Old Dominion Basketball Head Coach Mike Jones joins The Monarchists Basketball Show for an honest, in-depth conversation about where the Monarchs stand as Sun Belt play heats up. Coach Jones breaks down the challenges of a tough non-conference schedule, early-game struggles, offensive flow, defensive execution, rebounding analytics, lineup decisions, and the leadership emerging inside the locker room. He also previews a massive matchup with Georgia Southern and addresses fan questions head-on — from slow starts to young player development to Sun Belt scheduling frustrations. Despite the bumps, one thing is clear: everything the Monarchs want to accomplish is still right in front of them.

🎙️ Real talk. Real insight. Real Monarch basketball.

👇 Get involved, drop your thoughts in the comments, and Go Monarchs.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – The Pride of ODU & Show Intro

01:00 – Season reflection since Villanova 02:15 – Non-conference scheduling & roster health

03:40 – JMU win, Coastal & App State lessons 05:10 – Slow starts & early-game focus issues

07:40 – Defensive execution & rebounding fundamentals

10:00 – Offensive flow & ball movement concerns

13:00 – Injuries, rotations & continuity challenges

15:10 – Analytics: box-outs, crashing & idle possessions

18:45 – “I’m gonna get mine” offense discussed

20:40 – Leadership emerging on the roster

24:00 – Young players, rotations & Zacch Wiggins

30:00 – Special teams in basketball & execution lapses

33:10 – What Coach wants to see in the next 3 games

36:00 – Georgia Southern scouting report

40:10 – Sun Belt scheduling frustrations

42:40 – Message to Monarch Nation & closing thoughts

the following presentation is brought to you by The Pride of

2

ODU, the official NIL collective

of Old Dominion Athletics.

3

Be a Monarchist.

4

Join The Pride.

5

Aaron: Monarch Nation, welcome back

to The Monarchists Basketball Show.

6

As always, my partner in

crime, Mike Langston and

7

welcome back to the Show Coach.

8

How are you doing today?

9

Coach Mike Jones: Doing great, fellas.

10

How you guys.

11

Aaron: Not bad at all.

12

Not bad.

13

Coach Mike Jones: Happy New Year.

14

Aaron: All right.

15

So happy New Year to you too.

16

Mike: Happy New Year.

17

Aaron: So it's been a little bit, little

bit since we've had a chance to talk.

18

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

19

Aaron: Uh, I think probably going back

all the way to the Villanova game.

20

So obviously without going into

too much too many details 'cause

21

there's a lot of games there.

22

What are your thoughts so far

from that point until today with

23

how things are coming along?

24

Coach Mike Jones: You know, there there's

a level of frustration that I have

25

some of it, you know, self-inflicted

by ourselves and in some of it just

26

the circumstances, um, that we've

had to deal with you know, when we

27

put our schedule together, especially

focusing on the non-conference part and.

28

And where we played, when we played,

uh, how frequently we played and all

29

of that you know, we, we, we made those

plans with a healthy roster in mind.

30

And,

31

you know, as, as much as we can help it,

like we, we just, we weren't healthy.

32

I still think we got out of.

33

Some of those games, what we

wanted to get out of it in terms

34

of our preparation for our league.

35

So, you know, we kind of have been

stating that we've been pointing to it.

36

Like everything we went through

in the non-conference part was to

37

prepare us for, , what we are hoping

to be one heck of a Sun Belt season.

38

You know, starting out beating JMU,

you know, you know really good.

39

Execution really good.

40

I felt like we were prepared when we

went out and, you know, in a single

41

digit win, you know, we were up double

figures most of the second half.

42

So, felt really good about that.

43

Didn't necessarily answer the bell,

uh, at times during the coastal game.

44

So, you know, you put yourself

in the one-to-one in the Sun Belt

45

season, and then obviously yesterday.

46

Just putting yourself in a hole and,

and trying to fight back from that,

47

um, against a team that you just

can't do that against in App State.

48

So now we're staring one in the, we're

standing at one and two and, and staring

49

at having a three and oh, Georgia

Southern team come in here on Saturday.

50

So, everything that we want out of

this season is still ahead of us.

51

It's, it's, , we got work to do.

52

And , myself, our staff and our players,

none of us are shying away from that.

53

So, in a nutshell, that's where we are.

54

We're fighting every single day

and, , and we're, we're gonna keep

55

attacking this until we get it right

56

Mike: now with that tough

non-conference schedule.

57

. Obviously as a coach you gotta, your

team needs to learn how to win, right?

58

Coach Mike Jones: Mmm hmm..

59

Mike: How do you balance those

challenges and showing them, look,

60

these are very good teams we're playing.

61

Don't worry about the result.

62

This is all building towards something.

63

How do you balance that out with

the need to learning how to win?

64

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, so again, when we

made the schedule, it wasn't like we were,

65

I mean, we, we wanted to win all of those

games, so, it's not like we were saying,

66

Hey guys, we're gonna go up here and

we're gonna get a good lesson out of this.

67

We're not gonna win the game, but

we'll take something away from it.

68

Like, we win in every one of those games.

