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Incoming UNC five-star freshman Caleb Wilson after scoring 28 points in the Jordan Brand Classic
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Apr 19, 2025
Wilson also had six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal
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[Music]
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Well, this was a lot different than the
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McDonald's game. What What was so
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different? Uh, it was fun. You know, I
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was playing with a good group of guys,
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all unselfish. We all kind of bonded
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with each other and it was fun. We just
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got out there and ran and hoop. But you
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didn't get the ball as much in Brooklyn.
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Uh, was it some of the same teammates?
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No, it was guys I actually know and
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bonded with just through time. You know,
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coming into games like Allstar games,
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you want to play with a group of guys
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that you know and trust. You know, I
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knew and trust all of these guys. Play
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with Night Riders with the Boozer Twins.
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Kater, my guy Nate, a great player,
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unselfish, you know, we just all out
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there hooping and just bonding. You're
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one of the only ones play defense with
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like Yeah. Tell tell me about your pride
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and your defense. I feel like, you know,
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you ain't always going to score. Uh, you
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got to affect games in multiple ways and
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even next year with the Tar Hills, I
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feel like I can have the assignment to
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guard the best player and I want that
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assignment to show what I can do. I feel
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like there's no better time to start
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than now. How has it been since the time
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you officially committed to now the
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feedback you've gotten from Carolina
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fans and just people in general? It's
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been crazy. It's the best fan base in
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the country, you know. Uh they with me
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through the ups and downs and they've
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been with me, you know, even with me
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signing with me playing McDonald's game,
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we playing in this game, you know,
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always being there to support me and
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tell me what they think about next year
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and it's just good. It's really good.
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What about the former players and the
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current players? What's some of the more
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surprising things you've heard from
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them? I say, what's some of the more
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surprising or interesting things you've
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heard from former players or current
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players? I haven't really taught any
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former players yet. You know, I hope to
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do that this summer when I show what I
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can do on campus. But, um, current
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players, we're all talking about next
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year. Indianapolis, we got to get there.
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We got to win. I feel like every every
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year we should be a top five team in the
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country. That's part of the reason why I
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went to Carolina. I want to be a part of
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the group that restores that winning
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culture and that winning winning
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mentality. Tell for people who haven't
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seen your game, tell tell the people who
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haven't seen your game what it's like
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and what you'll bring to Choco Hill.
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I'll bring everything. I can pass the
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ball really well, shoot the ball,
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rebound, I defend at the highest level,
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I give effort, uh even if I go 0 for 30,
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you're going to see my impact on the
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game somewhere else. Uh no matter what
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happens, I'm always there on a stat
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sheet. Whether it's points, rebounds,
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assists, dunks, I'm there. So, you a
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good ball handler for somebody your
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size? Uh have you always been a good
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ball handler? No. Uh when I was younger,
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you know, you got to grow into your
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body. Uh I work out a lot. Uh especially
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over these past couple weeks, I've been
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in the weight room a whole bunch. It's
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kind of affected my game out here, but I
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felt like I needed to get stronger for
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next year and I felt like I needed to
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start it before I got to campus. What
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are the biggest things in your game you
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want to improve before the season
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starts? Shooting. Uh dealing with
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physicality off ball and on ball and uh
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being able to move just I'm huge so I
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got to be able to move and guard
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everybody which is what I want to be
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able to do. Now you I know you follow
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the uh offseason fluctuations. Um, have
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you talked to uh the sitter from Arizona
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or the Henry doesn't even have Instagram
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or Twitter. I was looking to reach out
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to him. I've talked to Seth. I haven't
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talked to Jiren yet. But, uh, I've
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talked to guys on the team. I've talked
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to Drake.
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And, uh, I'm going to I'm going to keep
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talking to them as much as I can. But,
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uh, with the transfer quarter, I kind
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of, you know, it's coming. You know,
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it's it's going to happen. All it is is
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my job for me to be there and ready to
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go when it's time to go. That's all my
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job is. How crazy is it to watch it from
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afar? It's crazy. You know, you never
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know what the coach is thinking until
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you talk to them. And uh I trust in
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Hubert. I trust in the whole coaching
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staff and I feel like we going to win
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next year. Why did you pick Carolina?
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It's the best school in the country.
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Academics and athletics, uh basketball,
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we got the best arena. It's perfect.
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It's basketball heaven. I feel like it's
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not too far from home also. And I'm
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going to put in the work to put it back
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on the mount. What has coach Davis told
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you about how the chemist industry will
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go next season with uh I mean obviously
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you're a big addition for the Tar Hills?
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Uh he told me he recruited me to be the
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guy uh whether and and the thing about
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me is for me to be the guy doesn't mean
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I have to score 30 points. I can just
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affect the game in many ways. Kind of
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like I did out here. Just whatever needs
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to be done to win, I'm there to do it.
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And but 28 points I mean you had it
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going and I had just had some dunks.
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What are some of the ways you were able
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to score tonight? I'm playing harder
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than everybody. That's how I always try
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to do it. You know, allstar games,
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you're a bigger guy. You're not going to
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have the ball in your hands as much.
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Run, defend, get out in transition,
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shoot the ball when you had the
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opportunity to. But it's all about
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playing within the Florida game. And And
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where when do you get to Chapel Hill? Uh
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I think mid June, maybe 16th or 17th.
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Mid June. Um does the whole team be
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there at that point? I think so.
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And
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uh what else about your experience of
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becoming a Tar Hill since you officially
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committed on TNT in the late night a few
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months ago? Uh I'm ready to go. That's
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all I can say. Uh I've dreamed of being
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able to play college basketball and play
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for the best team in the country. It
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don't get no better. I know when it's
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time for me to get there and work, I'm
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working and I'm put myself and the team
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on the map. I'm ready to play Kansas in
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one of the first few games. I'm ready to
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do it all. I'm telling you right now,
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I'm ready. I'm ready to do it. How is it
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that playing with the Boozers knowing
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that you're going to be your arch rivals
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in a few months? You talk trash every
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single day. We we each are my guys. Uh
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we all compete at a very high level. We
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all talk to each other kind of
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frequently. You know, they're cool
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people, but like I said, a couple more
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months we write neck and neck at each
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other. What kind of trash are you
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talking about? I'm saying we win. That's
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all I'm going to say. I'm saying we win.
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I'm saying we win the ACC championship.
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We beat him three times. That's what I'm
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saying.
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And what do they I mean you give him a
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hard time about the way Duke lost in the
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Oh, no. I don't do that. I feel like you
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can only talk about what's what's going
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on now. Uh-huh. Now, now he you good
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relationship with the other freshman as
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well? Yeah, for sure. Tell me about your
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relationship with them. Isaia and Derek
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are both good dudes and you know, they
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both know how to compete, so I feel like
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we'll be great together.
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Thank
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you. knows the faith.
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