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UNC guards RJ Davis and Ian Jackson at pre-Duke press conference #UNC
Jan 30, 2025
UNC guards RJ Davis and Ian Jackson at pre-Duke press conference #UNC
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0:00
you've played a lot of games in this
0:01
rivalry um but your last time going over
0:04
there I mean does it sort of can you
0:06
introspect a little bit on all the
0:08
events you've been part of I mean you
0:09
you've seen a lot of history in this
0:11
rivalry yeah I mean
0:13
um it's kind of crazy like this is like
0:15
my last uh un versus Duke uh game so um
0:20
I mean I've been a lot of in a lot of uh
0:23
highly talented games a lot of close
0:25
games um and uh I'm just honestly just
0:29
grateful for like the over all
0:30
experience of the vi because it's just I
0:32
mean it goes back way before even me so
0:35
just to be a part of this is something
0:36
that you can only dream as a kid um from
0:39
even my freshman playing with no friends
0:41
to I mean no fans until
0:46
um um to beting Coach K and then going
0:49
to the final four and just just playing
0:51
against a lot of you know just um I'm an
0:54
old high school teammate so just stuff
0:56
like that I mean that's just something
0:57
that uh I'm just overall of grateful for
1:00
and I'm just going into Saturday with
1:02
the minds of just you know out there
1:03
just going to have fun and come up with
1:05
the win RJ along those lines just sort
1:08
of staying on that topic if you had to
1:10
put together like a checklist of what it
1:13
takes to succeed at Duke in Cameron
1:16
because you you've been on teams that
1:18
have played winning basketball over like
1:19
what would be sort of maybe some of the
1:21
items that you would list off is you
1:24
have to have them to to play well over
1:26
uh first and foremost I would say your
1:28
mindset like you have to be um mentally
1:31
ready to play there it's
1:32
a a great environment obviously fans get
1:36
into it and um but I would say mindset
1:39
is number one and then at the same time
1:41
just taking possession by possession
1:43
right so the basketball is a game of
1:45
runs and especially against uh Duke and
1:48
the years I played him it's always been
1:49
like a back and forth game and kind of
1:51
an exchange of the bucket so just know
1:53
that every possession matters you got to
1:54
get a great shot um either a great shot
1:57
or either a stop as well so um um
2:00
mindset possession and staying together
2:03
and kind of just having like blinders on
2:05
uh because of the environment because of
2:07
the riv right and a lot of anticipation
2:09
always um gets built up for these games
2:12
a lot of pressure um just a lot of just
2:15
a lot of fans and just overall raging
2:18
rights of uh teams on both ends of you
2:20
know wanting to win so you kind of got
2:22
to ignore all of that the same time just
2:24
go out there and play basketball like
2:25
you've been doing for 20 games that
2:27
you've been playing um that's the best
2:29
way
2:30
uh like you CH your question the
2:32
checklist and to approach this game
2:35
um obviously there's a lot of more
2:37
things but I think those are the main
2:38
three that can allow you know our team
2:40
to be
2:43
successful I'm good yeah finish not your
2:47
unbelievable CH this is an emotion sorry
2:50
this is an emotional game how do you
2:51
keep from being overly emotional in
2:53
keeping your voice in the game CER um
2:57
just staying present obviously like it's
3:00
an emotional game it's an emotional
3:01
rivalry game and um you can't really let
3:03
your emotions get the best of you you
3:05
guys kind of treat it as another game on
3:07
the calendar and as another opportunity
3:09
to play and uh to get better as a team
3:11
so I think that's our best way to
3:13
approach this game obviously we know um
3:16
the story behind it the background
3:17
history um between both teams which are
3:19
really great teams but you kind of got
3:21
to look at it as another game to play um
3:24
another opportunity for us to get better
3:26
and to achieve what um our end goal at
3:28
the end of the year is RJ going back to
3:30
what you were said Adam's question how
3:32
do you AFF that wisdom on some guys that
3:34
have never played in this game and on a
3:36
couple that haven't played a whole lot
3:37
in this game uh kind of just get them
3:39
prepared for it like mentally and
3:40
physically all week um and just to you
3:44
know kind of just give them confidence
3:46
and overall belief and Faith because
3:48
obviously it's a a great game to play in
3:50
and I think a lot of players would love
3:51
to play in it but at the same time it um
3:54
for it to be your first time there could
3:55
be a lot of like nerves um and anxiety
3:58
cuz you know just in terms of you just
3:59
want play well and you want to win so
4:01
kind of just understand like get them to
4:03
understand that you know yes we're
4:04
playing Duke yes survival the game but
4:07
don't treat it and make it something
4:09
bigger than what it is treat it as
