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Auburn HC Steven Pearl - Alabama Preview · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

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  Yeah, going to be, you know, another um
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  incredible environment on on Saturday.
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  Um you know, our students have been
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  camping out since Monday. Um so I know
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  they're obviously fired up. Um you know,
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  important matchup for us. Um you know,
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  as well as them. Um both, you know,
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  sitting at five and four right now in
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  the SEC. So um you know, could be a
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  separator game. Um you know, two teams
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  that have really been battle tested. you
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  know,
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  Alabama and Auburn have played the
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  number one and number two hardest
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  strength schedules uh two consecutive
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  years, and I think we'll finish out that
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  way as well. So, just kind of speaks to
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  where both programs have come and, you
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  know, the how aggressive that both
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  programs have been in their scheduling.
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  So, you they're coming off a big win um
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  on uh last night um put up 100 on Texas
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  A&M. So, you know, uh it's a team that
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  really really scores the ball, really
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  pushes the tempo, can really shoot it.
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  Um and uh you know playing they're
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  playing pretty well right now. Um lost
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  to obviously a really good Florida team
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  uh on Sunday. Um but you know to beat
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  the first place team in our league uh
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  last night was was big. Um got a lot of
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  guards that can really score it, can
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  really shoot it. Um you know I think
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  they figured out their eight-man
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  rotation that they're going to play
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  probably the rest of the year and uh you
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  know they're finally all healthy. So,
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  uh, going to be, you know, another
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  unbelievable opportunity for our group,
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  um, to, uh, you know, try and get a win
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  against, you know, another quad one
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  opponent. So, um, looking forward to it
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  and I know our guys are excited about
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  it. You know, Todd's the only guy that's
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  really played in this rivalry. So, um,
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  you know, all those guys have been
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  looking forward to this because they've
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  watched this, you know, this this
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  rivalry has turned into something
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  significant and they've watched on TV
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  for a couple years now. So, uh, going to
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  be a great environment. you go and um
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  obviously got a lot of respect for the
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  job that that that Nate and his group
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  have done and uh you know just looking
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  forward to Saturday. So take any
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  questions.
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  >> Stephen, how do you approach this week
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  in terms of being able to self scout and
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  also try to obviously do extra prep for
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  Alabama? How do you sort of balance how
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  much do you prep extra for what you got
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  coming up and how much can you look back
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  at what you've done and try to sell
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  scout?
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  >> Yeah, we we've kept our process pretty
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  pretty standard and uh you know business
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  as usual. We, you know, with with the
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  by-week, you know, we tried to work on
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  us a little bit on Monday. Did a little
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  bit of what they do on Tuesday, but, you
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  know, really just more about getting
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  healthy. You we had, you know, a couple
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  guys that were really banged up um going
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  into this week, so the couple days off
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  came at a really good time. Um, you
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  know, Keshan Hall had three stitches in
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  his shooting finger and, you know, we
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  didn't really report that, but for
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  Keshan Hall to go out there and play
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  against Tennessee, um, you know, could
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  have easily have said, "No, my shooting
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  hand, I'm not going to not going to risk
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  run the risk of, you know, putting up
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  bad numbers or bad stats, but he went
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  out there and gutted it out with, you
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  know, three stitches in his finger, his
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  index finger on his shooting hand." You
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  know, Murf's a little little banged up
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  right now, but he'll be back at practice
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  today. you know, KO takes a pretty nasty
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  knee to the back of his head. So,
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  bye-week came at a great time for us
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  because we we need to get back and get
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  going. But, you know, obviously gave
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  them off yesterday and uh you know,
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  we'll have two really good days of prep
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  heading into the game this weekend.
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  >> Stephen, they're averaging like 40 plus
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  three-point attempts over the last few
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  games. What's the challenge of facing a
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  team like that and trying to defend
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  somebody that will shoot a three on
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  every possession, if you like?
