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#UNC's Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Luka Bogavac and Jonathan Powell after win over USC Upstate
Dec 13, 2025
#UNC's Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Luka Bogavac and Jonathan Powell after win over USC Upstate
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0:02
Caleb, at that uh under eight timeout in
0:04
the second half, it looked like coach
0:06
Davis was really laying into you guys.
0:08
What was the message to to you guys?
0:10
I think it was about rebounding, just
0:12
making sure we box out, make sure we get
0:13
the ball.
0:16
Why do you think you guys kind of had
0:18
couldn't quite get into gear today that
0:19
SC Upstate was kind of always within
0:21
arms reach and you'd expect probably,
0:23
you know, bigger blowout, you think?
0:25
I think they just played they played
0:26
good basketball. to hit some tough shots
0:27
and uh we didn't keep up the horn. We
0:30
allowed for uh offensive rebounds and
0:32
also uh feel like our preparation of
0:34
practiced a couple days before wasn't as
0:36
good as it should have been.
0:37
Okay. Why do you think that was?
0:39
Well, I wasn't able to practice. I was
0:41
dealing with a foot injury, but um as a
0:44
as a team, you know, we just got to
0:46
approach it stronger, better um just
0:49
have more energy and more enthusiasm no
0:50
matter who we play.
0:51
Which foot was it and what's the injury?
0:53
No comment. So, is that like a learning
0:55
experience for you guys
0:57
to come out always prepared?
0:58
Yeah, for sure. It's always a learning
1:00
experience, you know, uh just like you
1:02
said, it's not it's not conference play
1:04
yet, so we just got to pick it up when
1:05
ACC play starts in a couple weeks.
1:07
Without going into detail, I mean, if
1:09
you weren't able to practice, was there
1:10
a question about whether you would be
1:11
able to play today with the foot injury?
1:13
No, I'm I'll play through whatever I
1:15
feel as long as it's not like going to
1:16
really mess me up, but I'm good now. So,
1:19
just got to play through injury.
1:20
How much practice did you miss?
1:22
Uh like two or three days. Okay. But you
1:24
still able to watch it. Yeah. I guess
1:26
just um I mean a bright spot obviously
1:28
Jonathan Powell I think he tied his
1:30
careerh high. What did you see from him
1:32
today that's was impressive.
1:35
Uh he just hit open shots. Um he just
1:38
made good decisions and that's all
1:39
that's all you can ask for a guy like
1:41
that. He's a great shooter. So just
1:42
making sure he gets the open looks and
1:43
knock them down is good.
1:44
I know he's also a guy that brings a lot
1:46
of emotion to practice practic.
1:49
Um, I guess what did it mean to maybe
1:52
see him finally, you know, having that
1:53
kind of performance from whatever effort
1:55
he's put in?
1:55
I just always thought it was a matter of
1:57
time. He's a great shooter and me being
1:59
doubles going allow for opportunities
2:00
for our permanent shooters to get wide
2:02
open shots. So, just a matter of time.
2:04
I'm happy for him.
2:05
The lack of the energy for a lot of this
2:06
game. Was it the exams? What do you
2:08
attribute that to?
2:09
I mean, yeah, exams are definitely
2:11
exhausting. Uh, you had to study for
2:13
them all week and stuff like that. So,
2:14
it's kind of hard to, you know, switch
2:16
gears from academics to athletics. That
2:18
could be something that was going on
2:20
with us, but uh you know, we just got to
2:21
always push through. You never know. You
2:22
can't control that. Not your
2:24
circumstances.
2:26
Caleb, the free throw shooting, is it
2:27
just a bad day at the line or how do you
2:30
I don't know what was going on with that
2:31
one. I missed like three of them in and
2:33
out and you know, that's just going to
2:35
happen sometimes. I'm not going to sweat
2:37
it. I'll just shoot some free throws
2:38
tonight. Get back get back to it.
2:40
Just hard to get it out of your head
2:41
once you miss.
2:42
Oh, no. No. It's never It's never hard
2:44
to get out, man. It's just
2:46
it's a miss shot. It's going to happen.
2:48
had free shoot two free throws tonight.
2:49
Like how often do you
2:50
It's going to mess up him but other
2:53
teams.
2:53
How many full regular practices did you
2:55
guys have this year?
2:59
Uh any other
3:01
believe there's like four, but one of
3:04
them was like a little bit different.
3:05
It's like more shooting and
3:06
conditioning.
3:07
Jonathan Pal, I think he had 17. Looks
3:11
like we're starting to see a lot of
3:12
stuff from his game sort of come out
3:14
week by week. What are your thoughts on
3:16
his game? And when you think about how
3:17
he played tonight, it's kind of big for
3:18
you guys that one shot
3:19
for sure. Um, he went three for six from
3:22
three, that's huge. We need shooting. We
3:24
haven't been shooting it great as a
3:26
team. So, him stepping up and making
3:28
three threes in our game and shooting it
3:29
efficiently is amazing for us. It helps
3:31
us a lot having somebody who can space
3:33
the floor and whenever we kick it, he's
3:35
going to make it.
