Leaky Black speaks to the media at the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
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00:00 >> I've been working really hard on just getting my body in shape,
00:04 getting stronger, just getting my legs and stuff stronger so
00:08 my ankle doesn't have to work so much.
00:11 That's one thing about Doug, we wake up like 7am every morning,
00:14 go through our little routine, but it's a lot of rehab.
00:17 >> Thank you.
00:18 >> Jacob and Ryan.
00:21 >> Lee, looking back at last year,
00:25 how much of it were you actually like 100% healthy?
00:29 How are you feeling right now?
00:30 >> Right now I feel great.
00:33 I feel like this is the best I've felt in a long time.
00:37 It's the most I've worked on my body and my game since probably like high school,
00:41 middle school days.
00:42 But going back to last year, I'd probably say overall,
00:47 it's probably 70% here and there.
00:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:54 There was some games here and there that was kind of, I was higher than normal.
00:58 I came in not so swollen, really hydrated, so
01:03 the ankle didn't bother me that much, so probably like 70% overall.
01:08 >> Just so you know, I've got ten questions already for
01:12 Leaky, so don't add a question yet.
01:14 And I'll let you know if we'll have time for more, but Ryan Wilcox and
01:17 Andrew Jones.
01:18 >> Hey, Leaky, so Garrison and Andrew both talked about how last season they kind of
01:23 learned what not to do.
01:25 I'm curious what sort of positives you can take from last season and
01:29 used to build for this season?
01:31 >> One thing we can take is just the motivation, just the pain.
01:36 We all still feel everything we felt from last year,
01:41 every loss, buzzer beater, whatever the case may be, we still feel it to this day.
01:45 Even if we have a great practice, we still feel the pain.
01:50 So I feel like we're just gonna take that fire into every game and
01:53 make sure we don't have a season like we did.
01:55 >> Andrew, then Brendan.
01:57 >> Leaky, I'm gonna stay on your health right now.
02:02 I asked Garrison what is a healthy Leaky Black look like and
02:06 he gave a pretty good answer.
02:07 So I'm gonna ask you, what does a healthy Leaky Black look like?
02:10 >> I'm curious on what he said.
02:14 >> Said you're a lot better when you're healthy than not, basically.
02:19 >> Yeah, I feel like a healthy me pretty much is,
02:23 I feel like I only know one speed and that's just everything I have.
02:27 And I feel like with the ankle holding me back,
02:31 I feel like it didn't allow me to guard everyone full court,
02:38 like I'm accustomed to doing or just being confident in my offense and
02:43 making a cut or whatever the case may be.
02:45 So I feel like I'm not sure what a healthy Leaky Black looks like into
02:51 Garrison's eyes, but I don't know how to answer that.
02:57 >> That sounds good, that's good enough, thanks, appreciate it.
02:59 >> Brendan, NCL.
03:01 >> Hey, Leaky, thanks for taking the time.
03:04 I was just curious, what sort of things did you, other than the health,
03:07 but from a basketball standpoint,
03:09 what were the skills that you tried to work on the most this offseason?
03:12 And how do you think that your improvement in those areas
03:15 might affect your role for this upcoming season?
03:17 >> Right, I feel like I'll be more of an offensive weapon.
03:20 Just getting up, like I said, with Doug at 7 AM every morning,
03:26 right after that treatment, I'm on the court with Coach Davis every morning too,
03:29 for an hour, hour and a half.
03:31 Just individual, just working on my game, just trying to work on my skills or
03:36 you know what I mean, just dribbling.
03:39 My shot, probably don't leave the gym till I make at least 300 a day.
03:45 Just like one of those things, that's just like in the morning.
03:47 So I feel like I'm setting myself up to have a pretty successful season.
03:51 >> Do you feel like you've improved in both those areas?
03:53 >> I've never been this confident in my life, I feel like, at least to say.
03:58 >> Thank you.
03:59 >> CL, then Greg.
04:00 Barnes.
04:02 >> Leaky, I was wondering if you could kind of give us, I don't know if it's
04:07 comparison, but I was wondering what kind of a presence is Puff Johnson like,
04:12 and maybe how, do you see any similarities between him and his brother?
04:18 >> Yeah, I do, but I feel like with Puff, he can guard.
04:23 I feel like he's more physical than Cam is.