69

Like, Hey, we're trying to win.

70

We're trying to win.

71

Handcuffed a little bit, but

again, because of the injuries.

72

, Going to a couple of games, we had two to

four I think, or five games we had to go

73

through without KC going to three or four

games we had to go through without lj.

74

, Not having a hundred percent Rob,

, he's still not a hundred percent,

75

but like early on it was kind of

crazy, , he just, he wasn't himself.

76

Um, and then the Nixon bruises here

and there with, with everybody else.

77

So, it just, it, it

didn't pan out the way we.

78

Had planned it to.

79

But again, we do think that the, the,

the purpose of us playing the tough

80

schedule we had was preparing us.

81

And again, that, that's, I think

it still remains to be seen.

82

I am incredibly frustrated by the first

three games, even with the WIN versus

83

JMU, uh, against Coastal and against app.

84

We, we, we've been in games like that.

85

We've been in games that physical,

we've been in games that there

86

was a lesson to be learned there.

87

And the biggest one is like just not

getting punched in the mouth from the jump

88

ball where we're you're playing catch up.

89

And we have not responded, uh,

the way that I've wanted to.

90

So again, that's, that's

something we have to improve.

91

Aaron: So.

92

As a podcast for fans by fans, we get a

lot of folks that come up to us and ask

93

us questions or give us feedback some

good, some bad, some unsolicited and,

94

and we keep an eye out on social media.

95

I, I would get rid of my social media if

it wasn't for this podcast, to be honest.

96

But one, one of the common kind of.

97

Social media tweets that we, we see is for

example, I'm reading one here, "we compete

98

hard but can't guard the start of games.

99

Slow starts are killing us."

100

What can you do when, so we've

had a number of slow starts and

101

obviously you know, you can't,

you can't play a half a basketball

102

before you start a basketball game.

103

What are some things that.

104

That, that we can do to try to either

decrease the, the length of a slow

105

start or to eliminate slow starts.

106

Coach Mike Jones: So, you know, we kind

of went through this last year, I think

107

on a much grander scale last year.

108

I think the slow starts

were every single game.

109

We haven't had a slow

start every game this year.

110

But last year it was like.

111

It's getting to that point now, but it,

it's not quite the epidemic that last year

112

was, and we changed the way we warmed up.

113

Uh, we changed the way we started games

in terms of the actions we were running.

114

Um, and these are things that

we're, , are all on the table now

115

for us in terms like we understand.

116

We start out better.

117

Like again, like I, I don't pretend

that Maryland wasn't what Maryland

118

was, but you know, you start out 17.0

119

and you lose the game by 15.

120

That says a lot about what

the rest of the game was.

121

, We start out in a huge hole against

app and you lose by eight that let you

122

know what the rest of the game was.

123

Um, and we've had a few games like that.

124

So, you know, I go back to

Villanova, , Villanova, we're, we're

125

up four, nothing, maybe six, nothing.

126

And if we just get a rebound, we

have a play call that worked every

127

single time we ran it against them.

128

We're probably going up eight,

nothing, or nine, nothing like

129

we, we've shown that we can.

130

It's, it's literally, and, and I'm

not, it's literally just a focus.

131

It is a focus.

132

Most teams don't score on us in

their first possession because

133

we know what they're running.

134

We've prepared to guard it.

135

We guard it very well.

136

, We usually rebound the first one,

then we go down, and then it's

137

almost like the real game starts.

138

And, and that's the part that we

just have not done a great job of.

139

, You can look at it and, , I, I

would challenge anybody like.

140

Game plan defensively, we've been,

I'm happy with where we've been.

141

It's the individual one-on-one defense.

142

It's the.

143

We got a great defensive possession.

144

Now we just gotta go get

the ball off the backboard.

145

It's the guarding without fouling

and put the other team on the line.

146

It's the, hey, we, we've repped,

we've talked about like, this guy's

147

gonna get in the lane and he's

gonna shot fake and pivot and shot.

148

Fake and pivot.

149

Don't go for the shot fakes.

150

Make him have to shoot over you.

151

Um, but it's, I mean, it's easier

said than done sometimes, like.

152

You leave your feet and

then he jumps into you.

153

Now he's on the free throw line.

154

It's just, it's all of these little,

little things that like, it, it, it

155

becomes frustrating because you know

that we've talked about it, we've

156

prepared for it, but again, I am not.

157

This isn't this, this isn't, I'm not

saying this is on the players, like solely

158

like, yo, we need to do, continue to

work, to just have it embedded in them.

159

Like, this is what we're doing, this

is how we're guarding it, the and, and,

160

and, and to require the execution of it.

161

Um, I know sometimes fans get curious.

162

I'll say about who's in the

game, who's not in the game.

163

And the one thing, or one of the things

that fans don't know is like, Hey,

164

like if Aaron, you made a mistake and

we've worked on, worked on this exact

165

thing with you for the last three

days, like at some point in time like,

166

Hey, we gotta give Mike a chance.

167

The frustrating part is when we

put Mike in and Mike makes the

168

same exact mistake that Aaron made.

169

And it's like, Mike, like, come on.

