September 23, 2025 • 24 mins
The first OFFICIAL day of practice is in the books. Coach Hurley with the media afterwards
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Uh help wise everyone was in today, so I know
you guys always saw that up top. So you know,
think you love, really like having the fifteen player roster.
I think it's uh just gonna give us an ability
to you know, practice to the max, but then keep
the team fresh. So hopefully we could uh you know,
hopefully that that'll be a big advantage, especially if in
(00:22):
the way that we practice. But it was good to
get that first one under the belt. And you know,
for the players, uh, it's got like a hundred over
one hundred more of those at that intensity level. So
I just told them that, so they got that to
look forward to him say, does few does it feel
like it's it's number one? Or like is it just
(00:42):
a continuation of what you've been doing? Not for us?
I mean and just uh, I think the you know,
the best programs, Uh, I think the best programs in
the country are the practicing all summer. You know, obviously
there's a different level of intensity, there's more of a
defensive folk, the practice is longer, so uh, you know,
(01:05):
I think you just you have a better opportunity to
uh to develop habits and then instill a toughness in
the team because you've got to be able to take
what you're doing for an hour or an hour and
ten and they'll stretch that out to two hours and
ten minutes, or they can end up being like two
fifteen today. So but the best, you know, you can't
accomplish anything in our sport, you know, unless you're grinding
(01:31):
throughout the summer, throughout the preseason. You know, if you
want to have a chance to win anything in the
world that we're in now, what keeps one year from
leading into the next?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Where do you give yourself those checks and balances to reset.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Or de group where you need to.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I just think this off season we just had a
lot more time just because we were didn't have as
many responsibilities like we've had the last two off seasons.
So I think from a coaching standpoint, it just gives
you more time to focus on your craft, I think,
(02:10):
and then I think, uh, I think it. I think
in terms of the group, it changes your pursuit, you know,
I think, you know, our pursuit of of being championship
caliber or our pursuit with absolutely everything we have, is
it a different level of urgency? You know, coming off
(02:31):
of last season, you.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Talked about your defense and not playing well last year
as a team, ripped all this offseason and now, but
is it at this point in the better spot than
it was last year at this.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
At this particular, Yeah, I think it's it's it's better.
I think, you know, I think there we've got better
individual defensive players. You know, we we really, I mean,
we struggled mightily on the perimeter last year. I mean,
you know, literally at all three spots on the perimeter,
(03:07):
with the exception of a healthy Hassan, we didn't get
what we needed from anyone defensively on the perimeter. And
that's you know, that's including you know, guys that were
really productive on offense. So you know, I think that
we've got a lot of work to do at that
end of the court. But that's uh, you know, you're
(03:29):
not playing You're not playing through mistakes on defense this
year the way you were able to last year. How
about it?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
As far as riom protection, you don't have a Donovan,
you're even the Sampson you think terraces and I know
Eric tends to be a little more of a perimiter guy.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Do you want him to be.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
A little improve upon that?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
He a little more of a protectively. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I mean it's uh, you know, I think guarding the
ball better, I think, I don't know. I think we
were number one the country last year in block shots,
but but the ball was at the front rim a lot,
you know, because you know, we were not good defending
on the perimeter, so you know, and you know you're
(04:10):
gonna get driven some. But our problem last year was
like straight line drives. There's no help for straight line drives,
you know, like you know, being able to force somebody
off their move a little bit laterally help can help
you there. Rim protectors can get there then consistently. But yeah,
I think we just got a better chance, you know,
(04:32):
a point of attack defense starting at you know, starting
at point guard with Silas, who's taller, a taller point guard.
You know, Malachi's got the ability to pressure the ball,
and you know, and then obviously the guys that are returning.
You know, I think Graylan's got a chance to be
a good defensive player because he you know, is a
serious guy, and he's physically I think he's strong enough.
(04:53):
And then obviously Solo and Jalen and Jaden, you know,
these guys, you know, they got to play good good
to very good to great defense.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
And how's mawick I looked coming up?
Speaker 1 (05:03):
You know, he wasself for a while. Yeah, we're excited
about Malachi. I think he's got the He's got some
of what Hassan brought to uh to the twenty fourteen
some of that. I think, Uh, you know, I think
he's a he's ah, he's an attacking player. He's a
guy that makes plays. I think the fans will love
and fans will love him. I think he's like a
(05:25):
a real critical key piece to the team. He's gonna
have a huge role.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You have a lot of the veterans like Soul and
Alex help you through the grind of this, this build.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Up to the sixth How have they how they helped you?