4:10
another game like we've been doing our
4:12
preparation has be has to be the same um
4:14
our mindsets have to be the same and
4:16
just understand that like you know we're
4:17
all together in this and stay together
4:19
at all times cuz things could go left um
4:22
but we just got to remain on the same
4:23
page um when that does happen cuz it
4:25
will happen um momentum might change
4:28
either for them or for us but uh just to
4:30
let them understand that like through it
4:32
all like we're going to be fine we just
4:33
got to remain stay together and have the
4:35
mindset that um we just going to go out
4:37
there and play basketball giving them
4:39
confidence how how do you give them
4:42
confidence more enough confidence to go
4:43
in there given the fact you guys lost
4:45
three out of four and confidence could
4:48
be way staying positive um that's the
4:51
main thing obviously when things don't
4:52
go your way when you losing a lot of
4:55
games and you're in those games as one
4:57
possessions it's easy to be negative and
4:59
point the finger and to kind of just uh
5:03
go down the route that you know feels
5:05
more comfortable comfortable because
5:07
we're losing but um I think the the
5:10
challenge in that is uh to face
5:13
um this challenge with positivity and I
5:16
think that's how my Approach is going to
5:19
be for this team yes we lost three out
5:21
of the four okay cool but how are we
5:22
going to respond how are we going to uh
5:24
pull ourselves together and approach
5:27
this game with our heads High and a lot
5:29
of conf is knowing that we're going to
5:30
win this game so that's my main message
5:32
I'm going to continue to keep being
5:34
positive for this team for for the rest
5:36
of the year um because I do really
5:38
believe and have so much faith in this
5:40
team that we could really just change
5:41
the whole season around and along those
5:43
lines the experience that you had in
5:45
2022 where you guys were in a similar
5:47
situation to where you are now clicked
5:49
on something and just rode that momentum
5:51
all the way into April does that help
5:53
you in telling these guys hey look I
5:55
know that this can happen we we've done
5:57
this before and how much would win over
6:00
there at Cameron kind of maybe be a
6:01
springboard to something like that yeah
6:03
I mean I think 2022 the year that we've
6:06
uh we put together like a phenomenal run
6:08
um and we went to Cameron was like I
6:10
mean that whole week building up to it
6:11
we was like we're going to win this game
6:13
and we knew within the locker room like
6:16
what we had and
6:19
uh I think going into that game in 2022
6:23
our backs against the wall people didn't
6:24
really believe in us but we believed in
6:25
ourselves and that's what got us over
6:27
the hump that's what allowed us to make
6:29
that run and that's the same way how I
6:30
feel about this team right now like I
6:32
feel like people are counting us out
6:34
people are not really believing in us
6:36
like we're having a hard time finish our
6:38
game strong but um I see it I see the
6:42
vision for this team I see how we can be
6:44
great how we can overcome this little
6:46
obstacle that we're going through and
6:48
that's how um as a leader and as a you
6:52
know a player of this University I'm
6:53
going to uh kind of just instill numb
6:56
that we can do this and uh we just got
6:58
to take it one at a time um one day at a
7:01
time and just prepare the right way uh
7:03
cuz we could literally have a a flip of
7:07
switch for this season and it kind of
7:09
just starts in today our preparation for
7:10
Saturday RJ for you these last three
7:12
games shoting 50% from the field what do
7:15
you think is kind of clicking for you
7:17
obviously you know you've talked a lot
7:18
about this year just the the different
7:20
you know ways defenses have been playing
7:22
you what's what's been clicking for you
7:24
think um I think I'm not thinking as
7:27
much these past few games I felt like
7:29
I've been individually I'm just happy
7:32
for um the way I've been persevering and
7:36
obviously battling with a lot of like
7:37
mental thoughts and overthinking second
7:39
guessing myself while playing especially
7:41
early on the year so I feel like these
7:43
last three games I kind of just let go a
7:44
little bit I wasn't really trying to be
7:48
perfect trying to tell myself I have to
7:49
make every single shot because it's not
7:52
possible not even Steph does that so um
7:54
I just kind of went out there just kind
7:55
of just told myself to let go um play
7:58
with a sense of freedom and and that has
8:00
allowed me to kind of just be more free
8:01
out there allow my shots to go in take
8:04
smarter shots take good shots and um I
8:06
feel like I've been a little bit more
8:07
aggressive so um I felt like I'm coming
8:10
along again like finding myself and
8:12
being more confident is that something
8:14
you've talked with youber about just of
8:16
like maybe taking some of that pressure
8:17
off of yourself and just like you said