170

Like, and, and again, like for our guys,

it's, I mean, they're trying like, it,

171

it is not like they're saying, well, I

ain't gonna do what I'm supposed to do.

172

Like, they're really trying.

173

It is just, it's, it's that extra oomph

that we need and we see it in spurts.

174

There's been a few games where we've

seen it for long periods of time.

175

We saw it against JMU

for long periods of time.

176

We were clearly focused and locked in.

177

And it's just that fine line of guys

just like really embracing a game

178

plan and, and, and really like making

it the end all be all of everything.

179

And then guys that just, you know,

they, they know what the game plan

180

is and yes, I'm gonna do that.

181

They're also like, you know, I, I wanna

play, I wanna play, I wanna, I wanna play

182

instinctually sometimes and not always

thinking, well in college basketball,

183

like it, it's a fine line there.

184

And yes, there's sometimes where you

do want your guys to just react, but

185

sometimes we pick the wrong time for that.

186

Mike: All right.

187

So we talked a little bit about

the slow starts or just like the,

188

just the lulls and the offense.

189

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

190

Mike: Against App yesterday there

was, I mean, we're running a lot

191

of single high and double high

screens, but I noticed three guys

192

on the wing just standing still.

193

Is there a play in your offense

where three guys should be

194

standing still at any time?

195

Coach Mike Jones: No.

196

Simple answer.

197

No.

198

Um.

199

Again, I'm, I'm, I don't ever want to

come across like, oh man, it's his fault.

200

It's his fault.

201

It's their fault.

202

It's their fault.

203

Like it's, I've gotta do, we've gotta

do a better job of just, , obviously

204

preparing them, which I think we do.

205

And then like holding them to.

206

Like, Hey, if you're not doing

it, you can't be in the game.

207

Like, and, and that's the tough part

because we do have such talented guys.

208

I think the biggest thing for

me is you can look at, like,

209

just take yesterday for example.

210

You know, would you guys be happy

if I told you we had 17 assists

211

and eight turnovers in a game?

212

Any game?

213

Would you guys be happy with that?

214

Aaron: I would think that you

had probably won that game.

215

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, so

that's what we were yesterday.

216

We had 17 assists.

217

We had eight turnovers.

218

The problem was, as, as the game

flowed, the physicality of it, there

219

was just way too much standing.

220

They did a really good job of

switching up defense, throwing

221

some zone, throwing some man.

222

They play that pack line.

223

We've seen it before.

224

It, it, it's.

225

It is finding that rhythm with

the ball movement and the spacing.

226

We have such good offensive players

that are phenomenal when they're

227

connected and playing together.

228

We have offensive players that

are really good, but especially

229

against a team like app, but against

most college basketball teams.

230

If you're just doing it or

trying to do it by yourself.

231

The other team is prepared for that.

232

Like you, you can't do that.

233

And again, there's a fine line 'cause you

want guys to be comfortable and to flow.

234

But when the ball's moving

for ODU, we are amazing.

235

When the ball gets stuck and you have guys

standing, we're just, we're not that good.

236

And.

237

It, it, it, it, it gets

contagious both ways.

238

When the ball's moving, an extra pass

is made, the shot's made, everybody's

239

hype, everybody's encouraging.

240

We're probably gonna come

down and do that again.

241

When the ball gets stuck and somebody

dribbles a lot and takes a one-on-one

242

move, that gets contagious too.

243

Like now the next person is going to do

the same thing, and that is the part that

244

we're, we're trying to get away from, and.

245

Again, we have incredibly

talented players that

246

it, it, it is just been a struggle, and

again, I'm blaming is not what I'm doing

247

here, but the, the fact that we have had

the injuries we've had, it has stunted

248

the growth of the minutes of continuity.

249

That we need.

250

And you know, you get KC to come

back, but then LJ goes right

251

back out now LJ's coming back and

we gotta get him back into it.

252

You know, we started the season,

Rob wasn't even a starter, but

253

we know how important Rob is.

254

We know the gravity he requires.

255

We know his IQ level is tremendous.

256

His value is much more than just

him shooting, but getting him on the

257

floor with those four other guys.

258

Has been difficult because

of the health of everybody.

259

You know, you get games where Cael

is really, really, really good and

260

you, you want him to get touches and

you want him to be able to do some

261

of the things that he can do, and

then you get games where, you know,

262

maybe it's just not going as well for.

263

Um, and you're trying to integrate

all of that into this big pot,

264

honestly, like that's what coaching is.

265

That's what I love about it.

266

And that's what has been frustrating

though, because it has not gone to

267

plan consistently enough for us to

not have this, the record we have.

268

Aaron: So.

269

Speaking of coaching, I, I

wrote down three questions.

270

I'm not gonna ask 'em all right now.

271

We'll, we'll, we'll weave

them in with you, Mike.

272

But last night in the post-game

press conference, you mentioned

273

that you were gonna have analytics

waiting for you by the time that you

274

got to the, to the, to your house.

275

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

276

Aaron: A couple of them that you

mentioned that you look at all the time.

277

One was box outs for the people who

didn't get the chance to listen.

