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#UNC postgame interviews with Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon and Henri Veesaar
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0:00
a different different uh way of getting
0:03
going about it. Their zone seemed to um
0:06
at first affect you guys, but then you
0:08
pulled them out and started hitting
0:09
threes. What was it more just hitting
0:11
threes or was there something the
0:12
quality of shots you guys were getting
0:14
after you uh face the zone for a while?
0:16
Uh you know, we just played smart. Um
0:19
just knew that being here we were going
0:20
to draw a lot of attention. So move the
0:22
ball and you know, use our ball face and
0:24
just do the fundamentals and we'll get
0:25
open shots. even in the zone seem like
0:27
you have two guys on you every time you
0:28
got a touch inside the ark. So you're
0:31
you're getting that a lot now. How are
0:32
you think you're progressing work
0:34
dealing with facing that every every
0:35
night out especially against power
0:37
conference teams?
0:38
Uh you know I just try not to force
0:40
stuff honestly that's just what it's
0:42
going to be now. So to just play the
0:45
game, find who's open, tell my teammates
0:47
to get in a position where I can see
0:48
them and just let it happen.
0:50
Has forcing stuff been a little bit
0:52
something that you've been working on?
0:53
Uh, no. It's just like I have to be able
0:55
to see what's going on around me.
0:56
Something I had to get used to,
0:57
especially going against people that are
0:59
bigger. Usually I can just shoot over
1:00
anybody. I really still can't, but just
1:02
knowing I could get somebody else a
1:04
better shot.
1:04
Caleb, the last time we saw you guys
1:06
here was the Navy game when they closed
1:08
the game on that strong run. You guys
1:09
had to eek it out a little bit. Tonight,
1:11
there wasn't a run for Georgetown. What
1:13
made the difference?
1:14
Uh, just leaving them in one shot per
1:15
possession uh in the end of the game.
1:17
Just making sure we rebound the ball
1:18
well and also just putting together
1:20
stops and kills. And that's that's what
1:22
I feel like in the game both for us. We
1:23
took good shots from the end and didn't
1:25
shoot quick shots.
1:26
You mean kill you mean like stop, score,
1:28
stop?
1:28
Yeah.
1:28
Yeah. The last time you had a game
1:30
without a dunk.
1:32
Oh, wow. That is crazy. Yeah.
1:34
I mean, I kind of expect it though. Uh
1:37
I'll be the focus for every team now
1:38
that we're playing. So, just got to show
1:41
more than what I can do.
1:43
Hubert has said it. He's had
1:44
conversations with you about that. Like,
1:46
how have you been?
1:50
Well, I might just watch film more and
1:52
talk to people and just figure out what
1:55
can help me honestly. Uh, it's going to
1:58
happen the rest of the year and I know
1:59
it is. So, all I can do is adjust to it
2:01
and get used to it.
2:02
Is there anybody outside or someone
2:04
style just giving you some good advice
2:05
on how to handle it?
2:06
Uh, just some NBA players I've talked to
2:09
and just talking to my dad honestly too.
2:12
Just telling me about how older players,
2:14
old players, he likes to watch older
2:15
players just how they dealt with double
2:16
teams and how you have to pace yourself.
2:18
from the lean is giving me some good
2:19
advice.
2:20
Can't tell you.
2:21
No.
2:22
Can you tell us why you wore a headband
2:23
today?
2:24
Uh, I got my braids done and um I didn't
2:26
want any of the little stuff from my
2:28
braids to come down into my face while I
2:30
was playing. So,
2:31
the best explanation I think I've ever
2:32
gotten about
2:33
thorough explanation makes a lot of
2:35
sense.
2:35
Caleb, speaking of the NBA, one of my
2:37
friends was telling me that when he
2:38
watches your footwork, he sees a lot of
2:39
Kobe. Uh, was that someone who you
2:41
watched when you were young? Tried to
2:42
emulate?
2:43
Uh, yeah. You know, he's my favorite
2:45
player. this his game and also just his
2:47
mentality and his work ethic. So, I
2:49
mean, I watch a lot of Kobe and I feel
2:50
like it's going to be really important
2:51
for me cuz just like me, he faced double
2:52
teams and he had to figure out how to
2:54
maneuver and work through them.
