Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> Coach Stoudemire just said that when the game was on the line,
00:12 that you guys wanted it more.
00:14 Is that true and how did you develop that?
00:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:21 >> Yeah, I feel like he hit it right on the head.
00:24 We're just out there trying to fight, basically trying to turn our season around.
00:28 Like I said, like I keep saying, whenever I'm in here,
00:30 we have a really good group and my freshman group is really, really good as well.
00:33 As you can see tonight, Caleb had a really, really great night, a career night.
00:38 And that's what he's capable of and how we all see him and stuff.
00:42 But it was all around team effort and stuff.
00:43 So we just wanna keep improving and keep staying together and
00:49 keep pulling out these wins towards the end of the season.
00:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:54 >> Caleb, double-double for you tonight.
00:56 Coach was in here and he said, basically because of your rebound,
00:59 you helped will this team to a win.
01:01 What's it mean to you to hear your coach talk about you like that?
01:04 >> It means a lot, especially all the work we've put in, in the practice,
01:09 like all the hard days.
01:10 It means a lot to finally see it come out on the court and
01:14 we're finally making it click.
01:15 >> Yeah, you guys were, you were down nine or
01:20 down eight with the last time, 815 to go.
01:23 Coming off that loss at Syracuse, I'm just wondering,
01:27 have anything said, I mean the huddle or things that you're talking about that
01:31 really, that you feel like helped to push you all to that huge run down the stretch?
01:36 >> I personally feel like after that loss,
01:39 all of that started within that next practice.
01:41 I feel like we did everything that we did in the game starting in practice that day
01:44 and just keep building every day of the week.
01:46 And then today it kinda showed.
01:48 But one of the main messages was just we play hard,
01:51 we're playing better basketball right now, it's just we gotta lock up defensively.
01:53 And I feel like today we were all on a string together on the show.
01:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:00 >> Caleb, what do you consider your role to be on this team?
02:03 And during the course of this season, have you ever had one play called for
02:08 you on offense or most of your points just on hustle?
02:11 >> My role, I'd say just be the energy guy, get rebounds,
02:18 be one of the best defenders on the court.
02:21 Just bring energy, bring toughness, bring aggressiveness.
02:24 And as far as plays, I don't think so.
02:28 >> [LAUGH]
02:33 >> Six guys in double figures tonight.
02:35 Is that growth in this team and you guys trusting teammates and
02:39 not one player feeling like they have to do it themselves?
02:41 >> Of course, I don't wanna sound like a broken record, but
02:48 we all got a lot of guys that can really go.
02:49 And we realized that throughout the season that we can't do it by ourselves.
02:54 And we're just trying to figure out ways how to pull out Ws,
03:00 making sure that this guy is getting what he gets and
03:05 this guy making sure he's getting that.
03:07 Making sure that we're just playing together and playing ourselves,
03:10 playing basketball.
03:10 If you don't have something right here, if the coach call your number,
03:14 and then the next guy's turn, whatever, and they come back around to you,
03:18 just keep being confident.
03:19 And I feel like we're getting better with that.
03:23 Just keep trusting each other.
03:24 But we got some really, really good players.
03:26 >> Caleb, kinda going back to what you just said about playing tough and
03:31 playing hard.
03:32 When you guys get into those stretches,
03:34 how important is it to you to kinda be able to set the tone that way?
03:36 And kinda for the rest of you guys too, when you see someone on your team playing
03:39 with that much energy, when things are getting into crunch time,
03:43 what's it mean to you to be able to play off a guy like that?
03:45 >> It means a lot, especially once you see somebody else doing it,
03:49 it's gonna feed off and it's gonna make you wanna do it, especially if you wanna win.
03:53 >> Was there a moment there in the second half where you feel like
03:58 things started to click for you in terms of scoring first half,
04:03 you didn't shoot the ball well?
04:05 Was there a moment that you felt like that things got into place and
04:10 you felt like it didn't seem as smooth during the first half as some of your
04:16 last games, can you think of a moment where things started clicking?
04:21 >> A moment, I can't really define a moment, I just remember after halftime,
04:25 our main message as a team, we're good whenever we get into the paint.
04:28 And I feel like the first half, we were kinda being a little passive and
04:30 settling.
04:31 So the second half, I feel like we made it our main point to play through bumps,
04:35 play through fouls, and get into the paint.
04:37 And we ended up getting into the one on one early and stuff like that, so
04:40 I really think that helped too.
04:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:46 >> Coach Stoudemire also said there were several plays where you just took the ball
04:50 away from their guys.
04:52 Was it that simple?
04:52 Did they not pay attention to you or how did that happen?
04:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:58 >> I mean, I felt like I was just playing harder than them.
05:00 That's why I try to do every game, just play,
05:02 be the hardest playing player on the court.
05:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:14 >> Seven.
05:15 >> How many are you usually?
05:17 >> Usually about six or seven, yeah.
05:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:26 >> How did it feel to have the crowd behind you guys tonight?
05:29 It got pretty loud in there towards the end.
05:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:35 >> It felt really amazing.
05:36 I feel like our fans don't really understand how much they help us a lot.
05:41 We're out there trying to fight, but their energy is really,
05:46 really helpful for us, cuz sometimes there may not be as many people at the game,
05:51 for our game.
05:52 So that small crowd that comes and they bring that energy and they see us and
05:56 they feel us playing hard.
05:58 They see KJ getting all offensive rebounds, they see Trey dominating this matchup.
06:04 And seeing all of us just being out there playing hard,
06:07 Todd doing what he does and everyone else is pitching in.
06:10 So their support and their energy is very,
06:15 very crucial for our development of what we wanna do.
06:18 >> Yeah, just to build off that, I feel like just coming and
06:22 us being a home team, and whenever our crowd is into the game like that,
06:26 like today, it was moments in the game when we seen the other team kinda start
06:30 to break down and fumble cuz they couldn't hear each other or stuff like that.
06:34 So I just want the fans to know that that really does play a part in these games.
06:38 >> You guys have two road games this week, I think, Boston College and Pitt, but
06:43 then you play four of your last five at home.
06:46 Do you think you guys are set up for a big finish?
06:49 >> We're ready.
06:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:54 >> All right, thank you.