WATCH: Hogs' Battle, Mitchell on Win Over Old Dominion
It wasn't easy and Old Dominion refused to go away, but the Hogs managed to hang on for 86-68 win on Monday night at Bud Walton.
Transcript
00:00 Makai, you know, a double-double.
00:01 Seems like the team really kind of needed
00:03 your rebounding tonight.
00:04 Just, you know, what's it been like kind of coming off
00:08 the bench, impacting back-to-back,
00:09 you know, really good performances
00:10 in back-to-back games for you?
00:13 Just playing my minutes, embracing my role,
00:16 and just doing my job.
00:19 Talif, I think, you know,
00:21 Devo had a slow start to the season with the first two games,
00:25 but tonight he really kind of performed.
00:26 I mean, what's it been like kind of watching him,
00:29 you know, manage his impact with so many new guys
00:31 and then seeing him kind of when y'all needed him
00:33 in the first half tonight provide an offensive spark
00:35 for y'all?
00:37 I don't think he had a slow start, I think.
00:39 I mean, if you're looking at scoring,
00:41 maybe he didn't shoot the ball as much.
00:45 But, you know, Devo impacts the game in a lot of ways.
00:47 He don't just have to score.
00:49 So if you're talking about scoring,
00:50 maybe he didn't score as much,
00:51 but, I mean, he can score any time he wants to.
00:53 You know what I'm saying?
00:54 He just chooses to be a leader and to pick up the dirty work.
00:57 So, I mean, I'm proud of him.
00:58 That's my brother. All these guys are my brothers.
01:00 So him performing the way he did, he deserves it.
01:02 The games have gotten progressively tougher.
01:07 3-3 tonight, it went to the wire.
01:09 What was different about this game
01:10 and what did this team bring up?
01:11 Some things were obvious, offensive rebounds,
01:13 but what made this such a tough matchup tonight?
01:17 I think the guards and the backcourt was a little big.
01:22 We knew it was going to be a tough game.
01:24 I'm trying to guard those guys.
01:25 Obviously good guys in Jenkins, Williams, Wade,
01:29 and 55, the shooter, you know, coming off screens and stuff.
01:36 We knew that it wasn't going to be easy.
01:39 We knew that their schemes was to get to the rim
01:43 and draw FTAs and stuff like that.
01:45 So it's not easy trying to guard the whole game,
01:48 40 minutes for somebody trying to get downhill.
01:50 So we did a pretty good job on it.
01:54 We can definitely get better.
01:57 Oh, I mean, we will get better.
01:58 We had a slow start.
02:00 We just got to watch film.
02:04 I'll take full accountability for, you know,
02:07 being one of the main reasons I could have definitely done
02:08 better defensively and rebounding.
02:13 But we're going to look at film tomorrow,
02:14 and we're going to get better from it.
02:17 Guys, I think y'all led for, like,
02:19 the last 35 minutes or something,
02:21 but it really wasn't, you know, comfortable, I don't think,
02:24 because they just kept coming back at you.
02:25 Just what was it like?
02:27 You had the lead, and yet it was hard to get separation.
02:30 What was that like?
02:31 Maybe, KB, you could take that, and then Makai.
02:35 We got to do a way better job defending,
02:39 way better job rebounding, I think.
02:43 I don't think I know.
02:44 I think we gave them too much juice early.
02:49 I mean, it was the second game in a row
02:51 we let teams think that they can play with us.
02:54 We got to do a way better job next game.
02:56 We will do a way better job next game
02:58 of coming out ready to play and punching first.
03:02 I mean, you know, like you said,
03:07 they came out second half confident.
03:11 ODE was a very good team, respect to them,
03:15 for not backing down and just laying down.
03:18 I think they showed a lot of fight.
03:20 We just stuck with it.
03:23 What's it like playing with El
03:25 when he played like he did tonight?
03:27 I mean, 17 points, eight assists, no turnovers.
03:31 I mean, I think he's more than --
03:32 He could do that any night he wants to, you know what I'm saying?
03:35 Like I was saying about Devo.
03:37 I mean, our backcourt is very talented.
03:40 Devo, El, Tremont, and then we got Biggs down low
03:42 that can fill it up just like the guards.
03:46 So I think the biggest thing was just defensively,
03:47 but El did a great job.