Really in Alex at this point, it's like and he's
literally like another coach, you know what I mean. Like
it's like it's it's my relationship with him is like
kind of strange. You know, we've been around each other
so much. It's like, uh, I I got on him
(05:56):
a little bit in the huddle and then I almost
felt like apologizing after. But you know, it's just been
through so much together, you know, the the incredible highs
and then disappointing last year, and then you go through
these decision making processes that he's had to deal with,
and you just bonded so closely through everything together. So, uh,
(06:19):
I just cherished this last year with Alex in particular.
But yeah, I mean, like that that trio of guys,
their Solo Alex Tarris, I mean, he's got he's gotta
be leading men. They've got to be like the you know,
like the the the Hawk, Andre Adama, you know big
three that we had that were just they they were productive,
(06:43):
they led, they they controlled the locker room. You know,
I think we do have a great locker room again
this year. So, yeah, you're a Sole in particular did
a great job as a freshman. Yeah, it's part of
like their second lay against reverse last year, much different moment.
What do you ex may you look back on that?
(07:04):
Where do you expect him? Yeah, I mean Solos, I
mean Solo established himself as uh, you know, one of
the best shooters in the country coming into the year.
You can make an argument that he's the best return
and shooter. You know, obviously the volume and the efficiency,
it's uh, you know, the the the room for him
where he's gotta grow is obviously, you know when he
(07:28):
gets in the paint, you know, his overall guard play
as a passer, you know, his his his rim finishing,
and then obviously the defensive one. I mean for a
for your team to uh, he'll be championship caliber. You know,
he's he's obviously got to make a big junk defensive
uh in particular, you know, he but I don't you know,
(07:49):
he had an awesome sophomore year. I don't think he's
got to change a whole lot offensively to his p approach.
Besides those things I talked about, you know, maybe a
slicker passer and better rim finisher. And then there's he's
got to commit defensively, you know, like our premier defense
last year.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
He's athletical enough.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Guys, well, I think that he like you know, and
it's like he's got such a superpower with the shooting.
But if you're like, Solo's evolution has like been one
of the more remarkable things because he kind of came
in here as like an Andre Jackson type of athlete,
and then now he's evolved into like a Jordan Hawkin,
this type of shooter but he still has that athletic
ability that we want to see him, you know, cutting
(08:31):
for lobs, getting on the offensive glass. We want him
hanging on a rim more. You have a lot of
internationals coming in.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Is that a big part part of recruiting now you
kind of have to look beyond just the this region.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah. I think it's you know, you know, maybe maybe
the thing for us is, you know, we're looking for,
you know, players that want to want to be coached.
I think, you know, an advantage with maybe somebody into
national kids is like they're getting coached harder overseas when
they're younger. The coaches overseas aren't afraid that their kids
(09:08):
gonna change high schools or AAU teams or what have you.
So I just think that there's a culture, you know,
over there where they could acclimate to hard practices and
demanding coaches and the type of structure we put around them.
So that's appealing, you know. And then obviously I would
(09:33):
say that that's the that's the most appealing. I don't
know if it was a conscious effort. I think today's
game now you're just you're, you know, you've got an
nil budget and you're you're looking for value, and you're
looking for players with certain profiles, and you know, maybe
I'll probably get you. That's I'm not gonna say maybe
(09:56):
an American player priced himself out or you know what
I mean. I don't you know, I don't know if
we necessarily went in looking for international players so much
as you know, people that are gonna fit to to
how we do things. You mentioned getting back to the
championship caliber.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
How much of the way last season energy tournament, I
mean you or the group used as few.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Of getting back to that level. Yeah, you know, I mean, well,
let's what once you uh, you know, get to the
mountaintop and experience that, you know, any season that doesn't
end like that, you know, for the rest of your career,
even though it's you know, probably not realistic to do
it every single year, but you know, in a year
(10:36):
it doesn't end like that. You know, you got a
kind of bitter taste in the off season, and uh
you know, so yeah, I mean, I don't know, you
know that we're necessarily gonna like coach harder or or
or or or or or practice harder. I just think
that last year's team there was just this uh, this
(10:56):
feeling that the group had that just just because everyone
inside and don to come play for us at Yukon
that dos some type of magic dust or something that
we're going to sprinkle in their power aid or is
that what we use your power in we're power aid school.
Sure a little, we're talking in our Duncan in the
(11:16):
players Duncan donuts or coffee powered bulletproof. Uh yeah. So
I just think the last year's team, uh, it was
like maybe we thought we could do it with with
with with with absolutely any anyone. And I think what
made those teams special was, you know, just the commitments,
(11:41):
the efforts, the efforts on defense, how hard we played.
And you know, I think that this this group is uh,
you know, our pursuit is going to be much different.
You know, our pursuit of this championship and getting back
on top is going to be different.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Was there a pleasant surprise through preseason off season for
you somebody stand out or something about the team's really
stand out?
Speaker 1 (12:07):
I would say just you know, maybe what Alex looks like.
I mean, Alex has put on ten pounds of muscle.
