Mike and Aaron sit down with En'Dya Buford., graduate student guard from Memphis, Tennessee for Old Dominion Women's Basketball, to talk about her path to ODU, her game, her teammates and a lot more.
Robert Davis Jr.: My name is
Robert the Natural Davis Jr.
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:and you're watching the
Monarchist Basketball Show.
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:Pride of ODU Intro: This episode of
the Monarchist Podcast is brought to
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:you by the pride of ODU Collective.
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:Their mission is to elevate the
experience of student athletes through
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:name, image, and likeness, while
also elevating the fan experience.
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:If you or your business are
interested in getting involved,
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:you can reach out to us directly
or go over to the pride of odu.com.
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:That is the pride of odu.com.
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:Thank you for listening, and go Monarchs.
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:Mike: Hey, thanks for
joining the show, En'Dya.
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:Great to sit down and chat.
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:What is it to you to
mean you're a Monarch?
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:En'Dya: Oh, it means a lot to me just
to be playing under coach DeLisha
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:Milton-Jones her just giving me the
opportunity to be here and, you know, just
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:play for the program and, you know, go out
and display what we what we really good
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:at and there's a plan for the program.
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:Aaron: So you started your career
at Memphis, you're from Memphis,
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:and then you went to Jones College
before coming to Old Dominion.
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:How did your experiences there prepare
you for your success at Old Dominion?
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:En'Dya: Obviously I didn't
really play much at Memphis, so
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:I didn't really get to, you know,
display what I really can do.
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:But Jones was really, you know,
where I really, you know, got to
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:show people what I could really do.
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:So it was just preparing me for
here, and when I got here, I really
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:just honestly just played my game.
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:I was really free.
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:She gave me the opportunity to
just play my game, be happy,
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:and you know, play my game.
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:You know, just play.
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:Mike: All right.
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:Being from Memphis, there's a specific
style of basketball there in Memphis.
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:It's tough.
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:It's gritty.
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:What has grown up in Memphis?
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:How has it changed you as a player?
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:En'Dya: Really just we dogs, like
we just go get it, play our hardest,
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:you know, just, we just go get it.
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:We just some dogs.
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:That's all I can say.
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:Aaron: Coming off of Jones, you had
opportunities to go other places.
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:Why Old Dominion?
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:En'Dya: DeLisha Milton-Jones.
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:That's my answer.
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:Just, you know, want to do the things
that she's done, and just why not
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:come and, you know, play for her?
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:So she can show me, you
know, how it's done.
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:Mike: Alright, so you've played
under a few coaching staffs.
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:What is it about DeLisha and her
staff that is different about the
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:other staffs you've played for?
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:En'Dya: Their passion, the way they care,
what they should love, just helping me
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:grow both on and off the court, just,
you know, letting me play my game and let
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:me be free and just, just being happy.
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:Aaron: You've been part of a
few different teams in college.
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:What's one thing that Old Dominion fans
should know most about this year's squad?
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:En'Dya: We got a lot of dogs on our
team that really want to win, so once
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:we just figure out everything we need
to figure out, you just . Hopefully
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:we can just get the end goal and just
win the the, the conference title.
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:Mike: All right, so before we started,
we asked coach D what did she want to
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:hear from the players in this interview?
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:And she said, I want to hear
their best impression of me
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:. So what you got?
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:En'Dya: Yep.
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:Moving right along.
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:Aaron: All right.
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:What's different about Coach D?
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:You brought her up a couple
times while you're here.
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:What's different here?
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:En'Dya: She's a good
role, a good role model.
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:She gonna give you a chance, you know,
like a lot of people tend to give up
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:on you like after the first second
chance, but she's gonna keep trying.
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:Like she's really a nice genuine person.
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:Like she'll do whatever for you and you
know, just the way she showed us how much
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:you care, you know, whether it's three
o'clock in the morning, three o'clock
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:in the evening, like she'll be there.
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:And she really just stand on her
words, and she just like another, like
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:another mother to me, honestly, and
the way she just pulled me up from like
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:this deep dark hole from when I was
not playing, and to just give me an
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:opportunity, and she just really believed
in me, so she's just different to me.
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:Mike: Alright, so, you're in
your last year here, right?
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:When you look back at this
experience at Old Dominion, what
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:are you going to remember most?
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:En'Dya: The fans, the coaches.
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:Wait, hold up.
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:I might have another year.
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:Yeah, I have another year, but you know,
just the way the fans show love and they
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:care with the way they show up for us.
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:The coaches and really
just Norfolk being Norfolk.
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:It's my second home.
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:So,
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:Aaron: okay, so tell us something
about one of your teammates that
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:most Old Dominion fans wouldn't know.
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:En'Dya: Hama'ya Fielder.
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:She can sing.
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:She can sing really good.
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:She sound really good.
