The fellas sit down with Mike Jones, Head Coach of Old Dominion Men's Basketball, to talk about the road win at ULM, the big win over Virginia Wesleyan, the progression they have made as a team, updates on a few of the team's younger players, and a lot more.
The following presentation is brought
to you by The Pride of ODU, the official
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:NIL collective of All Dominion Athletics.
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:Be a Monarchist.
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:Join The Pride.
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:Aaron: What's up Monarch Nation, welcome
back to the Monarchist Basketball Show.
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:Happy New Year, Coach.
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:How's it going?
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:Coach Mike Jones: Happy New Year.
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:It's going, it's going,
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:right at about 2025.
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:Aaron: Yeah, it's going to be,
it's going to be a great year.
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:Let's jump right in.
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:All right.
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:So we had a game a couple of
days ago, Virginia Wesleyan.
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:Um, obviously we'll talk about
the previous games, but that
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:game, it looked like a couple
of lights came on for some guys.
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:And one thing that Uh, that R.
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:J.
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:Mentioned in the post game presser
was that the game at Louisiana
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:Monroe, that road win gave
the guys a lot of confidence.
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:Could you see that in the
guys leading into that game?
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:Coach Mike Jones: Absolutely.
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:Um, you know, just teams like us that
are, you know, so new to one another
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:going through everything for the first
time together, like things, positive
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:things tend to snowball just like
negative things tend to snowball.
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:, so being able to go on the
road play as well as we did.
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:kind of let it out the bag a little
bit, but then get it back and be
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:able to come home with the win.
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:, I think it did a lot
for our guys confidence.
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:So R.
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:J.
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:Is 100 percent correct in saying that.
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:, and we're trying to build on that.
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:Um, You know, it's always been about,
Hey, let's get prepared for Sun Belt play.
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:And, uh, that was a
great way to get started.
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:Mike: Now, there's a lot of things
you could point out about this ULM
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:game that led to the victory, but the
number one thing for me, apart from
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:Robert's performance, is the team free
throw shooting 20 of 24 from the line.
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:You don't win this game
without that performance.
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:Um, what was the magic sauce
in that game that get you to
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:be so successful from the line?
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:Coach Mike Jones: Uh, I mean,
to be honest with you, I can't
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:necessarily say for sure what it was.
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:I know we've done different things.
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:, we've talked about it before, uh,
you know, shooting free throws
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:and practice and running when you
miss and not running when you make
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:it, , the peer pressure that that
causes and the focus that that causes.
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:Um, but also it's, you know,
guys are taking their time and
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:spending time shooting extra.
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:free throws.
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:, and then, you know, we're
getting more comfortable.
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:We're getting to the point
of, you know, just having some
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:confidence stepping to the line.
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:So, I mean, you couple all those things.
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:It also really works when you have your
best free throw shooters taking the free
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:throws and, uh, you know, Sean, you're
Gordon being a guy that's getting to
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:the free throw line multiple times a
game is also helping us out as well.
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:So, uh, it's it's We're building, man.
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:We're we're building and you know,
that's one area that we definitely have
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:improved is we just gotta keep it there.
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:You're
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:Aaron: not kidding about pressure.
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:So Mike and I were to practice last
week and we saw the drill that that
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:you're talking about there at the
end of you, you picking out who you
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:wanted to go to the line at the time.
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:I know Mike and I were talking to go,
you know, is there a normal order?
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:But based upon what we saw, I think
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:you might change that up.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.
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:Well, usually everybody shoots
and it's just dictated by time.
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:So literally you all 17 guys go
to the line and shoot the ball.
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:So, um, it's usually that way.
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:Time constraints made it
a little bit different.
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:So, you know, some of the guys that don't
necessarily get on the floor as much.
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:We didn't have them shoot, but
anybody that does and that we
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:expect to play every single night.
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:Um, we had them shoot the ball.
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:So, um, y'all also caught the, the,
the, the nicer version of it because
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:they didn't have to run as much if
they, if they missed, um, I think
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:like it sometimes, cause they know
I don't want to embarrass them.
