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00:00 Rick are you still watching the bear? Yeah.
00:05 Unbelievable. Listen, just walking out here, I just want you to talk about the character
00:14 of our guys. So as I'm walking out, you guys can probably still hear me. So as I'm walking
00:24 out, Kyle, we just run into each other, I say Kyle, he goes, oh, that was great. You
00:29 made the right move. That was that was great coaching. That was great job. Get Omar in.
00:34 Absolutely. Coach, don't worry about it. And to me, like that's the whole character of
00:38 our guys. Like everybody, no one's pouting about playing time and that kind of stuff.
00:43 They're all in. He has been unbelievable in practice. Every time I say hey Omar, I'm trying
00:48 to get you in. He's a coach, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. He's a heck of a
00:51 player. He's a heck of a player. And then tonight, the world got to see it. So we knew
00:57 it was gonna be a slugfest in terms of physicality, not getting everything was just it was just
01:03 a street fight. And I mean, in the basketball sense, every cut was contested. Every shot
01:08 was contested. Every rebounders, physicality guys just going in there. I mean, that was
01:14 old school biggies basketball basically.
01:18 I guess you feel this team is showing I guess how deep it is because obviously it's talked
01:22 about Rush, I mean, Nanu, but you've seen Mayo, you've seen Pruitt. Does it kind of
01:27 show this team and just how deep it is?
01:29 Oh yeah, if you came and watched our practices and our scrimmages, there's not a drop off.
01:34 There really isn't. These guys are all really good players and we can go with them. So there's
01:38 so much trust amongst each other, amongst the players, amongst the coaches, you know,
01:43 and Shane was sitting there. I'm good. I'm good. You know, he's wanting to get back in,
01:47 of course, but he's like, I'm good. They're playing great. Stay in. So it makes it easy
01:52 because look, it's not like I've been coaching these guys for a year or something like that.
01:57 So the personalities we had to just have instant culture was what we talked about. Have an
02:02 instant culture right away and trust each other and not worry about yourself and put
02:07 the ego aside. And every single player in this team has done that.
02:14 What about the Statens situation?
02:16 So he has a hamstring and he's had that. He tweaked it in our scrimmage last Friday and
02:23 then he's been rehabbing and after the last game, you know, it was just tight and it was
02:30 stiff and he came to me today and he's like, coach, I don't think I can go. Do you think
02:36 I need to play? I said, look, we're going to try and get through this without you. And
02:40 we listed him as doubtful on the sheet today. And then late first quarter, you know, his
02:47 eyes were just like the moon and just staring at me and it's just like, I'm good. And I
02:56 said, so that was it. So, you know, and all these guys, like they just, it's a, people
03:04 expect Russ to score 35 points a night. It's like, it's the M it's like an NBA. It's a
03:09 long season. There's going to be games. You're going to, you know, they were doubling them
03:13 on every ball screen or tripling guys. So again, that's why you have other players who
03:18 can step in and make great plays.
03:21 Speaking about Peyton, he did finish plus 12, which is the highest on the team. So like
03:26 just him, you know, you know, what do you say about his impact being had on the team,
03:32 even when he still has an injury holding?
03:33 Yeah, look, look, even when he, and I talked about it, if you take out Joe Burrow or if
03:39 you take out Aaron Rogers from a team or Pat Mahomes, the team's going to look a little
03:42 different and that one. So he's like our quarterback. He messed up the out of bounds play the side
03:48 out of bounds play to win it though. He should have thrown it to Russ. Russ would have been
03:52 screamed. You were open. It's okay. Other than that, it was great. So, I mean, he, you
03:58 know, him on the floor, even off the floor when he wasn't in, he's, he's drawn the plays.
04:02 He's talking to these guys, you know, he's a, he's a great teammate. He's a great leader.
04:08 Omar, for you, could you get the mic a little close to you? Just, I guess take us through
04:11 the night, just kind of building off some momentum and for you, was it just like that
04:15 first shot fall that was just confidence was kind of growing after that?
