Up next in 10
#UNC's Ian Jackson, Ven-Allen Lubin, RJ Davis and Jae'Lyn Withers after win over Virginia
Feb 22, 2025
#UNC's Ian Jackson, Ven-Allen Lubin, RJ Davis and Jae'Lyn Withers after win over Virginia
View Video Transcript
0:00
feel good um especially play you know
0:03
games are hard to win so we can go on a
0:05
three game win streak and kind
0:07
of like hopefully kick some Kickstart
0:09
something you know for the future I feel
0:11
it's good Ian how different has Jay wit
0:14
seemed as a player and just you know
0:17
around the facility since being
0:19
reinserted into the starting lineup and
0:20
he's obviously playing really well um
0:24
how what just how different has he
0:25
seemed over these past he's been good
0:27
bro he's been good uh even even before
0:29
he's playing he's playing now um his en
0:31
always been great you know he's never
0:32
let what's going on in the court affect
0:35
him personally or in the locker room you
0:37
know he's been great and he's playing
0:38
great right now we we'll keep needing
0:40
him to play great so yeah J has been
0:42
amazing man what does he add to this
0:44
team when he's playing like that
0:48
um a lot actually a lot um his scoring
0:52
is something that open up the floor for
0:53
a lot of people me RJ whoever's going to
0:56
play opens up a lot and then for me be a
0:58
president a bigger size on defense it
1:00
kind of creates a whole different lineup
1:01
and a whole different like identity
1:03
about us when he's on the floor with a
1:04
bigger lineup so yeah man he's helping a
1:07
lot what did you guys hit upon these
1:08
last few games that it's got you guys
1:10
playing as well as you are um I think we
1:13
taking a challenge defensiv defensively
1:15
I think defensively we kind of locked in
1:17
more on defense and kind of took pride
1:18
in it a lot more um and just our
1:21
preparation has been amazing um from
1:24
practice and understanding what's coming
1:26
it's been it's been great confidence
1:28
wise too do that help a little bit you
1:29
guys got more confidence for sure man
1:31
for sure man guys SE shots go in guys
1:34
had good games um yeah we we trust in
1:37
ourselves has it been an adjustment
1:39
coming off the last couple of
1:40
games and does that change your
1:41
mentality at all mine yeah absolutely
1:44
not man absolutely not uh I I'm me uh
1:49
I'm I'm still me I'm want I come in just
1:51
do what I'm good at doing uh and do what
1:53
I could do that pack
1:54
winning we just we just getting started
1:57
you know um this is a great feeling to
1:59
know that we can the potential we have
2:01
as a team and just the belief that we we
2:03
have and just you know continue to stack
2:05
wins like this so we just you know
2:07
having the confidence and moveing
2:09
forward and getting prepared for Monday
2:10
and so we can just have a great season
2:12
most definitely what's been the
2:13
difference in this three- game win
2:14
streak you think the difference yeah um
2:19
I just think that uh the the commitment
2:22
from from each and every one of us you
2:23
know I think that you know the losses
2:25
from early in the seasons definitely
2:26
took a toll on all of us and just
2:28
knowing that you know we want have a
2:30
remarkable season you know and the only
2:32
way to do that is to continue to commit
2:34
to the small details each and every day
2:36
and practice and the preparation and and
2:38
the games as well just in order to have
2:40
a season that we want you you and Jay WT
2:42
developing a chemistry there inside yeah
2:45
I believe so you know I think uh the way
2:47
that you know the rotations is with you
2:49
know the lineup of coach's decision you
2:51
know is definitely see that me and Jay
2:53
would kind of jail well
2:55
together um dunking versus Ling in it
2:58
seems like you prefer dunking is there
2:59
any reason why I feel like you're just
3:01
so consistent I just like being up there
3:03
you know I mean I think it's just more
3:04
efficient way of you know scoring the
3:05
basketball and so uh whenever get a
3:07
chance I just go ahead and do it
3:10
experience but at the same time just a
3:11
lot of games being played and um just
3:13
the overall maturity of this of this
3:15
team has been great just from the past
3:17
two games I didn't really shoot the ball
3:18
well but it just shows that you know we
3:20
won by like 20 plus and um everyone's
3:22
contributing so I just think that just
3:24
speaks on the maturity of this team and
3:26
um just overall just everyone's making
3:29
an impact in some way you guys kind of
3:30
in desperation mode right now do you
3:32
feel yeah I mean we know we only have a
3:34
couple of games left as a group we're
3:36
only given really a couple games left in
3:38
regular season you got HC tournament so
3:40
we're really just trying to embrace um
3:42
every game and just you know at the same
3:44
time enjoy it but at the same time
3:46
compete it feel feel like you can't lose
3:49
any of these games before Duke to make
3:50
the tournament um I mean you don't want
3:53
to lose any games not just leading up to
3:55
Duke but just throughout the whole year
3:57
uh but let like in a crunch of time
3:59