8:19
playing free and and just you know not
8:21
thinking as much yeah I mean I
8:22
definitely speak to HD a lot about it
8:24
like I'm so hard hard on myself and I
8:26
put a lot of expectations on myself to
8:28
be um a great player cuz I know what I'm
8:31
capable of um and just like the amount
8:34
of work I put in through you know just
8:36
four years of being here and just seeing
8:38
how each year paid off and how each year
8:40
I improved um I think I kind of just
8:44
uh put a little bit too much pressure
8:47
and too much you know baggage weight on
8:48
my back that uh I wasn't like really
8:51
playing the way I know I could
8:54
especially like early on the year so I'm
8:56
playing with you know a lot of weight on
8:57
my shoulders rather than just going out
8:59
there hoop and just do what I love to do
9:00
and have fun so um obviously it's a lot
9:03
that I put on myself because I just know
9:05
how good I can really be um but I kind
9:08
of just told myself to let go um and
9:11
took a step back and kind of just uh had
9:13
fun with at the end of the day R you
9:14
went the mindent that you guys had in
9:16
the locker room going into that game in
9:18
2024 over in Cameron and the belief that
9:21
you had I remember coach Davis telling
9:22
you guys like showing you the Lakers
9:23
documentary was it he's looking for a
9:25
fight how has he been in this week sort
9:28
of leading up to that anything
9:29
similarities or he's been relatively
9:31
status quo um one thing about HD I mean
9:33
he's always going to remain the same uh
9:36
whether it's Duke whether it's the
9:37
Lakers like he would say like it doesn't
9:39
matter who he play he's going to always
9:41
uh bring that fight um and uh that's one
9:44
thing I love about him his approach
9:46
always Remains the Same and um he always
9:48
just wants us to compete at a higher
9:49
level so um obviously this game means a
9:53
lot but um his approach just because of
9:57
duke or whether we played Elon the
9:58
beginning of the year it doesn't change
10:00
um so but I'm pretty sure he will have a
10:02
message for us uh going into practice
10:05
today but um we kind of talked about it
10:07
yesterday just kind of just you know
10:09
planting our feet um I think he said
10:12
that U message a couple couple years ago
10:14
like planting our feet this is where we
10:15
draw the line and uh just continue to
10:18
keep fighting and that's what we're
10:19
going to
10:19
do arj what needs to happen on Saturday
10:23
for you and the guys to go into camp and
10:25
get I think just a sense of uh sense of
10:28
urgency but then and also like
10:31
discipline I think a lot of times the
10:32
last three uh or last four games we've
10:35
had a lot of uh mistakes in the last
10:38
like three to four minutes um and just
10:41
like kind of costly turnovers or uh bad
10:44
shots or just uh a Mis defensive
10:46
possession that just can't happen that
10:48
just shows like our you know attention
10:50
to detail has to be better so going into
10:51
the Saturday like I know we could score
10:53
the ball but it's really our attention
10:55
to details that's going to separate us
10:57
to come out with the win last couple for
10:59
RJ please this this may be the best
11:02
combination of talent size and win deep
11:04
Bas since maybe all how do you guys deal
11:07
with that sort of uh
11:09
disadvantage um just relying on our
11:11
strengths we're athletic we're quick uh
11:13
we could play in the open floor um and
11:15
we're really good on defense when we're
11:17
talking we're all bought in and I think
11:19
that that's shown throughout the games
11:21
that we played well and put together a
11:22
lot of uh great defensive possessions
11:24
together so we're going to have to do
11:26
that on a consistence basis going into
11:27
Saturday cuz I know we're capable of
11:29
doing
11:29
um we have the talent from the starting
11:32
guard all the way to the starting big
11:33
even the bench player so we're just
11:35
going to rely on our strengths a lot um
11:36
this weekend um and just go with a sense
11:39
of you know just trusting each
11:41
other what have your last couple days
11:43
looked like just you personally since
11:45
you guys got back from pit because
11:47
talking to you the other night up there
11:49
kind of seemed like you were more down
11:51
than I've seen you after a game this
11:53
season I remember you saying what feels
11:55
like the same movie over and over again
11:57
like you changed anything up the last
11:59
last couple days since you guys got back
12:00
just personally or just what have you
12:02
sort of done um yeah I mean it was like
12:04
it was frustrating because it was like
12:06
another game like we should have won or
12:08
up one I think like a two like 40 left
12:11
or something like that um like I said it
12:13
was like the same movie over and over
12:15
again so uh another one possession game
12:17
that we should have won so obviously I
12:18
was just after the game a little bit
12:20
frustrated because it's
12:22
like we put ourselves in good positions
12:24