04:18 I mean, I'm not a Louisville alum and these guys have been so accepting all week. It's
04:23 been great working out with them, you know, playing overseas and whatnot. But, you know,
04:28 I look at myself as a utility guy on this team, you know, just plug me in when you need
04:31 me, where you need me. I know I'm not the go to guy. I know, you know, I may not be
04:35 the best defender, the big man, whatever. But, you know, I, I got a little bit of game
04:39 too and I can, you know, show up when I need to show up.
04:42 What was the interaction between you and Chris Jones?
04:46 That's just a little ball player talk, you know, that just get me going. I'm not a big
04:50 trash talker. If you heard what I was saying, you would know that. But, you know, it's just
04:59 a little, little back and forth, two players, yeah.
05:04 What for you, Russ, what was it like just seeing Omar just perform out there tonight
05:09 and just what you saw?
05:10 Omar, oh, pardon me. Omar is a high-
05:15 You can stand back a little bit.
05:19 Yeah, Omar, Omar a high-level pro, you know, like he make winning plays and I said, I told
05:26 him to rock him. That's why he's going to be around for a long time. And just, just
05:31 his IQ and everything he brings to the team, you just can't find that anywhere. And I'm
05:37 very thankful to be playing with a guy like, like, like him because he makes it so much
05:42 easier for everyone. He's always willing to take, step in, take any type of challenge,
05:47 no matter what it is. And obviously, when you're willing to take challenges as a player,
05:53 just maximizes whatever it is that you're doing and it raises everybody's energy and
05:57 effort. So I'm very thankful.
05:59 On the first free throw, there were three guys on the other team stand there talking
06:04 to you. What were they saying?
06:05 No, they wanted me to miss the first one. So I missed it. I wanted to end it on a field
06:09 goal because where I'm from in New York, like I don't like ending games on a foul call.
06:13 That's not really my thing. So I wanted to get them ended on a field goal. That's a little
06:18 bit more respectable, a little more honorable because I'm from the block. I'm from Brooklyn
06:22 and that's how we do it over there.
06:24 He told me he was going to miss that one. I said, please just make this one.
06:29 But yeah, they hit me a second time. I was like, I can't get you two, man. That's crazy.
06:34 So I was going to miss the free throw for San Diego.
06:37 It looked like the second time though, Shannanu and Nick stood there and kind of kept them
06:40 away from you.
06:41 Oh yeah. I mean, you know, that's cool. That's fine. That's a good strategy.
06:47 What did you say back to them?
06:50 Nah, I was just like, I was like, yo, on the first time, I was like, yeah, I got you. You
06:55 know, I got you. I didn't want to make it look obvious because then everybody would
06:58 have, so I tried to miss it like respectfully.
07:01 But then the next one, the next one, I really tried to lock in and make that one up.
07:09 A question for Omar. You talked about, you know, just, just how much this team has embraced
07:18 you. What has it felt like, you know, just having these two nights to be at Freedom Hall
07:22 and then you had the big game tonight and, you know, to feel that love from the fans
07:25 as well?
07:25 You know, I grew up coming to some games and, you know, I got to see them beat Georgetown
07:32 when they were number one, got to see them beat Pitton here and seeing the atmosphere
07:36 just back in here like it was back then is, you know, it's really, and to be a part of
07:40 it, unreal. It's an unreal experience to be a part of, you know, you know, my mom played
07:45 at Kentucky, but, you know, I got, I got some Louisville in my heart, so it's nice to be
07:50 here.
07:50 I'm going to throw up the L's.
07:51 And when did she play at Kentucky?
07:57 Oh, I don't know. Back in the day, she played, she played, she played with Valerie Still,
08:02 the all-time leading scorer at Kentucky. So there you go. That'll help you find it.
08:06 Russ, you guys have had two totally different games. One where you kind of cruised to it
08:13 and then this one was an absolute dogfight. Do you learn, get more out of these guys when
08:18 you win a game like that? You got to really fight for it.
08:21 I mean, if you, like I was saying before, just to piggyback off it, this guy plays high
08:25 level, you know, Keurig has been one of the more dominant wings in the Euroleague for
08:30 the last almost decade, I don't know. Payton has been a high level pro, Nantles dominated
08:36 Israel. I have a world record of 60-win a game. Like, this has nothing to do to us.