where we have right now um the position
4:01
that we put ourselves in like we're
4:02
still in control of our destiny we're
4:03
still in control of how we play and uh
4:05
how we're going to be able to manage to
4:07
pull wins out so um right now we're just
4:09
looking at it one game at a time um and
4:12
that's our mindset I think it's working
4:13
for us and it's helping us keep stay
4:14
present what's been the difference in
4:16
during this three- game win streak do
4:17
you think is there a Common Thread I
4:19
would just say our competitive mindset
4:20
has been there um we just been just
4:23
willingly to compete on both ends and I
4:25
know sometimes things may not go our way
4:27
uh we may make a mistake and they may
4:29
make a run but I think where our
4:30
maturity has been um been really great
4:33
so far has been striving and has been
4:35
improving so I think that's the main
4:38
difference that needs heater here for
4:40
the last four games now yeah feels uh
4:42
good to be efficient especially coming
4:45
off the last year where it was a lot of
4:47
questionable shots but um I think this
4:49
year has been um you know taking
4:51
advantage of the ones that are a lot
4:55
easier it's the last one is uh go bigger
4:59
go home so trying to get everything that
5:00
I can out of it you were under some of
5:02
your celebrations on your threes you
5:04
could tell you were really feeling it Te
5:06
You Tau me through I don't know if
5:08
there's inspiration there what you're
5:09
feeling in those moments um outside of
5:13
the tech I would say the emotions were
5:15
pretty uh pretty pretty similar to the
5:18
other shots um kind of got a little
5:20
beside myself in the corner but do you
5:22
remember what you said to get the check
5:25
um somebody said uh we're living uh let
5:29
them shoot I said uh yeah all right you
5:31
better put a hand up but it was a little
5:33
bit more uh vulgar
5:35
language so you were you were responding
5:38
to what they were telling you mhm yeah
5:40
I'm not just the type to to attack
5:42
somebody yeah I I react and I guess you
5:45
said a magic word yeah sure definitely a
5:48
couple of them is it too simplistic for
5:50
us to kind of look point to like hey
5:52
once Jaylen started starting last couple
5:54
games something unlocked I mean is that
5:56
too simple to say do you feel like there
5:58
is something to that um I would say it's
6:01
just been the not only the leadership
6:03
that I guess I bring just being a
6:05
six-year player um but as well as like
6:07
me being uh more expressive with my
6:09
emotion and energy I think that it's uh
6:11
contagious at times and how you know
6:13
given your threes are going in right now
6:16
I can't help but think about the way
6:17
that last season ended right you missed
6:19
that three and he took a lot of heat for
6:21
it and just I don't know vindicating or
6:23
rewarding is it for you to kind of have
6:25
this this moment now doing that uh very
6:28
but I mean it's this is
6:30
uh expected just coming off last year
6:33
and uh why I got recruited here so I
6:35
think that um the goal is to get
6:38
back be more efficient you feel like you
6:41
guys got a good rotation going right now
6:42
good substitution pattern see it seems
6:44
like everything's flowing a lot better I
6:46
think so I think everybody's um really
6:48
feeding off of one another's energy and
6:50
uh effort out there so I say whatever
6:53
we're doing just got to stick with it
6:55
what can this team do to continue that
6:57
same energy
7:02
I say keep it up in practice I think it
7:03
starts in practice and uh we've had a
7:05
lot more energetic and uh you know vocal
7:08
practices um where we're held to a
7:11
really high standard you know just
7:13
leading up to the back end of the season
7:15
and um and we're just uh making sure
7:17
that we uh take care of the the Small
7:19
Things make sure that the small things
7:21
aren't really an issue have your
7:23
emotions been this season I mean you had
7:24
a lot of games where you didn't get many
7:25
minutes and then suddenly recently
7:27
you've not only gotten big minutes
7:29
you've played well how has that been for
7:31
you kind of up and down um it was tough
7:35
at a certain point throughout the season
7:36
just you know figuring out like what I
7:38
could do that was uh that would keep me
7:41
on the court or get me on the court and
7:43
um I think that uh through different
7:45
conversations and uh different talks
7:47
with the coaches uh kind of helped me uh
7:49
figure out like exactly where I could
7:51
fit in and and get uh some opportunities
7:53
well what had what what did they tell
7:55
you and what have you done to get to
7:56
play in time like I said before just let
7:59
it go uh shoot the open ones um get to
8:02
the glass and play be solid on defense
8:05
if you if somebody told you before the
8:07
season that you'd be the best
8:08
three-point percentage shooter on the
8:10
team at this point would you believe
8:12
that yeah based off of my work I mean
8:15
you got get props to RJ but hey I think
8:17
uh me RJ and I are pretty uh pretty uh
8:21
Spectacular from behind the line for
8:22
sure and you guys kind of desperation