3:35
Henry, why do you think you guys came
3:36
out late this year? Uh, I feel like I
3:39
touched on it uh on a little bit before,
3:42
but I feel like mainly with just our
3:44
effort, we're kind of matching the level
3:46
rather than setting the tone.
3:47
What about offensive points? They were
3:48
getting a lot of seconds hit points that
3:50
you wouldn't expect from that sort of
3:52
thing. What What was going on there?
3:54
That's just player issues. Uh, it's, uh,
3:56
us players, I think they outrebound
3:58
users on the offensive board. So, we got
4:00
to go, we got to get offensive rebounds
4:02
and we're going to box out on defense.
4:03
They did a good job of everybody
4:05
crashing and they created little
4:06
advantages for each other. And so when
4:08
they tipped it, they got the ball.
4:09
Was that the message at the under eight
4:10
timeout? It looks like uh Coach Davis
4:12
was really lighting into you guys.
4:14
Now, for sure, we had we harped in a lot
4:16
on the timeouts cuz they were kicking
4:19
they're they're kicking our butt on the
4:21
rebounds, especially on offensive end
4:23
for them.
4:24
We noticed on the sideline or even in
4:26
warm-ups, Seth had to brace off. You
4:28
know, we know he's kind of been making
4:29
progress. Just from your vantage point,
4:31
just kind of where's he at and what's it
4:32
been like kind of seeing him?
4:33
I mean, yeah, by the way, he's having
4:36
great progress. which we're going to
4:37
hope getting back soon. Wherever he
4:39
feels 100%, then whenever the medical
4:41
staff clears him, I can't exactly tell
4:43
you how he's feeling, but from a
4:46
teammate standpoint, it looks like he's
4:48
being able to work out and he's doing
4:50
better. So hopefully we get back to him.
4:52
So you say kind of works out with you
4:53
guys a little bit. I know you don't know
4:54
when he's
4:55
No, not with a team, but but in
5:00
Henry would get it back. What is the
5:02
challenge when you kind of can sense
5:04
collectively there isn't great intensity
5:07
out there and try to get more intensity
5:09
into the team?
5:10
Yeah, I think that we relax couple times
5:13
when we play when we lead maybe with
5:16
double digits. So, we just say for ourel
5:18
let's relax a little bit. I think this
5:20
is the reason why. But, uh we can do
5:23
this. We can't do this because against
5:25
the bigger bigger teams bigger Polish
5:28
teams we should be able to come back on
5:30
the game after the this period of just
5:32
chilling on the court. So for us just
5:34
will be the key just to to play 40
5:37
minutes hard 40 minutes like effort and
5:39
it'll be great.
5:40
Jonathan Pal I think finished with 17.
5:43
We're seeing a lot of his game come out
5:44
now last few weeks and he's been playing
5:46
really well. He's getting 20 plus
5:47
minutes a game. Um what are your
5:49
thoughts on the kind of player he is and
5:50
what he can do for you guys? Yeah, he's
5:53
really great shooter. Really great
5:55
shooter, great guy, great energy, high
5:58
motor player. Um, he can be really
6:02
useful for our team just to uh he can
6:05
get hot really quick. So, we we have to
6:08
use him.
6:09
It looks like he brings a little bit of
6:10
edge to the floor to you as well. A
6:12
little bit of toughness.
6:13
For sure. Yeah.
6:14
Does that kind of you guys kind of feed
6:16
off of that some when he comes out
6:17
there?
6:17
Yeah, for sure. He he is really useful
6:19
for us. He will help us. So uh he should
6:22
just to continue playing his game.
6:25
Were you waiting like for a performance
6:26
like this from him?
6:28
Sorry.
6:28
Were you waiting for a performance like
6:30
this from?
6:31
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like he's really let's
6:33
say like great defender, great shooter.
6:35
So we have to have from him this every
6:38
single game.
6:39
Thanks. Appreciate it. You feel like you
6:41
really starting to feel a groove
6:43
offensively. It seemed like you were in
6:45
a good rhythm today.
6:47
Thank you. Yeah. I I mean just like uh
6:50
start the game like just have some good
6:52
reads just to to play my game just to
6:55
see what's happening on the court and
6:56
just to get more comfortable and uh yeah
6:59
with the team just to be u more and more
7:02
accepted
7:03
and then not only the points five
7:05
assists.
7:05
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean just I just
7:07
play the game. So if it happened that I
7:10
should pass 10 times I will pass 10
7:11
times. If it happens that I have to
7:13
shoot 10 times I shoot 10 times. just it
7:16
depends of the games of the coverage of
7:18
the defense. So, I just try to to play
7:20
the right way.