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:Aaron: Any particular type of
singing or it doesn't matter?
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:It
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:En'Dya: doesn't matter.
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:She can sing.
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:Mike: All right, we're gonna do
some fun questions just quick.
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:Just don't think too much about it.
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:Okay.
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:Favorite pregame meal?
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:En'Dya: Pasta alfredo.
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:, Aaron: I'm gonna make
this a two parter, right?
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:Before game, are you
trying to pump yourself up?
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:Are you trying to calm yourself down?
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:And what's that pregame
song that get you there?
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:En'Dya: Anything by Glorilla.
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:money bag and really just me staying calm.
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:Mike: Who's your favorite
basketball player to watch and why?
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:En'Dya: I would say Ja.
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:Obviously, he's from Memphis
and I just like the way he play.
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:Aaron: What's the favorite
thing to do in your free time?
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:En'Dya: Watch Netflix or shop for shoes.
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:Mike: Do you have a favorite show on
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:En'Dya: Netflix?
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:Grey's Anatomy.
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:Okay.
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:Mike: And favorite type of shoe?
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:En'Dya: Anything that
makes my foot feel good.
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:So it really doesn't matter.
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:Mike: So you're going comfort over style?
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:En'Dya: Yes.
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:Mike: I like that.
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:That's smart.
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:En'Dya: Gotta have the feet feeling good.
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:Got to.
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:Mike: All right.
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:So you mentioned Glorilla and Moneybag.
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:Do you have a favorite musician or band?
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:En'Dya: Honestly, no.
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:Aaron: All right.
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:So if you weren't playing on the
basketball team here, What other team
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:on campus would you be playing for?
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:En'Dya: I can see myself playing softball.
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:Softball.
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:Mike: It's club sport here, it works.
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:That's right.
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:Alright, so, This is Aaron, this
is a question written by Aaron.
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:So, if you're gonna look at anyone weird
about, talk about your height, it's him.
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:Yes.
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:So, despite your height, what's your
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:Despite your height, which is the
same as Aaron, you fill the bucket and
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:have a knack for grabbing rebounds.
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:If you had to pick a favorite move
to pull off in the game, what is it?
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:En'Dya: Hmm.
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:Hesi crossover.
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:Go to the goal.
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:Mike: All right.
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:I'm gonna ask a follow up.
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:This is for me.
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:En'Dya: Okay.
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:Mike: We all played in a like in our
driveway or at the rec center growing up.
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:And we all had that moment where we were
like, this is 3 2 1 to win the game.
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:What was that shot?
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:Was it you driving in the
lane or you taking the three?
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:Doing a half court shot, what was
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:En'Dya: it?
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:Mine would probably be a three pointer.
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:Three pointer for sure.
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:Aaron: Life after hoops.
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:Alright.
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:At some point the ball stops
bouncing for everybody.
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:What's your major and where do you see
yourself Once you stop playing basketball?
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:En'Dya: I'm majoring in communication
right now, but after basketball
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:driving trucks with my dad.
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:Mike: Yeah.
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:So does he do overnight
or is it like day trips?
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:En'Dya: He used to be what is it called?
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:Like stay for days and stuff like that.
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:Over the road?
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:Yeah, over the road.
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:He used to be over the road by
night, but now he go and come back.
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:So like overnight.
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:Mike: All right.
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:So.
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:What is your top personal
goal for this season?
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:And what is your top team
goal for this season?
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:And what will it take to get there?
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:En'Dya: Personal goal for me is
just to keep growing in any way that
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:I can, both on and off the court.
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:And then team goal is obviously just
winning the the Sun Belt Conference
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:with my team and with my coaches.
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:And for us to get there, we
just have to stay together and
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:keep believing in the coaches.
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:And keep believing in each other.
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:Aaron: Alright, this is my last
one before Mike closes us out.
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:You wear number 25?
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:Is there significant
significance behind that number?
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:En'Dya: Honestly, no.
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:I used to have 24, but something happened
to the jersey, so I just switched to 25.
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:Aaron: Okay.
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:So 24 did that, was, was there something
special about that number At the time,
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:En'Dya: my favorite player was
Kobe, so I just wanted to wear 24.
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:Aaron: A lot of our
favorite players are Kobe.
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:Yeah, that was a good one to have.
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:Mike: Yeah.
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:All right, so, our show is
supported by The Pride of ODU
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:. Which is supported by the fans.
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:Mm-hmm . Completely.
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:Do you have a message for ODU fans?
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:En'Dya: Thank you guys for all the
work that y'all have done this far.
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:And hopefully y'all continue
to show up and show us love and
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:we'll keep playing for y'all.
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:Thank y'all so much.
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:Mike: Awesome.
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:Thank you and go Monarchs.
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:Go, go Monarchs.
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:En'Dya: Go Monarchs.
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:Outro: Lion Roaring Outro