278

To the postgame, presser, boxing

out whether a player is, has a

279

bad box out, a good box out or,

280

Coach Mike Jones: or no box out

281

Aaron: maybe isn't box outing at all?

282

Coach Mike Jones: Correct.

283

Aaron: Uh, and the other one was

after a shot, whether they're

284

crashing the boards, they're getting

back on defense or they're idling.

285

Coach Mike Jones: Yep.

286

Aaron: So can you talk a

little bit more about that?

287

Coach Mike Jones: Very

disappointed in the numbers I got.

288

Very disappointed in the numbers I

got and again, I, I think with some

289

context like that question was asked

and we kind of, you know, touched

290

on how well we thought we did on the

backboards versus Maryland and just in

291

comparison going against an App State

team who's bigger, but I mean, Maryland.

292

They're, they're, they're their

savages going after rebounds.

293

So like this, this is

the same type of thing.

294

And the analytics were,

were, they were horrible.

295

They were absolutely horrible in

terms of just the phy physicality

296

required for college basketball.

297

The physicality required for

Sun Belt basketball and then

298

the physicality required for App

State are three different levels.

299

And the level we needed to be

yesterday, we were nowhere near that.

300

I mean, I, it, it was worse

than 50 50 in terms of good box

301

out back, box out or idling.

302

And I mean, that's your own defense.

303

You can't do that.

304

You cannot do that.

305

Um, and then yesterday, I know some of

the biggest moments in the game where I

306

was frustrated was the lack of crashing.

307

For guys that are designated

to be crashers for us just

308

standing and just like shot goes

up and the, the no movement.

309

And again, like it's not the easiest

thing to do all the time, but you

310

know, in a game where we're scrapping

to get back in it, we have to

311

like, we have to have that element.

312

And one of the things that we

were really good at last year was

313

offensive rebounding and crashing.

314

We have more guys capable of doing

that this year than we had a year ago.

315

So when we don't do it,

it it's, it's crazy to me.

316

So yeah, like, so just off of those

analytics, and again, like I get

317

a little bit of everything and you

know where our shots come from,

318

what plays we called and what works,

you know, points per possession.

319

If you have a play that

you run five times and you.

320

Average one point per time you run it.

321

That's a play you probably

need to run more of.

322

If you have a play that you

know, you're, you're scoring 0.5

323

points per time you run it.

324

Either you need to tweak the play

or you probably need to scrap that.

325

And like, you know, we

go through all of that.

326

We have it for last night, we have it for.

327

All of our Sun Belt games, we have it for

our last five games that we've played,

328

and then we have it for the entire season.

329

And we, we pay attention

to all of that stuff.

330

All of that stuff.

331

And it, it impacts your, your

cleanup from your previous game

332

and it impacts obviously your

planning for your next game.

333

Mike: So you mentioned how that, "I'm

gonna get mine" offense, um, can be

334

kind of con contagious, but it, it

leads to guy standing around, right?

335

Mm-hmm.

336

Does that ultimately lead to guys standing

around when the shot goes up and they end

337

up ball watching the whole possession?

338

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.

339

Like if the three of us are on the

team, and Mike, you and I are sitting

340

there and we're watching Aaron, you

know, quote unquote do his thing.

341

Like, yeah, like especially, and

again, like our guys love each other

342

like this, this is the closest team

that I've been around in a few years.

343

The coach, closest college basketball

team I've ever been around.

344

You know, in terms of as a coach

like these guys love each other.

345

They spend all their free time

together and things like that.

346

So there's no dynamic where.

347

I, I think it's purposeful or like, I'm

not gonna pass Aaron the ball or anything

348

like that, but I mean, it's human nature.

349

Like if a place called for me and Aaron

has it, and Aaron doesn't run the play

350

correctly, for me to be able to get

the shot I'm supposed to get or get

351

the ball where I'm supposed to get it.

352

I mean, it's human nature to

have some frustration there.

353

And that's the part where,

again, I use it for everything.

354

But that's definitely one of those

things where I can see that frustration

355

and you can see me on the sideline,

you know, Hey, next play, next play.

356

Like, don't worry about it.

357

Like, you know, I heard, and I'm gonna use

the word ignorance, but I've heard a quote

358

that says, , "don't attribute to malice,

what can be attributed to ignorance."

359

Like don't think the guy's

doing it to spite you.

360

He just made the wrong play and the next

time you get it and it's for him, we don't

361

need you to pay him back, so to speak.

362

And in basketball, that's one of

those things that you know, every

363

team deals with at some level.

364

, I'd bet on our guys not having this be

an issue consistently going forward.

365

But again, that's part of my job to,

to kind of get them out of that, that

366

the, the occurrences where that happens.

367

Mike: So coach in tough times like this,

leaders usually show themselves, has a

368

leader showed themself on this roster?

369

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah, we have.

370

So again, it,

371

we have a unique dynamic.

372

Because of the new guys being older, you

know, Rob, Cael and Steph specifically

373

being older guys that were here last year,

and again, this is college basketball

374

now, but you know, the ownership that

Rob, Cael and Steph have, like this is

375

our team that you are joining and then

the new guy's coming in saying, Hey.