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  >> Yeah. And like you know it's it's one of
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  those things where like every time a
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  shot goes up you think it's going in cuz
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  they have such great shooters. Um so
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  yeah it's you know it's obviously a
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  challenge cuz in transition you know
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  there there's certain lineups out there
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  where all five guys can really shoot it
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  and uh you got to do a great job of
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  locating those guys and you know they
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  don't run sets. they just they they play
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  out of rules and um you know it's just a
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  lot of free flowing offense and uh so
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  you got to be in a stands for 40 minutes
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  because the second you stand up or the
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  second you give bad help you know
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  they're going to take full advantage of
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  it and then they're throwing it to a guy
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  that you know is a you know 35 to 43%
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  three-point shooter. So uh it's going to
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  require multiple efforts and uh for 40
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  minutes and uh you know just you can't
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  ever stop in this game because the
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  second you do they take advantage of it,
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  right? Uh, Stephen, the week off, was
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  that opportunity for any any guys that
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  are not in the seven man rotation, so to
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  speak, uh, to step up and maybe earn a
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  spot or ear more playing time?
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  >> Well, we have an eight-man rotation.
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  >> Sorry.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> Um, no, I like the rotation that we've
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  had, you know, since we, you know,
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  inserted Blake into the lineup. Um, you
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  know, we're five and two and had some
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  really good wins. So, we're going to
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  we're going to continue to roll with
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  those guys. you know, u may shuffle a
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  few things around, but you know, the
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  guys that we've had in there have proven
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  to given us the best opportunity to go
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  in there and get wins. And, you know,
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  I've just told those other guys like,
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  you got to stay right, you got to stay
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  ready. Um, because at any at a moment's
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  notice, your opportunity, your number
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  can get called and you just got to be
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  ready when that moment does happen.
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  >> Stephen, obviously, for a few different
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  reasons, you guys have been familiar
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  with Aiden and Leber. What have you seen
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  from them I guess this season in terms
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  of their development and the type of
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  players they are and what kind of
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  challenges I guess do they respectively
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  pose the all back court on defense?
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  >> Yeah, I mean Learon um is just, you
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  know, he's going to be a first round
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  draft pick and you know shoots great
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  percentages from all over the floor. Um
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  he's probably their most one of their
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  most or their most willing passer. Um
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  just does a lot of really good things
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  for him offensively. Uh does a good job
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  of getting to the foul line and making
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  his free throws. Um he's really handsy
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  defensively, makes plays, so just really
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  multi-dimensional. He's got good size,
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  so he can you know, shoot over the top
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  of you. Um and uh you know, can really
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  make shots, you know, with his feet set
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  or off the bounce. And you know, Aiden
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  is just, you know, I I I I knew this
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  progression was going to happen for
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  Aiden because I've always known how good
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  Aiden was. You know, he just he had a
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  rough freshman year. And uh you know,
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  he's one of the you guys saw him at
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  practice, like one of the most gifted,
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  talented shooters you've ever seen. and
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  Nate's, you know, um, said the same
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  thing. And, uh, you know, I knew that,
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  you know, whether he was here or there,
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  he was gonna have the same amount of
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  success because I just, he was too good
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  of a player. He worked too hard for it
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  not to happen. So, you know, played
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  great for him last night. Hit some huge
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  shots late in that game, you know, from
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  two um, you know, to ultimately help
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  them win that game. So, just continue to
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  got get better and both of them, you
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  know, have a do a lot of really good
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  things offensively. So, uh, all five
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  guys on the floor are going to have to
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  know what those guys do because, you
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  know, you can't be worried about
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  matchups in this game. You got to make
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  sure that you get bodies on bodies. So,
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  all of our guys got to know what what
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  those two guys specifically do because
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  the ball's going to be in their hands
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  most of the game. So, we got to do a
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  great job of trying to limit what they
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  do.
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  >> Stephen, how much do you feel like this
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  rivalry's grown since you first got
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  here? And do you feel like it's become
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  the premier rivalry in the SEC?
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  >> Yeah. um the the rivalries, you know,
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  it's always been a big deal just
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  because, you know, both schools um and
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  and what you know, what the Iron Bowl
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  was with football, right? But as as the
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  as both these teams have both these
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  programs have had so much success um you
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  know, you look at you know from 2018
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  until last year, there's been nine SEC
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  championships between the two programs.
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  And um you know that in itself has
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  elevated this rivalry to the best one in
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  our conference um in that time. You know
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  the first one verse two last year at
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  their place. You know no other rivalry
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  can really say that in our league. So um
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  it's definitely been elevated to a level
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  that I don't think any of you in this
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  room thought would it would ever get to.
