The uh Road teams haven’t fared so well here this week in the SEC I think all the home teams won Tuesday and Wednesday so we’re going to have to go in and play well I mean they obviously played well at home they just beat Tennessee that was Battle of two of the
Toughest teams in the SEC I mean they’re built on toughness coach Jans was in the Mac when I was at Buffalo he was at Bowling Green and his teams always play tough teams don’t score much on him I I think they got the lowest scoring defense in the league right now you know
They’re going to play tough play physical they’re going to rebound they’re going to play hard I mean he’s got everybody on that team playing hard as can be so our guys are going to have to be a little tougher I thought we showed some toughness in the second half against
South Carolina we’re going to have to improve even more this game to do it on the road but looking forward to it I mean the League’s good league and I think just about every you know we play these guys twice every year year so I’ve this be the fifth time I’ve played
At the hump I think the first three were all super close games we’re fortunate to get some wins over there but they’re they’re certainly not easy and this one’s not going to be easy Saturday for sure hey coach kind of a two-parter just do you have an update on on Mo wagi and
Then also just with him in the front court and general going against to Smith what kind of challenge does that present uh Mo has not practiced yet we’re going to see how it we got to shoot round tonight over at the hump so we’re going
To see how it responds to that and it’ll be probably game time decision I mean if he’s good today we’ll see if it swells up tomorrow so and then uh what was the second part of the question oh yeah to shoot to is one of
The best bigs in the league I mean he they and they give it to him I mean he’s he’s out there to get the ball he posts up strong he put you guys in a buy and you know we’ve had issues with fing in the front Court um if Mo can’t play that
Our depth is really taking a hit there so but uh Mo diates come along you know I don’t know that he’s necessarily a five but you can kind of bump Grant down to the five some too so but it it’d be good to have moag just to make sure we
Got some depth up there to deal with toou um y’all officially announced the signing of Darion Reed yesterday what does he bring to this program with the signing of him yeah I mean darion’s super talented big Wing kind of fits the mold of some of those bigger guards and
Wings that we’ve had that have gone to the NBA Brandon Miller most recently but Josh Primo you know we’ve done well with those guy you know herb Jones a little bit but he’s uh a better shooter than her was coming out bigger stronger you know not too many guys are as good
Defensively as her but but he but he is a good Defender he can play both sides of the ball I mean he’s he’s a very very good overall two-way plays defense plays offense skilled strong athletic you know we’re super excited to get we’ve been on him for a while too I
Mean he’s he’s been a priority of ours for a long time here hey coach uh I Know You released a St to the tuscala news the other night after coach sain retired but just as someone as a head coach here at the University of Alabama what’s something
That you learned from him I know it’s two different sports but something that you took away from his time together yeah I I’ve been very fortunate to spent four and a half years at the same University as the best football coach the at least in modern
Football uh in the country and one of the best team coaches of any sport football basketball anything so I you know I I took advantage of it early I went to a lot of their practices I went on a road trip with them first first game of uh my employment
Year that first year when they played Duke in Atlanta I try to go over there to as many of the speakers as they have and I mean you know learned a lot a learned how meticulous he is his attention to details sitting through some of the staff meetings you know his
Intensity coupled with his attention to detail I mean he’s sure there a lot of reasons why he’s one of the best coaches in the history of team sport so you know I I it’s sad that he’s retiring and you know kind of the state of College athletics needs to get figured out but
You know because I’m sure he could have coached for a while longer under different circumstances but he’s coached a long time won a lot of games and these jobs aren’t easy lot stress involved with him but he’s you know I I learned a lot I learned a lot from him
Before I got here just from afar without even knowing him or meeting him just reading reading how he does stuff just is you know they talk about the process and you the winning takes care of itself if but then to come in and see it firsthand I mean he’s he’s great and
He’s been great to this program he’s great to all the athletic programs here he wants everybody to be successful he meets with our recruits softball golf you name it I mean he’s trying to help every sport be good around here so not sure what his plans are but it’d be
Great if he stuck around here here and there he came back frequently cuz I loved to you know he he’d call me after tough losses and talked to me a little bit he he was great so I I I’m sad to see him going super appreciative for the four and a half
