Up next in 10
Cal coach Mark Madsen & Stanford coach Kyle Smith ahead of those teams' visits to #UNC this week.
Jan 13, 2025
Both coaches talk about and talk about travel challenges of ACC play.
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deficit against Virginia Tech on
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Saturday but then it kind of got away a
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little bit late what were you able to do
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so well but not
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[Music]
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sustained well it's we had a poor start
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to the game Dave we were I think 0 for
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10 from the field to start and then
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maybe I think we finished uh the first
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half
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either somewhere around three for 21 or
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five for 21 from the field it may have
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been our worst offensive half of the
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year um give Virginia Tech a lot of the
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credit they were way more physical than
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we were um they were extremely tough
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defensively and then we also missed some
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open shots um so it was a combination of
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Virginia Tech really great defense in
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that first half and it was it was also
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we miss some that we normally make we
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cannot allow our offense to affect our
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defense um you know so that was the
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issue in the first half the second half
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was phenomenal our guys played with
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energy you know we had a great half time
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meeting where the players spoke I spoke
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it was animated and and we really got
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after it in that second half um again
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the rally fell short but we gave our
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ourselves a chance to uh to come back
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and potentially win the
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game the um when you got it there tied I
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think it was lall who hit that three at
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at the top of the circle he's a very
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athletic kid from Virginia Tech what
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kind of challenges does he present
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well we spent a lot of time debating
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which coverage is to be in with him
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because he's so Dynamic around the rim
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um you know he finishes
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everything his his dunking stats are
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incredible um the athleticism the
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ability to finish you know a lot of
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players are athletic but but they can't
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dunk they can't get the ball in in that
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way but he he puts the ball in around
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the basket and then he's a very good
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shooter from three on low volume and so
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we debated a lot of different coverage
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is and and he got he went out there and
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knocked down that three we had a stunt
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from the weak side and he knocked it
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down he made a huge play and that that
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three by him was one of several key
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plays that that helped them help
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Virginia Tech get the win against
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us we'll go to Kip
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Coons yeah morning Mark just wondering
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now you you know you've made the a home
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stand you know last week against two
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East Coast teams now you're back on the
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road what have you discovered now about
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dealing with uh Coast to Coast Flight
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and and managing your your team in you
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know in those
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situations y it's it's a great privilege
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and opportunity to be part of the ACC
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now now with that of course there are
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challenges um returning home our flight
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was delayed two or three hours we got
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home about 6: am. last Sunday even today
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um there was an issue with Staffing on
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the flight and so we're delayed a couple
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hours we we'll get into the hotel
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probably when it's all said and done
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around midnight somewhere between 10 and
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12:00 p.m and so it feels a lot to me
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like an NBA Style travel situation uh
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the only difference is in the NBA when
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you go east typically you have five or
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six games on the east coast and so we're
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going back and forth every week so in
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some ways it's it's more
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challenging um than an NBA schedule um
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as far as my experience in the NBA and
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so as a staff and as a coach as a head
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coach um we're really trying to be
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efficient with our guys um you know
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we've been on winter break for a little
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while so there's been no
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academic pressures on the players but
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that's going to come and so our
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practices need to be very efficient uh
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we need to give the players ample rest
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and and we got a Custom Tailor to to
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this reality and and and we're doing it
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and we're doing it and you know we split
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the homand um you know we wish we could
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have gotten both Virginia Tech came in
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here and and smacked Us and got us but
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um we're going to continue to chip away
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and improve and get better as a team and
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and learn the travel more and
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more will you have some suggestions for
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the ACC schedule makers going forward
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when this is done that
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you've I see you do already you've kind
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of gleaned already yeah okay my my
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biggest suggestion but the other teams
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there's no way they'll sign off on it
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would yeah we'd love to go out there for
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a four game stretch or a six-game
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stretch um but why would North Carolina
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or Duke or NC State or Syracuse agree to
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that because then that gives us an
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advantage being out there and getting
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adjusted so they're not going to agree
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to that but yeah that's that's
