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UNC's Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon, Seth Trimble and Jarin Stevenson
Jan 24, 2026
UNC's Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon, Seth Trimble and Jarin Stevenson
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0:00
In the second half, you guys were down
0:02
16, kind of cut the nine at the end of
0:04
the half and then just kind of took
0:06
charge the second half. What was the
0:07
difference?
0:08
Uh, we just play with pride, play with
0:10
effort, put a big stop on the defensive
0:12
end, like just play with effort, you
0:14
know, and we hit we had some guys hit
0:16
some big shots. See hit some big shots
0:17
get in the second half. Jiren play out
0:19
of his mind and uh we just finished it.
0:21
Finished the game.
0:22
How would you characterize the way Jiren
0:23
played the last 12 minutes? Everything
0:25
he even drew a key charge down.
0:27
Yeah, he he played ridiculous. Like it
0:29
was it was crazy. Like he did stuff on
0:30
both ends. He he did everything. I mean
0:33
I felt I was getting sucked back at the
0:36
game. I was like, "Coach, you sure you
0:37
want to put me back in?" Cuz Jerry's in
0:38
there. He was doing his thing. But uh
0:40
I'm glad we was able to finish the game
0:41
and it was a good win.
0:42
So ridiculous is a good word.
0:43
Yeah. Yeah. He described
0:46
I guess just seeing his emotion too. You
0:48
know, he's kind of a more quiet sort of
0:49
guy, but he's out there, you know,
0:51
throwing up the three fingers and
0:52
flexing yell. What was that like?
0:54
Uh it was crazy. And uh you know he
0:56
we've always talked to him about like
0:57
being emotional on the court like like
0:59
you said off the court he's a pretty
1:00
quiet guy but seeing him like show
1:01
effort not even show effort like show
1:03
emotion and you know really put himself
1:05
out there just led to him having a great
1:07
game.
1:07
Can you kind of just describe the
1:08
emotions after this one especially
1:09
granted you know the struggles on the
1:11
road last week like how how big this
1:12
feels for you guys.
1:13
It's huge but the ACC as I'm learning is
1:16
like right back to it. I think we have a
1:17
week break before we play Georgia Tech
1:19
and that's another road games back in my
1:20
city. So I know it's going to be a good
1:21
environment. So you know it's always on
1:23
to the next great win. great fell.
1:25
They uh they cut down the lead, I think,
1:27
to two and then Cuber Cooper went your
1:28
way on that on that late layup. Can you
1:30
talk about I guess wanting the ball late
1:31
game? What was that kind of decision
1:33
making process to get you the ball late?
1:35
Uh it was it was just goal was smart.
1:38
You know, I know I'm going to draw a lot
1:39
of attention and honestly, it's better
1:41
to go to some guys other than me
1:42
sometimes cuz they're going to have more
1:44
easy, more open shots. And you know,
1:45
like I'm the only player on my team. We
1:47
have a really wide spread team of great
1:49
talent. So, you know, we were just
1:51
playing sport basketball. When we needed
1:54
a bucket, we went to me and we just kept
1:56
letting playing off of me really towards
1:57
the end of the game.
1:58
If you would have been told at about
1:59
10:00 this morning you guys would get
2:01
out rebounded by 16 and I think you and
2:03
Henry were combined for like four or
2:04
five, would you have given yourself any
2:06
chance to win? And why were you guys
2:07
able to win when you rebounded like
2:09
that? As important as that stat is.
2:11
Well, something that I'm watching film
2:13
and seeing is most teams they try to
2:14
like double double team rebound. I mean,
2:16
box out on me because they know our
2:18
guards probably won't go. So, it was a
2:19
big rebounding game from probably JPF. I
2:21
think they had a lot of rebounds this
2:23
game. But, as long as we have everybody
2:25
go to the glass, like I feel like it's
2:26
good,
2:27
but still collectively minus 16 and and
2:30
Hubert said that you guys did a much
2:31
better job of keeping them getting the
2:33
second chance points in the second half.
2:35
Yeah, I mean, it's something we have to
2:36
work on for sure, but I'm just glad we
2:38
got the win. Uh, we just got to make
2:40
sure we attack the glass and be
2:41
physical. what you're saying after the
2:43
other day win that you know pissed you
2:45
off when people get offense and it's a
2:48
player thing. What do you think this win
2:51
the way you guys are able to come back
2:52
against
2:56
a coach?
