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00:00 We'll have Kenny Payne from Louisville. One quick housekeeping note is that Hubert Davis will join us at 11 o'clock. So, that'll fill that open spot.
00:13 But next up, we've got Kenny Payne. I think he's on. There he is. Good morning. Good morning. Good to see you.
00:23 If you have a question for Kenny, go ahead and use the raise hand tool. If you need access to record, just send me a note in the chat window.
00:30 And your first question, Kenny, will come from Mike Barber. Go ahead, Mike.
00:34 Morning, Coach.
00:35 Good morning. Good morning.
00:37 You get the victory at Miami. You play a really competitive game against State. What has gone better the last two games out, and are there things that you see you can build on going forward?
00:48 Of course. I think that the first thing that we've done well is we've played good offense.
00:54 When you look at our shooting percentages over the last three, four games, right around 50 percent, right around 50 percent from three, getting to the free throw line, shooting over 75 percent.
01:10 In those games, you see that we're doing some good stuff offensively. We just can't let it become an offensive game, and that's where we've got to get better.
01:22 We've got to get better at making sure that we defend and don't give up threes, but also we're in gaps and don't give up drives.
01:33 I know, obviously, from a preparation standpoint, it's one game at a time and all those kind of things, but as a coach, when you look at this stretch, State was the first of four games for you against the top four teams right now in the ACC.
01:47 As a coach, does that jump out to you, and does it enter into your preparation plans at all?
01:54 Not at all. For me, every team that we play in this conference is very capable, and so I wish I could afford to look ahead to somebody.
02:08 Right after the NC State game, I'm thinking about North Carolina, who's probably one of the most dominant teams in the country, and I can't look past them.
02:19 I don't have that luxury. We're young, and we can't look ahead. We have to prepare for what's right in front of us.
02:28 Thank you, Coach.
02:34 We'll go next to Brooks Holton. Go ahead, Brooks.
02:38 Hey, Kenny. This will be your first game against Jalen Withers since he's transferred. I'm just wondering, after you stress being a family with your players, how much time have you gotten to catch up with him since he's left the program?
02:54 If you haven't had time to catch up with him, anything that you've discussed, just trying to catch up with him and see how he's doing at his new home?
03:02 I have watched a number of their games. I've talked to people that know him well. I haven't talked to him much at all, but I've left messages for him to know that I'm watching him, and I'm glad that he's doing well, and he's on a team that I'm sure he's learning all the things that we've talked about here.
03:28 He's seeing it firsthand, and he's on a great team, and he deserves to be that. I wish him well, except for when we play him.
03:38 What have you seen from him just as he's trying to get used to a newer role and seeing his minutes cut back just a bit from how much he was playing last year?
03:49 Yeah. The one thing that I've learned from years of being in this, his role has changed, and it seems like he's embraced it. He's active defensively, which he was here.
04:04 He's understanding, and they are stressing to him the importance of him being a great rebounder, which he's bought into that role, and he flies out in transition.
04:17 He's very good in the open court, and they've got a great transition team, fast break team, which plays right in his hands.
04:28 Next up is C.L. Brown. Go ahead, C.L.
04:32 Hey, Kenny. With Brandon, I know he only had three in that Pittsburgh game, but what are the major differences you've seen in him since the Arkansas State game?
04:44 He's had six double figures game scoring since then. As a second part of the question, how much of getting him involved is making sure that, since the post is kind of de-emphasized in today's game,
04:58 just making sure guys are actually trying to get him touches?
05:03 Yeah. I think the second part of your question is the most important part.
05:09 We need Brandon to be a force. We need him to bring us some offense around the basket.
05:17 And when you do that, he gets energy when he's scoring, and it also helps him embrace the really important role of being a rebounder.
05:28 So the old cliche of, if you feed the big fella the ball, the big fella will rebound for you.
05:34 Brandon is a classic example, and I'm proud of him. He's came a long way, C.L., but he's nowhere near what I envision him being.
05:47 And that says a lot about what he's potentially what he can do.
05:52 You know, I want more from him. I push him hard. I also think his energy, his motor in which he plays is vital to us.
06:03 You know, I go through every game with him after we play a game, and he has 10 rebounds, 11 rebounds,
06:10 and me and him are sitting there counting four or five more that he should have got.
06:15 So I think that's important for him to know that if he wants to be a great college player,
06:22 one of the most dominant college players, you have to make sure that you leave nothing on the table.
06:28 And you kind of mentioned before, alluded to always having to stay on him.
06:34 Has the light switch turned on in him at all, or is it still a matter of, you know,
06:40 you still got to get on him to get that potential out of him?
06:46 I wish I didn't have to, but I'll be lying to you if I did.
06:51 But, yeah, I have to stay on him, but he knows why and I know why, and he's embraced it.
06:59 He wants me to push him to be better.
07:02 You know, young people, sometimes when you don't say anything to them, they feel like you've given up on them.
07:10 Well, I've let him know that I'm not ever giving up on you, and I see more in you.
07:17 I'm not satisfied with what you've given us, and I need more.
07:21 And I think that's my job as a coach to push him to be the best player he can be.
07:30 I'll go next to Michael McCammon. Go ahead, Michael.
07:33 Hey, Kenny. You mentioned you don't want the games to become like an offensive back-and-forth game,
07:38 and obviously you're getting ready to play a North Carolina game that's one of the top offensive teams in the country.
07:43 As you prep for the Tar Heels, what can you do or what can you guys work on to potentially slow them down when you face them this week?
07:51 The first thing is get back in transition.
07:55 You know, they are probably one of the two or three best transition offensive teams in the country.
08:02 And even if you get back, their guards are so good and they run so hard, they're still going to try to attack you.
08:10 So we've got to get back, form a wall, be tight, and not give up transition baskets because they play really, really fast.
08:23 That would probably be the first – the most important piece of that is, you know, the transition.
08:30 Along with they've got a seven-footer that's one of the best college players in the game.
08:38 Last question will come from Rick Bosich. Go ahead, Rick.
08:41 Yeah, Kenny, you guys are five games into the ACC season, 15 to go.
08:45 Where do you think your team is most improved?
08:49 And if you could pick one thing you'd want to improve next, what would it be?
08:56 You know, for me, the things that I wish I could say is one, Rick, it's not.
09:01 There's a couple things.
09:03 One, I want us connected on both ends of the floor.
09:08 So on the defensive end, I want us talking to each other, helping each other, fighting for each other.
09:14 So imagine I'm guarding my man and one other.
09:19 So I got my man, and if somebody else breaks down, I'm guarding him too.
09:24 So I'm helping my teammates and I'm talking to them.
09:27 On the offensive end, really simple.
09:31 I need a team that everybody touches the ball, the ball moves, we get multiple lane touches,
09:37 and guys play with a freedom and they play together and attack defenses in a way that,
09:44 whether it's through the post, old school, just throw it down there to Trey, Mike, Brandon, whoever,
09:52 or whether that's through the drive, the ball gets to the lane.
09:56 And with ball movement.
09:59 When you play that way, you end up having a chemistry amongst each other on both ends of the court that leads to winning basketball.
10:06 And I think we're getting there.
10:08 We've gotten better at it.
10:10 But we still got a ways to go.
10:16 Kenny, thank you for your time today.
10:18 Oh, go ahead, Rick.
10:19 No, I said thank you.
10:20 That's all.
10:21 Thank you.
10:22 All right, guys.