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:So I think they like it
sometimes when we have.
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:company, so to speak.
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:Um, you know, we, we, we
tone it down a little bit.
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:Um, so when, when you guys walked
in the gym, I'm sure they were
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:very happy to see you guys.
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:I,
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:Aaron: I have terrible hearing, but I, I
thought I heard at the end, the last, the
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:last shooter, you said, if you make both
of these, we'll see you back at 4:45PM.
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:That, uh, give a little bit of
inspiration and a little bit more
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:nervousness to know that if I don't
hit these, we ain't leaving yet.
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:Coach Mike Jones: That and I made
sure that that was the freshman.
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:Um, you know, I made sure that was Caden.
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:Um, you know, he's.
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:And he knocked them both down.
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:So, hey, that's good to see.
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:Um, good for him to show
up in that pressure moment.
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:So that when that pressure moment
arrives, when the lights are on, um,
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:he's, he's been, you know, for as
much as we can, you know, kind of
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:manipulate a situation in practice.
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:It's, it's as close as we can get to it.
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:Mike: Another thing I wanted to
highlight from the ULM game was
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:the big minutes played by Jaden
Johnson and Robert Davis Jr.
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:Both over 40 minutes.
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:Um, obviously that's a lot to ask of a
freshman and, uh, basically a second year
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:player, but they both came and delivered.
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:Any thoughts on that?
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:Coach Mike Jones: Um, just, you
know, we, we've got guys and again,
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:I know, you know, back when we first
got here and, you know, I talked
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:about depth and being able to play
multiple guys and things like that.
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:And, you know, the plans and the vision
you have don't always happen right away.
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:And right now we're not in a
position where we can play.
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:Uh, that many guys and they're, you
know, to be as effective as we need to
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:be in order to be, to be able to win.
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:So, um, you know, the minutes that Jaden
is playing, obviously impacted by emo.
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:Um, you know, not being able to play.
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:So, you know, his minutes have gone up.
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:I think he's done a really good job
of accepting that challenge and, you
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:know, staying out of foul trouble
and taking care of his body off the
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:court and on off days and things
like that so that he's capable.
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:And then Rob, you know, still not
being 100%, you know, what he's doing
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:is, It's great to see, but I mean, you
know, all of these guys are doing it.
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:Steph is doing it.
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:You know, Sean is doing it.
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:Big Cal is doing it.
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:Um, you know, RJ, you know, is doing it.
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:And these, these guys are really
stepping up and taking on the
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:challenge of, you know, obviously
shouldering a pretty big load in
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:terms of minutes every single night.
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:Aaron: Well, let's hit the
elephant in the room because I
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:know we've gotten the questions.
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:The question from a lot of
fans is Devin didn't play.
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:He only had a few minutes the game before.
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:We did notice that he had
a brace on his on his foot.
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:So I'm assuming that some sort
of injury he's working through.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yes.
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:And, you know, I don't want to go
too much into detail with that.
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:Just he's not healthy.
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:He's not cleared to play.
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:Um, you know, we hope he gets better soon.
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:Um, he's got some things that he's got,
uh, you know, with doctors and, you
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:know, getting some things checked out.
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:So, uh, you know, we'll, you
know, just keep our fingers
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:crossed and pray for the best.
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:But, um, and Devin's been
at every single practice.
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:He's, you know, they're
encouraging his teammates.
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:So, uh, Whenever he is able to
contribute, he will, um, and but
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:for the time being, he's, you know,
trying to help us out in other ways.
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:And that's bringing good
energy, uh, from the sideline.
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:Aaron: So, in a quick
follow up, uh, I know we.
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:I haven't started talking about Virginia
Wesleyan, uh, in depth, but, but Rieco
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:played about seven and a half minutes
at the point guard position is, uh, if
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:Devin's out for an extended period of
time, do we look to see more of that?
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:Or it just depends on the matchups.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, it'll,
it'll, it'll kind of be determined
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:by, you know, how things are going.
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:Um, you know, we have.
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:You know, Rob can play someone,
Sean can play someone, Sean
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:can get us into our offense.