Years I got to spend here with him you were a guy that came down here didn’t have much experience in this South in the event that a football hire has made but what are some of the steps that you took to kind of accl and how difficult was that and what advice I
Guess would you give if if that kind of it’s hypothetical but if that was yeah it’s a good question you know I um not sure who Greg’s interviewing or and he’s pretty good at keeping that stuff all very quiet and I don’t think anybody knew who I was or even knew we
Interviewed me till I got off the plane or till I made till they made the announcement or whatever but yeah I mean if it’s somebody that wasn’t from the South say this best thing I did was keep Antoine pway on staff he uh he was at this place I’m sure there’s got
To be some continuity with people that know what’s going on both at Alabama and in the area but you know I I think Greg’s going to make a good hire I think if if they’re not from the area just got to be genuine I mean I think people whether they’re North or South
Understand they can see through fake and they can tell if you’re genuine if you’re genuine I think people down here in the South welcome you in with open arms shoot sure helps if you win too come down and keep keep keep some of I mean they coach St put together an
Unbelievable recruiting class whoever they get they can keep the recruiting class together and win everybody Welcome in with open arms I’m sure but Greg Greg will do a good job hiring a shoot they got a lot of resources here to win big and uh coach sab’s shown you can win at the
Highest level for a long time around here so sure there’s going to be a lot of coaches wanting this job yeah just want to ask about State’s last game just what’s stood out about their performance against Tennessee uh their resilience their toughness I they just came out of the gate and kind of
Punched Tennessee in the mouth which doesn’t happen to Tennessee ever really and then you know they had some some moments in the game where they turned it over a few times could have easily folded and collapsed and you can just tell that they’re they expect the win their toughness their resilience when
They faced a little adversity they just I mean there times when I was wondering if coach Jan was going to call time out he didn’t call time out they the guys fought through it and you know he he knows what he’s doing he’s dealing with a group of tough guys
I mean just their toughness their competitive of this it’s at a high level so and then Josh hubard can score the ball a little bit kids’s really good for a freshman so we we got to make now they they’ve got an experienced back court and then they bring him off the bench to
He can really score shoot at a high level tolu is playing at a high level cam Matthews might be the best defender in this league so they’ve got a good mix of scoring defense toughness you know and they’re they’re good I mean they they mix their defenses up but whatever
They do they’re going to do it with toughness so I think the biggest thing you saw was how tough and competitive they are against Tennessee who’s been one of the toughest programs in this league in the country to be honest with you since coach Barnes got there any
Else hey coach I just know this offseason you guys had a lot of exits from the program and brought a lot of guys in and that was really the center uh attention piece of the offseason but what can you say about Nick Pringle and Ry Griffin and Mark serers and what
They’ve meant to this program and kind of teaching those guys the blue collar basketball mentality this year yeah it’s a good question I mean we got those three returners that went through a lot of winning last year knows what it takes to win you know I think and I think
You’re starting to see it start to emerge like you know and Nick Nick’s got bubbly personality for sign about him that he’s great leader and people want to follow him and I think he’s learning out to not just be an influencer but to be a leader you know let’s play the
Right way get guys do like what’s winning about and let’s get everybody on on board with winning Mark Mark’s now Mark’s kind of the opposite he’s he’s real quiet not as outgo as Nick but he’s he’s learning to lead too like playing harder being an unbelievable teammate uh
Just pumping guys up in practice in the games and then rylands taking a really a lot different role he’s become one of our I think he’s our best perimeter Defender you you know and he’s got a pretty high IQ he’s talking to guys Point stuff out you know and and we
Don’t want to talk about last year too much and throw it at these guys last year this they get tired of that but there’s still points to you know last year we did this and just even with coverages and stuff you know and Ryland bring it up Mark you know Nick I think
All three of them in their own way have put a stamp on how how to win at a really high level here because they were all a big part of what we did last and shoot with the change over every year now and way that College athletics is
It’s nice to have some holdovers from year to year and those three guys are doing a good job for us right now so all right thanks yep
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