NC State F Khamil Pierre and G Qadence Samuels met with the media to discuss the 71-60 win over California.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch.
Without Tilda, was there more of an emphasis, maybe you getting more rebounds, helping out sort of?
SAMUELS: Yeah, I feel like there's still people that can rebound on the team. Like, even Tilda out, can rebound, I can rebound, and even the guards, so I would say we just kept fighting and just kept getting rebounds.
You played all 40 minutes, ma'am. Do you feel like this is one of your better games at State so far?
SAMUELS: Yeah, I would say. I did talk to Coach Moore one time. He told me that I need to play like how I was in high school. So, I just brought that old me back out, but like a better me, but I just started playing harder.
What does it take for you to kind of bring that side out of you?
SAMUELS: I would definitely say me just playing hard in general. Like, if I get a stop that lights me up, if I get a rebound, it lights me up. It's just like anything, just diving on the floor, it'll get me fired up. It's just anything. It's not just scoring. It's basically rebounding and defending.
Come here, ma'am. I know you have a background. I think against their center, I think she played in the SEC. Just speak to that? Did that help you today, maybe being a little familiar?
PIERRE: I believe so, yes, but I think while I played in the SEC, I don't remember her playing as much compared to other girls on top of their lineup.
What about going 4-0 in the ACC? This is for both of you, by the way. I mean, you guys, there's starting to be separation, and this is the time of year where teams start stumbling some. Y'all have not had that stumble yet. Sort of keep that pace above the ACC. How big of a win is this?
PIERRE: Like Coach said, every win is a great win, especially in this conference. There's no easy games. I think just understanding we didn't start the season how we wanted to, so understanding, especially coming back from winter break, just to make sure we're focused on our principles and understanding the biggest thing for us is just to win and be the better team on the court.
And your thoughts, ma'am?
SAMUELS: I feel like it sends into a new team, us transferring here and freshman and all that. It's a really good team, so we had to get a feel of how we play with each other and all that, and then just in the beginning, it was hard and tough. But then the stretch in ACC, we started picking it back up and started knowing, oh, this person scores, this person does this.It's just their rules.
Qadence, can you speak to your comfort level now as opposed to the comfort level back in November? How much better is it?
PIERRE: I think just understanding for me personally, I came off a really good season, but also understanding I'm super capable and I'm a really good player, so I feel like I kind of lost that confidence coming into a new team. It's really hard just to be comfortable and just to find your groove again, so really just confiding in myself and finding that confidence I've had and just bringing that out as best as I can.
And you see it as being better now?
PIERRE: Yes.
And you, ma'am?
SAMUELS: I would definitely say it was quite for me in November, since it was a new team and I had to figure out what to do. And I kind of figured it out in the stretch.
Qadence, you mentioned that conversation with Coach Moore about moving to high school right now. What did you guys have that and what was that like for you?
SAMUELS: I feel like that was, I'm trying to figure out, I forgot who we lost to, but I wasn't really getting rebounds and all that. And I remember one time in practice, he told me, I haven't been playing my old self and I need to get back to that.
So then I just started these couple games, just my main focus, just getting rebounds, diving on the floor. That's basically what I do. I just play hard, obviously sometimes score, shoot threes, but just in defending. So, yeah.
I asked you about the growth from November to January. Where can this team be in March? Is there more growth potential?What areas do y'all want to get better at?
SAMUELS: I would definitely say there could be growth and there's some things that we need to fix. But I think we're pretty good now that we're comfortable with each other.