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:We can get us into our offense.
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:So we do have other options, but
Rieco is a natural point guard.
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:Um, the Virginia Wesleyan
game gave us an opportunity.
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:To get him in in the first half and, you
know, at least see what it looks like.
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:If we ever had to do that,
uh, in a Sun Belt game.
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:So, um, you could see it, you could see
other guys get, and you could see both,
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:you know, we could, you know, Rieco
could get, you know, some minutes here,
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:but we can also give some point guard
minutes to some of the other guys as well.
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:So, uh, that is the versatility
that we were going to have to have.
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:you know, this year, next year,
the year like we have to have that.
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:So, but we also, you know, the injury
bug has kind of caused this situation.
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:I won't even say it as a negative.
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:It's just the situation we're
in and we'll, we'll try to
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:make do with what we have.
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:Mike: So, uh, I want to, in the past,
we've talked about different players.
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:Uh, well, we haven't talked
about Sean Durugordon that much.
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:Um, when he came in, everyone knew he was
like a talented scorer in the ISO mold.
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:But I don't think any of us expected him
to be this good on the offensive glass.
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:Um, has that surprised you?
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:Coach Mike Jones: No, not at all.
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:I mean, he averaged seven point
something rebounds a game last year.
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:Uh, it is some, he has
a knack for the ball.
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:Uh, he, he wants to be around,
like he, he's got a nose for it.
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:He, he, he knows what he's doing.
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:So, um, I, I want to make sure we
acknowledge like Sean, RJ and Steph
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:are incredible offensive rebounders.
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:And that is something that as they've
done a better job at it, we've had
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:the opportunity to be more successful.
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:So these are things we're gonna
need to see from them going
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:forward and it becomes contagious.
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:Um, you know, Vy gets into the
game the other day and immediately
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:gets an offensive rebound.
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:Like, you know, he's not one of
those guys that I just named, but
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:you know, it becomes contagious
guys just chasing the ball down.
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:So Um, you know, Sean is definitely,
I mean, I think literally he's like
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:ranked in the top 10 in the country
and offensive rebound percentage.
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:Um, and one of the highest
in terms of a guard doing it.
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:So, um, his, his nose for the ball is
something that is truly valuable to us.
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:And, um, we're going to need it.
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:We're going to need it.
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:Aaron: All right.
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:So let's talk about
rebounding a little bit more.
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:So obviously you've got.
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:Rebounding on the offensive end,
trying to get a second shot.
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:And then you've got on the defensive when
we're trying to start our possession.
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:I imagine the two are very
different or, or not very different,
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:but no different mentalities.
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:Can you talk to the fans a little
bit about rebounding overall?
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:You talk about , those three being really
good offensive rebounders, but we've been
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:talking about rebounding to this point
of the season as an opportunity for us.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, so I
think one of the things that
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:people have to remember and it's.
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:it's coaching.
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:Um, and if you talk to any coach
right now, just like a lot of coaches
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:will complain about, you know,
players today don't want to talk.
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:Well, players today also
don't like boxing out.
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:They just don't.
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:It's not, you know, I guess at younger
levels, it's not taught as much anymore.
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:And if you were to poll coaches, you
know, that's gonna be in the top five.
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:issues that they have.
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:Um, having a knack for the ball and boxing
out are two totally different things.
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:Um, the guys that a lot of times someone
who's such a great offensive rebounder
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:is not a great defensive rebounder
because of the lack of boxing out.
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:Um, we've got guys that are good
at one and we've got a couple of
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:guys that can be good at both.
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:Um, we need to be a much better
defensive rebounding team.
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:Um, for the way we play.
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:Um, and obviously any team wants to limit
scoring opportunities for their opponents.
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:So, um, we're okay, but
we could be a lot better.
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:And that is one of the areas that as
the season goes along, we need to keep
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:making strides at amongst other things.
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:But our defensive rebound of being one of
them and then still to be as you know, you
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:call it reckless, just have that reckless
abandon going after offensive rebounds.
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:Mike: Now, continuing on this whole
thing of hitting up players that have
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:I've been doing some good things lately.
