North Carolina
Leaky Black: "I want it to be a really nasty win"
Leaky black reflects on his career ahead of regular-season finale against Duke.
Good, How you doing? Good to see you guys. Hello, how you doing? Good to see you sir. Well your last home game saturday. I love you kind of take us through your time here. Some of the things that, so there's some seminal moments you chose player. Yeah, well off the top of my head, just like a lot of growing pains, honestly, like it's been a bumpy road man, but you know, just looking back, you know, I feel like adversity just makes you grow up a lot faster, you know, you would like to in most cases and all I can think about is just like my, my sophomore year, you know, freshman, um, Mondo and cole's freshman year, you know, that whole year was just like, you know, I feel like that's, um, the year I grew up the most and uh, just from finding out who I really am, you know, uh looking back, I'm just grateful for my time here going for you because you were challenged losing, but also yeah, right. And uh, I mean, I feel like this is the player I've always been, you know, um I feel like you guys know, I was recruited to play point guard, I grew up playing point guard my entire life and uh, just my size and length, this gives me the tools, you know, be moving around a little bit, you know, whatever the team needs kind of thing. And yeah, that part I didn't really have a problem with, but definitely the losing was completely new to me. Yeah, Lindi, you've been, take care of this program. Thank you. Um, I mean, I appreciate it. I didn't know that, but I appreciate it. You know, really, I just try to lead by example, you know, a lot of guys know I'm not really vocal unless I'm like, you know, trying to cut them out or anything. But uh really like I said, it's hard lead by example and you know, I just want to win. Like, like I said, go back to myself in my year. That was one of the toughest years of my life, but I'm grateful that that year happened just because this made me into the person that I am today and I just value winning so much. I'm, you know, just willing to do whatever it takes to win. And uh, I feel like these guys see that and I guess that's kind of why I'm the anchor, I guess going back to last year, you talked about having some anxiety. Yeah. Uh well actually, um, it's funny, Doug was showing me pictures of my freshman year, um, literally yesterday and uh, there's one particular workout with coach rob that um, we were trying to figure out what was going on my thumb when really it was my anxiety taking over. I couldn't feel like my arms anything. We thought it was like, I just came out the weight room, we didn't know what was going on and uh, you know, it's just as time went by, I eventually met Jackie man. It's definitely a tough job, but I mean I wouldn't be against it at all. Oh yeah. Oh my God man, before your expert stories, I can't say anything like specific because I already told them a couple stories. They said I can't say that. So, But yeah, I'm gonna leave it at that. They were very mature and I used to be an angry person. You know, I used to be kind of straightforward and direct with them because you know, cole, he was grew up rich, you know, he got everything he wanted, you know what I mean? So it's like needless to say he's like, I didn't like that like that at all. So yeah, I let him know how I felt. Um, I still see it a little bit, he's still a big kid man, I swear. But he has, he has changed a lot. I tell garrison and you know, be robbing every these guys come back like how proud they would be of Armando for him growing up and you know, doing some things that he, I used to complain about worrying about when he was in, uh, when he was a freshman. So yeah, I'm really proud of him. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Right. Um, well believe it or not, I felt like the change coming, you know, I felt us, you know, actually carrying a little bit more and I felt like, you know, I felt the potential building up and building up, but um you know, all throughout the year, I would have some games where I would play, like, great, didn't really get the recognition kind of thing. And Miss Leslie along with Big May and a couple of other coaches, there was just, you know, just kind of just everyday kind of tell me that they would love to have me back and I wasn't really thinking about coming back, but you know, to hear somebody say that they want you back, obviously, you know, moved me in a in a touching way I guess, and going to that senior night, I was just, I knew I was coming back, you know, that's why I said that, so it wasn't really a senior night, but like I knew I was coming back, but um I guess saturday would be my true senior night. Yeah, that's why it took me so long to answer that because I'm trying to start to think about it, it's really hit me a little bit. So um you know, like I said, just us, Karen, you know, um I talked to a lot of people, a lot of older people, um you know, like Danny Green, um you know, I talked to a lot of guys and uh they're just telling us how biggest problems we look like we don't care on tv and I promise you we do, but like just getting that emotion out of different guys, it's different, you know, I mean, it's difficult, you know brady, he was he was a hothead so it wasn't hard to get it out of him, but you know it's just it's a different group of guys and it's just as soon as we start to care about winning and like nothing else, you know, that's when we really turned the corner and I felt like with our back against the wall this last two weeks or whatever, you know, feel like it's a different team out there. Yeah, looser maybe body. Mhm Yeah, 100%. Um I said uh but get another year when we were number one, you know we had like a team meeting, we were winning but it was kind of ugly, you know, and everyone started talking or whatever and I was just in the meeting, I was just like we just gotta you know block out all the noise and just you know, just just try to play stress free. But I mean it's difficult when you number one have all this Sports illustrated stuff going on. So now it's just we really have no choice but to play stress free at this point. So it's just a matter of just having fun while we're out there, you know when that's pretty much it Mhm Thank you uh super important, you know that's really one of the biggest reasons why I came back, you know, just to show that I really have more in the tank that I really believe in, that after four years, you know, I haven't really got the opportunity to show. But yeah, I'm just grateful to get my name out there a little bit. So against florida state, it seemed like you were purposely more aggressive. Yeah. Um, just try not to lose, you know? Um, I think I got to the free throw line a little bit a little early earlier into the game and that kind of helped me see the ball go in and you know, obviously the way that they would play us, they were pressure. So the driving lanes were open, it was just easy to make the, you know, just the right play, you know, get by your defender or whatever and um, it was nothing really specific but just getting out of my own head and just playing, you know, and that's just what it was man, it's different for everyone, you know? But me personally is just remembering at the end of the day is basketball, you know, and it's been my dream. You know, we all think about the next step and where we want to be down the line instead of just like realizing where we are and appreciate what we have. Um, like I said, you know, just us acting like we care about winning, you know, just been trying to get that out this whole year and um, you know, I tell the guys all the time, you can't just play defense when your shots going in, you know, you gotta hang your hat on something and if your shot's not going in, what you're gonna do to contribute, you know, and um playing defense and you know, just doing little things, diving on the floor, like puff, he's always down on the floor, you get all bruised up and stuff. He's just wild out there, but we joke about it all the time, but like, you know, he's doing what he can to help us win, you know, and that's the stuff you love to see probably the last time. Uh Derek, he's playing saturday. Okay. You also, they say that what are your, what are your personal and team goals ahead of your last home game and your last get the win? Uh I wanted to be a real nasty win. Um, you know, I just want to have fun. I want Caleb to talk his junk, you know, mono to talk to the fans, whatever it is, you know, I just want to win. So I just was ready to play saturday.