08:41 And, you know, you get a game like this, it obviously brings people together. And it's
08:46 cool to close a game out. But as far as being in the trenches, like I've been in the trenches
08:51 with Lieberman, I've been in the trenches with obviously Payton, I've been in the trenches
08:56 with Shane, with Wayne. So the energy and the environment, the aura on the benches is
09:03 completely calm and it's organized. And then obviously Chris Dow is going to give you everything
09:10 he has. He plays at a high level as well. I think his team literally finished in third
09:15 place. He had an excellent year. So just going into the trenches with these group of guys,
09:21 I like our chances. And, you know, we survive in advance. I've done it before. And it's
09:28 just one of those things, like you just survive in advance.
09:30 Across that crowd out there tonight, you wanted more people there. It felt like it was more
09:34 people there.
09:34 Yeah, it felt like it, but I still see MPCs. I don't know if Freedom Hall did that on purpose.
09:39 But we can pack it up. I think we can pack it out a little bit more. I like it a little
09:47 more crowded. You know, I'm a little happier today. I'm not all the way happy. I was disappointed
09:52 last game, but I'm happier today. I think we can get more people in here.
09:56 It seemed like this game was more physical than the game in the night.
10:03 Absolutely. And, you know, Jackson, they were, I mean, the reputation was they was going
10:10 to push us around and they was going to beat us up. But, I mean, we were both beating each
10:14 other up. And it was a really good game. It's one of those games that, you know, growing
10:21 up as a kid on a playground in the park, you just can't call in fouls. And you just got
10:26 to play hard, hard and do it and not complain. And we all just did a good job of sticking
10:31 to the plan. Coach Lieberman already said it was going to be that kind of game. So we
10:35 just all locked in.
10:36 Y'all looked like you were having fun with Chris after the game. He was talking a lot
10:43 during the game. What was that like?
10:45 Nah, like, Chris comes from a background that's very tough and that's rough. And for a guy
10:54 as good and as creative as he is, sometimes, you know, you can get overlooked and it may
11:01 feel like the world is against you. But, you know, it's good that as brothers, you make
11:07 sure he feels the love that we have for him. And we know how good he is. We know how great
11:14 of an individual player he is. We know how good of a teammate he is. So for him to have
11:19 a really good showing, you know, obviously I wanted to win, but it makes me happy. And
11:24 it made, I think, all of us happy. Like, everybody was rooting for him, but at the end of the
11:28 day, you know, we're trying to win. But it's like, man, it's really good to see him out
11:31 there playing, being healthy, because I know he's been through a lot. And I want to see
11:37 him flourish and thrive in the best way, in the most ways possible.
11:41 He's so competitive. And then after the game, just come over and hug me. And, you know,
11:48 I've had a relationship with him. All these guys, after the game, you know, they're talking,
11:52 they're getting after it. Russ talks about his background and playing in the city. But
11:56 like afterward, there was respect, there was love, you know, for everything, because these
12:02 guys have been through a lot. And for him to come over to me, that was just, that was
12:06 special to him. He's just such a competitive man. He's tough.
12:09 Does it mean anything to you guys, like, for Rondo to show up and watch this, Montrez
12:15 Harrell, Griff, you know, Wagner, all these guys, Jordan Moore?
12:18 Nah, that's the support factor, you know. We appreciate it. And I think that's dope
12:23 for the city that they come out and they watch, watch us hoop. And, you know, we got to support
12:29 one another. I think basketball in Louisville as a whole, and even Kentucky, we have to
12:33 all do a better job of supporting each other. And even going into next season, supporting
12:40 our team, you know, at the University of Louisville, when support happens, good things happen.
12:46 Omar, does it mean anything to you to see Rondo and Montrez and all those guys get into it like that?
12:52 Yeah, watching those guys, that's unreal to have them on the sidelines.
12:56 You know, those guys are legends. So it's great having them to come out and support us.
13:00 Last couple questions.
13:01 Thanks, guys.
13:05 Thank you.