to uh come out with a different outcome
12:27
and that outcome is winning and then we
12:29
kind of just shoot ourselves in the foot
12:31
so I was just frustrated with that but
12:33
uh what I've been doing the past couple
12:35
of days is kind of just what I've been
12:37
doing for the past four games where I
12:38
felt like individually mentally has been
12:40
working for me is kind of just uh
12:42
staying present and being positive yes
12:44
we lost um but look back at the film
12:48
like that's like another like teaching
12:49
Point um and just see like
12:54
where where things went wrong and to
12:57
kind of just prevent that going to the
12:58
next game um and kind of just like
13:01
having fun with it like I know it's hard
13:02
to have fun in the midst of things
13:04
because it is frustrating like no one
13:05
wants to lose but you kind of got to
13:08
find yourself and kind of Lose Yourself
13:10
to uh have fun with it even though when
13:13
things are go your way so that's what
13:14
I've been doing the past couple days and
13:16
I'm just going to continue to keep doing
13:17
for the rest of the year all right thank
13:19
you was just talking about coring wisdom
13:22
on some of you guys that have not played
13:24
over at D he's won three times over
13:26
there and so what are some of the things
13:28
he's told you guys to kind of get you in
13:30
the right frame of mind to head into
13:32
what you're going to experience Saturday
13:33
I'm just going there I would say for me
13:36
just focus on us you know that's going
13:37
to be a lot of other things going on the
13:39
crowd and like the the history that
13:42
these two programs these two schools
13:43
have but just go there and focus on us
13:45
and what we could do to win the game has
13:47
he said anything about a couple years
13:49
ago when that team was in a similar
13:51
situation you guys are in they went in
13:52
there coach K's last home game and beat
13:54
them it sort of triggered their sparkk
13:56
to the title game yeah for sure um this
13:58
one for us I expect we going to win but
14:01
it's going to be huge you know um to
14:02
kind of jump start something that could
14:04
be great and going
14:06
forward and like what was your
14:08
perception of the Rivalry before you got
14:10
here and do you have any like personal
14:12
favorite moments growing up games you
14:14
watch moments you watch players anything
14:18
um not not any personal favorite moments
14:20
but I do understand the Rivalry um I
14:22
understand how big of a game this is for
14:24
the two programs and I'm just looking
14:26
forward to go out there and play
14:29
how do you guys stay confident
14:30
considering you lost three out of four
14:32
you've been having frustrations in one
14:34
possession games and has that been
14:36
difficult pleas you stay confident
14:39
um sometimes definitely you know kind of
14:42
frustrating you know definitely losing
14:44
losing it's like always frustrating but
14:46
um we just trust each other you know we
14:48
trust We Trust coach we trust each other
14:50
and we believe in the work that we put
14:52
in so we know what we do we know we work
14:55
on so just go out there and do it yeah
14:57
is is there something for you personally
15:00
that maybe hasn't been happening the
15:02
last couple games or hasn't been working
15:04
for you because I think it's what three
15:06
out of the last four you've been in
15:07
single digits when you had that huge run
15:09
before that is there something that you
15:11
can point to or identify that that maybe
15:14
teams are taking away or that that's
15:16
just not working for you lately
15:19
um I particular you know
15:22
um it's
15:24
just that kind of stretch you know and
15:28
um
15:30
yes basketball it happens you know same
15:32
way I was scoring 20 same way it can go
15:34
it can go bad a little bit but I'm all
15:36
right you know I'm fine my confidence
15:37
still super high and my teammates trust
15:39
me I trust them and we got out there and
15:42
believe in play my game yeah you said I
15:44
was going to say that doesn't seem like
15:46
much affect your confidence yeah no
15:48
either way absolutely you know I believe
15:50
in the work I put in um and I think I'm
15:53
the best player on the floor every time
15:54
I step on the floor youe has you know
15:57
tremendous positional size and length as
16:00
a going against a team like that a big
16:02
team how how does that adjust what you
16:04
have to do offensively or what the team
16:06
has to do offens
16:09
um I feel like we got be more
16:11
disciplined on the smaller details
16:12
especially with with the side they have
16:14
you know um on offense being disciplined
16:16
doing the right things making an easy
16:18
play and on defense just being in the
16:19
right
16:20
spots you were in the same DD's class as
16:23
Cooper flag who's obviously you know
16:25
doing what he's doing over it Duke I
16:26
guess having time to I guess sit in r
16:29
look at you see the highlights and
16:30
everything but sitting to really I guess
16:32