2:55
When Henry's playing as well as he did
2:57
tonight, how much freedom does that give
2:58
you?
2:58
Uh, it gives me a lot honestly. You
3:00
know, they're going to focus on me every
3:02
game and I feel like they're going to
3:03
have to start focusing on both of us and
3:05
that'll make it better for both of us as
3:06
we play alongside each other.
3:08
This is an important four game stretch
3:10
with the four teams you just played. All
3:11
four can end up in the NCA tournament.
3:13
What do you think you guys How do you
3:14
think you guys grew during these four
3:15
games?
3:16
We just learned to trust each other more
3:18
and also just played the right way and
3:21
played what play played a way that
3:22
benefits each other. Honestly,
3:24
three of the teams are pretty physical
3:25
with you guys.
3:26
How do you think you did against
3:27
physicality? Do you think you're better
3:28
now dealing with physical teams than
3:30
when you went into the stretch?
3:32
I definitely feel like I'm better or you
3:33
said me as a team.
3:34
You well as a team, you can speak for
3:36
yourself and as well as a team.
3:38
I feel like well me I feel like I've
3:39
definitely gotten better at it and as a
3:41
team I think so too. uh just not letting
3:42
people push our offense out and you know
3:44
staying close to the three-point line as
3:45
close as we can be and uh just making
3:47
sure we finish through contact.
3:48
How about for you?
3:49
Uh for me, I just play to play play
3:52
through it. Honestly, uh it's going to
3:53
be physical and being tall and not 250
3:56
lbs. Everybody's going to think they can
3:57
punch.
3:58
You say when you say play through,
3:59
you're talking about playing through
4:00
contact. Play through contact. Looks
4:01
like more stuff's getting off now.
4:02
Yeah. Just and also just knowing that
4:05
off the ball like I'm still the focus.
4:07
So I just can't give up position when I
4:09
don't have it. Same thing on defense.
4:10
just knowing that it's always something
4:11
happening.
4:12
Having more time to reflect on the two
4:14
game daunt
4:16
you guys learned about your team playing
4:18
those games.
4:19
Uh I feel like um we just learned that
4:22
we had to trust each other and learn we
4:23
had to play through adversity.
4:24
Caleb, you guys were able to string
4:26
together some threes tonight. Do you
4:28
feel like that breakout's coming for
4:29
this group at some point?
4:30
I do definitely. Uh honestly, we shoot
4:33
the ball as a team way better than we
4:35
than it says analytically.
4:36
It'll just come through time like the
4:38
coach is always saying like the norms
4:39
will even out eventually so that's all
4:40
that matters.
4:42
Caleb I caught the tail end when you
4:43
were talking about playing through
4:44
physicality and things like that as far
4:45
as the defense. So nothing too big.
4:48
Derek the last time we saw you guys here
4:50
was the Navy game where Navy closed the
4:51
game on that run. You guys had to be
4:53
after tonight. There wasn't a run for
4:55
Georgetown in the second half. He just
4:56
kind of pulled away. What made the
4:57
difference?
4:58
Yeah, I think um just everyone locking
5:00
in. Um every every huddle we told them
5:02
finish it, finish it. don't let our foot
5:04
off the gas and just really being
5:05
focused on that, you know, not using up
5:07
and, you know, playing to the finals.
5:09
How important has Seth been to you guys
5:11
since he got hurt? I mean, he's still
5:12
super involved in the team. He's hyping
5:14
the guys out in the huddle. What What
5:15
has he been?
5:16
For sure. His leadership has been great.
5:18
Um, even more so, you know, since he's
5:19
gotten hurt. Um, and you know, just him
5:22
giving us energy, you know, keeping us
5:24
confident, um, telling us what we need
5:25
to hear. Uh, it's been really good for
5:27
us.
5:27
You and Ken played together a good bit
5:29
tonight. What's the dynamic like that
5:31
and how's that changed the half court
5:33
offense?
5:33
It's a it's a lot of fun uh you know
5:36
being able to play with another uh on
5:37
ball guard. So I think that's really
5:38
good for us. You know either one of us
5:40
can bring the ball up the court and uh
5:42
both looking for each other. Great
5:43
passer. So it's a lot of fun to play
5:44
with Kai.