376

My, excuse me, this is my last hurrah.

377

So I am like, I'm a leader and

I'm gonna, you know, purport

378

myself and step to the forefront.

379

And that dynamic, for the

most part is really good.

380

Every now and then there's a clash there,

but for the most part, it's really good.

381

You know, I, I'm,

382

I am.

383

Incredibly encouraged.

384

So at the end of the Maryland game

you know, Jordan Battle was not in

385

the game like, , Jordan Battle had.

386

Not had the best night.

387

So Jordan Battle was not in at the end

when we had five guys that, , played their

388

rear ends off to cut that thing down.

389

Uh, Big Cael wasn't in either.

390

So that's the factions, the two

factions I kind of just spoke to about.

391

That's one person from

each of those factions.

392

Cael has been here, he's a senior.

393

This is his last hurrah, and he has some

ownership of this team because of his.

394

Status as a returner Jordan Battle,

who clearly is one of our best players.

395

Great energy guy coming in.

396

This is his last hurrah, and he has some

ownership because of what's happening.

397

Well, neither one of those guys were

in the game, and if you came into any

398

huddle the last few minutes of that

game, those two would loudest guys.

399

Like they weren't in the game.

400

And I think they probably both figured

they're not going back into the game.

401

And it would've been very easy for

them both to just kind of fade to the

402

background, not say much, but both

of those guys were incredibly vocal,

403

incredibly encouraging for a game that

we weren't gonna win, but they were like,

404

and that's, that's what, that's what

gives me the outlook that I do have.

405

That is what encourages me.

406

That's what drives me because I do see.

407

, The aspects of a great team that we can

be, well, we do have aspects of it all

408

over the place, and it's just trying to

get all of those to, to come together.

409

So, I hope that answers your

question, Mike, but like I, we

410

do have leaders on this team.

411

Rob is, is a leader.

412

Like he, he's one of the most vocal

guys, Steph, who's not playing a game.

413

Is in practice every single day

trying to help guys and like make

414

sure guys see what they need to see.

415

LJ and Jordan specifically, like, you

know, the couple of commentators have

416

mentioned it, but like literally if

you, if you come to our practices,

417

you're just like, you don't know

our record is what our record is.

418

Like we are bouncing off the

walls, like we have great energy.

419

And that's not easy to

do with the frustrating.

420

Season we've had so far.

421

But again, this is what makes

me believe, and I'm not wrong.

422

Like this is what really makes me believe.

423

Like we just need, we, we just

need to get over the hump.

424

We need to get over the hump.

425

We need something to go well, we

need to feel good about ourselves.

426

We need to have some success

and watch how that snowballs.

427

, I'm looking forward to when that happens.

428

Aaron: I think we all are coach.

429

All right.

430

Another question that we

get is like, young guys.

431

So Zacch Wiggins a guy who

shows incredible future.

432

I mean, anybody who watches him for a

short period of time can tell the kid's.

433

Got it.

434

And eventually he's going to be a

phenomenal, phenomenal ball player.

435

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

436

Aaron: So the question comes

with regards to, you know.

437

Why isn't this guy getting more time?

438

Or why is this guy getting, you know,

whatever My question is more so like Zacch

439

goes, let's say, I'm just picking Zacch.

440

It could be any young guy.

441

Zacch goes into the game,

obviously he's a true freshman,

442

he's going to make mistakes.

443

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

444

Aaron: Even the most seasoned players

make mistakes, but the true freshman,

445

you're probably gonna make more.

446

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

447

Aaron: Right.

448

Sometimes we will, we will a coach,

pull that player out of the game.

449

Earlier than they would want to just

because of the opportunity, Hey,

450

I need to, I need to talk to this

player and let him know what he did

451

well or he didn't do well to correct.

452

And then get him back in when the

opportunity allows, as opposed to

453

just letting him play through it.

454

Or a fan will be like, why'd

they just pull 'em out?

455

Coach Mike Jones: Mm-hmm.

456

I, I get that frustration.

457

I frustrate myself with that.

458

Zacch needs to play.

459

Zacch needs to play and Zacch is

one of our better players, and

460

Zacch does do so many things.

461

So just for instance, like

it, it is, it's 6:00 PM now.

462

There's, you know, a couple

of Sun Belt games today.

463

One of them was at 1:00 PM today.

464

We ended practice at like 1258, and

myself and the scout team of Georgia

465

Southern, we went up to my office, threw

the game on TV and watched it and maybe.

466

10 minutes into the game, Zacch Wiggins

walks in the office and he had come up

467

to watch film with the coach, uh, with

one of the coaches and saw that we were

468

watching the Georgia Southern game.

469

So he sat down and watched the game

with us, and we were teasing him.

470

We were like, Hey man, you know, you don't

have to stay in here if you don't want to.

471

He stayed and then you could tell he

was kind of, at least my impression

472

that he was like, man, like shoot,

it's like seven minutes left.

473

I probably should just stay

for the rest of the game now.

474

Like, it'd be kinda weird

if I get up and leave now.

