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#UNC players interviews with Cadeau, Withers, Jackson, Powell, Lubin and Seth Trimble
Mar 19, 2025
#UNC players interviews with Cadeau, Withers, Jackson, Powell, Lubin and Seth Trimble
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0:00
Elliot the past five games the number of
0:03
assists versus turnovers your ratio has
0:05
been among the best uh what's worked so
0:08
well for you the last five games yeah
0:10
that's been a big focus of mine um I've
0:13
been uh like bad with the turnovers
0:16
throughout the season so there been a
0:17
goal of mine to uh lower them and that's
0:19
why I've been doing the past that's they
0:21
have power trouble yeah yeah I
0:23
definitely trying to stay out of foul
0:24
trouble especially in games like this
0:26
you kind of feel like in a Groove today
0:28
uh yeah for sure for sure I felt
0:30
everybody was in but mean there was so
0:32
much talk about their defense but you
0:34
guys kind of did what you wanted how did
0:36
how did you guys how are you guys so
0:39
effective I feel like we're really
0:40
prepared and handling like pressure ball
0:42
pressure cuz we we've been playing
0:44
against teams that been doing that to us
0:45
the whole the whole season so we just
0:47
prepare for for the
0:49
defense ell can you describe what the
0:51
mindset the feeling was like of this
0:52
team before you guys Ste on the mindset
0:55
for us was literally just defense we
0:57
didn't worry about offense um we know we
0:59
have
1:00
very talented offensive player so he
1:02
just Tred to fix our mindset into
1:03
getting stops and starting the game off
1:05
getting three stops in a row that's our
1:07
to go every game it seemed like in
1:08
pregame warm-ups you guys were locked in
1:10
from the very beginning was did you guys
1:13
feel that like it it seemed from us that
1:15
that was the case yeah definitely we we
1:17
felt like we came up short in the H
1:19
tournament so this our last tournament
1:21
of the year so we're super locked in and
1:23
we know that
1:26
home seem like the defense led to the
1:29
offense what was what was that feeling
1:30
like where the offense just seem to get
1:32
what you guys wanted whenever you want
1:35
yeah it it was great I mean we have so
1:36
many talented players I feel I feel like
1:39
we have at least eight people on the
1:41
team that could go for 25 points a night
1:43
so just um having all that offensive
1:46
Firepower just helps us although
1:47
defensive in uh you and Seth that the
1:49
point of attack seemed to be really good
1:52
at harassing their ball handlers and
1:55
keeping them from driving can you talk
1:56
about that yeah yeah um that's
1:59
definitely I think was one of the
2:00
turning points defensively for us um
2:03
just trying to pick up pick up the ball
2:05
before half court that's something that
2:06
we've been doing the past couple games
2:08
just saying the tone on the ball and
2:10
just trying to play as hard as we can
2:12
without getting bl by could you kind of
2:13
see a defeated look on their faces as a
2:15
game War on um yeah we could but we we
2:18
know we've been in that position we we
2:20
were up 24 half we were literally down
2:22
24 and half last game so and we came
2:25
back and it was a one possession game so
2:28
we knew that and Anything could happen
2:30
and that they can come back thank you
2:33
he's you know attacking the defense like
2:34
he's doing obviously making a lot of his
2:36
free throws uh you know how much of a
2:38
lift does you know that also give you
2:39
for his for him to be able to produce on
2:41
offense like this oh a lot I definitely
2:43
think that uh more the marri with with
2:45
production you know um you know we're
2:47
we're definitely uh deep defensively as
2:50
far as with our roster and our bench but
2:52
I definitely think that um you know
2:53
other guys producing you know find
2:55
themselves within the flow of the
2:56
offense is another great thing for us
2:58
seem like RJ couldn't be man hey I
3:01
thought he was going to hit hit more
3:02
threes in the game to me I was about to
3:04
be a little jealous now yeah I guess he
3:07
was getting close to that yeah n no
3:08
misses is crazy he did break the record
3:10
that's the most uh you know game for UNC
3:13
in in a tournament game and the most
3:14
about a Miss yeah that's sweet that's
3:16
sweet I heard he beat coach Davis the
3:19
record still held by
3:20
Davis I guess that's still nice was this
3:24
the most locked in you you guys have
3:25
been for a whole game and you guys
3:27
before the game you look like you were
3:28
really locked on and is that the feeling
3:31
coming in uh for sure I I mean I think
3:33
that we approach the game you know the
3:35
same as the past 10 12 games um the
3:39
biggest thing for us has been uh you
3:41
know staying confident staying
3:42
aggressive and doing whatever it takes
3:44
to to get the win I think that has been
3:46
the the mindset for the past two weeks I
3:49
mean they they they're the best field
3:51