5:45
Um 27% from three in the first half, 38%
5:48
from three in the second half. When this
5:49
team is hitting shots, how does that
5:50
kind of open up the offense? It helped
5:52
on that 90 run to kind of break open the
5:54
game.
5:54
Mhm. Yeah, I think spacing the floor is
5:56
a big thing. Um, we have such a great
5:57
inside presence, but them being able to
5:59
kick it out and, you know, us being able
6:01
to knock down shots, I thought we got
6:02
some really good looks tonight. Um,
6:04
Jiren had some really good looks. You
6:05
know, those are going to fall. JP had
6:07
some good looks, those are going to
6:08
fall. So, you know, we got a lot of good
6:09
shooters on this team and we're
6:10
confident in them when they're when
6:11
they're open.
6:12
I think yours first half, I think, led
6:14
us to success that came.
6:15
Yeah, just you had a couple of those
6:17
pick roll to the baskets and everything.
6:20
You know, how were you able to to get
6:22
those going and everything? I mean, I
6:24
feel like just setting kind of good
6:26
screens and the guards did a great job
6:27
of coming off. I think the first half,
6:29
Kion scored up the one of the actions on
6:31
the side and afterwards the big guy was
6:33
worried about that and then they had two
6:35
quick pocket passes for me and I was
6:37
able to score those and just being able
6:38
to get that helps a lot.
6:40
Yeah, I saw you a couple times today
6:41
that you were very animated out there,
6:43
you know, mad or animated toward your
6:46
teammates or something like that. What
6:48
was going on?
6:49
I feel like they're just like emotion
6:51
during the game. I want to win. And I
6:52
know they want to win. They know I'm not
6:54
mad at them. And just love for the game,
6:55
love for the team. We want to all want
6:56
to compete and win. That's about it. I
6:58
feel like just emotions are high during
7:00
the game cuz we got to do a good job of
7:02
to win the game. I
7:03
mean, it's like like you were playing
7:05
angry. What were you angry about?
7:07
I mean, just I feel like it wasn't even
7:08
playing angry. It's just playing with
7:09
emotion and heart. Just having passion
7:11
for the game. That's about it.
7:13
Some of that came out when Caleb gave
7:15
you that long lob and a lot of bounds.
7:18
I feel like just first half we kind of
7:20
we got a little loose at some point. We
7:21
went in a good run and then we kind of
7:23
gave it all back. Getting stops is
7:25
because we were throwing the ball out of
7:26
bounds or like turning it over and
7:27
that's just kind of unacceptable. The
7:29
way we play is important for us to keep
7:31
it like under 10 turnovers. I think as
7:33
at the end we were able to keep it under
7:35
10. But I think it was very loud
7:37
turnovers in a row like two three
7:38
possessions. So I think that's we can't
7:41
do that. We convert those. We get a
7:43
couple more points and we go go into
7:44
half up 10.
7:45
We saw some of Jiren at the five today.
7:48
You had a chance to play against him
7:50
when he was at Alabama a little.
7:51
If I were four,
7:52
I guess him and Zayen were kind of
7:54
rotating there together.
7:56
I think there was more than four.
7:58
What have you seen from his skill set
8:00
over the last month? The versatility of
8:02
his game.
8:02
I mean, yeah, Jiren is super versatile.
8:04
Like he can play from two to five
8:05
basically wherever he needs to be. He's
8:08
a great he can board, he can shoot, he
8:10
can drive, he can set screen. So like
8:12
kind of anything. He can block shots.
8:13
He's amazing perimeter defender. So like
8:15
just having him is like a army like
8:18
switch army knife for the coach kind of
8:20
being able to put him wherever he needs
8:21
to be or like he's just we're good at
8:23
everything.
8:23
And what does it say about the depth of
8:25
this team knowing that you've got Seth
8:27
coming back soon and trying to find
8:29
floor time?
8:30
I mean yeah for sure. Like I feel like
8:32
our team is pretty deep. We can do a
8:34
good job on defense. We've got good on
8:36
offense. The bench comes in and I think
8:38
we had a lot of bench points today too.