475

Well, the game went in overtime

and so when it went in overtime, I

476

was like, yeah, I bet you thought

you, you wish you would've left

477

like 10 minutes ago, don't you?

478

And he kinda laughed, but

he stayed the whole time.

479

And then even when the game was over with.

480

He didn't just get up and leave, like he

sat there and listened to the comments and

481

Coach Nadeau was kind of testing him like,

alright, so number 12, what does he do?

482

And then Coach Robinson was like,

Hey, like pointing out this and

483

like, it, it was really good.

484

And Zacch needs that.

485

Zacch needs that.

486

Zacch is a tremendous player who,

you know, for us really embracing.

487

Following the game plan is the step

that he needs to take the physicality of

488

college basketball that a lot of times

goes hand in hand with what the game plan

489

is, is the step that Zacch needs to take.

490

And he knows that and he

understands it, and, but.

491

To be honest, with any fan

that is wondering that I 100%

492

agree, Zacch needs to play more.

493

Uh, when Zacch plays, he produces, it's

just some of the mistakes are just at

494

the wrong time, and it's just like.

495

You know, the co, the way college

basketball works now, like if you

496

find a weakness in the other team, oh,

you're going at it as much as you can.

497

And you know, if you sit there, and

I'm not speaking specifically about

498

Zacch, I'm just talking in general now.

499

Like if Mike Jones is on defense and

Mike Jones clearly is struggling with

500

this ball screen, well, I'm gonna

run another play that puts Mike Jones

501

right back in that ball screen again.

502

And if he doesn't figure it

out, I'm gonna keep doing it.

503

And on the fly.

504

It's really hard to get somebody to

do it the right way without stopping,

505

without fouling, and getting them

out or without sub subbing 'em out.

506

So.

507

There's times you gotta

get 'em outta there.

508

Aaron: Yeah.

509

And, and I think what some

fans don't realize, it's,

510

it's not punitive in nature.

511

You're not pulling him

out because of that.

512

But what he sits down, whether, whether

you talk to him as, as you pull him

513

off, like right as he comes or he

sits down next to Jamal or whoever.

514

Like, I think that's what a lot of

folks don't realize too, is like

515

players are seated in particular places

516

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.

517

Aaron: For particular reasons that, and.

518

Coach Mike Jones: With the way it

goes now, like we can have a laptop

519

or an iPad or something on this.

520

You can actually show 'em,

like, you can show 'em like

521

yesterday, like we screwed up.

522

We in the first half perfectly guarded

their out of bounds underneath place.

523

Things that we had gone

over, things that we like.

524

This is the way we're guarding this.

525

Like, excuse me, it's

not super complicated.

526

Like this is what we're doing.

527

Did it perfectly in the second half.

528

One player did the opposite

of what he was supposed to do.

529

They got a layup.

530

And for me it's like special teams.

531

Like if somebody fumbles

a punt, you know what?

532

He's probably not gonna return punts much.

533

If someone just keeps making so yesterday

like that, that's what that, that's

534

special teams for me out of bounds

and pressure offense and defense,

535

those are special teams in basketball.

536

You can't make a special teams mistake.

537

On my team and like, you gotta come out

because these are things that, again,

538

the, the, the coaches have prepared.

539

We've gone over it, we've watched the

film on it, we've walked through it.

540

We've walked through it the day

of the game and shoot around.

541

This is the way we're

gonna guard something.

542

The frustration for me yesterday

was you take that young man

543

out and put somebody else in.

544

Situation comes again, same exact

play, and the guy you put in.

545

Makes the same exact mistake and both of

them in the first half did it perfectly.

546

So the like, and I just get so

like, so again, Aaron, you show

547

me, you can do it right Mike,

you show me you can do it right.

548

Why won't we do it

right every single time?

549

And I have given them an out.

550

I'm just like, look, I want you to do

it this way if this way doesn't work.

551

You can immediately look at me and

be like, coach, that's your fault.

552

Like I, Hey, I'm right there.

553

I'll take the bullet for it.

554

But when you don't do it the way I

ask you to do it, it's still my fault.

555

But like you, like,

what are we doing here?

556

Like, go left, don't go right.

557

If you go left because I told you

to go left and it doesn't work.

558

You know what I did, what

my coach told me to do.

559

But if you go right.

560

Even though I told you to go left

and it doesn't work, like No.

561

And then the other part that

again, is the frustrating part

562

as a coach is you go right,

563

but your four teammates think

you're supposed to go left.

564

So how does that work?

565

How can it work?

566

Let's just say you're right and you're

much better going right than you are

567

going left, but everybody on your team

knows that you're supposed to go left.

568

So when you go right, what's supposed

to be there is not gonna be there

569

because the other four guys on the court

know that you're supposed to go left.

570

So like there's that.

571

And that's where, that's uh, unfortunately

that's where we are sometimes.

572

And guys like that, again, that's,

that's the frustrating part for me.

573

That's the frustrating part for our guys.

574

'cause they, you know,

they, they wanna win.

575

They, they're trying, they're trying.

576

So it, it is what it is.

577

Mike: All right, coach.