8:24
mode right now what is that mode like to
8:26
to be in desperation mode um
8:30
having to having to win just having to
8:32
do whatever it takes um I think that's
8:34
that's been a big message from
8:37
uh head honcho HD and um he said uh
8:42
whenever it comes down to it we got to
8:43
live in the church we got to do whatever
8:44
it takes to to get the win and I think
8:46
that's really something we've been uh
8:47
embracing you mentioned those
8:49
conversations with Hubert Davis
8:51
throughout the season just coaches what
8:53
are those conversations look like when
8:54
did you have them anything you can tell
8:56
me about those conversations I would say
8:58
it was a a handful for sure but um they
9:02
varied from you know just just casual
9:05
check-ins to like we need you to um we
9:08
got a big game coming up or we have a
9:11
match up that we really think that you
9:13
would do good on or just like things was
9:16
there anything specific during those
9:17
conversations that kind of took that
9:20
have allowed you to kind of have this
9:21
performance you've had over the last
9:22
four
9:24
games I say it's been probably biggest
9:27
has been Marcus he been
9:29
like like anytime that you you see the
9:32
rim or whenever you got open opportun
9:35
she too good to really do anything not
9:38
and when did he start telling you that
9:39
or has that kind of been an allseason
9:41
thing he's been telling me that all
9:42
season but it's you know trying to
9:44
figure out uh exactly what works for me
9:47
and uh you know based off of my game
9:49
like that's been a a tough adjustment
9:51
for me to really embrace it understand
9:54
that
9:55
now Jaylen how's your ride uh doing
9:58
better how's it
10:00
it still looks still looks a little
10:01
little bruised and red but not as bad as
10:03
it used to
10:05
be right man got some Whiplash on that
10:08
I'm not going to lie who was it that hit
10:10
you uh Saunders Saunders uh he was
10:14
trying to box out and I got uh pinched
10:17
by V I crash like originally the the
10:21
first time oh uh k caught me on the like
10:24
it was like
10:27
this anytime I have a after whatever
10:29
it's the goofy stuff but it was on
10:31
inbound pass on the follow through and
10:33
he end catching my I asked I asked Ian
10:36
how if you've seemed any different since
10:38
getting the start and playing so well
10:40
and he said you've been pretty
10:41
levelheaded this whole time do you feel
10:43
any different since uh in these last
10:44
three games at all
10:47
um outside of being efficient and you
10:50
know knocking down a lot of the shots
10:51
that I am taking uh I think it's just
10:54
been doing the little things making sure
10:56
that I can uh stay on the court to help
10:58
out the team what what kind of
11:00
difference were you making defensively
11:01
with your
11:02
length
11:04
um I always say I'm being disruptive uh
11:07
making sure that I'm trying to uh clean
11:09
up on the glass and uh play a little
11:11
help help defense you know being a big
11:13
helper out there jayen is there a we
11:16
were talking to you out there in the
11:17
court when you had meeting today and you
11:19
said you a much better three-point
11:20
shooting what people saw last year you
11:22
referenced your last year shot around
11:24
41% yeah I know the season isn't around
11:26
on Jinx but how satisfying is it that
11:29
you're shooting the way you are and you
11:30
look at the numbers they're backing up
11:32
what you said was going to happen um
11:35
extremely satisfying however uh not at a
11:39
point where in the season or as a team
11:41
where we can't be satisfied so I think
11:43
that uh have to be a little bit more
11:45
efficient in order for us to get better
11:47
so I think that's what I got to do you
11:48
also talked about the work you putting
11:50
the shots that you hit today the shots
11:51
you the other night the ones that sered
11:53
were those by product of the
11:55
summer a lot of reps a lot of reps I
11:58
think it's muscle memory at this point I
12:00
think um you know the the shots that I
12:02
get up before practice or after practice
12:04
is just made M some of the ones you're
12:06
taking now I think you hesitated
12:08
especially later in the year you're
12:10
taking them now what's the freedom of
12:12
having that kind of confidence
12:15
um it's
12:20
uh man there's no second thought out
12:22
there I think it's um anytime I can get
12:25
the ball up in order to shoot it I think
12:27
that it's a good shot for me I think I
12:29
work on like contested shots open shots
12:31
you know shots off the move so I think
12:33
that uh either way it goes um just be
12:37
aggressive confident had you
12:39
forgotten what kind of player you are
12:42
and have you found that again
12:45
um I would say I kind of got lost in the
12:48
in the weeds uh kind of was trying to be
12:51
a little bit of everything and I think
12:53
that um you know what got me here is
12:55
what I I Fall Fallen back on you know
12:57
knocking down shots being at make
12:59
straight line drives you know cleaning
13:00
up on the glass being a good Defender
13:02
and you know blocking a shot or two need
13:05
be and to be