04:25 He's just as big, longer, bigger hands.
04:31 He's just left handed, he's like just a left handed Cam.
04:34 I don't wanna say he's better than Cam or anything, but for
04:38 him to be a freshman and him to do the things we see him doing in practice,
04:42 it's pretty promising.
04:43 >> Thanks.
04:44 >> Greg Barnes, then Quiera.
04:47 >> Hey, Leaky, injury issues last year for
04:51 the whole team kind of forced you to play a lot of different positions.
04:54 What is that wing competition and
04:57 the backcourt competition looking like thus far in practice?
05:00 >> I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you.
05:03 You said what is the wing competition?
05:05 >> The wing and the backcourt competition, what it's looking like right now?
05:10 I mean, I just feel like we're pretty deep.
05:12 We have a lot of different weapons.
05:14 Every guy brings something different to the table.
05:15 Like I said, Puff is a big guard.
05:18 He can guard one through four.
05:22 He can really shoot the ball.
05:24 Caleb's really explosive.
05:25 I'm pretty sure you guys are familiar with his tape.
05:28 RJ has been surprising me a lot this year, the way he pushes the ball.
05:32 He really can shoot the outside jumper, but
05:35 he's really good at getting downhill and get to the cup.
05:38 And finishing over seven footers like Walker and De'Ron.
05:42 So I mean, he's just a lot of different weapons.
05:44 >> Ciara then Ross.
05:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:50 >> Hey, Leakey.
05:51 So people are just pegging you as the glue to this team,
05:55 that this team will do as great as you are.
05:58 Do you feel that pressure coming into this season that you will have to be at
06:02 your best for the team to excel this year?
06:05 >> I wouldn't call it pressure.
06:09 I don't feel any pressure.
06:10 I just know I want to be available every game and my best self,
06:18 just so I can give us a better chance of winning or just playing better.
06:23 If I'm a little bit healthier, maybe I feel good enough to like,
06:29 I mean like dive on the floor or something like that.
06:32 Every little percent just counts.
06:34 So I just want to get my teammates.
06:37 I just want to make myself available for my teammates pretty much.
06:41 >> Last three questions, Ross, then Brian Keyes, then Gregory Hall.
06:46 >> Hey, Leakey, you mentioned working on your body.
06:50 What have you done in particular to improve to get to where you want to be now?
06:53 Is it stretching?
06:54 Is it strength and conditioning?
06:55 And what kind of things you've been doing to get to the health level you are at
06:58 right now?
06:58 >> It's everything.
07:01 It's stretching.
07:03 Like I said at 7am, me and Doug, we're rehabbing the ankle,
07:07 then we're stretching out the hips and the knees and
07:10 making sure my body's good, getting the cold tub, the pool,
07:13 whatever the case may be.
07:15 And then I'm in the weight room, getting stronger with Jonas.
07:19 So I mean, it's two, three times a day I'm doing stuff like that.
07:24 So I just feel better.
07:27 I feel stronger just walking around.
07:30 >> Brian Keyes.
07:31 >> Hey, Leakey, thanks for taking the time.
07:34 Garrison mentioned that your role is kind of a Swiss army knife on the team.
07:38 I just wanted to know what you sort of envision your role,
07:42 whatever the makeup of this year's team is gonna be.
07:45 >> Yeah, I feel like my role is just to be a leader, just to lead by example.
07:51 I try to just play hard, whatever the case may be.
07:57 If you sore, whatever, if you don't feel like getting enough shots.
08:03 After a long day, that whole thing, you'll see me in a gym shooting.
08:09 You're more than welcome to come shoot with me, that kind of thing.
08:11 Just be like a big brother and just a leader.
08:13 >> Thank you. >> Last one for Leakey is Gregory Hall,
08:18 then we'll get coach.
08:19 >> Hey, Leakey, we've heard Garrison's trying to up his jump shot this season.
08:24 I was curious what you have seen out of that and
08:27 what your perspective on Garrison's jump shot is.
08:30 >> I feel confident in shooting the three, much more than last year.
08:36 Like every time I'm in a gym with Coach Davis,
08:41 I see him at the other end shooting, working on his shot too.
08:44 He shoots it, he doesn't hesitate to shoot it.
08:47 It's just repetition at this point.
08:49 So I feel like he's confident in his jumper and we're confident in too.
08:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]