Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Danny, KP's talked the last Saturday and then last night on the show about the offenses,
00:07 what you guys kind of want to see.
00:09 How do you get the defense up to where you want to be?
00:12 Well, I think, you know, first thing we have to continue to do is making sure we're moving
00:17 on the flight of the pass.
00:18 You know, that's one thing that will put us in a much better position.
00:23 And that's something that we work on on a regular basis.
00:26 We just have to lock in and make sure we stay focused.
00:30 We do get to our spots and we have active hands.
00:33 You know, we create some difficult situations for teams.
00:37 And then we have to do a better job of finishing possessions.
00:40 Whether that's a deflection, it's a rebound, we're finishing the possession, making sure
00:47 that we limit their opportunities.
00:51 On offense, it's never where you know Coach wants it to be ever.
00:56 What has been the biggest jump, do you think, though, in the last couple games to where
01:00 it's been more consistent as far as is it that you're getting better shots or you share
01:05 the ball better kind of thing?
01:06 Because it seems like it's been a little easier on offense.
01:09 I think it's all of the above.
01:10 You know, I think you look at the guys are having a better understanding of what KP wants
01:15 when we get out there in terms of ball movement.
01:18 Spacing has been a lot better.
01:19 We're shooting the ball a little bit better.
01:20 We're getting a few more paint touches.
01:21 And, you know, we're getting a little bit more of a shot.
01:22 We're getting a little bit better.
01:26 We're getting a few more paint touches.
01:27 And, you know, whenever we get our lane touches or paint touches and we're able to spray the
01:28 ball out to shooters and drop it off to Brandon or KG in that dunker spot, we create some
01:36 good opportunities for ourselves.
01:38 Danny, Mike James has touched upon this in the last game, but what have you seen from
01:43 this team confidence-wise over the last couple games where they've maybe seen that, okay,
01:48 we can make some noise in the ACC?
01:49 Well, I think for us, you know, we see fight when we step out there on the court.
01:54 And that's always the indicator.
01:55 You know, you go into every game and the mindset is win the fight.
01:56 You know, win the fight and everything else falls into place.
01:57 And so that's been the mindset a lot of guys have adopted and that's carried over well
01:58 for us.
01:59 Kenny, as a guy that obviously played down low during your career, Brandon's been on
02:00 a tear the last seven games or so.
02:01 What have you seen from him in practice and his personal as well as the team?
02:02 I think he's a great guy.
02:03 I think he's a great guy.
02:04 I think he's a great guy.
02:05 I think he's a great guy.
02:06 I think he's a great guy.
02:07 I think he's a great guy.
02:08 I think he's a great guy.
02:09 I think he's a great guy.
02:30 I think he's a great guy.
02:31 I think he's a great guy.
02:32 I think he's a great guy.
02:33 I think he's a great guy.
02:34 I think he's a great guy.
02:35 I think he's a great guy.
02:36 I think he's a great guy.
02:37 I think he's a great guy.
02:38 I think he's a great guy.
02:39 I think he's a great guy.
02:40 I think he's a great guy.
02:41 I think he's a great guy.
02:42 I think he's a great guy.
02:43 I think he's a great guy.
02:44 I think he's a great guy.
02:45 I think he's a great guy.
02:46 I think he's a great guy.
02:47 I think he's a great guy.
02:48 I think he's a great guy.
02:49 I think he's a great guy.
02:50 I think he's a great guy.
02:51 I think he's a great guy.
02:52 I think he's a great guy.
02:53 I think he's a great guy.
02:54 I think he's a great guy.
02:55 I think he's a great guy.
02:56 I think he's a great guy.
02:57 I think he's a great guy.
02:58 I think he's a great guy.
02:59 I think he's a great guy.
03:00 I think he's a great guy.
03:01 I think he's a great guy.
03:02 I think he's a great guy.
03:03 I think he's a great guy.
03:04 I think he's a great guy.
03:05 I think he's a great guy.
03:06 I think he's a great guy.
03:07 I think he's a great guy.
03:08 I think he's a great guy.
03:09 I think he's a great guy.
03:10 I think he's a great guy.
03:11 I think he's a great guy.
03:12 I think he's a great guy.
03:13 I think he's a great guy.
03:15 He's a veteran.
03:16 [Laughter]
03:17 Armando's a very talented basketball player.
03:20 He's had a lot of success throughout his career.
03:23 He commands a lot of attention.
03:26 We're certainly going to have to give him his fair share of attention.
03:29 I think for us, Brandon's going to have to be able to play defense without fouling,
03:33 beating him to the spot, and making Armando shoot shots over him.
03:38 You're not going to stop Armando from scoring because he's a focal point in their offense.
03:42 So you have to make his shots tough.
03:44 They have to be challenged.
03:45 In a perfect world, he doesn't shoot a good percentage.
03:48 On the flip side, Brandon's got to make sure that he puts himself in situations
03:54 where he can get some easy touches, whether that's a rim-running transition
03:58 or that's a deep post catch, or when we get into the bonus,
04:01 posting up really hard and trying to draw a foul and get to the free throw line.
