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UNC's Jalen Washington, Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson and RJ Davis after beating Campbell
Dec 30, 2024
UNC's Jalen Washington, Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson and RJ Davis after beating Campbell
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0:00
you talk about that little surge in the
0:01
first four minutes uh looked like a set
0:04
play between you and Elliot that got the
0:05
two dunks yeah what was that what you
0:08
planned coming out of halftime or just
0:11
the way that happened yeah yeah yeah uh
0:13
that was that was what coach Drew up we
0:15
executed it well and you know we
0:17
executed well can you can you describe
0:19
the play you were kind of coming off the
0:21
screen or something you're talking about
0:22
in the in the first first two minutes of
0:24
the second half oh the second half yeah
0:27
yeah yeah it was just uh one of our
0:28
secondary plays uh just came came off uh
0:31
got Elliot open he made the right read
0:33
making the right reads all all game he
0:36
had like 12 13 assists he got me open
0:38
and there was no low guy there so they
0:40
just finished it those plays Drew a lot
0:42
of Animation from Hubert happy animation
0:45
positive animation how much is the point
0:47
of emphasis to go inside to you guys I I
0:51
even if you don't shoot just to run the
0:53
offense through the post a little bit
0:55
more to create more opportunities for
0:57
you guys how much has that been
0:57
appointed back this all it it's bit of a
1:00
play emphasis it helps out our guards um
1:03
you know we rely on our guards heavy so
1:05
you know just it kind of just goes hand
1:06
in hand with our offense um you know
1:09
just being us complimenting them on the
1:11
offensive end and U you know just
1:13
drawing defenders in finishing um you
1:16
know just creating opportunities for
1:17
them to scor as live there have been a
1:19
lot of stretches in games this year
1:21
where you guys don't do that where it's
1:23
just a lot of drives a lot of Threes a
1:24
lot of pass around the perimeter and
1:26
that stuff through the post is not there
1:28
how do you guys Rectify that was what
1:30
you did at the start of the second half
1:31
today part of Hubert's message we need
1:33
to be this team in order to be what we
1:36
can be no it comes from you know the
1:38
coaches uh telling us the adjustments to
1:40
make it also comes from us talking to
1:42
each other and us being teammates and be
1:44
like hey tell talk to me talking to each
1:46
other listening to each other and uh
1:48
letting each other know what we see out
1:49
there how our man's guarding us and then
1:50
just listening and adjusting and the
1:52
last thing I want to say about that is
1:54
how much of it is you guys down low you
1:56
Van Allen Ty whoever posting better you
2:00
know making yourself more available how
2:02
much has that been part of the
2:03
discussion and maybe having the interior
2:06
more conventionally used definitely um
2:08
you know we all know we haven't you know
2:10
been um you know as playing up to par um
2:13
as as we can as we should to help this
2:15
team get as many wins as possible so you
2:18
know that's the emphasis every day um
2:20
whether we in the practice we in the
2:22
film room it's just EMP emphasis for us
2:24
to go harder um and just make a bigger
2:26
impact for the game and for the uh for
2:28
us to win Jaylen after the UCLA game
2:31
coach Davis said just going to take a
2:33
couple days during the holiday break to
2:34
just get away from everything not think
2:36
about basketball at all and then come
2:38
back and get back to work was that your
2:39
approach during the during the break uh
2:41
I mean not really I I kind of think
2:43
about basketball all the time so uh even
2:45
going back home just working out just
2:46
trying to stay fresh um yeah I get to
2:49
you know have some time off and uh see
2:51
my family have spend time with my
2:52
friends and stuff but um you know we're
2:54
in the heart of the Season pretty much
2:56
so um you know might take one two days
2:59
off but never um more than that what do
3:03
you three or four minutes of the second
3:04
half you had four points three assists
3:08