578

We've had you for the usual half hour.

579

We got three games this next week.

580

One against Georgia Southern and then

two on the road against Coastal and JMU.

581

Obviously we all wanna go 3-0, but

if you, if there's just one thing

582

you wanna see on the court in these

three games, what would it be?

583

Coach Mike Jones: I'm, I'm going to

cheat and give you two answers in one.

584

I want to have gr great

starts, not just good starts.

585

I want to have great starts and

that is coupled with offensijve

586

and defensive execution.

587

If we can have great starts to not put

ourselves in a hole like we're competitors

588

like, and you look up and you're right

there, we're, we're gonna be just fine.

589

One, two, if we can execute on both

ends of the floor, again, that helps us

590

have that great start, but that also.

591

It gives us that confidence that we

need offensively if that ball can get

592

to moving, if we can space the floor,

like if you're watching us play and

593

guys are creeping out of the corners

to move towards the basketball, like

594

we're teaching them to not do that

because of KCs ability to drive,

595

because of LJ's, ability to drive,

because of Jordan's ability to drive,

596

because of Zacch's ability to drive.

597

The higher you move up.

598

The more that your defender

gets to be in the gap for those

599

guys to not be able to do that.

600

But guys want the ball so much that

they start to gravitate towards it.

601

So just being disciplined in our

spacing would help us being disciplined

602

on the defensive end to, okay.

603

We guarded it perfectly, the first

possession, so guarded perfectly.

604

The second possession, like don't.

605

Don't change.

606

You know, an example of, if you go back

to the Maryland game, the very first play

607

of the game that we're on offense, uh,

we run an action that we knew would work.

608

KC gets downhill and they,

they trip 'em, they foul.

609

The very next opportunity we

have, we run the same exact

610

action, but we do it differently.

611

And for the life of me.

612

I, I, I don't understand why

I don't, I don't know why

613

you would do it differently.

614

Like, it literally worked, like,

no, we didn't get the basket,

615

but they had to foul us because

we were gonna get the basket.

616

So do it again and make

them adjust, not us adjust.

617

And like things like that, like

the, the, the small details that

618

come within a basketball game.

619

We just have to continue to work hard.

620

I have to coach them.

621

To make sure they realize these

things so that we can continue

622

to work to get better at 'em.

623

Aaron: All right, Mike, so my final

question is for fans that don't know much

624

about Georgia Southern and they're gonna

come out to the game tomorrow, 'cause

625

we're all coming out to the game tomorrow.

626

Uh, not tomorrow, Saturday,

I'm, see, I'm so excited.

627

Uh, tomorrow when people are

listening, we'll be there.

628

Um, what should fans know

about Georgia Southern?

629

And then go ahead and close us out.

630

If you've got a message

from Monarch Nation.

631

Coach Mike Jones: Okay.

632

So, Georgia Southern's

really good, obviously.

633

Again, they're 3-0, I think

they've won eight games in a row.

634

Counting today's win that they had.

635

They are, so last year they

shot more threes than pretty

636

much the entire country.

637

In college basketball this year.

638

They still shoot a lot of threes, but

they're not the dynamic three point

639

shooting team that they were a year ago.

640

They're very well balanced.

641

They can make threes, they can penetrate.

642

They have a young man on

their team named Spudd Webb.

643

Um, no relation to the Spud Webb.

644

Um, but this young man who's been

player of the week already, uh, in

645

the league is just, he's left-handed.

646

He's got really long

arms, really big hands.

647

Um, he's a guard.

648

He can get in the paint

and he's one of those guys.

649

Like if he drives right, he's

going to spin back left, and

650

he is going to shot fake.

651

He's going to shot fake and shot.

652

Fake and shot fake.

653

One of the goals of our team will

be to stay down on all the shot

654

fakes and just wall up and make

this young man shoot over you.

655

Uh, number 12, Tyren Moore.

656

He was at Georgia Southern,

transferred out to UAB last season

657

and then transferred back to

Georgia Southern, uh, this year.

658

He was a really good player for them

Two years ago I remember the day I got

659

hired, ODU was playing Georgia Southern.

660

And I remember watching the game.

661

He was really good.

662

Well, he's back and he's even better.

663

He can really shoot the ball.

664

But he's another one that if he

touches paint, he's gonna pivot

665

and shot fake and pivot at shot.

666

Fake being disciplined tomorrow.

667

To stay down on all of those,

it's gonna be really important.

668

They have a weird number of

left-handers on their team.

669

More than most.

670

So being able to keep guys from

getting to their strong hand

671

is gonna be really important.

672

Uh, we struggle with that a little

bit against, uh, number five for

673

Coastal Josh Beadle, um, left-handed.

674

So we've gotta do a much better

job, uh, on Saturday against that.

675

And then just the wait, they're, they're

that team that is going to hard hedge.

676

Our, our ball screens and our ability

to handle that and find the open man is

677

gonna be really, really, really important.

678

If we do it well, guys,

we'll score 85 90 points.

679

If we don't, you're in a

rock fight and who knows.

680

So, we have to be ready to.

681

Attack their switching defenses.