04:06 Danny, you mentioned Tally.
04:08 Over the last couple games, the biggest thing you've noticed is the fight.
04:12 For a lot of the season, they've shown fight,
04:15 but it seems like maybe the execution was kind of hit or miss.
04:19 Over the last couple games, what do you think has finally caused fight
04:23 and execution to kind of click together?
04:25 Well, I think KP stresses it every day, attention to detail,
04:30 whether that's offensively, defensively, each possession,
04:33 doing everything you can to put yourself in a situation
04:37 to help our team be successful.
04:39 I think we have more guys really adhering to that right now
04:44 and it's showing something for us.
04:48 I know you look at it one game at a time as a coaching staff, as a team,
04:52 but for us, if you're just looking at the schedule, you go North Carolina,
04:59 Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, these next few games are going to be--
05:04 they're going to kind of tell everybody just where you guys are.
05:07 Do you not feel that way?
05:10 Every game is like that.
05:15 Every game is important, but the most important one is your next one,
05:19 and that's how we look at it.
05:21 Right now our focus is on the Tar Heels and getting prepared for them,
05:26 and then once that game is over, we'll turn our attention to our next team,
05:29 which happens to be Wake.
05:32 How good is this Carolina team,
05:35 and what's different for them than maybe last year?
05:39 They're winning more games than they won last year.
05:43 I think they have a very talented team, but when I look at teams,
05:47 I break them down into the big three, whatever category that is.
05:52 To me, that big three is Davis, it's Baycon, and it's Ingram.
05:57 Those three guys have been playing really well,
05:59 and I don't want to slide on anybody else on their roster,
06:02 but for me when I'm scouting teams, I always look for the big threes of things,
06:07 and those three guys do it really well.
06:09 RJ's scoring the ball at a very high clip.
06:12 He's very confident. He's very aggressive.
06:14 He's taking and making tough shots.
06:17 Armando is being a paint beast, if you will, in terms of blocking shots,
06:22 rebounding the ball, scoring in the paint.
06:25 Ingram is doing a really good job of being an inside-outside type of player,
06:29 depending on the matchup, and so you have to certainly give attention to those guys
06:35 along with the other players in their lineup to not throw them on the court.
06:39 But they're a very well-balanced team,
06:42 and they can throw a lot of different looks at you with a lot of different pieces.
06:48 He's done a good job of blending them all to work in a collective, strong unit.
06:58 On that note, they're obviously one of the top scoring offenses in the country.
07:02 What can you do to slow them down a little bit?
07:07 Transition defense is going to be key.
07:09 They do a terrific job of getting the ball out, whether that's on a miss
07:13 or even on a made field goal, getting it up the floor.
07:17 In particular, pitching the ball ahead.
07:19 So we've got to make sure that we get back in transition
07:22 and we build a wall around our paint.
07:25 We don't allow easy penetration.
07:29 We have to make sure that when we build that wall,
07:32 that the ball handles these bodies, and then we have to match up.
07:36 Because in transition, you're not always going to be able to get to your assigned matchup.
07:41 So we've got to find the five guys.
07:43 We've got five guys.
07:44 We've got to make sure we get a body on a body.
07:48 Just one of the pieces you mentioned from North Carolina is Jalen Withers.
07:51 I'm wondering, as you scout them, how have you seen his game maybe grow?
07:56 He's playing a lesser role on this team, but what does he add to this team?
08:01 And how have you seen him grow from coaching him last year?
08:05 Jalen's a veteran.
08:07 I think Jalen was here for quite a bit of time and had some success here and has moved on.
08:14 He's in a different role now.
08:16 He's shooting close to his normal percentage, around 46 or so.
08:22 Struggling a little bit from the three-point line, but we all know he's a capable shooter.
08:27 He's proven that over his time.
08:30 I think he gives them a good lift when he comes in the ballgame.
08:32 He started some games for them.
08:34 When he comes in, he brings a lot of versatility.
08:37 He can guard multiple positions, skilled enough to handle the ball on the perimeter
08:41 and do a lot of different things.
08:43 So I think he's a good fit for this team.
08:46 He's certainly somebody to think the pin down because he plays quality minutes in every game.
08:53 Danny, you spent six years as a head coach at Wake.
08:56 Last year they played here.
08:58 We go back there this weekend.
09:00 Have you been back there since your last year?
09:06 You had a lot of good times there.
09:09 You'll have to stir up some good memories when you walk in that place.
09:13 I have not been back.
09:17 The focus for me and everyone upstairs as we prepare is to figure out a way to get a win
09:24 no matter where we're playing at.
09:26 So for me, it will be a little bit different being in a different locker room
09:29 coming out of the tunnel on a different side.
09:31 But the objective is the same.
09:33 You want your team to be successful and find a way to come out with a win.
09:37 Anything else for Coach?
09:39 All right, thank you.