He's you know, he's like two, you know, he's like
two thirties plus. It just it just looks real sharp
and looks like a grown up. And I just think
you get a lot of you get a lot of
confidence when you start your team with what solos looked
(12:28):
like all summer. Tarriss look like all summer. Alex Has
looked like all summer. And again I think, and I
said this, with this team, it's like, yeah, it's like
how we're pursuing getting back to where we want to
be with everything that we have, you know, because when
you get there, it's absolutely worth everything that you gave
and you're on top. But this is a group that's
(12:48):
gonna have. You got to earn your role. I said
it last year, but it's like now these guys that
maybe you know that with sophomores and weren't ready are
now juniors. And if you really it's a numbers game,
I think it's like it's hard to play ten players,
you know, and I think that there's like, legitimately, you know,
probably twelve that I think they got a chance to play.
(13:10):
And so like you got to earn, you're gonna have
to earn your role. I think one of the mistakes
I made early last year was I had a vision
of how I wanted the team to look, and I
probably should have sent a different team out there to
start the year. I think that the group that I'm
(13:32):
gonna send out there to start the year is gonna
be a group that earns it three weeks from yesterday,
three weeks from yesterday, Like you know, these guys are
gonna either be announced as a starter. You're gonna be
the sixth man, You're gonna be the fourth guy in
that's gonna get limited minutes, or you're gonna get deep
spaced and you're gonna you're gonna play lately and you're
(13:53):
gonna earn wherever you are in that whole you know,
that whole role out located. So and what the the.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Fifteen man lost that we're going to that you kind
of have that layer of developmental players, yeah, m And
then of course you have young guys you've reteamed villains.
If you bringing guys coming in from the over seas.
Is that in long with that vision that you expressed
about a year ago that you wanted to be known
as one of the best basketball operations in the world.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Yeah, Is that kind of.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Coming together the way you envisioned or maybe the most
changes or change that vision a little.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
But is that do you see all those things come
from the way Yeah, I think yeah, I mean we
we obviously have the evidence, you know, when we're championship success,
we get the evidence with the with the people that
we're producing that are not just in the NBA. When
you look across the board and you know, just the
guys in the last several teams we've had, they're all
(14:50):
flourishing overseas or or in the NBA or in some
cases the G League. So I think the the f
team player thing is that it's it's y know, you're
experimenting with with with with you know, the trade off
air is like you know, you you've got a chance
to develop some players, you got a chance to practice harder,
(15:11):
but keep maybe some of your veterans fresher, but let
the young players get the reps that they need, like
as you get later in the season, cause that becomes
a problem as a coach. You'll have like Alex late
in the year that doesn't need reps. But then last
year it's you know, Ja, you know, Jaden Ross needed
reps as a sophomore. So you'd be able to be
more like a la Carte would practice that way. I
(15:33):
guess the only thing we'll find out is if having
fifteen people is too many pains in the ask that
deal what during the year? I guess, you know, like,
do I really want to deal with fifteen human beings?
You know, plus Tom Luke and Kamani? I mean, so
what what is?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
What is the guy who's running a pro team Slovaki
or you know, Turkey.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
What do you think he's.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Saying about a guy? Hey, you have a chance to
need God from U.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Come? What do you think.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
He he's taking minute with U? Can't bring you right?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah? I mean yukon't. I think you know, whether you're
NBA or or or an international team, I think, uh,
you know somebody that's been in a demanding program. You
know that somebody that is going to be able to
function really well and in structure, you know, in a
system that prioritizes like discipline and being about the right things,
(16:30):
being competitive, working hard, being being being coachable, and you
know coaches can coach our players hard when they leave here. Well,
the biggest complaint I get from players, especially in the NBA,
it's like they wish their teams coach them harder. They
wish their coaches practiced them harder. They wish the coaches,
you know. So I think that you know, you know,
(16:51):
somebody that's knows how to be a good teammate, you know,
and it's about winning, you know. And if there's you know,
has played for the front Jersey, I know.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Fives came through here during we were during summer. Were
some other coaches guns or if you could share, you
have kind of come through and watched to see.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
What you do. I mean, uh, I hanging out with
Tips for a couple of days was it was a
highlight for me. I love Tips and he's his mom
is like crazy Yukon fans still like throwing shit at
the TV level fan. I mean, he's a Connecticut, Connecticut guy,
so uh my kindred spirit uh Joe Mizzula with him.
(17:32):
We spent some time with show, you know. I mean,
you know, we've had international people through here. Uh and
now I think this time of year you start to
get more of the NBA people started to come in here.