682

We have to be much better.

683

Like we started out with

our switching defenses.

684

Uh, I think at Richmond was the

first time we really went after it.

685

We were so good against Richmond,

so good against George Mason,

686

so good against, uh, JMU.

687

Um, and we've kind of taken

a step back with that.

688

Um, we've gotta get our swagger

back with that as well 'cause I do

689

think that's something that will be

incredibly, uh, beneficial to us.

690

Um, to be honest with you, you

probably gonna see us press a

691

little bit more uh, going forward.

692

You know, it, it, it, I hope that it

helps us get off to better starts.

693

And yeah, we, that, that,

that's where we are.

694

Georgia Southern's really,

really, really good.

695

It will be a huge win for us, a huge

win for us to get us back to .500

696

in the league to give them a loss,

uh, to get them a little bit closer.

697

Uh, 'cause we'll see 'em again

I think 10, 14 days after that.

698

So, yeah, we, we, we got our work cut out.

699

Mike: Mike, before we go, do you

have a message to the Sun Belt

700

Conference about playing all these

games, conference games in December?

701

Because I don't like it.

702

I know that

703

Aaron: no one does That's been a

big, that's been another big fan.

704

Criticism, comment about

705

Coach Mike Jones: Yeah.

706

I'll, I'll say this and I, I,

707

yes, I have feelings about it.

708

For our fans to know that, um, Dr.

709

Selig

710

has

711

expressed our disagreement

with that part of our schedule.

712

The fact that we're starting,

you know, and again, I'm,

713

I'm not on here to complain.

714

I, we need, I need to be, we need to be

just worried about winning the damn game.

715

So like please understand that, but

you asked the question so I answer it.

716

Not happy that you play JMU when students

are not on campus, and that's both of us.

717

Not happy about that.

718

I, I don't think that should ever happen.

719

, Our kids weren't here when

we played them on the 17th.

720

Their kids won't be back

when we play them next week.

721

Like it.

722

That should not happen.

723

One, two, I don't like the fact that last

year we played JMU on a weekday at home,

724

but played them on a weekend on the road.

725

Like if it's gonna be that way, I

think it should alternate every year.

726

Like there's no way.

727

And I went back and looked and the year

before the conference games, we played

728

them at home in Chartway on a weekday and

played them in Harrisonburg on a weekend.

729

Like that's not equal to me.

730

You play your first four.

731

And I can understand scheduling

wise, sometimes that is just

732

gonna be the way it goes.

733

Um, but to play your first four at home.

734

The one thing that I really don't like

is our senior day is on Valentine's Day.

735

Like there's two weeks left

in the season after that.

736

So, you know, we have our senior night

with so much more basketball left.

737

It's just so hard to really celebrate

guys that, you know, this is their

738

last college basketball season.

739

I don't like that, so, but again.

740

Cry for me.

741

Like, who cares?

742

We need to win a game and I

don't give a damn where it is

743

when it's played or whatever.

744

We need to win a game.

745

And that's what my focus is.

746

That, that that's what

we're gonna try to do.

747

So to our fan base, I feel you, I'm,

I'm, I'm, I'm right there with you.

748

I know you guys are frustrated with.

749

That, but you're also frustrated with

the performance that we've given so far.

750

, We're trying, we're working.

751

This has not gone the way we thought

it would so far, but everything that

752

we want, every is still ahead of us.

753

Everything that we have an opportunity

to achieve is still ahead of us, and

754

frankly, we need you supporting us.

755

To push us to do that you know,

have some faith in our guys, have

756

some faith in these young men.

757

No matter what, you can't

question their effort.

758

You can't question how hard they

work, and I'll just ask you to just

759

stay with them and me as their coach,

like I am pushing them every day.

760

I've gotta try different things.

761

I gotta do things that, you know,

maybe I don't necessarily want to

762

do, but we gotta find some way to

win some games here and, and we will.

763

We will find a way to do that.

764

Just stick with us.

765

Stick with us, um, we'll

get this thing right.

766

And by the time we get on a plane to go

to Pensacola you know, we're fighting for

767

one of those seeds so we don't have to go

down there and play six games in six days.

768

So, we don't wanna play five

games in five days either.

769

Like we're, we're, we're working.

770

Our rear ends off to make sure

that, you know, we have a manageable

771

Pensacola tournament so that we

can be playing NCAA basketball.

772

Aaron: Y'all heard the man

Saturday, 3:30 PM Chartway Arena.

773

Everybody get out there.

774

Let's make some noise.

775

And I actually think it's

a doubleheader, right?

776

Mike?

777

Coach Mike Jones: Yes, sir.

778

Yes sir.

779

Played Georgia

780

Aaron: Play.

781

Coach Mike Jones: Women

played Georgia State.

782

We played Georgia Southern.

783

Aaron: Awesome.

784

So let's whoop some Georgia

ass twice on Saturday.

785

Coach Mike Jones: Yes sir.

786

Aaron: Everybody will see you there.

787

And go Monarchs.

788

Coach Mike Jones: Go Monarchs.

789

Mike: Go Monarchs.

790

Go Monarchs.