it seemed like was it was it an EMP to
3:10
push it inside there coming out a
3:12
halftime um not really but um like we
3:16
call one of the plays we call Wedge um
3:19
which is an empty side pick and roll and
3:21
it worked the first time so we just
3:23
called it again it worked second time so
3:25
we just we just kept calling it yeah
3:27
that that was the one that left to the
3:28
dks for jwong yeah yeah tell me what
3:31
that play involves it's just an empty
3:33
side ball screen with three three
3:35
players away so it's just me and the big
3:37
on one side ball
3:40
screen but does that give you confidence
3:43
to to get the team going there like like
3:45
you did in the first four minutes of the
3:47
second half you said what does that give
3:49
you confidence to get the team going
3:51
there early in the second half yeah
3:52
definitely um after those plays our team
3:55
had like a lot of energy and yeah we
3:58
started playing and then I noticed your
4:00
reaction after the you you you passed in
4:03
the first for the first bucket for a
4:05
dunk you you really reacted to to that
4:09
uh this just seemed like you were more
4:11
confident today yeah definitely I
4:13
definitely was feeling more
4:15
confident I don't which one do you think
4:19
was the best pass the best pass I would
4:21
say the lob to Ian or or the first one
4:25
um when I thre the lob the first play of
4:27
the game yeah what do you remember that
4:29
about that play to Ian you know towards
4:31
the end I feel like he kind of cut
4:32
baseline or something like what what do
4:34
you remember about that you talking
4:35
about the lob yeah L pass yeah um he
4:38
told me the lava's open he told me that
4:41
I think they were shooting free thrs he
4:42
came up to me he was like the lava is
4:43
wide open so I said okay and then I came
4:46
down and just do it so yeah what did you
4:48
make of obviously set a career high
4:50
today um just the the performance Ian
4:52
did have in that first start he was
4:54
saying that a couple guys gave him some
4:55
advice for out there what you think of
4:56
the way he was able to take on big
4:58
minutes and play the way he did yeah I
5:00
think he's just been waiting for his
5:01
opportunity like that and he got it and
5:04
he almost had 30 points so I feel like
5:06
that just says a lot by was there any
5:09
particular I'm sorry was there any
5:10
particular advice you gave him when he
5:11
was going to make that first I just told
5:13
him keep shooting I felt like
5:16
every I felt like everybody out there
5:18
was a mismatch guard to him so I told so
5:20
I was just telling them just keep going
5:23
there ex as the game went on to going in
5:25
going from inside out and the outside in
5:28
um seemed like that was more of an in
5:31
going inside yeah um the the scouting
5:33
report for the for their team was that
5:34
they didn't have a lot of inside
5:36
presence and like shot blocking and they
5:38
didn't have a lot of height so we were
5:40
just trying to attack the paint as much
5:42
as
5:43
possible we just more focus more
5:45
attention more atten to
5:48
small we just in a great
5:50
space
5:53
great Ian you're a very confident dude
5:56
is there some aspects of your confidence
5:58
that's gone up the last last couple of
6:00
weeks and other aspects of your game
6:01
that you feel that you trust a little
6:03
more now out there than maybe earlier as
6:06
you were learning your way as a freshman
6:08
uh cuz we're seeing more prongs to your
6:10
game last couple weeks
6:13
um I feel like I was always super
6:15
confident no matter if the shot is going
6:17
in if it's not if I'm scoring 20 if I'm
6:19
not the confidence is always there you
6:21
know I always believe myself to go out
6:22
there and make shots and defend do what
6:27
I'm getting at is the production is it
6:28
just a matter you a lot more minutes you
6:30
had 54 minutes in the previous two games
6:32
I don't know what you had today is it
6:34
simply a matter of time on the floor and
6:36
that's why we're seeing a lot more stuff
6:38
or is there anything else to it uh I'll
6:40
say I'll say it's time on the floor and
6:41
there understanding where I can score at
6:43
you know and understand how to get to
6:44
those spots quick and without having to
6:46