But you know, I think we we uh we get
high school coaches in here, we get Division two, Division
(17:52):
three coaches. I think I get the best ideas you know,
for me as a coach, uh from like Europe Division two,
Division three mentioned the Big three, the twenty three team.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Sort of looking how similar to rosters you kind of looked.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
How intentionable was that in creating the rosters. I think
you're just looking at it from a standpoint of like, uh,
you know, like who are your core players? You know
and w with Tarifs. You know, there's obviously similarities there
with you know, with the dom uh Doma from a
physical standpoint at how we utilized him. You know, you
(18:33):
you you uh, you know you obviously got the Jordan's
solo comp you know, Alex is now you know, potentially
three years better uh than that version of himself. I think,
you know, our point guard situation, you know, has this
I think feeling more confident or feeling he was just
(18:53):
very confident. There's some depth there, There's some quality there.
Might you know Braylan's uh a flamethrower, you know, and
then you just got real depth just like that. There's
you know, these guys that are like the tenth man,
the guy that is likely to get like the ninth
and tenth guys that are likely to probably get squeezed
here or are like really good players, you know, like
(19:18):
really really good players that would help other high majors
this year. So I think the strength of his team
is the depth. Like that team, whereas like off the
bench was Nahim, it was Joey, it was Donovan, it
was Hassan. You know, we went nine deep, and that's
what made that group special. You're playing exhibitions that are
(19:39):
live against Division one upon this if you what are
the best pluses and may a system doing that? I
mean the plus the pluses are that I think we're
like we're playing like really hard exhibitions this year, which
I think is gonna have us more ready than we
were last year. For the beginning of the year, we
were not ready for Maui, and it showed it our
(20:02):
performance there. And I think part of that was because
we know we didn't probably schedule hard enough those types
of games which would have had us more ready for
what we saw when we shared the floor with Memphis.
So we you know, we obviously learned from that. The
negative part of it is like you're really three weeks
from yesterday. You know, it's like it's gonna be messy,
(20:26):
you know, like we're not gonna be who we're gonna
be by the time you know, it really starts. You know,
I look back to the twenty four year where we
scrimmaged it at Virginia and uh, you know, we were
down three to that that Virginia team that I don't
I don't think they made the tournament or if they
did make the tournament day, well, they didn't make it.
(20:48):
They didn't make it. And Cam Spencer hit a three
so that we didn't lose that one outright in that
closed scrimmage on the road. So and then and then
obviously we had a historic so you know, like it's
just you know, so it it could be a little
bit of a shit shot, but I think just playing
(21:08):
quality opponents, it tells you where you gotta get better
and where you get in front of two big atmospheres,
which is gonna help, I think with the nerves come
opening night.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Well, what at Rick Patino saying how the point dark
position doesn't really exist anymore. I'm maybe it sounds a
little bit of like an exaggeration, but do you kind
of understand maybe what he's saying, and with that in mind,
is that change how the roles of Silas and Malcha
might be this year a little bit, and.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Well, I mean I think, yeah, I mean, you have
a primary handler. I think we all have a primary
you know we uh you know, Tristan was was our
primary handler. You know, he had the ball you know,
probably fifty percent of the time for how we play offensively,
you know, and then Cam probably had it twenty percent
(21:55):
of the time. And by the end of the year,
Steph had it, you know, twenty set at a time,
and maybe Ak had it you know another file. Don't
even though where we're at with the math right now,
I'm lost, But you know, I mean it's you're you're
looking for versatile pieces. I mean you're looking for size
at guard and on the perimeter and multiple handlers because
(22:17):
for us, the way we play offense, you know, is interchangeable.
You've got to be able to play on off ball,
you know. So for us, yeah, I mean, if you
look at what we're doing in recruiting, yeah, we are
looking for bigger guards. I think for the positions that
we put our guards in offensively in particular, forget about
what they do on the backboard at the defensive end,
in terms of the length, you know, I think the
(22:41):
difference between how we were offensively with those teams, with
those big guards, the ability to throw the lobs, the
ability to spray it out through point line, the ability
to finish at the rim or get fouled, you know,
like when they're not six four, sixty five, sixty six,
it becomes more problematic. Yeah, my career, uh you know,
(23:06):
a Hall of fame type of resume. And obviously the
job he's done in multiple places, and you know, just
I think, uh, you know, uh, coach, that'll be missed.
Obviously there's a lot of coaches you know recently you know,
have uh have been retiring. I think, uh, I don't
(23:27):
know if it's the uncertainty where you're still not knowing
if people are going to get a fifty year as
October is about the hit and just some of the
lack of structure and leadership in the game itself. I'm
not sure if that's what you know, what did it?
But you know, Coach was uh, you know, Coach was
somebody that uh yeah, I I admired, you know, I
(23:51):
admired what he's built in his career, and uh, you know,
I wish his son good luck. Coach's kid. So decided
who was so much.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
I read somewhere that you were thinking of doing a
similar for this past off season, not in September.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
But yeah, I don't think Andrews ready. I mean, seriously,
Uh help wise everyone was in today, so I know
you guys always saw that up top. So you know,
think you love, really like having the fifteen player roster.