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:Cal has been a menace on the blocks.
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:Um, he also seems to get, be
looking more and more comfortable
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:every game in the offensive set.
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:Um, I know he had an off season
surgery or injury and maybe that
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:delayed his impact on the game, but
it seems to be growing with each game.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah,
he's getting better.
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:He's getting more and more
comfortable again, just reminding
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:everybody like he didn't play.
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:you know, last two years at
Maryland, he did not play.
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:Um, you know, he spot minute
here, spot minute there.
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:But for the most part, you know,
he went out there, filed a couple
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:of guys and came right back out.
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:He went out there, gave Julian
Reese a breather and came back out.
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:So, you know, this is his first
Time in college basketball, getting
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:the minutes that he is getting.
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:And I, you know, I'm very
happy with his progress.
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:Cal will acknowledge and I
will be the first one to say
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:he can get so much better.
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:Like there's so many things
that he can get better at, but
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:I mean, he's making progress.
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:Very happy to have his size.
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:Again, you talk about, you
know, national statistics.
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:He is you know, in the top 25
nationally in blocked shots.
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:Um, you know, he's, he's
doing a really good job.
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:His shooting percentage keeps going up.
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:You know, you're talking about
guys getting up extra free throws.
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:He's always in the gym
shooting free throws.
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:Um, you know, he's, he's,
he's working, he's working.
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:And if everyone you coach has his type of
work ethic, You, you, you got a chance to
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:be really good and, you know, hopefully
we have him around for another year after
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:this and he, he will leave his mark on
this program, uh, before he graduates.
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:Aaron: You're not kidding about
being out there early last game.
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:I was to the Ted almost two and a half
hours before and put two hours and
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:15 minutes and he was out there and,
um, and Robert was out there working.
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:And then, you know,
everybody else as well.
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:But, um,
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:Coach Mike Jones: yeah, I'm proud to
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:Aaron: realize,
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:Coach Mike Jones: yeah,
I'm proud of our guys.
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:I mean, literally the work that they
put in, like you can say what you
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:want, but you cannot deny that these
guys want to do things the right way.
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:Like we finished practice today with
just a, a talk about our fan base with
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:a talk about how blessed we are to play.
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:at ODU, how blessed we are
to play in the 757 with the
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:passion that our fan base has.
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:And, you know, every chance I get, I
remind our guys of that because it is
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:something that, you know, a lot of other
places you might just overlook that.
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:But we are lucky and for our fans to
know that these guys are working really
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:hard to, you know, we want to be great.
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:We want to be great.
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:We want to be great as
soon as we can be great.
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:Um, it is a process we have been
patient, but you know, these guys are
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:working really hard, really, really,
really hard, um, to, to, to have the
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:best season we can this year and to
lay the foundation for what we hope
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:will be years and years of success.
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:Aaron: You read my mind because
that was the first thing.
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:I don't even think you had sat down.
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:The post game presseer or the
other day that you made it a
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:point to talk about the crowd.
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:Coach Mike Jones: I mean, that
was, that was unbelievable.
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:That was unbelievable.
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:Um, you know, it's, it's
a Christmas break game.
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:Like no students are here, like, you
know, a lot of people with family.
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:So there's so many other
things you can be doing.
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:And I mean, I, my expectation was that
the crowd wasn't going to be great.
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:Um, you know, we had just played a
Louisiana Monroe and no offense to
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:them, but like, I mean, there was.
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:50 people there.
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:Um, we don't have to worry about that.
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:Like, we don't like our fans
are going to show up for us.
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:And like, I mean, come on, like, there's
a lot of places that just can't say that.
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:And like, I was just so happy to see.
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:how many people were there and
even those that were there to
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:root for Virginia Wesleyan.
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:It was just an unbelievable
college basketball environment.
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:And, uh, again, I'm so
proud to be the ODU coach.
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:And again, I'm, I'm busting my ass, man,
to try to make sure that we do everything
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:we can to, to, to, to, to make sure our
fan base has something that they deserve.
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:Um, and that's a, that's
a winning program.