2:56
I mean we trusted us. He just told us to
2:59
keep pushing but like I said it's still
3:01
about us on the court. You know he can
3:02
say everything he can but it's all about
3:04
us giving our effort and given our
3:05
ability to push through it. And I feel
3:08
like this shows really that he's a good
3:09
coach on the road in the ACC. It's not
3:11
easy at all, especially against a tough
3:12
15 team.
3:13
Did anybody speak up at halftime? And
3:15
what what did what did you think about
3:16
the energy change from the first half of
3:18
the second half?
3:19
I feel like we came out kind of slow.
3:22
Uh, and that's that's something we
3:23
really have to work on. Like that was
3:24
something we tried to emphasize, but we
3:25
ended up coming out slow anyways and it
3:26
gave them like a lead. I feel like if we
3:28
came out hard, like it would have made
3:30
the game like much more different. Like
3:33
we would have had we would have had a
3:34
lead to start the game and kind of would
3:35
have kept it throughout the game. But
3:36
things like this this adversity, I feel
3:38
like is only going to help us later in
3:39
the year. Have you scored that last
3:40
bucket kind of wave to the fans? It
3:42
seemed like what was going through your
3:43
head? Do you feel like you iced that
3:45
game at that point?
3:45
Yeah, I felt like it was over with. I
3:46
knew we were going to come down the
3:47
court and get a stop. So, I feel like
3:49
the game was over and they've been
3:50
serving us all game. So, just felt like
3:52
doing that, especially in college.
3:53
Yeah. Do you feel like just coming out
3:55
and then I thought started second half
3:56
came out really well and got right back
3:58
into it.
3:58
And if you justose that to a week
4:00
earlier, you're down seven to get the
4:02
half. The difference I had to be huge
4:04
just going into the second half.
4:06
For sure. Yeah. I think uh like you said
4:07
like being able to cut into that lead,
4:09
get it to a single digit game before the
4:10
half and keep building and building on
4:12
that. I think we started building uh in
4:14
the comeback a little bit too late
4:15
against we did that tonight.
4:16
So Jiren took over in the second half.
4:18
Can you just kind of talk about like
4:20
what you saw from him and what what
4:21
fueled that?
4:22
Yeah, I mean he's a great player. Uh we
4:24
all have confidence in him. Um he he's
4:26
really skilled. He's versatile. He hit a
4:27
three, hit a one, drove. Uh and I just
4:29
love when he's confident like that. It
4:31
was really big for us.
4:31
Is that something that you know you you
4:33
you've always known that he's had the
4:34
ability to do that?
4:36
Yeah. some like some days at practice
4:37
he'll just he'll start going off and I'm
4:38
like why can't you do that all the time
4:39
and I was telling him out there keep
4:40
being aggressive keep being aggressive
4:42
and he was making big plays
4:43
and then obviously you guys 35% from the
4:45
field in the first half and then in the
4:46
second half I felt you guys couldn't
4:48
miss like I guess what was what were
4:49
they what was challenging in the first
4:51
half and then what opened up in the
4:52
second half.
4:52
Uh I think just after the first half we
4:54
kind of understood the looks they were
4:55
giving us. Um, I had to be a little bit
4:57
better coming off the ball screens,
4:58
making decisions, um, and just getting
5:00
inside, attacking the mismatches when we
5:02
get we could get Caleb or Jared on
5:04
switch attack.
5:05
And a couple big pitch heads in the
5:07
second half, getting out of transition
5:08
on the fast break that we feel like we
5:09
haven't really seen so far this season.
5:10
Was that a point of emphasis at the
5:12
break?
5:12
Uh, not necessarily. Um, it's always a
5:14
point of emphasis every day for us to
5:16
run, um, be fast, run down the middle of
5:18
the floor, get your head up, put guys
5:19
open in front of you, hit them, and we
5:21
got a couple of them today. You talked
5:22
about the play out of the timeout where
5:24
you fed Caleb for the for the bucket.
5:26
Yeah. Uh you talking about the last play
5:28
ball screen? Yeah. Yeah. Um so just set
5:31
set a high ball screen. Um just made the
5:33
read. His defender stepped over. I hit
5:34
him on the pocket pass. He made a great
5:35
play.
5:36
One word to describe cargo.
5:39
Um aggressive. Like I said, I want him
5:42
to be aggressive. He's a great player.