I think it's uh just gonna give us an ability
to you know, practice to the max, but then keep
the team fresh. So hopefully we could uh you know,
hopefully that that'll be a big advantage, especially if in
(00:22):
the way that we practice. But it was good to
get that first one under the belt. And you know,
for the players, uh, it's got like a hundred over
one hundred more of those at that intensity level. So
I just told them that, so they got that to
look forward to him say, does few does it feel
like it's it's number one? Or like is it just
(00:42):
a continuation of what you've been doing? Not for us?
I mean and just uh, I think the you know,
the best programs, Uh, I think the best programs in
the country are the practicing all summer. You know, obviously
there's a different level of intensity, there's more of a
defensive folk, the practice is longer, so uh, you know,
(01:05):
I think you just you have a better opportunity to
uh to develop habits and then instill a toughness in
the team because you've got to be able to take
what you're doing for an hour or an hour and
ten and they'll stretch that out to two hours and
ten minutes, or they can end up being like two
fifteen today. So but the best, you know, you can't
accomplish anything in our sport, you know, unless you're grinding
(01:31):
throughout the summer, throughout the preseason. You know, if you
want to have a chance to win anything in the
world that we're in now, what keeps one year from
leading into the next?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Where do you give yourself those checks and balances to reset.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Or de group where you need to.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I just think this off season we just had a
lot more time just because we were didn't have as
many responsibilities like we've had the last two off seasons.
So I think from a coaching standpoint, it just gives
you more time to focus on your craft, I think,
(02:10):
and then I think, uh, I think it. I think
in terms of the group, it changes your pursuit, you know,
I think, you know, our pursuit of of being championship
caliber or our pursuit with absolutely everything we have, is
it a different level of urgency? You know, coming off
(02:31):
of last season, you.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Talked about your defense and not playing well last year
as a team, ripped all this offseason and now, but
is it at this point in the better spot than
it was last year at this.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
At this particular, Yeah, I think it's it's it's better.
I think, you know, I think there we've got better
individual defensive players. You know, we we really, I mean,
we struggled mightily on the perimeter last year. I mean,
you know, literally at all three spots on the perimeter,
(03:07):
with the exception of a healthy Hassan, we didn't get
what we needed from anyone defensively on the perimeter. And
that's you know, that's including you know, guys that were
really productive on offense. So you know, I think that
we've got a lot of work to do at that
end of the court. But that's uh, you know, you're
(03:29):
not playing You're not playing through mistakes on defense this
year the way you were able to last year. How
about it?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
As far as riom protection, you don't have a Donovan,
you're even the Sampson you think terraces and I know
Eric tends to be a little more of a perimiter guy.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Do you want him to be.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
A little improve upon that?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
He a little more of a protectively. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I mean it's uh, you know, I think guarding the
ball better, I think, I don't know. I think we
were number one the country last year in block shots,
but but the ball was at the front rim a lot,
you know, because you know, we were not good defending
on the perimeter, so you know, and you know you're
(04:10):
gonna get driven some. But our problem last year was
like straight line drives. There's no help for straight line drives,
you know, like you know, being able to force somebody
off their move a little bit laterally help can help
you there. Rim protectors can get there then consistently. But yeah,
I think we just got a better chance, you know,
(04:32):
a point of attack defense starting at you know, starting
at point guard with Silas, who's taller, a taller point guard.
You know, Malachi's got the ability to pressure the ball,
and you know, and then obviously the guys that are returning.
You know, I think Graylan's got a chance to be
a good defensive player because he you know, is a
serious guy, and he's physically I think he's strong enough.
(04:53):
And then obviously Solo and Jalen and Jaden, you know,
these guys, you know, they got to play good good
to very good to great defense.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
And how's mawick I looked coming up?
Speaker 1 (05:03):
You know, he wasself for a while. Yeah, we're excited
about Malachi. I think he's got the He's got some
of what Hassan brought to uh to the twenty fourteen
some of that. I think, Uh, you know, I think
he's a he's ah, he's an attacking player. He's a
guy that makes plays. I think the fans will love
and fans will love him. I think he's like a
(05:25):
a real critical key piece to the team. He's gonna
have a huge role.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You have a lot of the veterans like Soul and
Alex help you through the grind of this, this build.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Up to the sixth How have they how they helped you?
Really in Alex at this point, it's like and he's
literally like another coach, you know what I mean. Like
it's like it's it's my relationship with him is like
kind of strange. You know, we've been around each other
so much. It's like, uh, I I got on him
(05:56):
a little bit in the huddle and then I almost
felt like apologizing after. But you know, it's just been
through so much together, you know, the the incredible highs
and then disappointing last year, and then you go through
these decision making processes that he's had to deal with,
and you just bonded so closely through everything together. So, uh,
(06:19):
I just cherished this last year with Alex in particular.