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  And uh you know I know Nate's done a
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  phenomenal job in his time, but now it's
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  you know my job to you know try and keep
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  it in that in that area because I know
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  our fans obviously um you know respect
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  it, appreciate it. Um and you know it's
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  been a big reason our players look
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  forward to it as well. So um yeah, it's
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  definitely grown into probably the best
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  rivalry in this league right now.
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  >> All has been banged up a couple times
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  throughout the season, but when he is
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  healthy and on the court, what
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  challenges does he present?
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  >> He just he's a Swiss Army knife. He just
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  does a little bit of everything for him.
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  Um, can really shoot it, he can drive it
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  both directions, you know, he can drive
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  it right or left. Uh, runs the offensive
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  glass, makes multiple effort plays, he
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  can defend. Like he's just a guy that
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  just, you know, I think coach compared
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  him to Herb Jones in in in a regard. So
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  like that's just that's the ultimate
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  compliment right there. Um, so does a
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  lot of great things for him and as a
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  freshman just shows tremendous maturity
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  and um, you know, he's physical. um
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  plays hard, makes good decisions. So um
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  really really good piece for them and a
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  player that's really impressed us.
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  >> You and Tahad have been a part of this
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  rivalry game multiple times before. What
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  have you both told the other guys on the
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  team about this matchup in particular?
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  >> We haven't really talked about it yet
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  because I haven't visited with the team
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  yet. But, you know, I like today, you
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  know, I'm going to tell our guys like
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  this game matters, you know, to to our
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  fans. And we always talk about wanting
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  to do things for our fans and, you know,
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  if you want to make our fans happy, you
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  beat Alabama. You you know, and um so
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  it, you know, it has some real
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  significance, but our guys all know that
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  this is a big game. Um, but, you know,
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  we can't approach it like it's any
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  different from, you know, games that we
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  played last week. Um, but yeah, I mean,
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  they they they all recognize the
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  significance of it. you know, uh, they
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  they they've seen it on TV. So, um, you
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  know, our guys are just obviously
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  excited for another another record
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  sellout and, um, you know, against
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  another quality opponent.
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  >> Take a few more.
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  >> From what you've seen off, what do you
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  think Charles has brought to them since
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  he's been back? And I guess how are you
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  guys preparing for the uncertainty of
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  whether or not he'll be able to play
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  Saturday?
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  Yeah, I mean he definitely brings, you
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  know, a dimension defensively that, you
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  know, they they needed and um, you know,
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  he does a great job of blocking shots
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  and not just blocking shots, but but
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  altering shots and, um, you know,
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  offensively he's really good role guy
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  around the rim. Does a good job getting
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  offensive rebounds and, you know, for us
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  um, you know, we're just preparing, you
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  know, as if uh, he's going to play. And
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  um you know, I've probably spent too
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  much time like thinking about this, but
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  like man, I I kind I feel for the kid um
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  in a way because like what happens
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  tomorrow if like he gets denied?
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  What does he do? And like that's some
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  and I probably shouldn't put any like
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  thought towards it, but like I hope the
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  the decision makers in that room have
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  like thought through that. Um cuz are we
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  are we setting this kid up for failure
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  by bringing him back? And you know, I'm
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  almost rooting for him to be able to
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  play tomorrow on Saturday because I
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  don't want him to be in a situation
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  where he's got to make some real
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  difficult decisions if for some reason,
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  you know, this new judge says, "No,
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  you're not allowed to play." So, maybe
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  Auburn fans are going to be upset with
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  me for saying that, but I I don't know,
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  man. I I have some I I feel for him a
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  little bit. Um because, you know, I
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  think he's in a he's in a unique
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  situation. He's in a difficult
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  situation. So, but for us, you know, we
• 10:52
  we've just been preparing as if he's
• 10:53
  going to play. Um because, you know,
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  that's what they've had the last what is
• 10:58
  it, four games. Um so, we got to prepare
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  as if he's going to be out there.