5:43
When he is aggressive, um I think
5:45
sometimes it's hesitant. He's been
5:46
shooting the ball much better recently
5:48
and it's great to see.
5:48
Caleb said ridiculous. So an aggressive
5:50
reach within that's a good thing.
5:52
It it is. It is. And I I just love when
5:54
play
5:57
obviously not the rebounds you usually
5:58
get, but how yourself a lot of the
6:00
guards kind of picked up that for you
6:02
guys. How even though you guys got
6:04
dominated on the glass kind of work your
6:06
way in this game and still be
6:09
Yeah. Uh they had two really good bigs
6:11
um that are great rebounders. Uh they
6:12
were crashing the offensive glass hard.
6:14
So uh all the time it's not all the time
6:16
going to be Caleb and Henry like they're
6:17
they're hitting they're boxing out as
6:19
guards. It was really a focus for us to
6:20
come back and uh help all the boys.
6:22
What was it like to come back and play
6:24
in your your home state?
6:25
Yeah, it was great. Um definitely got
6:27
like my family here and stuff like that.
6:28
So that was really special and uh you
6:30
know it's nice to get a win here.
6:31
You guys were put out there in
6:32
transition. What's the difference
6:34
tonight? You guys
6:36
haven't
6:38
Yeah, I think it's just put an emphasis
6:39
on running. Um the bigs were really
6:41
running down the middle of the floor. I
6:42
got on a couple of pitch aheads.
6:44
Yep. Jiren on one, Caleb on one, and you
6:47
know, just really focusing on on being
6:49
fast, playing fast, and those guys
6:51
running and making a lot easier.
6:52
Who's going to take advantage? They were
6:53
hitting offensive boards good, but you
6:55
kind of pitched ahead as they went up.
6:58
Yeah. Yeah. So, if they're sending guys
7:00
to the glass, that means they can't be
7:01
back in transition. So, if they're all
7:02
crashing, uh, transition, what's going
7:04
to be there for us?
7:05
I guess two straight games where the
7:07
second half three-point defense kind of
7:08
showed up. I think they shot 20%. Is
7:10
there anything you guys have kind of
7:12
changed in terms of that regard the
7:13
perimeter regarding foul screens?
7:15
Anything like that?
7:16
Uh, not necessarily. I don't think we
7:17
changed anything in the second half. Uh,
7:18
just better close out, more focus.
7:21
I know that I was talking with Kay. I
7:23
don't know if you pay attention to the
7:24
noise, but he was saying after the Notre
7:26
Dame game like it pissed him off how
7:28
much people were coming for Hubert
7:30
specifically over y'all's defense.
7:31
True.
7:32
Specifically with just the way you guys
7:33
were able to show up today on the road.
7:35
What do you think it says about this
7:36
squad, but also your coach?
7:38
Yeah, we're a resilient group. Um, we
7:40
believe in in coach and uh he's been
7:42
doing a lot of great things with us this
7:43
past week to get us ready for these two
7:45
two wins that we've had and yeah uh I
7:47
saw the quote Caleb said like some of
7:49
our latches that's on us. It's not
7:50
always on him and I thought we were much
7:52
better tonight.
7:53
Um just I haven't sorry you probably
7:55
been asking this but just Jiren what he
7:58
was able to do in the second half.
8:00
Caleb's like yeah he kills me all the
8:01
time in practice. I've been waiting for
8:02
it.
8:03
Same for you or just did that surprise
8:05
you at all? Yeah, like like you said, he
8:07
he goes out some days in practice and he
8:09
looks like a totally different player.
8:10
He's out there hooping and when he's
8:12
free like that, he's playing aggressive.
8:13
It's really fun to watch and he's a
8:14
really special player.
8:15
Are there any signs when he's like
8:17
playing free? Like does he take on kind
8:20
of different body language or if that
8:22
makes sense?
8:22
I wouldn't say so necessarily. I'd say
8:24
just uh just he just working um
8:27
offensively and defensively and uh just
8:29
being aggressive like I said when he's
8:31
open shooting them and and when he's
8:33
not, you know, passing.
8:34
Thank you, D. Thank you.
8:36
How would you describe um why you guys
8:39
were able to do what you did today?
8:40
Uh we fought uh we came in the second
8:43
half with an attitude of we're going to
8:45
do what we need to do. We're going to
8:46
win this game and uh and we did that.
