Roddy Gayle Jr. and Jamison Battle voiced their opinions on having an opportunity to continue to compete in college basketball this season.
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00:00 >> Coming in against Ivy League school,
00:03 can you just talk about the backdoor cuts?
00:07 Was that just because you haven't seen that or were you guys ready to play?
00:12 What was going on?
00:13 >> I think it's reminiscent of the Miami-Ohio game,
00:16 similar type of style where we kinda got nice stuff on backdoor cuts.
00:19 It was obviously an emphasis, but coming off a one day prep,
00:23 having one day to really have live reps against something like that.
00:27 A team like that who's very well coached, very disciplined.
00:30 It's obviously a tough assignment, but we found a way to figure it out.
00:34 And in the end, it's the NIT as well.
00:36 There's gonna be great teams who wanna compete and
00:39 wanna have a chance to play for a championship at the end of the season.
00:42 And obviously, they're a top three team in the Ivy League,
00:44 made it into the semifinals.
00:45 And kudos to them and kudos to what they've done this season.
00:48 And it's a testament to the work they've put in, but
00:52 it's a testament also to the work we've put in.
00:53 And coming in on short week, coming in on short prep to figure things out.
00:58 Backdoor cuts obviously killed us, but we found other ways to affect the game.
01:01 And we stopped them a little bit, but still they're still finding different cuts.
01:04 And then obviously the way they should evolve is another aspect of their game
01:07 that opens the floor to them.
01:09 So it was a tough prep, but in the end, we got the job done.
01:12 >> What were the last couple of days like?
01:16 You guys as a team were talking about whether you wanted to play in the NIT.
01:20 Find out who your coach is.
01:21 There's a lot that kind of went into prep leading into this game.
01:24 So what went into the decisions to play in this, and
01:26 what was it like for you guys to have your coach [INAUDIBLE]
01:29 >> Yeah, it was obviously a very exciting time.
01:32 But there was a lot of unknown to sitting there on Sunday,
01:35 watching the Big Ten Championship, feeling like we should have been there.
01:38 But in the end, it's the past, and we had to focus on what we have to do.
01:42 And Sunday we came together as a team, talked about it, and said,
01:44 we wanna go out here and compete.
01:45 And that's the type of guys we have in this roster.
01:47 And we made that decision ultimately to come out here and play in the NIT,
01:50 which we feel like was the right decision and showed tonight.
01:53 But there's still a lot of work to be done.
01:54 We feel like we can end on top.
01:56 But there's two other tournaments, I'm talking about the NCAA tournament.
01:59 So there's four teams who can end and win at the end of the season.
02:01 So we wanna be one of those teams.
02:03 And it's gonna take all the guys here, and take all the guys to continue to work,
02:07 and continue to grind, and continue to just finish the season out strong.
02:10 >> I just think the uncertainty of who's next,
02:15 tough loss against Atlanta,
02:21 we could have made that final question to the championship before.
02:27 Even selection Sunday, even though it was a long shot,
02:31 there was still that kind of possibility.
02:32 It was kind of living out our dreams, winning the NL tournament.
02:35 So once we seen that we weren't selected, we kind of came together.
02:40 And guys like Jameson and Dale, they just said, let's go over them.
02:44 So I thought it was important for me to kind of live in their shoes,
02:49 kind of see it from their perspective.
02:51 I know that they wanted to play, and I'm saying, I'm not ready for this group to be
02:55 over with this family to be over with this family.
02:57 I thought it was a no-brainer for me to get to play in the NCAA.
03:00 So that's what I'm asking.
03:03 >> What did you guys both think of Jakey's full-time head coach,
03:07 that back of the jitter office?
03:08 What did you guys think of that?
03:10 >> Yeah, I think he looked at what he's done.
03:12 Obviously, he's the leader of the family.
03:14 I think that's what it takes to be a coach in this day and age.
03:16 And he's all about relationships.
03:17 I know I can speak on it, but the relationship I had with him before coming
03:21 here and him recruiting me and getting me here.
03:23 That was part of the reason I came here, just to be around D and
03:26 obviously what they had set.