go a long time you know understanding
6:48
where my teammates will find me at where
6:50
I can get my shots at when I should cut
6:52
when I
6:53
shouldn't
6:55
at uh just understanding my spots and my
6:58
spacing and how to get it done quick and
7:00
effici ellot said you told him the the
7:02
LA was open and that's tell me about
7:05
that oh yeah yeah so I seen it I've seen
7:07
that play before Elliot done back 131 I
7:11
told him next play down that I'm going
7:12
to cut the L's going to be there and
7:14
then he said going throw it he threw
7:16
almost half court perfect pass I got the
7:18
D what about starting how how that did
7:21
that feel any different um yeah man it f
7:24
it felt good go out there hear my name
7:26
being called start five it felt amazing
7:28
to me it was great put a lot of people
7:30
clamoring for you to start out there I
7:32
don't know how much you pay attention to
7:33
that world of social media but does it
7:36
really matter to you starting or not
7:37
starting cuz like I noted in those
7:39
previous two games you still got 54
7:41
minutes in the two games so you're
7:42
getting starters minutes yeah I mean I
7:44
want to say it's the biggest biggest
7:46
deal for me know uh I feel like when I
7:48
get in there I just want to go in there
7:50
impact the game whether I'm com the
7:52
bench doing it where I'm starting the
7:53
game doing it just not coming in what
7:54
can I do to impact this game and help us
7:56
win so starting it's all right but I
7:59
just want to I just want to go in that
8:00
win RJ became the alltime leader in
8:02
three-pointers made here as a baller
8:04
describe RJ as a perimeter shoer RJ is a
8:09
three-point threat man I'm super proud
8:10
of him I'm glad I got a chance to be a
8:13
part of his legacy at
8:14
[Music]
8:16
Carolina yeah like I said I'm super
8:18
proud of him he's great he's great we're
8:21
starting to see his step back super
8:23
senior so um I mean I can't just thank
8:26
God for just being putting me in this
8:29
position to be able to do that um I'm
8:31
just super you know grateful for
8:34
everything going back from your 3 for
8:38
your three-pointer your first pointer do
8:40
you remember when you first made a
8:42
three-pointer what kind of go to your
8:44
head sort of mechanics of shooting what
8:45
you kind of
8:47
look yeah you talk about like first
8:49
three-o like as a freshman or just in in
8:52
general um really just like uh just feel
8:55
good um it's a shot that I practice all
8:57
the time every day so it was kind kind
8:59
of just like shoot with a free mind I
9:02
think sometimes I think early on the
9:03
season I was like telling myself like I
9:04
have to make this shot and that was
9:06
causing me to miss a lot so um I'm in a
9:09
mindset right now was like just let it
9:10
fly I'm me go make or miss it and then
9:12
live the result so um that's something
9:14
that I been going through in terms of
9:17
like my first M shot and then the next
9:19
shot so do you have any conversations
9:21
with Coach Paige about passing him
9:23
before this game and tonight MP told me
9:26
uh when we were about to play UCLA that
9:29
I was four away and I had no idea um
9:31
from breaking his record um so I had
9:34
made two in UCLA and then he was like
9:35
you only need two more um yesterday in
9:37
practice so um it going to be it we was
9:39
just talking about just like how we were
9:41
going to celebrate like am I going to
9:42
point at him they going to stop the game
9:45
and give me the game ball so um but just
9:47
a I grew a watching Marcus so for me to
9:50
kind of just pass him and kind of him to
9:52
hand me the Torches just a real moment
9:54
because now he's a coach now he's you
9:56
know Paving away for myself but for um
9:58
the rest of our us guards kind of just
10:00
um be great in our own way and um I
10:02
really do appreciate him just for the
10:04
past two years of him just kind of just
10:05
mentoring me and U being in my corner so
10:07
yeah what's one thing that coach Paige
10:09
has done to help you that you haven't
10:11
really seen from any other
10:13
coach um I I would just say um cuz
10:16
obviously he played here as of recent
10:18
times I was in I want to say like maybe
10:20
high schools and maybe a freshman
10:21
watching him um and just obviously uh