8:41
So that helps out a lot just being able
8:43
to sub having substitutions, being able
8:46
to be ready to be prepared for the games
8:47
at the big time.
8:49
How's a guy like Derek Dixon
8:52
with everything coming coming in and
8:54
everything?
8:55
I mean, he's improved a lot throughout
8:57
the season like just seeing him every
8:58
day get better every game play better
9:00
than he played the last game. So, I
9:02
think that's huge for us. Being able to
9:04
come in and kind of control the game and
9:06
just make the passes or make the plays
9:08
he makes and just be like strong with
9:10
the ball, be a good defender. Like just
9:12
doing that is of the utmost importance
9:16
for all of us. Just being able to make
9:17
those plays.
9:18
One more off-the-wall question. How much
9:20
family watch how much people watch your
9:23
games from Estonia?
9:24
Well, my like my family.
9:26
Yeah,
9:26
my family. They watch every game.
9:28
What time is it over there? Do you know?
9:29
Uh, roughly. What time is it right now?
9:32
Seven o'clock.
9:32
I believe they're eight hours ahead. So,
9:35
I'll make it three o'clock. But I think
9:37
they're probably they're going to check
9:39
your score and then go back to sleep cuz
9:41
or yeah, watch it tomorrow morning. I
9:43
think it depends on their day cuz I'm
9:45
wake up early. They kind of can. But
9:47
most of the time they try to stay up,
9:48
watch your games.
9:49
I guess being on the East Coast makes it
9:51
a little easier than Arizona.
9:53
Yeah, it saves a couple hours
9:56
that we spoke to here was that Navy
9:59
game. Obviously they had 15 overall. You
10:01
guys were the players.
10:06
I feel like just not letting the put off
10:08
the gas kind of I feel like in the Navy
10:10
game we went up and then played very
10:13
loosely. Turned over the ball, gave them
10:15
a lot of offensive rebounds. I feel like
10:16
this game we did a good job of keeping
10:18
our foot on the gas and just not ever
10:20
giving them the chance to get come back.
10:22
Just keep increasing the lead. Keep
10:24
increasing the lead play by play. Get a
10:25
stop score. Stop score.
10:28
And you just finished a four- game
10:29
stretch against four teams that could be
10:31
in the NCA tournament. Three of them are
10:32
physical teams. How would you assess how
10:34
you guys kind of play in these four? And
10:36
how do you where where do you think you
10:37
guys grew during these four games?
10:39
Uh I feel like we most obviously learned
10:41
from the loss against Michigan State.
10:43
That's the game where we got punked and
10:45
like they were the more physical team.
10:47
They were more controlled. They kind of
10:49
got in the paint however they wanted to.
10:50
They were control. They were play
10:51
dictating the game, not us. So I think
10:53
that was big for us to kind of assert
10:55
our will and the games after that then
10:57
realizing what we need to do to win
10:58
games, not play what they want us to
11:00
give us.
11:01
Rebounding numbers been much better the
11:02
last two games against two pretty good
11:04
rebounding teams. How about you
11:06
personally? You've had a couple of
11:07
stretches there against Michigan State
11:09
like nine straight points. You had seven
11:11
straight against Kentucky today. You had
11:12
seven straight. when you're getting in a
11:14
situation where you're rolling off quick
11:16
bunches of points, what is working for
11:18
you and are you feeling it to the point
11:20
where you know before you get an intro
11:22
that you're going to be in position to
11:23
score?
11:24
I feel like you kind of have to have the
11:25
confidence no matter where you are at
11:26
and like no matter how you're playing.
11:28
But I think the biggest part is just I
11:30
feel like my points come a lot when the
11:31
team is moving the basketball and we
11:33
just find the little advantages and I
11:34
set a good screen and they drop in the
11:36
short roll or find me for a love or kind
11:38
of give me a good paint touch with both
11:40
feet in the paint. just like me kind of
11:41
working from my position and them
11:43
finding me. I feel like as a big guy, a
11:45
lot of our points come from a lot of
11:47
people finding us. So, I feel like just
11:48
team basketball helps me score.
