North Carolina
Ingram: The Bahamas helped on the court and off the court
Harrison Ingram speaks to the media ahead of a matchup with No. 10 Tennessee
And um with three games in three games against three different types of games, how much do you think you guys push that forward by, by building that message become sort of a fully in sync? I definitely think the Bahamas helped, I mean, not just on the court but also off the court. We get, we were there three days early, we did some stuff with some little kids, we went to the water park, we just hung out as a team and with our coaching staff and just kind of having to prepare for three really good teams in three days with quick turnaround has really helped us for the season from how much does the help the court when you, when you're trying to get because you guys have a lot of styles of play but does being strong off the court and meshing off the court kind of help you sort of uh recognize guys games. Oh, definitely. I mean, it's kind of just getting to know everybody and building chemistry off the court, I think helps on the court. I mean, you always play better with your friends and I would say that in general, um, everybody on this team, we're all good friends. We all hang out. I mean, we all text each other. We're all active in the group chat. We all know a lot about each other and I feel like the Bahamas really help with that. I'm going to ask you the other day. Do you personally think the Nova game? Did you get caught up maybe too much into the physicality of it? Like trying to give it back a little bit. Uh I don't know if I would say that. I, I don't know, I mean, the last, the last call that we got that I got the little charge call. I feel like it's going both ways. But I mean, the other day I didn't get the call and I also had a technical foul that I think I could have been smarter and used that foul elsewhere elsewhere. But I mean, it was a physical game when we just their physicality and I guess, uh, as that just, you know, knowing obviously you expected a physical battle with Tennessee too and like, how do you, from what you've seen of them so far? How do you think that matches up to, to how Villanova was and, and what you all can expect and what you need to be ready for and we haven't finished because please scout, we're finishing that today in practice, but we know it could be a physical game. We know they have 89 really good players deep team. We know we could be physical and defense, physical offense and be ready to go because they're coming, they're trying to beat us. They're coming off two losses, I think in Maui against two good teams, but two losses. So they're gonna be motivated to be ready to go there. And before you guys went to the Bahamas, you hadn't played tough competition yet. So you don't really know like how good you are. So coming out of that finish against Arkansas, did you feel like that? Give you guys some belief that you can carry over? I mean, I think we all already have belief is just showing everybody else we played fa U in a scrimmage and so we kind of knew what we could do against better competition as a secret scrimmage. But for us just kind of showing the world what we're able to do and showing the world how our team is. Like, we have a lot of really good pieces. Everyone does something a little bit different, but everybody brings really something really good to the table. So what's your comfort level offensive to the rest of the guys? Right? I mean, as high as it's ever been. But um they have confidence in me. I have comments in them. I like the way we're playing, sharing the ball, everyone knows their spot. So I feel like the roles are very, everyone's getting their role kind of, I mean, we're still defining roles because we're still be the season to break. I, I mean, yeah, he's what, he's 2525 now. He's been here, he was playing, he was playing college basketball when I was, like, in high school. So, you know, for him, I mean, when he said something I listen and, you know, just trying to get knowledge from him, he's been in the AC C for like, three or four years now. He's at Stanford before I was. So I know that he sees stuff that I might not see just because I'm younger. So, I mean, on the court, Arkansas game, he was telling me stuff about, I had two turnovers. Example, I had two turnovers where I turn my back and I would spin and they would come get it. He told me stop spinning, I stopped spinning the second half and I started working. Yeah. Was that, um, do you remember like the bench or the time or when he, it was some time out right after the co star talking, uh, stopped talking. Uh, we were walking out to the court before the ref gave us the ball. I, like you walk up to me and said it real quick in terms of your three point shooting 48% so far early in the season. Is it a matter of just a confidence thing or, or do you think you're getting different looks with the offense this year? Than what you might have been getting inane. I think it's a combination of both. I'm not having to take as many off the dribble shots that I take last second, uh, shot clock. But we don't really get to the last second shot clock a lot because we play so fast. But in general, I'm not really taking last second threes. I'm more aggressive towards the rim and then most of the threes I'm taking are catch and shoot seven threes which at Stanford, I'm pretty sure I shot like 40 over my two years on just catch and shoot threes and those are shots, take it mostly here. Do you, do you feel like there's been pressure in a way lifted off of you in terms of having to be that playmaker, go to score, knowing the talent that you have around you that you might not have at your best. It's definitely helped a lot. I'm not sure if the word is pressure or more. Just kind of just having the help knowing that I have a bunch of other players who are threats on the floor. Like RJ, like Armando, like Cor like Elliott J Weight, I move that on the list and that makes the teams can't double because if they double, we're gonna make them pay. So everything is one on one and everything is easier basketball here. Let's let's look up to you, uh from RJ these first six games. I know you obviously spent time with him in the off season, kind of see what he can do. But in these a game situations, what's kind of stuff out of the way. I mean, he's a bucket. I mean, he gets buckets. I mean, when he, when he shoots the ball, he's one of those guys, I assume is going in, I mean, I'm supposed to crash the glass every possession, but when he shoots, I tend to just get back on defense and I see what's going in, but there's really his leadership. Um, he was here for four years. He's been there, he was there two years ago when they made the run. He was there last year when they had the bad year. So he knows the s he knows the downs, he knows that there's an ebb and flow every season and it's kind of hearing from him how it is, how if you have a bad game, it doesn't really matter. You just gotta be ready for the next game, would you?