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:Mike: I'm going to back you up on the
fans thing because I saw an update today.
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:We are leading the Sun Belt in attendance
again, coming off a seven win year.
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:Obviously, you coming in brought some
excitement, but that is a testament
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:to our fan base, and we know we can
get better, which is the cool part.
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:Like, this isn't our top of
how our fan base should be.
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:This is like the low end of our attendance
is she should only go up from here.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Well, and I agree
with that, but to be honest with
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:you, like the fans can get better.
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:Yeah, but we need to
be better on the floor.
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:We need to be better.
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:We need to make fans excited to
want to come to the games and it's
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:not hey, let's go root on our guys.
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:Just how about we were excited
to go root on our guys.
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:Like this game is going to be exciting.
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:This game is going to be like,
you're going to see things.
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:And to be honest with you, we are
laying the foundation for that.
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:You know, even the games that we have not
won at, at Chartway, you know, you know,
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:a one point loss, the first game, an eight
point loss to GW, a four point loss or
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:three, whatever it was to Northeastern,
but we're in every single one of those.
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:And like I, I love it
like I want some blowouts.
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:I want to win by a lot and not have to
worry about it in the last 10 minutes.
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:But if every game comes down to
that, like again, I like our chances.
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:Our fans are willing us on
our fans are making sure that
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:we're going to keep fighting.
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:We're not going to quit and our
fans make that a lot easier.
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:So, you know, in turn, we got to
be able to reward and, and, and
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:represent them the right way.
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:And that's, you know, we're going
to continue to work to get better.
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:Mike: Well, speaking of blowouts, um,
I'm not sure what was said at halftime
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:of the Virginia Wesleyan game, but that's
second half, man, you guys put it on them.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.
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:I mean, I, I'm not one of these,
like these guys know, like, uh,
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:if I've got their fire and brimstone
speech, we're going to use that
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:when we're playing for something
like these guys know, like, I think
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:we prepare, um, we work our rear
ends off in terms of film prep and
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:scouting reports and things like that.
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:Like we, we prepare our guys.
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:Um, I don't have to come in at halftime
and custom out or anything like that.
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:Um, if I ever do that, they'll
know that I really mean it.
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:I, I can't be like that a hundred
percent of the time and it be as
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:effective each and every time.
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:So, um, you know, I trust that
we're preparing them the right way.
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:Um, we're instilling in them the
things that will, you know, last
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:no matter who we're playing, where
we're playing, how we're playing.
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:But, um, it was just literally
them coming out in the second half.
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:And, you know, our
defense was really good.
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:And we made shots and it was so great
to see those guys get in at the end.
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:Um, the guys that work so
hard, so shout out to them too.
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:Aaron: All right.
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:So when you have a game like that, and
you've got some breathing space, you're
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:able to go deeper into your bench and two
guys that we saw more than we've seen.
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:Um, or was Caden and Vy.
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:Can you talk to fans a little bit
about those two guys and kind of
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:where they are in their progress of
working up to get more on the floor.
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:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, they're
both, they're getting better.
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:Um, they're just like the rest of us, like
they're getting better every single day.
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:Uh, Caden Diggs, man, like he's, he's,
he's chomping at the bit and had our
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:games and the game flow of our games
gone a little bit differently, he would
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:have had the opportunity to play more.
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:And this is not a knock against Caden,
what I'm about to say, but the games
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:were coming down to one possession.
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:And like, Literally having the value
each and every possession, like it
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:has definitely started their growth
a little bit and, um, for Vy as well,
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:but as we're getting more comfortable,
they're able to do more now injuries
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:and the way the season goes is also
providing more of an opportunity for them.
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:Um, and as we go through
some belt play and.
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:Yeah, I think both of those guys
are getting well, well rehearsed
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:and what Sun Belt and how
physical college basketball is.
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:Um, you know, they'll have opportunities
for their minutes to increase.
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:Um, and, and I'm looking forward,
looking forward to that because they
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:both can help us win some games.