goal percentage defense in the country
3:53
coming in yet you guys shot really well
3:57
how did you do it um
4:00
a lot of uh intensity and and uh dialing
4:05
into the little details if we think that
4:07
like you know um our principles our our
4:10
rules on defense you know we've really
4:13
really honed in to them especially
4:14
whenever you know we playing a pretty
4:16
pretty talented
4:19
team about this team I mean just being
4:22
in situation you guys need a win uh need
4:24
to execute you guys did in a tournament
4:26
with two wins came back against Duke and
4:28
then come out here
4:30
was wrong I mean what see to be able to
4:32
do that
4:33
in I mean it it shows that that we're
4:37
our potential is is still through the
4:39
roof um you know each game we get better
4:41
and better and uh I think that that goes
4:43
to show that goes to show with uh you
4:46
know past couple games that we
4:48
played saw having a guy like that that's
4:52
been here so
4:56
much he seen it he's seen it at every
4:58
level you know in college he he's he's
5:00
seen the lows the highs he knows what to
5:02
take to you know win at this level this
5:05
time of year so him going out there and
5:07
being able to P performance um
5:09
especially in this kind of setting you
5:11
know in in the first four uh game uh
5:14
it's huge I know you guys were not
5:16
focused on responding to people and said
5:19
you didn't deserve be anything but
5:21
having beaten a team like that the way
5:23
you guys did does it also feel good to
5:25
maybe say you know we were going to win
5:27
and we're going to win like this
5:30
it feels it feels good to Win Regardless
5:32
no matter people think we're not going
5:33
to win or we think we shouldn't be it
5:34
feels good to win and I think in the
5:36
lock room that's that's what we likeed
5:37
in on and just winning uh yeah that's
5:40
that when you look at like the game at
5:41
Virginia Tech and some of the other
5:42
teams you've beat by big numbers lately
5:45
did this start to feel like one of those
5:46
games where you know you guys were just
5:48
kind of the better team in pulling away
5:50
uh yeah yeah uh I think I think um we've
5:53
gotten better over the year and we did a
5:55
better job of sustaining leads and
5:57
growing leads and this was nice just not
5:59
showing them that
6:00
watch I know you mentioned you know you
6:02
guys were just more focused on just
6:04
yourselves you weren't thinking about
6:06
the outside
6:08
noise but you got to admit it seemed
6:10
like you guys had an edge about it that
6:13
that kind of annoyed you is that the
6:15
case um I think playing on trip our
6:17
shoulder is something we always have to
6:18
do um whether it was beginning of the
6:21
year or now I think playing a trip our
6:23
shoulder was something that we kind of
6:24
emphasized as the year went on and
6:26
tonight was just a and the focus was
6:28
just another example of that play with
6:29
and one to
6:31
win you thank you Dre you talk about the
6:34
defensive effort today um how were you
6:38
guys able to to just totally neutralize
6:41
them with your defense I think our our
6:43
pressure and physicality was up another
6:45
level and then um just our sense of
6:48
urgency that's always uh been there I
6:50
think that helped us a lot in the
6:51
defensive end were you got was this the
6:53
kind of defensive performance would you
6:55
guys been able to do this in done this
6:57
in November or December or is this
6:59
something that evolved as you sort of
7:01
figured out your lineup and and kind of
7:03
how to play together I think you you'd
7:05
see spurts of it in November but you
7:07
know we've been talking about sustaining
7:09
that this we want to be a team that
7:11
hangs their hat on defense and uh just
7:13
let offense come by itself and how big a
7:15
part of that has sort of been Jay wit
7:17
and V Allen sort of settling into those
7:20
roles and and the you know the
7:21
rebounding and the interior defense it's
7:23
been huge they've uh stepped up in a big
7:25
way been uh big leaders of this team and
7:28
uh they just Contin as we make this
7:31
drive seemed like it started on the on
7:34
the outside with uh Elliot and Seth
7:37
really getting to the point of attack
7:39
and did that make it easier for the rest
7:42
of you definitely definitely we would
7:44
just uh I guess feel by their energy so
7:46
we wanted to pick that up
7:48
myself you guys look pretty locked in
7:50
before the game uh is that is that the
7:52
most locked in you guys have been all
7:54
season U I wouldn't say most locked then
7:57
but um no I'd say this we try to um you
8:01
know stay locked in like throughout the
8:04
the whole season so you've had a game
8:06
this fun all
8:08
season no I don't think so no what makes
8:11
this one so fun just uh seeing the
8:13
smiles on um uh my teammates faces and
8:16
um just the joy that we have for each
8:18
other success thank you ask you about
8:21
the defensive effort today I
8:24
mean they you just neutralize them
8:27
inside how are you guys able to do that