03:48 I'm proud of him, and he's going to keep it up.
03:51 El's tremendously quick.
03:54 By the time I set the screen, he'd be gone.
03:56 So I try to do my best and roll in,
03:59 even though I don't want to, like,
04:01 get in his way when he going to the rack.
04:03 So tremendous credit to him.
04:06 I like playing with him as a teammate,
04:09 and eight assists is great for him.
04:12 I think he had, like, maybe three rebounds.
04:14 I think Coach stressed that at the point in opposition,
04:17 he needs to get at least one or two rebounds.
04:19 I think he overachieved right there.
04:21 So, credit to him.
04:25 I was going to ask about El, too, the zero turnovers.
04:29 Just when he's facilitating like he was tonight,
04:32 I think I had you guys 5-0-7 from three
04:34 when he set up the shot.
04:35 Just his playmaking, like, how essential is that?
04:38 How valuable can it be down the line?
04:41 It's super valuable. I mean, you know, he's a point guard,
04:44 so it's important for him to get everybody involved,
04:47 and he did that.
04:48 And he's also more than capable of putting the ball in the basket.
04:52 So I'm proud of his performance, you know what I'm saying?
04:54 So I'm happy with what he did tonight.
04:58 He's a leader at getting downhill,
04:59 drawing multiple defenders, and finding an open guy.
05:03 I think that's his best skill.
05:06 We definitely need that going down the line.
05:09 And, you know, once we play a much more better competition,
05:13 we definitely going to need that going down the line.
05:16 That was your most points here at Arkansas.
05:19 You had 14 against Troy.
05:20 You had 19, I think,
05:22 when you were at Rhode Island against American or somebody.
05:24 But 6-7, very efficient.
05:28 Well, just what did you think your night offensively?
05:30 Because you're known more for rebounding, defending,
05:32 you know, but there was a big night offensively, too.
05:34 What did you think of that?
05:35 What did you think was the key to that?
05:37 I can do that whenever I want.
05:40 I just play my role.
05:42 He's not going to say something about himself.
05:46 Maybe you could say something about him.
05:49 I mean, Kai is extremely dominant.
05:51 I mean, there's so many guys on the team that is, you know,
05:54 you know, it could be anybody's night, you know what I'm saying?
05:57 Not discrediting him at all.
05:59 He's a great player, great scorer,
06:00 and he can do that any time he wants to.
06:02 It's just like with a team,
06:03 a lot of times you got to play a role, you know what I'm saying?
06:05 So sometimes, you know,
06:07 because he does so many other things so well that,
06:09 you know, people might not highlight
06:11 how great he is as a scorer.
06:13 He can do all things on the court.
06:14 I mean, he's super talented. He's tall.
06:16 He can defend. He rebounds the heck out the ball.
06:19 It's like, since I love you going for the ball,
06:20 you pushing me out the way to get the ball.
06:21 So it's like, you know, that's my brother right here.
06:24 So, I mean, he's so talented.
06:26 So, you know, for him to be able to showcase,
06:29 you know, his full skills tonight,
06:31 I think he has even more in the tank
06:33 that he hasn't even showed anybody yet.
06:36 Last year, he played for Tino at 4-28.
06:39 What sense do you get? I mean, you guys are 3-0.
06:41 You're practically going to match his win total,
06:44 you know, if you win Friday night.
06:46 Just what sense do you get how much he's enjoying
06:48 playing with a good team that's winning?
06:50 Who?
06:52 - El. - Oh, El? Oh, yeah.
06:53 I mean, that's why, you know, El,
06:58 what a lot of guys transferred here
07:00 is because we want to win at the highest level.
07:02 I mean, you know, I was like,
07:03 Kai already been through it, you know what I'm saying?
07:05 So we're learning from Kai, Devo, Stevie,
07:07 all those guys that already won.
07:09 So for El to transfer in here, you know,
07:12 Coach, his biggest emphasis on doing winning things,
07:14 and he did that tonight,
07:16 and he's going to continue doing that for our team,
07:18 especially Kai.
07:20 So, I mean, it's all about winning at the end of the day.
07:23 And, you know, we got to get a lot better,
07:25 but, you know, we still came out with a W,
07:26 and that's the most important thing.