10:26
what he went through um throughout
10:27
freshman year all the way up to senior
10:29
from him being an allamerican his
10:31
sophomore year and then um he told me
10:33
know he started off his senior conv of
10:35
like a shooting slump I think like a
10:36
month straight and um obviously I you
10:39
know I've been in one so he kind of just
10:41
mentoring me just making sure my head
10:42
space is right and um you got at the end
10:45
of the day just trust your work at the
10:46
end of day it's going to even out and um
10:48
I think one thing for him that he's been
10:50
helping me is just kind of just making
10:51
sure I've been in good spirits um cuz
10:54
obviously like I play with a joy um and
10:57
so that was like really the main thing
10:58
for him we starting to see the step back
11:00
a lot more now and it looks kind of like
11:02
it did a yearo you feeling that part of
11:04
your game now is more comfortable than
11:07
maybe a little bit earlier and the way
11:08
guys are defending you yeah it seems
11:10
like the opportunity is there more
11:12
forward 100% I think I'm just taking
11:14
what the defense gives me but at the
11:16
same time trusting my
11:17
work um I mean I lived up the step back
11:20
last year so um I think it's coming back
11:24
right now and uh I think also with my
11:27
teammates their ability to score and and
11:30
um now you got to pick your poison
11:31
whether you're going to guard them or me
11:32
so um that's opened up a lot of space
11:34
for myself and that's why I'm able to
11:36
get um a lot of easier shots Pink Shoes
11:38
tonight last year when you wore him you
11:39
scorched for a while was that was that a
11:41
conscious decision to say it's time to
11:43
try him again I'm not super stitious but
11:45
then not not superstitious so um I kind
11:48
of just want to start off you know going
11:49
into ACC play um I know this was an ACC
11:52
game but just kind of just this month
11:54
they're about to head into on the right
11:56
track um and you know I feel like my
11:57
pink shoes are my Lucky shoes so
11:59
um that was my decision going to the
12:01
game you've achieved a ton but did you
12:03
need to have a game like this going into
12:05
ACC play because you're GNA have to play
12:08
kind of like you did last year for you
12:09
guys to have a chance to win the league
12:11
100% I mean I felt like um where I felt
12:14
like myself again was Florida I kind of
12:16
felt myself coming back into my like
12:18
kind of the old vintage arit I was able
12:20
to knock down shots and um be confident
12:22
in you know the realm of the game and
12:24
just that that stretch of games from
12:26
Florida to uscl up until now I feel like
12:28
I put together me personally um from a
12:31
mental standpoint um a good stretch of
12:33
games where I felt like um I'm not
12:35
really putting too much pressure on
12:36
myself to make her Miss every single
12:38
shot or just go out there and just play
12:40
free cuz I felt like I was had the
12:41
weight on my shoulders and it was more
12:43
so of of me putting that on myself more
12:46
than anybody else and that's because I
12:47
just want to be really great but I
12:49
realized I've been I was stopping myself
12:51
of um producing of
12:53
what last question real quickly you were
12:56
acknowledged during the game for setting
12:57
the record and you're at the top of the
12:59
ke and pretty pretty lot ofation you're
13:02
little hand G what was going through
13:04
your mind there what was that I mean I
13:06
just thank God for just putting me in
13:08
this position to um be able to achieve
13:10
that I mean I think there was a reason I
13:13
came back there was a reason I'm in this
13:15
position so um all the glory goes to him
13:18
and that's what I did so I just pointed
13:19
up to thank him because um my me my life
13:21
has changed from a year last year up
13:24
until now and um I'm just grateful for
13:26
everything that's been coming my way and
13:28
I just really want defense this season
13:29
now strong so yeah thanks man you
13:31
mentioned just uh adjusting to how
13:33
you've been guarded differently it seems
13:34
like I mean we can see that it seems
13:36
like you you got to work hard out there
13:37
to get open with the way teams are are