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suggestion number one um suggestion
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number two and this one should always be
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able to be done Cal and Stanford we
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should always be allowed to try to get
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two trips in the first trip and the uh
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sorry the first week and the third week
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we should be on the East Coast because
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at least now we're going east
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when when we're either not in school or
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you know maybe just you're missing a few
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days of that um start of the January
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semester so so that should absolutely be
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in place every single year my first
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suggestion I would love for it to be
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considered just more like an NBA Road
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swing four games at a time six games at
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a time that'll be a non-starter with a
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lot of the schools so I get it it is
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what it is but the other one should be
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implemented uh go back to David
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teal Mark you mentioned having to be
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more efficient with your practice time
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given the the rigers how difficult is
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that if at all for a coach to you know
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kind of tap the breakes and and and back
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off on your
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players it's hard it's hard because we
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have a lot of things we need to cover
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you know we we've had we've had a lot of
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guys out this year with injury and so
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we've had younger guys stepping into
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roles and and you need practice time but
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there's a lot of ways around it Dave
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we're moving more to an NBA type model
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where we're going to work hard on the
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court for the time we have the guys on
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the court um but this travel can wear
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players down okay it can wear players
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down I know as a head coach if I'm
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feeling tired and I don't have to play a
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single minute I know the players are
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feeling tired but there's a lot of ways
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around it more individual film sessions
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more individual technique work um again
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more of what is done in the NBA I was
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talking to someone from you know a top
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organization two days ago and he just
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said Hey in the NBA there's no practice
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anymore it's all individual work and so
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we'll mix in practice and we'll increase
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the amount of individual film and work
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that we do um to be able to counteract
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maybe the the issues of the
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travel mark That's all the questions I
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have for you thank you appreciate it
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safe travels thanks so much guys look
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forward to seeing you guys in person
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soon thank you thank you all right um
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last up today uh we got Kyle Smith from
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Stanford believe they're on
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here and if not we'll just uh we'll hold
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for them hey guys we're finishing up
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practice right now we'll be a couple
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more minutes perfect thank
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you e
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we've got
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coach good morning morning good to see
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you good to see you too uh if you uh if
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you have a question uh for Kyle here uh
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please just use the raised hand tool uh
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which is the react button at the bottom
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of the screen uh if you're just joining
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us and you need access to record let me
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know that as well uh Ben Parker you are
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up first sir go ahead hey coach uh just
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kind of want to get your thoughts on uh
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the upcoming trip you got here with Wake
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Forest and tar Hills just kind of
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thoughts on those two programs so far
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well obviously this is a hard of tobacco
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Road a little bit so it's kind of
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exciting to be you know we we want to be
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a part of it and also prove that we
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belong so pretty unique I've actually
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coached at uh wake when I was assistant
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at Air Force so it's been a while um but
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never been to the to Carolina so I'm
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excited about that I think our team's
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excited about it obviously we played
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pretty well this week so um hopefully we
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can play better on the road this time
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than we did last time and hopefully
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growing in experience and uh comfort in
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the league
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uh David T you're up next Kyle you
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mentioned that you didn't play
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particularly well the last time on the
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road you did that Clemson pit swing and
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now you've got the the two game Carolina
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swing is there anything you learned from
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those travel rigors that you will apply
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to this trip that might be different no
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I think we're staying on the same
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routine and I should correct myself a
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little bit I actually I pulled a lot of
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positives out there as far as like our
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starting group getting off to a good
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start of the roads really hard and then
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Su we couldn't sustain it and Clemson
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kind of punched Us in the mouth a little
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bit and but you know bad road trip is
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when you go there you're down 14 to2 and
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you cut it to eight and you feel like oh
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we play I mean whatever so um there were
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some positives coming home and our bench
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and guys are a little more comfortable
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so hopefully we got to get to the second
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level is be able get off to Good Start
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hang in the game get down the last me
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and have a chance to to win um but I