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:And again, they're freshmen, they're
freshmen, they're in a different
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:circumstance, if this was year three,
a freshman maybe gets to play through
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:some of the mistakes a little bit
more because he's got four guys around
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:him that truly know what is expected
and how I want it done this year.
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:Just, it's been different.
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:And it's not fair, but
it's just, it's reality.
390
:So, but I've tried to stay in
both of those guys ears, letting
391
:them know that, hey, just keep
working, keep working, keep working.
392
:Their attitudes are great.
393
:Their attitudes are unbelievable.
394
:Um, and again, their, their day is coming.
395
:They both got to play a
little bit more last game.
396
:I don't see any reason why that
won't continue going forward.
397
:Mike: All right.
398
:A couple episodes ago, we talked
about, um, how you're, Teaching the
399
:concepts you're trying to install
and how you're going to break it down
400
:to more like simple steps, learning
one part of the concept until they
401
:can figure out the entire concept.
402
:And if we looked at game one versus
the last couple of games, the
403
:offense looks completely different.
404
:Because of that, I think, um,
how is, how far along are we in
405
:installing the entire offense?
406
:Is there a lot more to go?
407
:Or, um, I'm just interested because it
is much more like, I'm not trying to
408
:be hard on you, but the team basketball
is clearly growing each game and it's,
409
:it's, it's, it's, it's good to see.
410
:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, I laugh because
uh, it's the head coach's dilemma.
411
:It's I want to do all of these things.
412
:I want to do all these things that I
think are cool and these are the way
413
:this is the way kids want to play.
414
:Like this is exciting and you
know, we can throw this live
415
:and get a dunk in the crowd.
416
:Like I've got all these
things that I want to do.
417
:But then you have to decide what can you
do and what can you do to be effective?
418
:And it is the internal
struggle that I go through.
419
:I've gone through it for 25 years.
420
:Um, and it takes my staff to pull me back
sometimes like, hey, hey, hey, coach.
421
:So, um, so that's why I'm laughing
because, I mean, this is literally
422
:a I won't say daily, but a weekly
conversation, uh, we are getting better.
423
:Uh, we are deeper into the
playbook, but we have so much more.
424
:Um, it is, there are so many things that
I think we're going to be capable to do.
425
:There's, I mean, you gotta remember
too, like some of it is personnel based.
426
:Some of it is based upon.
427
:The health of your team.
428
:Um, and you know, I, I think there's
some things that I like to do right now
429
:that I can't do until we have a full
roster of exactly what we want, but
430
:I love the players we have and we're
tweaking what we would like to do.
431
:to what we can do, what this team can do.
432
:Um, and I think it is showing its
versatility, but there's so much
433
:more that we'd like to do and we
will be able to do in the future.
434
:Aaron: All right.
435
:So in a couple of days, Arkansas
State is coming in a state.
436
:They're 10 and three really good team.
437
:They, you know, narrowly lost number
two Alabama earlier this year.
438
:They beat Memphis ranked Memphis team.
439
:I know that you've been watching Lots
of, I guess it wouldn't be film now.
440
:I don't know.
441
:Watching electronic media on these guys.
442
:Um, can you talk to the fans a little
bit about a state and what they're
443
:going to see when these guys come in?
444
:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.
445
:I mean, they're tough.
446
:They're very well coached.
447
:They play really, really hard.
448
:Um, they've got a little
bit of everything.
449
:Uh, they've got shooters.
450
:They've got guys that drive the
ball and finish their athletic.
451
:They, they're very, uh, disciplined on
the defensive end in terms of, just their
452
:physicality and, and, and like they're,
they're united, they're connected.
453
:Um, I'm proud of our team and where we've
come and I am looking forward to Thursday.
454
:We get a chance to, I mean, I called him,
I think I called him the big bad wolf and
455
:you know, I know that That's their mascot.
456
:And I didn't mean it, you
know, any derogatory way.
457
:But I mean, they're, they're, they're
picked to win the conference and we have
458
:aspirations and, you know, to be able
to go against them on our home floor.
459
:Uh, I'm looking forward to Thursday.
460
:I just, we have one more day to prep
and, uh, we'll be ready to get after it.
