Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> For questions for Hersey and Brandon.
00:02 >> Guys, how do you keep the focus on the next game when as a player,
00:08 you'd like to look at other teams, watch other games and you see the schedule and
00:11 what the next five or six games, how do you focus on just that one?
00:15 >> One thing I know, we already know our schedule is gonna be tough no matter what.
00:18 We're in one of the best conference in college basketball.
00:22 We will focus on a game by game because, like you said,
00:25 you can't really jump the room, you can't go ahead.
00:27 You gotta prepare for what's in front of you, so we try to live in the present.
00:30 >> I think the way our season has been going so far,
00:37 we just wanna take it one day at a time.
00:39 Not focus on who we have upcoming, not focus on in March or in February.
00:47 We just wanna take it day by day and figure out how we get better today and
00:52 focus on the same thing the next day.
00:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:59 >> This will be your first game playing against a former teammate and Jalen.
01:02 I'm just wondering how often you guys stay in touch during the season.
01:08 If it's something as simple as texting him after a game or
01:11 him doing the same for you all.
01:13 Just how much do you stay in contact and
01:16 as you scout him as a player on this new team, and what do you see in him?
01:20 >> I try to talk to him every now and then when he decides to answer the phone.
01:26 >> [LAUGH] >> He's a great player.
01:29 One of our brothers from last year, always been one of our brothers.
01:33 But he's on a new team now, so we have to treat him as such.
01:38 Once we step in between those lines,
01:41 I feel like he understands what it is and we all understand that.
01:45 But he'll always have a special place in my heart and stuff.
01:49 But he knows the time it is, come Monday, on Wednesday night.
01:54 >> Yeah, just how important was it to have him on that team last year,
01:57 as someone who had been through this a couple of seasons as maybe a veteran
02:02 leader?
02:02 >> He was really good for us.
02:07 He was really good for us throughout the way our season went.
02:12 So we all tip our hats off to him.
02:16 >> Coach Manning was talking about your development since you got here,
02:21 and obviously same time last year.
02:23 He talked about the third year, kind of taking that jump.
02:27 Do you feel like the last few weeks that something is different has happened?
02:32 Do you feel better?
02:33 Do you feel more confident?
02:34 Do you feel more engaged out there to what you're doing and
02:37 knowing what KP wants from you?
02:40 >> Yeah, of course.
02:40 I feel like what I've been putting out
02:46 is what everyone expect me to be.
02:48 Someone had said something to me, I had heard someone had said something about me
02:55 recently that kind of rubbed me the wrong way.
02:59 I haven't even, my shooting hasn't even translated to the cost level yet.
03:06 And I made two threes this year.
03:09 And I wonder what it would look like if that translated and
03:13 what people would say and where our team would be at now.
03:16 But I just feel good.
03:18 I keep trusting my teammates every single day and they keep trusting me and
03:22 trusting my work.
03:22 Knowing where I can take advantage at, knowing how strong I am,
03:28 knowing what I am to this team, what I am as a player.
03:32 I'm feeling that every game.
03:33 And I'm excited about where I'm going and where our team is going as well.
03:39 >> Brandon, kind of to build off that big challenge against Armando this week.
03:44 When you watch him on film, what do you see from him and
03:48 how excited are you to go up against him?
03:50 >> I'm super excited.
03:51 I don't know if a lot of people noticed, but we were teammates in high school.
03:56 My sophomore year, he was a senior.
03:58 So this game is really, really important to me.
04:02 He's a great player.
04:05 He's dominated every year since he's been in college.
04:07 He's had an amazing career at UNC.
04:10 I'm also focused on what I'm gonna bring to this game.
04:16 A lot of aggression, a different skill set maybe that they haven't seen.
04:21 And I'm excited Wednesday night and I'm ready to go.
04:26 I'm excited.
04:27 He's a very good player.
04:29 I'm a good player too.
04:30 And I'm excited to see where we're at at the end of the night, Wednesday night.
04:36 >> For both of you guys, you guys have shown fight throughout most of the season.
04:40 But over the last couple games, it seems like on top of the fight,
04:42 the execution has also taken a step forward.
04:46 What do you think it was that kind of clicked for
04:49 you guys so that both fight and execution kind of can join together?
04:54 >> I think it's honestly just everything just coming together, like you said.
04:57 It's gonna take time.
04:58 We're a young team.
04:59 I feel like we're kind of just getting the hang of each other now.
05:02 We're gelling together.
05:03 We're growing every day.
05:04 I feel like also even the crowd we had the other day really helped us too.
05:08 So just everyone, all the support we're getting and
05:09 that we feel is really helping.
05:11 >> Can you repeat the question again?
05:14 >> Basically, what was getting the fight that you guys have shown all season long
05:19 with the execution over the last couple games, what finally got you guys to get
05:23 the execution part up to snuff with the fight?
05:25 >> Really just learning how to finish games.
05:31 Not wanting to keep digging ourselves holes that are unneeded.
05:35 I feel like a lot of games that we're losing, we're in them.
05:39 But we show ourselves in the foot, we're making certain mistakes,
05:41 not paying attention to details.
05:43 Like we're right there with these top teams and we just find ways to lose.
05:47 So it's just about blocking a little bit more pain,
05:51 a lot more attention to details.
05:53 And find a way to get Ws, cuz we know we're a good team.
05:57 We know that the numbers may not suggest it.
06:00 But we know we all have faith in everyone in this locker room.
06:03 And we're just trying to figure out how to get wins and turn our season around.
06:09 >> Yeah, and I think a big thing that we've been focused on is belief.
06:12 You believe you can win, you really do believe you can win.
06:15 Going to a game knowing that every game is up for grabs.
06:19 So just taking the opportunity to just give our all is really what we're
06:22 focusing on.
06:23 >> Anything else for these guys?
06:25 All right, thank you.
06:27 >> Thank you.
06:28 >> Thanks guys.