8:48
Almost this time a week ago, I asked you
8:50
about the second half of Cal. You said
8:52
you were going to carry it. to this
8:54
week. Is that exactly what you guys have
8:56
done?
8:56
Uh, pretty much pretty much so. I mean,
8:58
we had a we had a slower first half
9:01
start. Uh, you know, we kind of saw some
9:03
of the resemblance from first half Cal
9:05
and whole game Stanford, but we were
9:07
able to lock in. Remember what we said?
9:09
And coach Davis kind of told us, you
9:11
know, we were talking about we're going
9:12
to fight the whole game and he came in
9:13
and told us, you can talk it, but you
9:15
got to go do it.
9:16
A difference is the way you closed the
9:17
first half today, though.
9:19
So, you guys had a different disposition
9:20
about that you closed the first half.
9:22
You cut it tonight.
9:23
No doubt. Stay very positive about it.
9:24
We know basketball is a game of runs,
9:26
especially in tough environment on the
9:28
road. Here's a good UVA team. We know
9:29
that they're going to make their runs at
9:30
home. So, they made their run and that's
9:33
all we told each other. This happens.
9:34
They're making their run. Let's turn up
9:36
and go do it.
9:37
You said you were came in and told you
9:39
guys, you know, you're talking about
9:40
fighting. Let's let's see it. What's
9:42
that?
9:42
Uh halftime. Half time. Yes.
9:44
Yeah. Anyone else speak up? You were the
9:46
other players at halftime.
9:47
Uh I mean, we all did. It was today was
9:49
a voice of everybody. Uh JB Jamie really
9:52
used his voice today. Uh I did. Henry
9:54
did. Ziden K like literally everybody
9:56
everybody spoke and had their own thing
9:58
to say. So everybody had a huge impact.
10:00
You say it's been something that's maybe
10:01
been different.
10:03
Uh
10:04
more people.
10:05
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Uh
10:08
definitely.
10:09
How would you describe Jared second
10:10
half?
10:11
Uh he was amazing. I mean, I know y'all
10:14
weren't paying attention to me while
10:15
Jiren was scoring, but I was just
10:16
smiling the whole time saying, "Yeah,
10:18
Jiren." Just having a ball with him cuz
10:20
he was he was amazing in the second
10:22
half. It was super fun to watch.
10:24
What could a win like this do for the
10:26
trajectory of your season after the last
10:28
couple weeks?
10:28
Uh, just gives us a reminder of the team
10:30
that we are. You know, sometimes you can
10:32
get lost in adversity. Uh, you can get
10:34
lost in tough times and I think that
10:35
happened to us last week, but we got
10:36
that reminder. said obviously
10:38
Jiren, could you see this coming after
10:40
not scoring and only played four minutes
10:42
in the first half
10:43
um from the team or
10:44
for you?
10:45
Well, yeah, I did. I've been putting in
10:48
a lot of extra work um after practice,
10:50
getting in late. So, yeah, I definitely
10:52
saw it coming. Um I've been doing
10:54
different things um doing different
10:56
movements with my shot, doing different
10:58
things to work on my aggressiveness and
10:59
getting in shape or better shape so I
11:01
can run the floor, get easier baskets.
11:03
So, yeah, I definitely saw it coming.
11:05
But specifically, how do you worked on
11:06
your shot?
11:08
Um, yeah, again, just doing different
11:09
movements, you know, whether it's coming
11:10
up from like the baseline and turning
11:13
around, getting a good shot there, um,
11:15
coming up from the corner, um, getting
11:17
shots like that and, you know, just
11:18
doing different footwork and movements
11:19
like that. So, I can feel comfortable
11:21
with my shot.
11:22
But you haven't been this aggressive all
11:24
season.
11:25
Would you acknowledge that?
11:26
Where did that come from?
11:27
Yeah, it comes from the work I put in.
11:30
um you know with the work um I've been
11:33
put in different situations when I when
11:35
I trained and stuff like that. So so
11:37
when I just get in the game I already
11:39
did it like a lot of times so it just
11:42
feels natural to me.
11:43
I felt like you also made a couple big
11:45
defensive plays down the stretch I
11:47
guess. Can you kind of describe what was
11:48
going through your mind on the charge
11:49
and then also on that corner three they
11:51
were looking for it felt like you got
11:52
out there and you know shut down what
11:53
they were looking for.