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  >> You mentioned you mentioned at the
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  Tennessee game, there were some things
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  that kind of felt out of character for
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  y'all. The film was going to be
• 11:10
  difficult to watch when y'all got back
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  together as a team. What were some of
• 11:13
  those things? And I guess what do you
• 11:14
  sort of attribute some of those factors
• 11:17
  being together?
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  >> Right. Uh, well, the first 15 minutes we
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  got pushed around, which we hadn't
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  really had happen to us in a while. Um,
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  we've done a good job of, you know,
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  being the more physical team and I
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  thought Tennessee in the first 15 really
• 11:30
  set the tone and kind of push us around
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  and, you know, ended up getting up by
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  13. Um, you know, we've done a great
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  job. I think we're fourth in the country
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  at getting to the free throw line and,
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  um, you know, we only got to the foul
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  line 20 times and they got to the foul
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  line 31. You know, I thought we let a
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  couple drives that we had that, you
• 11:48
  know, went uncalled affect us being
• 11:50
  aggressive going to the rim. And you
• 11:52
  can't let that happen against a really
• 11:53
  physical team. Tennessee did a really
• 11:56
  good job of throwing sending bodies at
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  us as we drove it. And um you know, as
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  the game went on, as opposed to playing
• 12:01
  off two feet and attacking the rim, we
• 12:03
  we kept kicking the ball out and we got
• 12:05
  good looks. And I I really don't have a
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  problem with, you know, a lot of the
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  looks we got in the second half, but at
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  some point we got to start making those
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  if we're gonna take them, you know, and
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  um we, you know, we had the one in
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  transition where we were down four and
• 12:19
  kicks out to Tahad and instead like I
• 12:21
  would love for Keith just to go drive
• 12:23
  that to the rim and just force them to
• 12:24
  foul him like he's done all year. Um so
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  I mean you we just we settled a little
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  bit too much offensively. I thought
• 12:32
  defensively we were better than what I
• 12:33
  gave us credit for in the moment. Um
• 12:35
  that's a really physical team and
• 12:37
  without Apara you know they got to play
• 12:38
  their bigger guys which I think was you
• 12:40
  know a little bit of a problem for us
• 12:42
  and you know Carrie did a phenomenal job
• 12:44
  and Brown did a great job and Straa was
• 12:46
  in foul trouble but you know I thought
• 12:48
  they did a really good job and we we had
• 12:49
  some really silly fouls which led you
• 12:52
  know a to really get to the foul line
• 12:54
  and and take full advantage. So, I think
• 12:56
  some uncharacteristic shots, you know,
• 12:58
  from three that we should have taken to
• 13:01
  the basket and then some some silly
• 13:03
  fouls that put them ultimate at the foul
• 13:04
  line and they did a great job of
• 13:06
  converting at the free throw line.
• 13:07
  >> Last one right here.
• 13:08
  >> Going off of that, you were saying like
• 13:10
  don't settle for threes much. Do you
• 13:12
  have to kind of like really hammer that
• 13:13
  home when you play a team like Alabama
• 13:15
  who's going to take a lot of threes and
• 13:16
  you don't want your own offense to kind
• 13:18
  of kind of get lost in that? Yeah, we we
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  can't get into a, you know, we can't get
• 13:23
  into a transition contest and we can't
• 13:25
  get into a three-point contest with
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  Alabama. Um because, you know, that
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  that's what they do really well. And
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  what we do really well is attack the
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  rim. So, um you know, we got to run
• 13:36
  opportunistically when when we have
• 13:37
  advantage, but when we don't have
• 13:39
  advantage, like we we got to run
• 13:40
  offense. We got to make them cover. Um
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  because that's just, you know, that's
• 13:44
  playing in the 75 to 80 possessions is
• 13:46
  not that's not a strength of ours. So,
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  um, we got to make smart decisions
• 13:50
  offensively on when to attack and when
• 13:52
  not to attack. And, you know, um, we got
• 13:55
  to attack the rim cuz that's what that's
• 13:56
  what we've been good at all year. And
• 13:57
  then, you know, when the defense, you
• 13:59
  know, collapses down and gives us open
• 14:01
  opportunities from three, we got to do a
• 14:02
  better job of stepping up and making
• 14:04
  those shots as the game goes on.
• 14:06
  >> All right. Thanks, coach. Thanks.
• 14:07
  >> Thanks, guys.