11:50
Different topic. Different topic real
11:51
fast on Luke. Uh, how have you seen him
11:53
kind of get into the flow now that he's
11:55
playing every game he's starting and
11:57
he's faced a lot of different styles of
11:58
play that maybe were a little different
12:00
from what he dealt with over in the
12:02
Adriatic.
12:03
I mean, yeah, he's uh I feel like he's
12:05
definitely getting used to the space
12:06
like the pace of the game and the
12:08
physicality. I feel like at first when
12:10
you come here it's kind of difficult cuz
12:11
the call the game's a little bit
12:12
different. The travel was a little bit
12:14
different. The fouls are a little bit
12:15
different. So just kind of those little
12:17
adjustments and getting used to the type
12:19
of game here I think. But now he's
12:21
playing awesome. He's not turning the
12:24
ball lower. He's making good assists all
12:25
the time. He's helping other scores.
12:27
He's scoring himself at will. So I think
12:29
that's a big time for us.
12:30
Kai K and Derek played together a good
12:32
bit tonight. How does the dynamic of the
12:34
half court change when they're both in
12:35
there? I mean, we had two point guards
12:37
in, so it's like we have two really high
12:39
IQ basketball players in who are willing
12:41
to drop, stop, like not turn the ball
12:43
over. So, just them making those plays
12:45
is amazing.
12:46
Henry, when Caleb is doing his thing
12:48
like he was tonight, how much freedom
12:49
does that give you as the other post?
12:51
I mean, for sure, cuz they got to they
12:53
were doubling the post today. So,
12:54
whenever the double two for him or like
12:56
my guy has to go, I got a little on me.
12:58
So, it's easier for rebounds. It's
13:00
easier for passes. You're able to like
13:02
skip the ball and then extra pass can
13:03
open three. or whatever
13:05
kind of them doubling. I think Caleb
13:06
really showed like
13:08
his improvement of reading the game and
13:09
like not getting going for a tough shot
13:11
but rather skipping the ball and it
13:13
opened up so much for us.
13:14
How cool has it been to see the
13:15
progression of Derek? It feels like he's
13:17
already a savvy vet but he's still a
13:18
true freshman.
13:19
No. Yeah, that's uh both of them like
13:21
Durk and Caleb like the way they have
13:23
improved the last couple like last
13:26
couple months especially once the season
13:27
started just seeing him every day get
13:29
better every game play better and like
13:30
being more calm and present in every
13:32
moment
13:33
it's amazing for the whole team like
13:35
it's awesome to watch
13:36
Henry to to go off of you talking about
13:38
Caleb how he's kind of seen him navigate
13:40
the previous maybe three or four games
13:42
win teams did send more doubles and play
13:44
more aggressively how did you kind of
13:45
see him navigate that to the point where
13:47
he had the game he had today
13:48
I felt like today he was very efficient
13:50
just the way he played but obviously
13:52
against Kentucky like he got double
13:53
sometimes and he would take a little bit
13:55
tougher shot but he's a great athlete so
13:57
he got his own miss so we can't say
13:59
anything about it but I feel like
14:00
Michigan stay the same way like whenever
14:02
they put two on him and I feel like now
14:04
he's getting used to it he knows that
14:05
he's like anticipating being like he
14:07
catch it he's not going quickly he's
14:09
kind of waiting to see where the double
14:11
is coming from who's doubling like what
14:13
where are the openings and he's a really
14:15
high IQ basketball player so whatever he
14:17
does is a good choice normally
14:18
I think it was practice where the
14:19
Kentucky game was set kind of stopped
14:21
practice and called you all in and just
14:23
kind of holding you guys accountable.
14:24
Maybe you felt like you guys were
14:25
playing a little bit flat. What do you
14:27
remember about that moment and why do
14:29
you think that was important for you?
14:31
Honestly don't remember it at all.
14:34
But I feel like yeah, we have a couple
14:36
like team timeouts during practices
14:38
where like we know especially like
14:40
normal set calls him cuz he kind of sees
14:42
it especially right now when he's out
14:44
practice he kind of sees us being flat.
14:46
kind of sees us like being a little
14:47
loose and we just gota tighten it up to
14:49
have a good preparation for the next
14:51
game.