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00:00 - [Interviewer] David and Scott.
00:02 - For both of you guys,
00:13 obviously back-to-back losses to teams under 500.
00:16 At this point in time,
00:17 what is the message in the locker room
00:19 as you guys look to try and respond against teams
00:22 that on paper seem like you guys
00:24 have a pretty favorable edge against?
00:27 - Yeah.
00:28 I think the motto is just lock it in
00:31 and continue to try to get better.
00:32 Just try to figure out how we can win games,
00:35 what we need to do to win games.
00:37 I think the biggest thing is
00:39 we just need to find our identity on offense and defense.
00:42 That's the biggest thing.
00:44 - I think at this point in time,
00:49 really just harping on staying together.
00:55 Just like this feeling that we're feeling right now.
00:58 And then the experience of what we did after the game
01:02 is what we all want to feel.
01:05 So really just keeping it really internal
01:07 and knowing that it's only us forever.
01:11 Making sure that we're not letting go of the rope
01:15 and knowing that we all feel it
01:20 and that there's still a lot of time,
01:22 a lot of games left to show the world who we are.
01:25 I think after this game,
01:28 it's time to run in our season.
01:31 I think once y'all see, you'll understand.
01:37 - Kind of towards the end of that game,
01:42 it just seemed like the body language was off.
01:44 How do you guys, I guess, kind of stay motivated
01:47 when times do get tough and stretches like that?
01:49 - Yeah, back to what I was saying,
01:52 we just gotta be locked in.
01:53 We just gotta take it to the chin,
01:56 go back to the film room, go back to practice.
01:58 Just continue to be motivated.
02:01 We know what we can do.
02:03 We still have belief and we just gotta go out there
02:05 and show we improve it and play like it.
02:08 - Honestly, just like I said,
02:14 just staying together as a team, as a unit.
02:17 Knowing that what we're putting out there
02:20 isn't good enough and that's not who we wanna be
02:23 and that's not who we are.
02:25 But just making sure that we're not completely
02:27 letting go of the rope and giving up.
02:29 It didn't seem like we defeated.
02:31 - There was a lot of confusion today about Karon
02:37 and whether he was transferring or dismissed from the team
02:41 and then he's here at the arena watching both the games.
02:44 Has the drama around him affected you guys at all?
02:50 - No, we just stay focused, control what we can control.
02:53 Doesn't matter if it's out of our control.
02:58 And so we just know we have to stay focused on the games
03:01 and practice and being together as a team.
03:03 - Anything else for these guys?
03:08 - Yeah, while Karon was a part of this program,
03:16 just as a teammate, what was that like working with him
03:19 and having him day in, day out at the court
03:22 with you guys every day?
03:23 - He's a great dude, first and foremost.
03:26 I think we all, as basketball players,
03:31 we've all played our whole lives, obviously.
03:33 And we've fought our whole lives to get to this point.
03:36 Obviously, we're all still trying to reach new heights,
03:38 but we all have a learning curve.
03:40 I had a learning curve my year at Tennessee,
03:43 which was forever ago, but we all have learning curves.
03:48 But he never made us feel like
03:52 he didn't really care about us.
03:54 He's my roommate.
03:57 I talk to him every day when I can.
04:01 Sometimes I get mad later, I do my own thing,
04:03 but he's a good dude at heart.
04:07 I love him.
04:08 He's a great dude.
04:12 - Yeah, he's a great dude, great energy.
04:16 We still love him as a team.
04:18 We still talk to him every day.
04:20 So he's been great for us.
04:23 - I know what you guys say to yourself
04:28 to keep yourselves up,
04:29 but what do you say to the fans
04:31 who are probably pretty discouraged at this point
04:33 about the next few games coming up
04:36 and why they should stay behind the team?
04:38 - I think that the real ones were with us
04:44 when we was withdrawing.
04:46 Stay there and the ones who wanna
04:51 not be there for us when we're losing,
04:56 don't be there for us when we start winning.
05:00 And once we honestly turn that curve,
05:03 then we'll show the world who we are.
05:06 So I just think just keep the same energy.
05:10 Keep the same energy.
05:15 - Yeah, Brandon, you mentioned that turning point.
05:18 What about this team gives you the confidence
05:20 that it can turn the corner here?
05:22 - We have a lot of dogs that really want it.
05:27 We're all learning each other more and more
05:31 every single day.
05:32 We have a lot of guys that can really go.
05:34 That can really, really go.
05:37 It's just about trusting themselves
05:39 and trusting our teammates and trusting each other.
05:42 You've seen it when we were in New York
05:44 and stuff like that.
05:45 And we're playing our previous game, Virginia Tech.
05:49 Like we got some guys that can go.
05:51 I know that once we're all figured ourselves out
05:55 and figure who we are as a team,
05:58 we're all hitting on all cylinders.
06:00 I don't think there's much more
06:04 that anyone would have to say about us.
06:06 We got a lot of guys.
06:09 Our freshmen are really, really good.
06:10 We got some veterans who were that guy
06:15 and whoever they were.
06:16 So it's just about figuring out who we are
06:20 and putting it all together.
06:22 - Then also to know we've been missing JJ
06:25 the last two games and JJ's a really big piece for us.
06:29 He's super athletic.
06:30 He's old.
06:31 He got experience.
06:32 He's a big energy guy.
06:33 He's a live catcher, blocks shots,
06:36 a really good finisher around the rim.
06:37 And that's really affected us as well.
06:41 - For either of you guys,
06:44 just as far as what your coach Kenny Paines,
06:46 you know, what's it been like throughout this tough stretch
06:49 and how has he, I guess,
06:50 been trying to keep you guys up and motivated?
06:52 And I guess, how has he been able to,
06:54 has he been able to keep his message consistent
06:56 and try to stay committed?
06:58 - Yeah, his message has definitely stayed consistent
07:02 throughout the year.
07:03 He still believes in us.
07:05 That hasn't changed at all.
07:06 Still believes we got a chance
07:08 to have some really, a really good year.
07:13 Yeah, his message hasn't changed.
07:15 - And I still believe in him.
07:16 - All right, thank you.
07:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]