7:22
Thank you.
7:24
So, and I'm going to do whatever it
7:25
takes to help my team win. I'm glad I
7:27
was able to help with them today.
7:29
Took a few games really to kind of
7:31
figure out how
7:34
uh no, I wouldn't even say that. I mean,
7:37
uh it's a long season. Um just take it
7:39
practice by practice, game by game. So
7:41
really, like I said, just staying ready
7:43
for the opportunity when it comes. And I
7:45
think tonight was a uh was a great
7:48
chance for me to come in and show what I
7:49
can do. So really just build on that and
7:51
being consistent for my team.
7:52
I guess the point in time that I'm I'm
7:54
kind of referring to here is when you
7:55
guys went to Fort Myers, your minutes
7:57
went up, you got 20 plus in both those
7:59
games. It looked like a lot more of your
8:01
game started coming out. Would you agree
8:02
with that?
8:03
Uh yes, sir. I agree with that.
8:05
And and Luca just said that when you
8:07
when you get on the floor, you bring
8:08
edge and I think it feed off of your
8:10
edge. How important is your team? And
8:14
do you do you notice can you sense it
8:15
that your teammates kind of feed off of
8:17
that edge?
8:18
Yes sir. I think it's important to
8:21
I mean playing this sport I love the
8:23
sport. So every time I come on the court
8:24
I mean I'm want to play with the edge,
8:26
play with the energy. I think that's
8:27
what
8:29
keeps that fire under me. So bringing
8:30
that for my team if my team starts out a
8:32
little slow or it's one it's one of
8:34
those games like being one of the guys
8:36
that come in and bring everybody up to
8:38
get our energy back going and and get a
8:40
run going. So
8:41
you're ready to launch every time you
8:43
get the ball is that the shooter
8:44
mentality that you have that as soon as
8:46
you get it if it's there you can get it.
8:48
Yes sir. And like I said that plays with
8:49
my confidence. I mean all I need is a
8:51
little bit of room and I mean my
8:53
teammates my coaches they all believe
8:54
and trust me to shoot the ball. So if I
8:56
got a little bit of room I'm letting it
8:58
go. And then you have one more. You have
8:59
a quick release. Do you guys do time
9:01
releases? Is there something that you
9:02
work on? Because your release is pretty
9:04
important.
9:04
Uh yeah, it's something I work on if
9:06
it's having a manager put a hand in my
9:08
face and hurt me at the ball and shoot
9:09
it. So really just working on that and
9:12
being consistent with hitting open ones,
9:14
but also hitting the ones where if it's
9:16
a defender closing out at you.
9:17
This the points also on defense. He had
9:19
a couple of steals and really got after
9:21
it. Can you talk about your defensive
9:22
game?
9:23
Uh I think my defense is something
9:25
that's uh still thrown away. I mean, I
9:28
like to I think my defense is what
9:30
really keeps me on the court. Obviously,
9:32
we got a lot of people on the team who
9:34
can score the ball and put the ball in
9:35
the hoop, but I think what helps me earn
9:37
minutes and earn Coach Davis trust is
9:39
being able to keep my man in front of me
9:41
and being able to really compete on the
9:43
offensive end.
9:44
You feel like this is kind of sort of a
9:46
perfect scenario for you guys because
9:47
you got the win, but like you said,
9:49
there were some things that you could
9:50
improve on. So, now you got you get to
9:52
rush film for a couple days, come back
9:53
here Tuesday night. You feel like it's
9:55
sort of the best of both worlds type of
9:56
thing? Yes sir. Like I said, uh coach
9:58
Davis spoke on uh winning isn't easy,
10:01
especially against team like this, I
10:02
mean they to beat North Carolina is big
10:06
for any school. So any team come here,
10:08
they ready to to come out our next. So
10:10
to come out on a win, even though it's a
10:12
little sloppy, um it's good for us
10:14
learning wise to come here tomorrow in
10:16
the next couple days and look at film
10:17
and get better and get us more prepared
10:18
for Tuesday.
10:19
As teams continue to, you know, I mean
10:21
Kale's going to be at the top of the
10:22
scouting report, obviously they're
10:23
double trigger teaming him. How
10:25
important is it for you to step up and
10:27
be able to knock down those open shots
10:28
when he's able to kick it out to you?
10:30
I think it's very important. Like I
10:31
said, uh Caleb is one heck of a player
10:34
and
10:36
uh he needs his teammates to be able to
10:37
step up and hit shots. So when he's
10:39
getting double um like he found a couple
10:41
times today and I mean it's just being
10:44
ready being ready to shoot and playing
10:46
with confidence.
10:47
Anything you saying to you after you
10:48
catch those?
10:49
Uh just telling me he's going to find
10:50
me. tell me keep shooting the ball and
10:53
yeah, stay on fire.
10:55
Yeah.
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