13:39
focusing on you what's the emergence of
13:41
Ian done just taking some attention off
13:43
you like what how how has him even being
13:45
on the court and having this emergence
13:47
helps you elevate your game yeah I mean
13:49
we knew coming to this year I mean I is
13:51
a prolific scorer I mean he's able to
13:53
heat up quick he gets out in transition
13:55
he's able to knock down three so um it
13:57
definitely you know reled some tension
14:00
from me in terms of kind of just um you
14:02
know being able to guard me but now you
14:04
have to guard him as well and uh he's
14:05
been doing a great job of putting a lot
14:07
of stretch of games where he's scoring
14:08
the ball at a high level and I'm super
14:10
proud of him and that's like my little
14:12
New York little brother so um I mean I
14:15
think he's got a lot of more games left
14:16
in him if you have one word to describe
14:18
his game what would it be uh I'll say
14:21
flashy yeah for sure after UCLA coach
14:25
Davis was saying that he was just going
14:26
to take a couple days during the holiday
14:27
break just sort of get away from
14:29
basketball just sort of you know unwind
14:31
a little bit did you uh also do that
14:33
during the break yeah for sure I was
14:35
with my family my friends uh um I kind
14:38
of just took a step back a little bit
14:39
cuz obviously like this is where
14:42
basketball starts to pick up a little
14:43
bit we start traveling a lot AC play
14:45
games are harder so kind of just want to
14:47
take a little mental break and a
14:48
physical break just from basketball
14:49
because I really know what's coming and
14:52
it happens uh quick so um I did a good
14:55
job of kind of just you know being
14:56
around my loved ones and my supporter
14:58
systems so um yeah good so you think you
15:01
guys felt a little looser coming back
15:02
after the break yeah I mean you got had
15:04
to work off like the Christmas dinner
15:05
about we ran about a lot of 22s but
15:08
other than that I feel that' be good
15:09
it's the game Progressive it seemed like
15:11
you you guys were going from inside out
15:13
more than the reverse was that more of
15:15
an emphasis at halftime yeah I mean we
15:18
knew that they didn't really have that
15:19
many shot blockers going to the game so
15:21
coach Davis really just wanted us to
15:22
dominate points in the paint so um I
15:24
feel like we settled a lot little bit in
15:26
the first half threes I think we saw
15:28
like 13 um but we was effective in the
15:30
paint so we was able to get to the line
15:32
and um that's how we wanted to play
15:34
inside out um you know penetrate and if
15:37
you have a layup take it you're able to
15:38
kick it out to somebody else they'll
15:39
knock it down so yeah RJ last year you
15:42
guys went 17 and three in that AC slate
15:46
um I was talking to and he actually
15:47
brought up the fact that he said this is
15:49
a championship winning team ACC
15:50
Championship winning team last year what
15:53
do you think allowed you guys to kind of
15:54
have the run through conference play
15:56
that you did and kind of have the
15:57
consistency and continue with I mean I
16:00
feel like last year we we all just
16:01
bought in and um I mean we've had games
16:05
where we blew teams out we had games
16:06
where it went down to the wire so uh we
16:09
didn't matter like we didn't care like
16:10
how it was going to get done but we
16:11
wanted to uh get that win and um we just
16:14
play with the chip on our shoulder I
16:15
think from all I don't know how many
16:17
Team guys we had but um everyone across
16:19
the board from the starting five to the
16:21
bench players um everyone bought in into
16:23
winning and that's what it's going to
16:25
take to them and I told talk to the guys
16:27
right before we took uh took off UCLA of
16:29
like how hard is to win in this league
16:31
and like
16:33
we we need everybody to dive in and I
16:35
think they're starting to get the handle
16:37
that the gist of that that it's going to
16:39
take on the all 15 of us to really just
16:41
kind of you know battle through these
16:43
wounds and come out with a win so um I
16:46
think we're heading the right direction
16:47
but I think that's what made us so
16:48
special last year