07:29 Kai, about El's enjoying the win.
07:31 Everybody knows that he's really enjoying it.
07:33 Yeah, Coach always get on his tail in practice
07:36 about, you know, having that winning mindset
07:38 and winning culture, and he always joking about him,
07:41 us, like, beating up on him in Hawaii.
07:44 So for him to take that and then his willingness to learn
07:49 and grow as a player and, you know,
07:53 fitting in our culture and stuff like that,
07:55 so I think that's big for him.
07:57 It took him a while, but he got it fast
07:59 because, you know, he's an experienced guy.
08:02 But he's on the road, and I'm definitely looking forward
08:04 to what he's capable of going down the season.
08:08 You started, I don't know, 30-something almost every game
08:10 last year. Now you're coming off the bench.
08:12 What's that like, and has that been an adjustment for you?
08:15 No, I just embrace it, play my role.
08:17 For both of you guys, TB has nine blocks
08:24 in his last 55 minutes played.
08:26 Where are y'all -- what's standing out about him
08:28 defensively other than that otherworldly reach he has?
08:31 I mean, when you try to shoot it --
08:34 I mean, we see that in practice,
08:35 and when you try to shoot it over him,
08:36 he can get to it because, I mean, he's 6'10", 6'11",
08:40 extremely long arm, jumps out the gym.
08:41 So at any given time, you know, he can get it up in the air.
08:47 I mean, today I almost had a turnover.
08:49 He bailed me out. I was so thankful
08:50 because I knew Coach was looking at me crazy.
08:53 But you can just throw it up in the air,
08:55 whether it's a jump shot, a pass,
08:56 he going to go get it, you know what I'm saying?
08:57 So he's just a different animal
08:59 when it comes to just on the athlete's side alone.
09:02 You know what I'm saying? Not even talking about his skill.
09:04 His skill's out of this world,
09:05 but as an athlete, he's out of this world, as well.
09:07 -Shit, he's a freak athlete. Shit.
09:14 He was supposed to be a part of the block party last year,
09:18 but, you know, due to injury.
09:20 That's nothing that I'm not aware of.
09:22 I've seen that a few times in, you know,
09:25 like a foreign tour and in practice.
09:27 So it's nothing pretty much that he can't do
09:32 as far as, like, jumping, blocking shots,
09:33 and getting the bucket.
09:35 We definitely need him.
09:37 We definitely need all our teammates.
09:39 Definitely need KB.
09:42 And, you know, I'm just excited, man.
09:45 Going down the road and then these next, what, two games,
09:48 and then going to the Bahamas.
09:50 I'm super pumped.
09:53 -Playing Greensboro, right, Friday night.
09:55 I think I got that right.
09:56 And, of course, you played them last year.
09:57 That was a team that TB got hurt against.
10:00 He seems like he's all the way back mentally
10:02 as well as physically.
10:04 What are you seeing from him?
10:06 What do you think it will be weird for him
10:07 playing Greensboro again,
10:08 or do you have any worries about that?
10:11 -Damn, I did not know he was -- That's the game he got hurt?
10:14 Really? I did not know that.
10:17 Shit.
10:20 I think he's back.
10:21 Not even near where he is going to be.
10:26 I think he's 100% ready, though.
10:30 -What have you seen from TB in practice?
10:33 He just seems like, you know, physically,
10:35 it's one thing to get over a knee injury,
10:36 mentally, too, but he seems like he's mentally
10:38 over it, too, to me, anyway.
10:40 -I mean, yeah. I mean, we was, you know,
10:43 me, TB, and Kyle, all summer,
10:45 we're together just rehabbing all summer.
10:47 So, I mean, I feel like, you know,
10:49 especially for all three of us,
10:50 we didn't get the same time as everybody else,
10:52 but we still haven't even scratched the surface
10:55 of our full potential.
10:56 So, I mean, mentally, TB's confident,
11:01 and he's a unicorn.
11:03 So, God really took his time with TB, you know,
11:06 just making him tall, athletic,
11:08 shoot the ball, could put it on the floor, in defense.
11:10 So, I mean, you know, he has a lot of God-given talent,
11:13 but just as a person, he's a great person,
11:14 and his mindset, he's always focused
11:16 when it comes to basketball.
11:17 So, he's a great teammate.