03:29 But whatever a coach has, it's a factor, and he's got it.
03:33 And I think you can see how we've rallied around him and how we played.
03:35 And it's a testament to what he's done.
03:38 But I know he's not satisfied.
03:40 He doesn't wanna live on these eight games that we've played.
03:42 He wants to build something himself and start something new.
03:45 And I think that's what he's gonna do.
03:46 And that's the type of brand he is as a person, the type of character he has.
03:49 So it's exciting to see just because of how much hard work he's put in with us.
03:54 And just how he's really never changed over this time.
03:58 He's always around us.
03:59 He's always with us.
03:59 He's coming to the training room, seeing what's up, saying what's up to guys.
04:02 He's on the court working out guys.
04:03 So it's just stuff like that, when you see that, it's like he's got it.
04:07 >> Right, are you guys dumping on glass all night?
04:10 It took a while to kind of cash in on those second chance opportunities.
04:14 How do you guys sustain the effort on the glass?
04:16 >> Coming into the game, we knew that we needed to kind of set the tone up.
04:21 It's impressive that they were kind of buying the lead and looking to move on.
04:25 So we kind of tried to exploit that and make that one of our goals coming into
04:29 the game, which we got guys like Phoebus, Jansen got in there at the time.
04:33 Even I tried to make my mark a little on the glass.
04:36 So I feel like, you know, the second team wins.
04:38 And I feel like just those extra chances we got kind of set the pace.
04:44 >> And then Jansen, with the way the last game ended to make a score of three,
04:48 a happy game winner, what did that feel like?
04:51 Had to be somewhat satisfying.
04:52 >> Yeah, it was satisfying, but like I said, I live in the past.
04:55 I don't worry about the stuff that's happened in the past just because I can't
04:58 affect it.
04:58 So in the end, I'm worried about the present moment.
05:00 Dale drove, I stepped out, and I work on a second shot every day with B Bailey.
05:04 So it was just another shot.
05:06 Obviously, it was a pretty big shot, but it's satisfying for
05:10 it to go in just because, again, you had two opportunities.
05:14 But it's a testament to what we've done as a team and
05:17 the work we all put in because in the end, the work always will show.
05:22 >> Bruce going out obviously changes some of the stuff you guys do.
05:25 How did you feel like you guys handled that in the last ten minutes or so?
05:29 >> Yeah, I think we handled it pretty well.
05:31 And I think that's something that it's a testament to coaching,
05:33 it's a testament to us rallying around each other.
05:35 Because we've had opportunities where guys have heard Rodney's gone out a few
05:39 times, I was out against the Michigan State, Bruce was out against Nebraska.
05:42 Stuff like that where it's like, we don't really let that affect us.
05:44 Because in the end, even if Bruce is out,
05:46 he's gonna be the biggest cheerleader on the side.
05:48 And he's gonna support us, he's gonna make sure that he's gonna see what he says.
05:52 And in that, we gotta rally around each other.
05:55 And we're a team, we're a family.
05:56 Coach always preaches the family aspect, and that's what we are.
05:59 That one family member's down, you gotta rally around them,
06:01 and you gotta rally around each other to make sure that you get the job done.
06:04 And the task that's at hand, you gotta accomplish.
06:06 Stay with them collectively.
06:07 >> Is this the kind of game you guys won maybe two months ago?
06:10 Where a lot of things went through, helped you get through moments like this,
06:13 but things weren't going right at different times?
06:15 >> I feel like those games we got two months ago kind of prepped us for this.
06:20 Even games like the Penn State, we were there every year.
06:24 Even Indiana, kind of the same situations.
06:27 Up by three, with a chance to get a stop.
06:30 Kind of prepped us to be able to come out and be successful.
06:35 Even just like us, being together, making the majority of the season,
06:39 kind of sticking around each other in tough times, battling adversity and stuff.
06:44 Just leaning next to somebody, and relying on somebody, and
06:47 trusting that they're doing a good job.
06:49 That was the key in those two years.
06:53 >> Over here on my counter.