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think we're going like I said we came
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off the the flight last time had a one
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of our best practices a little caught
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off for surprise at Clemson and like I
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said guys were maybe excited ACC we're
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taking charges Etc so I'm hoping we have
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some of the same same pop we'll see you
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were able to sweep the the Virginia
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teams at your place last week did you
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notice anything from their teams from
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travel fatigue or anything like that you
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know just lack of familiarity I don't
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know I thought Virginia Tech obviously
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start off up 16 to4 on us and and I have
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ton of respect for both coaches but
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coach young going back to we played him
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when I was at Columbia and is at wford
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and and uh they just they came out with
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a lot lot of zeal and then They Carried
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and we were able to play our best second
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half I thought of the year and then they
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carried over and got a nice Road win at
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at Cal and kind of you know they hung on
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but they got off to a good start so they
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got they seem well they played well and
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then Virginia I just don't know enough
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um but uh we played our best game of the
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year um and at home and and hopefully
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it's something to build on we'll see if
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we can take that on the road but uh you
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probably have to ask those coaches more
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what made it your best game of the year
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what did you guys find um I think uh
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obviously you know Donovan Young's been
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hurt for us uh most of the year we
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finally get it just get another uh
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rotational guy in the front Court there
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with athleticism and just a little more
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depth I think it they allowed him even
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though he he's at a starting role he's
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still a young guy um but it's added
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another guy I think that helped us
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defensively um he made a lot of good
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plays and I think just we we need we
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need a little depth and helped took a
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little heat off some other guys too and
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they played well Off the Bench our bench
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played great was what probably the best
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part of that
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game go next to Kip Coons go ahead
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Kip yeah Kyle I just asked Mark Matson
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this question I want to give you your
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shot at it when the season's over will
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you have any uh observations that you'll
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be able to share with the ACC schedule
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makers that might make the East Coast
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West Coast uh travel situation smoother
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for you guys and the teams that are that
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are flying out there you know I think
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they already I don't know if it's a
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written rule or spoken but uh I I looked
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at all our Saturday games at home and I
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don't think we play one later than four
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so it looks like they accommodated them
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to get their butts back home uh and I
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would advocate for playing our games at
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1:00 on the east coast and vice versa
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you know really care about student
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athletes that'd be something I'd share
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like let's give us a chance to get home
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Saturday night so they have a day of
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rest and uh and also you know I know
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that TV dictates a lot of it but
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Thursday I don't know what I guess we
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don't do Thursdays but obviously if they
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could do some Thursday Saturday travel
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would would help everything involved and
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I I'll make that recommendation now I
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don't need to go to the end of the
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season to do that um and uh you know I
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think the team's coming out making that
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trip I think uh they they'd feel the
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same thing like hey you know if we can
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do that and and create a window of for
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the TV games like hey it's a you know
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East Coast ACC game or West Coast ACC
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game is you know 3 o'clock Saturday
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every you know or whatever two and four
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with Ken Stanford I think that would be
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helpful as long as they do it for us on
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the other
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end mark suggested that you you might
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want to look into adopting kind of a
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modified NBA schedule where you go on
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the road from west to east for say four
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games in a row before you go back home
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would would that be something that might
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work for you uh if the other everybody
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else went along with it obviously um I I
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would probably he'd probably be much
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more comfortable in that with being his
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NBA track record than that um I don't
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know there's no easy way to cut it but
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uh we'll see how we get through this I
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mean thus far we're going we're looking
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again we got four trips you know back
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East one trip to SMU and that's just a
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single game so that's not that so this
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will be we'll be halfway through it
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after this week and and take another
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pause and come back home and hopefully
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uh you know we we'll we'll have a we'll
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halfway through
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it anything
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else seeing none Kyle thank you safe
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travels today appreciate it thank you
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byebye all right thanks everybody
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appreciate the time we'll see youall
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next week we
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