8:29
yeah I believe that our intensity and
8:31
our physicality was there today just
8:33
applied M pressure just to make them
8:34
uncomfortable I believe that we did that
8:37
um you know just the way that we want to
8:39
turn them over you know to have have a
8:41
difficult time on off offensive end so I
8:43
think we can and then and then they
8:46
they've led the country in uh defensive
8:49
field goal percentage coming in you got
8:51
shot so well how are you able to do that
8:53
on that end yeah we just stay locked in
8:55
and focus on our offensive execution uh
8:57
just to get the shots we want um just
8:59
get our guys open um to make the right
9:02
plays so I think I believe that we did
9:04
that you seem to have the same mentality
9:06
win or lose but it seems like the whole
9:08
team was really locked in
9:10
today there's a smile yeah I mean you
9:14
tell me about it yeah uh we were all F
9:16
we all locked in we all died in since
9:18
you know since we got here we know we're
9:19
here on a mission uh just to take one
9:22
game at a time and win and but um I just
9:25
think that that's something that we we
9:26
came in to do uh we know that we want to
9:28
you know have great great game here and
9:30
just you know play together and play
9:31
hard thank you but I wouldn't say that
9:34
this is a a surprise for us tonight
9:36
thank you problem at at the point of
9:38
attack on defense you and you and
9:40
Elliott really did a good job of getting
9:42
on them and harassing the ball handers
9:44
as well oh right can you talk about that
9:46
effort defensively uh that's just what
9:48
we do uh you know it's our job and
9:51
responsibility to give 110% eff on the
9:54
defensive end cuz we know our defense
9:55
feels our offense once we get stops
9:57
we're able to get out and run and create
9:59
plays with each other and uh that's what
10:01
we did tonight but yeah I mean I give I
10:03
give huge credit to everybody tonight
10:05
but especially for Drake he was our ton
10:07
Saturday night and you know I was kind
10:08
of able to come in and just you know
10:10
follow and Lead follow his energy I was
10:12
able to follow you said that's what you
10:14
do but I don't know that You' done it
10:15
any better than you did it tonight would
10:17
you wouldn't you say I mean that's
10:19
that's probably true yeah yeah that's
10:21
probably true
10:22
uh you got me yeah you got me there were
10:25
you were you signing autographs for kids
10:27
at the end of the game there on the on
10:29
the towels uh yeah they kept they kept
10:31
screaming and I I can't just ignore the
10:33
little kids so I I had I wanted to wait
10:35
till after the game but they kept going
10:37
so have you ever signed autographs
10:38
during a game before no no and and I
10:40
would to wait after the game but I knew
10:42
we wouldn't have too much time uh I knew
10:44
we had to shake hands to kind of do
10:45
interviews to get up the court right
10:46
away so I tried to sneaking in a little
10:48
bit what did you see anything different
10:50
from RJ that you've seen all year
10:51
tonight uh I saw that he ain't missed
10:53
the three today which was I mean
10:55
incredible but that's just who RJ is uh
10:58
he had a great game I expect that type
11:00
of game from him I may be expect him to
11:01
miss at least one three but he didn't
11:04
night but I have no complaints at all uh
11:06
if he can do that every single game I'm
11:07
absolutely here for it so the def the
11:09
team defensive performance that you guys
11:10
put on tonight against a pretty good
11:13
good opponent could you guys have done
11:15
that in November or December I mean or
11:17
did it take this Evolution to kind of
11:18
get this point it took an evolution
11:21
uh the team in November December we
11:23
weren't a tournament team we weren't
11:25
necessarily ready for that next step uh
11:27
and that's some defensive and offensive
11:29
but I think now everybody's bought into
11:31
it everybody's bought into the little
11:33
details and we've all just fought our
11:35
principles and it's taking us somewhere
11:37
so he's got to keep going and how big a
11:39
part of that is sort of settling on Jay
11:40
wit and Ben Allen and sort of like been
11:43
really since the Clemson game saying
11:44
like these are our front Court guys and
11:46
it seems like the rebounding team
11:48
rebounding has gotten better the team
11:49
defense it seems like a lot of things
11:51
that you guys struggled with kind of
11:52
settled into place once you guys got
11:54
there yeah yeah
11:56
um I don't know as soon as we went to
11:58
that lineup I feel like we all just
11:59
selled in everybody was able to find a
12:02
Groove I don't really know what it was
12:03
I'm glad that we went bigger cuz you
12:04
know it's worked out uh Drake at the
12:06
three wi at the Four J wash and van at
12:09
the five I mean it just gives us so much
12:11
versatility uh so so you know I'm all
12:14
here for so you had a lot of success
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