
3:52
What did What did coach tell you at
3:53
halftime and what worked so well when he
3:55
pulled away? Uh coach told us to just,
3:57
you know, pick it up. Like we North
3:59
Carolina, like we can't we can't have
4:01
slow starts. We're going to get
4:02
everybody's best shot no matter who we
4:03
play. So just pick it up, limit
4:05
turnovers, and make sure we crash the
4:06
glass.
4:07
You told us you were going to dunk on
4:08
dudes. Can you kind of just walk us
4:09
through that sequence there in the first
4:10
half with that uh the slam you had?
4:12
Uh you know, I just uh usually when I'm
4:14
about to dunk on somebody, I look them
4:15
in their face. They made the decision to
4:17
jump, that's on them.
4:19
How how much of that was that they got
4:20
knocked the ball away from you a few
4:22
seconds earlier?
4:23
Uh yeah, I was about to dunk it the
4:24
first time. That's the only reason I
4:25
lost it. I was about to just try to
4:26
power it up through, but you know, I
4:28
think got a piece of it on my arm. I'm
4:30
not really sure, but once I got it back,
4:31
I knew it was time to finish.
4:33
What do you think? What was it like
4:34
playing out here the first time with the
4:35
dean down here?
4:36
It was great. You know, it was a great
4:37
experience. It was a lot of fun. You
4:38
know, after since I was a kid, so just
4:41
being able to play at this high level
4:42
and, you know, actually perform well is
4:44
just it's a blessing.
4:45
It starts for real on day. Your thoughts
4:47
on on the season start?
4:48
Uh, I'm excited for it. You know, I feel
4:50
like I've been preparing for it for four
4:52
or five months and uh you know, it's
4:55
here finally. You know, as long as I
4:58
keep doing what I'm doing, be
4:59
aggressive, keep getting better day by
5:00
day, I feel like I'll have a great year.
5:02
What do you feel like you guys need to
5:03
improve on to to to get your this get
5:05
this game to to the highest level?
5:06
Uh limiting turnovers and imposing our
5:08
will. I feel like we have a lot of size
5:10
so we could be aggressive and just take
5:11
advantage of teams especially that are
5:13
smaller than us or even have the same
5:14
size and athleticism and length that we
5:16
have. about the hy low action with you
5:18
and Henry. It seems to be really gel on
5:20
something you probably worked on all
5:22
preseason.
5:22
Yeah, it's really gel and it's really
5:24
it's going good. You know, me and
5:25
Henry's a great player and you know, I
5:27
just got to learn how to play with a
5:28
sevenfooter. I've always been the
5:30
tallest guy on the court. So, learning
5:31
how to play with a sevenfooter is
5:32
definitely something that I'm getting
5:33
used to and learning how to do.
5:34
How what what are the challenges to
5:36
adjusting to this?
5:38
Uh like usually like when I drive to the
5:40
paint, it's no other big there or in
5:42
high school it was like that, but now
5:44
it's a big help. So, I got to learn how
5:45
to throw lobs really well and then I
5:47
also got to learn how to make good
5:48
two-hand bounce passes and stuff like
5:49
that to give him the ball.
5:50
Was there anything specific that led to
5:51
better three?
5:52
Yeah. Got together, made sure we were
5:54
all right and yeah, made made a
5:56
difference.
5:57
Jared, how nice is it to be home for you
5:59
personally?
6:00
It feels great. Feels great. Um, I had a
6:02
lot of my family and friends here. Um,
6:04
they even help me work out sometimes
6:05
late at night. Um, so I'm not alone.
6:07
And, um, so yeah, it's great being home.
6:11
It's great. You you guys you guys shot
6:13
three of 12 from three in the first
6:14
half, but really you guys filled it up.
6:17
You filled it up. U really you feel like
6:21
what you saw in the first half and some
6:22
of the BYU game is not what you'll be
6:25
getting from your team perimeter wise
6:27
this season.
6:28
Um talking about like this game.
6:30
Yeah. Yeah. I mean second half you you
6:32
guys hit a lot more threes struggling
6:35
kind of in the first half.
6:36
Yeah. Again I feel like energy um and
6:38
making defensive plays. I feel like that
6:40
gets the offense going. That gets us in
6:42
transition. That gets everybody hype and
6:45
uh yeah, I feel like yeah, just picking
6:47
up the energy was really a big thing.
6:49
Swinging the one more um getting each
6:51
other good looks and I feel like yeah,
6:53
that was big.
6:54
This starts real on Monday. How cool is
6:55
that? And how excited are you to get
6:57
this thing kicked off?
6:58
Yeah, I'm excited for that. It starts
6:59
for real. Um feel like the team's going
7:01
to be ready. We're going to go hard in
7:03
these next few practices. Coach Davis is
7:05
going to be on us and yeah, we're going
7:07
to be ready. What do you think you guys
7:08
have to get better at to get this team
7:10
to to where it needs to be?
7:11
Yeah, definitely starting better,
7:12
getting the energy up, um getting out in
7:15
transition, just doing what worked the
7:16
second half. Um pressuring, forcing
7:19
turnovers, getting out, rebounds,
7:21
passing it up the court, drawing fouls,
7:23
getting in the paint. Um that's going to
7:25
be big.
7:25
We didn't get a chance to talk to you
7:27
after the BYU game. We go back to that.
7:30
You you were chosen to go against the
7:31
Mansa.
7:32
Yeah.
7:32
Did a pretty good job. I mean, held them
7:35
under 20. Uh can you talk about that a
7:37
little bit and then your defensive
7:39
capability that that Hubert has get has
7:42
the confidence to give you that sort of
7:43
assignment?
7:44
Yeah. Um yeah, it was a tough matchup
7:46
and a very talented player. Uh yeah, I
7:50
had to study quite a bit of film. Um and
7:53
yeah, just move my feet, try to force a
7:56
tough shot, force him to pass it, and
7:58
yeah, I feel like yeah, just just make
8:00
him shoot a tough shot. What was it like
8:02
for you to put on that uniform right
8:04
there and go out there and play in the
8:06
on the dean dean dome floor as a girl
8:09
tournament?
8:09
Yeah, it's an amazing feeling again just
8:11
being home in the prestige here. A lot
8:13
of great players came from here and a
8:15
lot of uh Dean Smith, Coach Williams, a
8:18
lot of prestigious coaches too. Um so
8:21
yeah, it's it's definitely a great
8:22
feeling and getting the win was also
8:24
nice too. And just what was it like to
8:26
have, you know, you're
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