11:54
Yeah. Um again just doing whatever I can
11:57
to you know make a play. Um, I saw the
12:00
opportunity and, you know, took a
12:02
charge. Um, so, so yeah, just just doing
12:04
whatever I can to help the team win.
12:06
How much of your aggressiveness was born
12:08
out of having some success in that
12:10
stretch with about 12 minutes left and
12:11
then you had that baseline move, you got
12:13
the ball, you dumped, and that's about
12:15
as authoritative as we've seen this
12:17
year.
12:17
Yeah.
12:18
How how much did having success kind of
12:19
elevate your aggressiveness?
12:21
Yeah. Um,
12:24
can you say that again? Sorry. How much
12:25
did having some success elevate you?
12:28
Like you get more confident, you get
12:30
more aggressive. Did it look to me like
12:32
you kind of felt like you could take the
12:33
three, you could drive, you had a
12:35
baseline dunk and all that stuff?
12:37
Yeah. Well, I knew I could be aggressive
12:39
from the start, from the moment I was
12:40
put in. Um, yeah, obviously the dunk and
12:43
stuff, you know, it helps, but um I knew
12:46
coming into the game I had to be
12:47
aggressive to help this team win. And
12:49
through my training and stuff.
12:51
Yeah,
12:51
through my training and stuff. I feel
12:53
like that's really helpful. I guess a
12:54
better way to ask it, did you feel
12:56
yourself having more room in the game to
12:58
be aggressive as things went on because
13:01
you were kind of having your legend at
13:02
three levels?
13:04
Yeah. Um,
13:06
yeah. Again, just getting the ball in
13:07
different spots, whether it's a switch
13:08
on a on a smaller guard or, you know,
13:11
coming up doing that play where I go
13:13
around and get an open shot. Um, so
13:16
yeah, just being ready ready for the
13:17
moment. Um um again, I put in a lot of
13:20
work in getting the footwork right and
13:23
I'm getting ready my shot pocket and
13:25
stuff like that. So, I feel like it's
13:26
really
13:27
And with all that, I think your
13:28
teammates appreciated most of the charge
13:29
that you drew.
13:30
Yeah.
13:31
Can you take us through that play?
13:33
Yeah. Um so, yeah, he got it um like in
13:36
the mid-range area and I was deep in the
13:37
paint. I knew he was going to, you know,
13:39
try to get to the rim. So, I just
13:40
decided to stand there and try to take a
13:42
charge and, you know, it worked out. And
13:43
then obviously the team come help me up
13:46
and stuff getting hyped that you that's
13:48
that's cool and um you know, it's great
13:50
to have teammates like that.
13:52
Have you ever had this much fun in a
13:53
game in your college career?
13:55
Um, you know, it's been a while. Um,
13:58
yeah, probably nothing like this. Um,
14:01
but yeah, this this feels great.
14:02
What was the difference between today on
14:04
the road and then last week? like what
14:05
let you guys, you know, come back and
14:07
finish the job in second half
14:08
last week. As in
14:09
as in or yeah, as in California,
14:11
whenever that was.
14:12
Um
14:14
I feel like our effort and like
14:16
intensity um feel like we're doing a
14:19
better job, you know, pressuring the
14:20
ball, not letting them get comfortable.
14:22
Um and again, I've seen a lot of people,
14:24
you know, putting in extra work. Um, so,
14:28
so again, I feel like, yeah, everybody's
14:29
really, you know, contributing and, you
14:31
know, wants the team to do well and
14:33
doing whatever they can to help the team
14:34
do well.
14:35
Take me through the after the game, the
14:36
locker room. What's that like?
14:38
Yeah, they dumped a bunch of Gatorade on
14:41
me. So, yeah, I got I got wet, but
14:44
pause. Um, but but yeah, I Yeah, they
14:48
they dump Gatorade on me and it was a
14:51
good feeling. They're, you know, jumping
14:54
up and stuff like that. dapping me up.
14:57
So, yeah, it's a good feeling.
14:59
Do you like Gatorade bass?
15:01
I wouldn't say that
15:02
under that circumstance.
15:04
Under that circumstance where Yeah.
15:05
Everybody's happy. They definitely me up
15:07
and, you know, they cheer me on. I
15:08
really appreciate that from my
15:10
teammates.
15:10
Thanks, thanks everybody. Two.