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00:00 It's hard for me to do.
00:02 Mike, Kenny's talked a lot about how,
00:05 as it pertains to last season,
00:07 instead of just putting it to the side
00:09 and forgetting about it,
00:10 he doesn't want you guys to forget about it.
00:11 He wants you guys to remember where you guys were
00:14 and just build on that and continue on to this season.
00:18 How have you taken the last season
00:20 and used it to motivate yourself for this season?
00:23 Just, like, not want to have that feeling again.
00:28 Like, nobody wants to have a season like that.
00:30 I've never had a season like that.
00:31 I never lost that much in my life.
00:33 I just don't want to experience that for myself again.
00:35 I don't want new players to experience that again.
00:38 And I just want to see everybody succeed,
00:43 and for myself and for the coaches and everything,
00:46 just have a great year and have an amazing season
00:49 and play basketball.
00:51 You mentioned at the tip-off yesterday
00:53 that you and JJ took a couple days away from basketball
00:55 after the end of last season.
00:57 What were those few days kind of like
00:59 as you kind of decompressed
01:00 just to get away from basketball for a little bit?
01:02 I took a couple days to just hang out with my family,
01:05 talk about stuff with my family,
01:07 talk about the season,
01:08 what I was going to do for next season.
01:11 And then I went to the beach a couple times,
01:14 just clear my mind and stuff.
01:15 But I was really just ready to get back to the gym
01:18 with my trainer,
01:19 start working on stuff that I need to work on for next year,
01:22 and just put my best foot forward towards my training
01:25 to get better for the next season.
01:27 What sort of impression were you
01:28 and all of the rest of the returners from last year
01:30 trying to put on all the newcomers
01:32 that were coming in for this season?
01:34 What was my impression of the newcomers?
01:35 What impression were you guys, coming back from last season,
01:38 what were you trying to show them, the guys coming in?
01:41 Change.
01:43 It was a change.
01:44 It was time for a change.
01:46 We need to work hard since we got here.
01:48 We need to build chemistry.
01:50 And we're going to make an impact and change together.
01:54 We have to be together as a team.
01:56 This time last year,
01:57 you were coming off of that Achilles injury.
02:00 Kenny Payne said you were a few pounds heavier.
02:03 He just told me.
02:06 So, that being said,
02:07 what's your mindset and your mentality this preseason,
02:11 knowing that you have an entire healthy year under your belt,
02:14 you're a little slimmed down,
02:15 and you're a lot more physical, a lot more aggressive?
02:17 Yeah, it's just that I feel like myself again.
02:21 I'm ready to go from game one.
02:24 Not thinking about no injury.
02:27 I have the games under my belt, not the rest off.
02:30 I'm just trying to start off hot from game one
02:32 and carry it all the way through the season.
02:34 What do you think you can bring to this team right out of the gate,
02:35 knowing that you're ready to go?
02:37 I think I can bring one, be a leader for the team.
02:41 I can bring my aggressiveness, attacking the rim.
02:44 I'm a good shooter.
02:46 I've really been working on my ball handling and preparing for others,
02:49 playing for myself and stuff.
02:51 Those things start off the bat,
02:53 and that's why I'm bringing winning basketball to the team.
02:56 You kind of touched on that earlier,
02:57 but now that's going to change for the best.
03:00 What's it going to be?
03:01 What are you going to see watching you in games
03:03 that you're going to notice how much better of a player that you are to get that ball?
03:08 I think I'm much more confident with the ball in my hands.
03:11 I'm making decisions for myself.
03:13 I'm more comfortable with the ball.
03:15 I feel like I'm an improved shooter.
03:17 I'm in better shape.
03:18 I can really get into dudes now on the defensive end,
03:21 picking up dudes to the court, just putting pressure on the ball more.
03:25 I just have a different mentality.
03:27 I'm much more confident in myself than I was at this point last year
03:31 because I wasn't sure how I would play.
03:33 At this point last year, I hadn't played a game in probably over a year.
03:37 I know what I can do.
03:38 I know what I can bring to the team.
03:39 I know what I've been working on.
03:41 It's only been a short time since you all practiced,
03:44 but the two games now that we've seen this team,
03:47 are they quicker, better rebounds, better overall?
03:52 In your mind, what is it that makes this team better?
03:56 I think there's a lot more overall talent in 1-14.
04:01 There's a better basketball IQ for us.
04:05 That's one thing I noticed from the beginning when we came in the summer.
04:08 These dudes know basketball.
04:10 They know what they want out of the game.
04:13 They know how to play a game.
04:14 It was easier for us to do it on the court once we got here.
04:17 That's what we've been doing since before the summer,
04:20 the pre-season, high school.
04:23 One thing I'm looking forward for the team is just execute more.
04:26 We've been executing better since the first game in practice.
04:29 We cut down on our turnovers.
04:30 I think once we cut down on our turnovers, we got a chance to win.
04:33 How do you think the chemistry is for this team compared to this time last year?
04:39 I feel like both teams work together.
04:43 Both teams are connected.
04:45 This time, we're driven.
04:48 We have a goal.
04:49 We know what we went through, what the team went through last year,
04:52 and we know what we want to win this season.
04:54 Everybody has the same goal for each other and for the team this season.
04:58 I feel like we're much more connected in that area.
05:02 I feel like on the court, we talk to each other more.
05:05 We have each other's back more.
05:07 That will be exciting to see.
05:09 Time will tell once we start playing real games and stuff
05:12 and we really get tested and it's time to see how to live and be our play.
05:16 I have to really test everybody.