• last year
Ladji Dembele Interview
Transcript
00:00 All right, questions for Lodgy.
00:01 Lodgy, you might not fill up the stat sheet every night,
00:06 but it just kind of seems like you're bringing value one way
00:08 or another every time you step on the floor.
00:11 Is that kind of your mindset when you're out there?
00:14 Yeah, I would say yes, because you just
00:17 have to contribute with the team somehow,
00:20 or one way or the other.
00:22 So if the offense is not really working,
00:24 you got to give everything you have on defense.
00:26 So that's what I'm trying to do every single night.
00:29 You got hurt against Purdue.
00:31 Like, the replay of it didn't look great.
00:34 Did you think it was bad when it happened?
00:36 What do you remember from the play?
00:38 Yeah, I think it was pretty bad.
00:40 That's why when I was laying down,
00:41 I didn't want to take a look at it.
00:43 So I thought it was really bad.
00:44 But hopefully, I'm back here today.
00:47 So I'm happy for that.
00:50 How were you able to get back so quickly?
00:53 Honestly, I can't really say anything about that.
00:55 I want to just shout out Brad.
00:57 He did anything he could.
00:59 So to help me every single day get treatment.
01:01 So that's why I'm back here.
01:04 Fran said you haven't really dealt
01:05 with a lot of injuries in your career.
01:07 Was that kind of crazy to deal with, something
01:09 that you're not used to like that?
01:11 Yeah, I'm not really used to the injuries.
01:13 So that was probably the biggest one
01:15 that I ever had in my career.
01:18 You bounced back two games later.
01:20 Were you expecting to be back that quick?
01:23 So when it happened, I didn't know when I was going to be
01:25 back.
01:26 But hopefully, I came back as quick as I can.
01:30 So now, I just don't know.
01:33 I'm trying to deal with it.
01:34 Fran said you're good to go.
01:36 Do you feel 100% where you at?
01:40 Right now, I feel like, yeah.
01:42 Even if I'm not 100%, I'm 99.9.
01:46 I don't think we've talked to you since earlier in the season.
01:48 Now, just played a lot more Big 10 basketball.
01:52 What has that transition been like?
01:55 Just more physical, coming from high school to college,
01:59 and especially this league.
02:01 So the game is more physical.
02:03 Just have to get used to it every single night.
02:05 So with Ben and Owen, they provide value
02:12 in their different ways.
02:13 But you're one of the more athletic bigs.
02:17 I guess the staff talked to you about the importance
02:20 of that role, being one of the more athletic, bigger guys
02:23 on the roster.
02:24 And we talked about bringing value,
02:26 but that seems to be your strength,
02:28 one of the athletic bigs, when you get boards and play defense.
02:32 Yeah, somehow you just have to know your role.
02:34 So if you know that's the way that you
02:37 can contribute with the team, do what you got to do
02:41 to get the win.
02:41 That's it.
02:43 Tyler mentioned growing as the season has gone along.
02:47 Do you feel like your offensive game, in particular,
02:50 anywhere there that you're really starting to grow?
02:54 Oh, yeah.
02:54 I'm trying to understand the game offensively more,
02:59 because I feel like the pace is kind of faster a little bit
03:03 for me.
03:04 So I'm trying to get adapted.
03:06 But hopefully, at the end of the season,
03:09 I'll do better on offense.
03:12 Is that just like--
03:14 does experience help?
03:15 Are there other ways that coaches
03:17 are trying to help you with just getting--
03:20 Yeah, it does help.
03:21 It does help.
03:21 I talk to the coach every single day.
03:24 They try to help me watch film.
03:26 How can I be better offensively?
03:29 Is there anything you've seen from watching the film that
03:32 stands out?
03:35 Probably when I see the screen roll sometimes, pop.
03:39 Just read what the defender gave you every single time.
03:44 All right, thanks, Taji.
03:45 Thanks, Taji.
03:46 Thanks.
03:48 (sighs)
03:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]