But yeah, I mean, like that that trio of guys,
their Solo Alex Tarris, I mean, he's got he's gotta
be leading men. They've got to be like the you know,
like the the the Hawk, Andre Adama, you know big
three that we had that were just they they were productive,
(06:43):
they led, they they controlled the locker room. You know,
I think we do have a great locker room again
this year. So, yeah, you're a Sole in particular did
a great job as a freshman. Yeah, it's part of
like their second lay against reverse last year, much different moment.
What do you ex may you look back on that?
(07:04):
Where do you expect him? Yeah, I mean Solos, I
mean Solo established himself as uh, you know, one of
the best shooters in the country coming into the year.
You can make an argument that he's the best return
and shooter. You know, obviously the volume and the efficiency,
it's uh, you know, the the the room for him
where he's gotta grow is obviously, you know when he
(07:28):
gets in the paint, you know, his overall guard play
as a passer, you know, his his his rim finishing,
and then obviously the defensive one. I mean for a
for your team to uh, he'll be championship caliber. You know,
he's he's obviously got to make a big junk defensive
uh in particular, you know, he but I don't you know,
(07:49):
he had an awesome sophomore year. I don't think he's
got to change a whole lot offensively to his p approach.
Besides those things I talked about, you know, maybe a
slicker passer and better rim finisher. And then there's he's
got to commit defensively, you know, like our premier defense
last year.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
He's athletical enough.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Guys, well, I think that he like you know, and
it's like he's got such a superpower with the shooting.
But if you're like, Solo's evolution has like been one
of the more remarkable things because he kind of came
in here as like an Andre Jackson type of athlete,
and then now he's evolved into like a Jordan Hawkin,
this type of shooter but he still has that athletic
ability that we want to see him, you know, cutting
(08:31):
for lobs, getting on the offensive glass. We want him
hanging on a rim more. You have a lot of
internationals coming in.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Is that a big part part of recruiting now you
kind of have to look beyond just the this region.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Yeah. I think it's you know, you know, maybe maybe
the thing for us is, you know, we're looking for,
you know, players that want to want to be coached.
I think, you know, an advantage with maybe somebody into
national kids is like they're getting coached harder overseas when
they're younger. The coaches overseas aren't afraid that their kids
(09:08):
gonna change high schools or AAU teams or what have you.
So I just think that there's a culture, you know,
over there where they could acclimate to hard practices and
demanding coaches and the type of structure we put around them.
So that's appealing, you know. And then obviously I would
(09:33):
say that that's the that's the most appealing. I don't
know if it was a conscious effort. I think today's
game now you're just you're, you know, you've got an
nil budget and you're you're looking for value, and you're
looking for players with certain profiles, and you know, maybe
I'll probably get you. That's I'm not gonna say maybe
(09:56):
an American player priced himself out or you know what
I mean. I don't you know, I don't know if
we necessarily went in looking for international players so much
as you know, people that are gonna fit to to
how we do things. You mentioned getting back to the
championship caliber.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
How much of the way last season energy tournament, I
mean you or the group used as few.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Of getting back to that level. Yeah, you know, I mean, well,
let's what once you uh, you know, get to the
mountaintop and experience that, you know, any season that doesn't
end like that, you know, for the rest of your career,
even though it's you know, probably not realistic to do
it every single year, but you know, in a year
(10:36):
it doesn't end like that. You know, you got a
kind of bitter taste in the off season, and uh
you know, so yeah, I mean, I don't know, you
know that we're necessarily gonna like coach harder or or
or or or or or practice harder. I just think
that last year's team there was just this uh, this
(10:56):
feeling that the group had that just just because everyone
inside and don to come play for us at Yukon
that dos some type of magic dust or something that
we're going to sprinkle in their power aid or is
that what we use your power in we're power aid school.
Sure a little, we're talking in our Duncan in the
(11:16):
players Duncan donuts or coffee powered bulletproof. Uh yeah. So
I just think the last year's team, uh, it was
like maybe we thought we could do it with with
with with with absolutely any anyone. And I think what
made those teams special was, you know, just the commitments,
(11:41):
the efforts, the efforts on defense, how hard we played.
And you know, I think that this this group is uh,
you know, our pursuit is going to be much different.
You know, our pursuit of this championship and getting back
on top is going to be different.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Was there a pleasant surprise through preseason off season for
you somebody stand out or something about the team's really
stand out?
Speaker 1 (12:07):
I would say just you know, maybe what Alex looks like.
I mean, Alex has put on ten pounds of muscle.