look at and tape you know what's kind of
16:33
allowing him to have the season that
16:36
he's been able to put um he's a great
16:39
player you know um like you can do it
16:42
all you can do it all on the floor
16:43
whether whether he's he's scoring or
16:45
defending I feel like he always had a
16:46
way to impact the game and I feel like
16:49
him knowing that scoring is the only way
16:50
to impact the game or on offensive end
16:53
um helps him a lot uh his motor is high
16:56
uh he's just a great a great player you
16:58
guys since he does do all those you know
17:00
things like you said I guess what is the
17:02
the key to contain is someone that does
17:04
have his hands and you know several
17:05
different elements
17:07
of
17:09
um just focus on the Scout you know um
17:12
there's things that he doesn't do well
17:13
that we got to kind of force him to do
17:16
and get him to do um and you can't let
17:20
his his defense impact so much that
17:22
where say trick him down towards offense
17:23
and get him going so just focus on what
17:26
we got to do on our disciplines our
17:27
Scouts and get it done
17:29
did uh did Duke recruit you at all um a
17:32
little bit yeah what was kind of
17:35
differentiating factor between UNC and
17:37
Duke that decision not to say it was
17:39
down to those two what kind of separated
17:41
the two
17:44
um I would just say coach Davis you know
17:49
ever since I met coach Davis he was
17:50
someone I went to play for um whether
17:52
who no matter who was like really in the
17:55
in the conversation at the time I met
17:57
coach Davis and I kind of knew from
17:58
there like that's why want to play for
17:59
do you have any sort of I mean you're a
18:01
highly Ted player high school but do you
18:04
have any sort of Chip you know the Duke
18:06
guys their Freshman Class always gets
18:08
put up kind of on a pedestal does that
18:10
give you any sort of chip in this game
18:12
I'm going go to chip every game you know
18:14
um I want to go out play every game and
18:17
and play the best I can play uh go out
18:19
there and try to prove something every
18:20
time I go out there on the floor and
18:23
whether we playing duke or whoever uh
18:26
it's Chip every game yeah as a younger
18:29
guy uh wonder if you could or if you
18:32
have perspective on Duke's recruiting
18:35
success over the years I do seem to get
18:37
their share of Highly Ted guys Carolina
18:39
does too um but what do you think it is
18:42
about maybe the way they run their
18:44
program or how they do things it appeals
18:46
to you know kids coming up
18:50
um like I said um the history behind the
18:52
school is is great you know um they have
18:55
a long history of putting guys in NBA
18:58
and
18:59
I guess to recruits that that's that's
19:01
like eye opening you know be I want to
19:03
be one and done that aspire to be one
19:05
and done so the school has the history
19:07
of doing that so they go there
19:11
again Ian do you having grown up playing
19:14
against like Cooper and these guy those
19:16
guys that are Duke freshman like do you
19:17
keep up with those guys do you guys talk
19:19
or communicate since I mean you've been
19:21
playing against them for years obviously
19:24
um not not too often not too often um me
19:27
and Cooper are super close we we play
19:29
played we played together in USA USA
19:32
basketball um so we got a gr
19:33
relationship from there and then we play
19:35
together same team McDonald's um but
19:37
yeah we we're cool we cool you guys
19:40
don't each other like hey I'll see you
19:42
Saturday N N I I want to talk to him for
19:46
real yeah I'm good and one thing that uh
19:49
some of the guys was talking about after
19:51
the pck game was you know sometimes
19:53
offensively you know things can get
19:55
stagnant you guys can break down over
19:56
dribble things like that looking at last
19:59
game do you feel that was I guess some
20:01
of the reason the offense you know kind
20:03
of stopped you know producing points and
20:05
I guess what do you think you know needs
20:06
to to change to you know allow for more
20:08
Flo mov um I think you think our second
20:12
half offense wasn't the best you know we
20:14
didn't score a whole bunch like 21
20:15
points second half I believe um we
20:18
didn't we didn't score a bunch second
20:19
half um they started switching one
20:20
through five and kind
20:23
of put like a pause on things for us and
20:26
and we we didn't make we didn't get a
20:27
chance to really adjust to it um but
20:30
yeah that's really what happened knowing
20:33
that Duke also does that though does
20:34
that give you an opportunity to kind of
20:35
look at what didn't work and try
20:37
absolutely absolutely um every game get
20:39
opportunity to go out there and make
20:40
changes and and adjust to different
20:42
looks you know
20:43
so we seen it we've seen it before now
20:45
we go to practice fix it figure out how
20:47
to attack it and what we want to get out
20:48
of it and get it
20:52
done anything
20:55
else thanks
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