461
:Um, I hope that we do everything we can
to make the game as good as it should be.
462
:Mike: Saturday.
463
:We host Southern Miss who, uh,
they are one of the conference
464
:favorites leading into the season,
but they've struggled lately.
465
:Uh, what can you tell us?
466
:I mean, I don't think you've looked at
them yet, but, uh, what can you tell
467
:us what you know about this program?
468
:Coach Mike Jones: So, uh, I actually did
get a chance to watch them last night
469
:because they played on TV last night.
470
:So in my preparation, I had Arkansas State
on my laptop and Southern Miss on TV.
471
:So I got to watch a little bit of them.
472
:And I think the biggest thing with
them is Andre Cabello, first preseason,
473
:first team, all league member had
not played Since maybe the 3rd or
474
:4th game of the season and last
night he played for the 1st time.
475
:So, um, they were missing him for
almost 10 games, if not a little
476
:bit more than that, and he's back.
477
:So, um, you know, they were 1 of the
preseason favorites for a reason.
478
:He was a huge part of that.
479
:And now that he's back and healthy
and playing, um, he does provide
480
:a definitely a, a different.
481
:Southern Miss team because he's
because he's active and available.
482
:Aaron: So I just want to take
a quick step back, Coach.
483
:It's OK to call him the big bad wolf
because I don't know if this is true
484
:or not, but I'm going to say it's true.
485
:It's I'm a Washington Commanders fan.
486
:I haven't had a lot to
cheer for over those.
487
:a long time.
488
:I don't like the team name.
489
:And when they were trying to figure
out what they were gonna call
490
:him, Red Wolves was an option.
491
:Coach Mike Jones: Yes, true.
492
:That is.
493
:Aaron: Yes.
494
:And I don't know if this is true, but I
heard I don't know where I heard it, but
495
:I heard that it was a trademark issue that
kept that from being seriously considered.
496
:So To me, they are the big bad
wolves because they, they, my
497
:team has got a crappy name now.
498
:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.
499
:Yeah.
500
:So, um, I was actually, I'm a
huge Commanders fan as well.
501
:Um, and I didn't even mind the whole
Washington Football Team thing.
502
:Like I didn't mind it at all.
503
:So, um, I'm with you on that
and you know, quick side note.
504
:So I played in North Dakota.
505
:for the Dakota Wizards.
506
:Um, they were the Wizards before the
Washington Wizards were the Wizards and
507
:a similar situation where there were
trademark issues that I guess at the time
508
:Abe Pollin and his company paid the money
to be able to have the Wizards as a name.
509
:Um, so, you know, like I said, I
played on the original Wizards, um,
510
:team, but, uh, So, yeah, I, I've
been on the other side of that before
511
:Mike: next time.
512
:You can just say I played for the
Wizards and not add any context to it.
513
:Coach Mike Jones: I don't do that.
514
:I actually had a couple of
coffee with the Indiana Pacers.
515
:I'm very proud of that.
516
:Um, but yeah, I'm not, I'm
not going to be out here.
517
:Mike: Well, it's not fibbing.
518
:It's the truth.
519
:It's just misleading a little bit.
520
:Uh, coach, we appreciate
your time tonight.
521
:Uh, we, we can't wait for this week.
522
:Two games at Chartway Arena, both
conference foes, both talented teams.
523
:Uh, excited to see what
we can do against them.
524
:Uh, get out to Chartway, root on the
Monarchs and have a happy new year.
525
:Thanks again, coach.
526
:Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.
527
:Appreciate it.
528
:Happy new year to Monarch Nation.
529
:And, uh, you know, we'd love
to see you guys out Thursday.
530
:Um, most important game on our schedule.
531
:And then if you ask me on
Friday, Saturday, Is the most
532
:important game on our schedule.
533
:Um, we do need Monarch Nation.
534
:We are so happy and blessed to
be able to represent you guys.
535
:But, uh, having you guys in the building
this weekend would be tremendous.
536
:Go monarchs,
537
:Aaron: Go Monarchs!
538
:Mike: Go Monarchs, join The Pride of ODU.