He's you know, he's like two, you know, he's like
two thirties plus. It just it just looks real sharp
and looks like a grown up. And I just think
you get a lot of you get a lot of
confidence when you start your team with what solos looked
(12:28):
like all summer. Tarriss look like all summer. Alex Has
looked like all summer. And again I think, and I
said this, with this team, it's like, yeah, it's like
how we're pursuing getting back to where we want to
be with everything that we have, you know, because when
you get there, it's absolutely worth everything that you gave
and you're on top. But this is a group that's
(12:48):
gonna have. You got to earn your role. I said
it last year, but it's like now these guys that
maybe you know that with sophomores and weren't ready are
now juniors. And if you really it's a numbers game,
I think it's like it's hard to play ten players,
you know, and I think that there's like, legitimately, you know,
probably twelve that I think they got a chance to play.
(13:10):
And so like you got to earn, you're gonna have
to earn your role. I think one of the mistakes
I made early last year was I had a vision
of how I wanted the team to look, and I
probably should have sent a different team out there to
start the year. I think that the group that I'm
(13:32):
gonna send out there to start the year is gonna
be a group that earns it three weeks from yesterday,
three weeks from yesterday, Like you know, these guys are
gonna either be announced as a starter. You're gonna be
the sixth man, You're gonna be the fourth guy in
that's gonna get limited minutes, or you're gonna get deep
spaced and you're gonna you're gonna play lately and you're
(13:53):
gonna earn wherever you are in that whole you know,
that whole role out located. So and what the the.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Fifteen man lost that we're going to that you kind
of have that layer of developmental players, yeah, m And
then of course you have young guys you've reteamed villains.
If you bringing guys coming in from the over seas.
Is that in long with that vision that you expressed
about a year ago that you wanted to be known
as one of the best basketball operations in the world.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Yeah, Is that kind of.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Coming together the way you envisioned or maybe the most
changes or change that vision a little.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
But is that do you see all those things come
from the way Yeah, I think yeah, I mean we
we obviously have the evidence, you know, when we're championship success,
we get the evidence with the with the people that
we're producing that are not just in the NBA. When
you look across the board and you know, just the
guys in the last several teams we've had, they're all
(14:50):
flourishing overseas or or in the NBA or in some
cases the G League. So I think the the f
team player thing is that it's it's y know, you're
experimenting with with with with you know, the trade off
air is like you know, you you've got a chance
to develop some players, you got a chance to practice harder,
(15:11):
but keep maybe some of your veterans fresher, but let
the young players get the reps that they need, like
as you get later in the season, cause that becomes
a problem as a coach. You'll have like Alex late
in the year that doesn't need reps. But then last
year it's you know, Ja, you know, Jaden Ross needed
reps as a sophomore. So you'd be able to be
more like a la Carte would practice that way. I
(15:33):
guess the only thing we'll find out is if having
fifteen people is too many pains in the ask that
deal what during the year? I guess, you know, like,
do I really want to deal with fifteen human beings?
You know, plus Tom Luke and Kamani? I mean, so
what what is?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
What is the guy who's running a pro team Slovaki
or you know, Turkey.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
What do you think he's.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Saying about a guy? Hey, you have a chance to
need God from U.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Come? What do you think.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
He he's taking minute with U? Can't bring you right?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah? I mean yukon't. I think you know, whether you're
NBA or or or an international team, I think, uh,
you know somebody that's been in a demanding program. You
know that somebody that is going to be able to
function really well and in structure, you know, in a
system that prioritizes like discipline and being about the right things,
(16:30):
being competitive, working hard, being being being coachable, and you
know coaches can coach our players hard when they leave here. Well,
the biggest complaint I get from players, especially in the NBA,
it's like they wish their teams coach them harder. They
wish their coaches practiced them harder. They wish the coaches,
you know. So I think that you know, you know,
(16:51):
somebody that's knows how to be a good teammate, you know,
and it's about winning, you know. And if there's you know,
has played for the front Jersey, I know.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Fives came through here during we were during summer. Were
some other coaches guns or if you could share, you
have kind of come through and watched to see.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
What you do. I mean, uh, I hanging out with
Tips for a couple of days was it was a
highlight for me. I love Tips and he's his mom
is like crazy Yukon fans still like throwing shit at
the TV level fan. I mean, he's a Connecticut, Connecticut guy,
so uh my kindred spirit uh Joe Mizzula with him.
(17:32):
We spent some time with show, you know. I mean,
you know, we've had international people through here. Uh and
now I think this time of year you start to
get more of the NBA people started to come in here.
But you know, I think we we uh we get
high school coaches in here, we get Division two, Division
(17:52):
three coaches. I think I get the best ideas you know,
for me as a coach, uh from like Europe Division two,
Division three mentioned the Big three, the twenty three team.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Sort of looking how similar to rosters you kind of looked.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
How intentionable was that in creating the rosters. I think
you're just looking at it from a standpoint of like, uh,
you know, like who are your core players? You know
and w with Tarifs. You know, there's obviously similarities there
with you know, with the dom uh Doma from a
physical standpoint at how we utilized him. You know, you
(18:33):
you you uh, you know you obviously got the Jordan's
solo comp you know, Alex is now you know, potentially
three years better uh than that version of himself. I think,
you know, our point guard situation, you know, has this
I think feeling more confident or feeling he was just
(18:53):
very confident. There's some depth there, There's some quality there.
Might you know Braylan's uh a flamethrower, you know, and
then you just got real depth just like that. There's
you know, these guys that are like the tenth man,
the guy that is likely to get like the ninth
and tenth guys that are likely to probably get squeezed
here or are like really good players, you know, like
(19:18):
really really good players that would help other high majors
this year. So I think the strength of his team
is the depth. Like that team, whereas like off the
bench was Nahim, it was Joey, it was Donovan, it
was Hassan. You know, we went nine deep, and that's
what made that group special. You're playing exhibitions that are
(19:39):
live against Division one upon this if you what are
the best pluses and may a system doing that? I
mean the plus the pluses are that I think we're
like we're playing like really hard exhibitions this year, which
I think is gonna have us more ready than we
were last year. For the beginning of the year, we
were not ready for Maui, and it showed it our
(20:02):
performance there. And I think part of that was because
we know we didn't probably schedule hard enough those types
of games which would have had us more ready for
what we saw when we shared the floor with Memphis.
So we you know, we obviously learned from that. The
negative part of it is like you're really three weeks
from yesterday. You know, it's like it's gonna be messy,
(20:26):
you know, like we're not gonna be who we're gonna
be by the time you know, it really starts. You know,
I look back to the twenty four year where we
scrimmaged it at Virginia and uh, you know, we were
down three to that that Virginia team that I don't
I don't think they made the tournament or if they
did make the tournament day, well, they didn't make it.
(20:48):
They didn't make it. And Cam Spencer hit a three
so that we didn't lose that one outright in that
closed scrimmage on the road. So and then and then
obviously we had a historic so you know, like it's
just you know, so it it could be a little
bit of a shit shot, but I think just playing
(21:08):
quality opponents, it tells you where you gotta get better
and where you get in front of two big atmospheres,
which is gonna help, I think with the nerves come
opening night.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Well, what at Rick Patino saying how the point dark
position doesn't really exist anymore. I'm maybe it sounds a
little bit of like an exaggeration, but do you kind
of understand maybe what he's saying, and with that in mind,
is that change how the roles of Silas and Malcha
might be this year a little bit, and.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Well, I mean I think, yeah, I mean, you have
a primary handler. I think we all have a primary
you know we uh you know, Tristan was was our
primary handler. You know, he had the ball you know,
probably fifty percent of the time for how we play offensively,
you know, and then Cam probably had it twenty percent
(21:55):
of the time. And by the end of the year,
Steph had it, you know, twenty set at a time,
and maybe Ak had it you know another file. Don't
even though where we're at with the math right now,
I'm lost, But you know, I mean it's you're you're
looking for versatile pieces. I mean you're looking for size
at guard and on the perimeter and multiple handlers because
(22:17):
for us, the way we play offense, you know, is interchangeable.
You've got to be able to play on off ball,
you know. So for us, yeah, I mean, if you
look at what we're doing in recruiting, yeah, we are
looking for bigger guards. I think for the positions that
we put our guards in offensively in particular, forget about
what they do on the backboard at the defensive end,
in terms of the length, you know, I think the
(22:41):
difference between how we were offensively with those teams, with
those big guards, the ability to throw the lobs, the
ability to spray it out through point line, the ability
to finish at the rim or get fouled, you know,
like when they're not six four, sixty five, sixty six,
it becomes more problematic. Yeah, my career, uh you know,
(23:06):
a Hall of fame type of resume. And obviously the
job he's done in multiple places, and you know, just
I think, uh, you know, uh, coach, that'll be missed.
Obviously there's a lot of coaches you know recently you know,
have uh have been retiring. I think, uh, I don't
(23:27):
know if it's the uncertainty where you're still not knowing
if people are going to get a fifty year as
October is about the hit and just some of the
lack of structure and leadership in the game itself. I'm
not sure if that's what you know, what did it?
But you know, Coach was uh, you know, Coach was
somebody that uh yeah, I I admired, you know, I
(23:51):
admired what he's built in his career, and uh, you know,
I wish his son good luck. Coach's kid. So decided
who was so much.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
I read somewhere that you were thinking of doing a
similar for this past off season, not in September.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
But yeah, I don't think Andrews ready. I mean, seriously,
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