NC State G Zoe Brooks and F Khamil Pierre Brace For Irish Challenge

NC State's G Zoe Brooks and F Khamil Pierre met with the media to discuss their upcoming game with Notre Dame, reflecting on their seasons, and much more!

NOTE: Click the video player above to watch the full Zoom call!

To start, for either of you, you played Notre Dame earlier this season, did not get the result y'all want, and I'm sure didn't play to the standard that y'all wanted. What did you learn from that game that you're hoping to take into tomorrow?

PIERRE: I think we all understand that, like when we played Notre Dame the first go around, it wasn't our best game. We lacked a lot of energy and just like common principles. So I think going into this game, like understanding that kind of we control the pace and the tempo, and as long as we do that, everything will be fine.

BROOKS: What she said.

Actually, I have two questions. First, about this game tomorrow, ma'am. It's hard because you have to kind of watch, and now, it's Notre Dame, but there were a couple of days. Do you prepare for teams in the eventuality, or do you just wait to see who the winner is before you start worrying about it?

BROOKS: We've been preparing for Notre Dame pretty much all week. We kind of had a feeling that they were going to win, and so we just been running their plays pretty much since what, Tuesday or Wednesday?

And then my second question, this is for both of y'all. There's an NIL collective One Pack at NC State. You, Zoe, came in as a player as a freshman. You, Khamil, came in from another school. I was wondering how well y'all have enjoyed working with the One Pack? How well that's gone for y'all and what opportunities they've given you, and opportunities you would like to maybe see in the future?

BROOKS: One Pack is great. Obviously, it allows all of our sports to get different NIL deals. I feel like they always look out for us and whatever deals we want. Like, I know Z, for example, loved Legos, so they helped get her a deal for that, and they just always look out and tell us whatever we want, and we can get pretty much.

And Khamil, ma'am, your thoughts? I don't know if you've interacted with him yet.

PIERRE: Am I part of it? 

BROOKS: Yeah, One Pack is for all the athletes. 

PIERRE: Oh, yeah, then I guess what Zoe said.

Khamil, can you talk about your friendship with Braylon and kind of how that came about, and what that's been like for you this season, and how that's helped you?

PIERRE: I just came from a struggling situation. So I got here, just being on the game again, it was pretty hard. But I mean, I've always loved kids. So to be able to see someone who just really likes someone, not only when they just see me, but the whole team, it was just a constant reminder that, like, yeah, basketball is very important, but it's also so much more than that. And so kind of just like, the peace in that, like, helped me keep going and just understand like, regardless of how I'm feeling, everything will be okay.

Do you know when, like, you first interacted with him?

PIERRE: I mean, I come to every home game. So honestly, probably like our first home game.

Yeah, Zoe, I know this is Khamil's first ACC tournament. So I guess this will be for Zoe. Not having the Greensboro experience this year, the bus ride, going back home, and stuff. Now you're kind of, I would say, on an island, but you're isolated out there in Georgia. Speak to the difference.

BROOKS: Definitely is going to be a lot different this year. Obviously, Greensboro is like down the street from Raleigh. And we always have a bunch of fans, especially when we make it to the championship. We always have the fans come as we're entering the arena. 

So that's always going to be a great feeling. It feels like a home game. So this year, I'm excited to see how many fans end up flying out. I know a couple flying out to Atlanta. So I'm excited.

Khamil, ma'am, your thoughts on getting to experience your first ACC tournament?

PIERRE: I feel like at the end of the day, ACC, SEC, it's all the same thing. Everyone's here to compete. So just making sure we go into it with the right mindset.

Even though y'all are the fourth seed, I think a lot of y'all, a lot of people kind of view y'all as the underdogs going into this matchup. I know that is something that historically y'all have, as this program has embraced. Is that something that you're really looking forward to when you play tomorrow, and just like feeling like maybe you're, I don't know, like not expected to do a lot?

BROOKS: I mean, every year we're like the one or two seed and people always say we're going to lose and we're not going to make it far and all types of stuff like that. So we just kind of used it as fuel in the past and just went out there and played our best basketball.

Do players worry about playing teams wanting to get revenge? Or is this just a situation where you just take it as it comes?

PIERRE: Do you love a question like that?

I mean, you guys obviously, I know you have, I'm sorry, Zoe, I didn't mean to cut you off, but you have a background obviously with Hannah. You played a long time with her and against her. And then obviously the game this year didn't go well.

BROOKS: We're both very competitive, obviously, as you guys probably know. We're both from New Jersey, and that's just what we do. We're very competitive. We always want to win and beat not only each other, but also anybody who steps in front of us. So a couple of weeks ago, when they beat us, I definitely took it personally. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Khamil, when you were growing up, did you watch the conference tournaments in the NCAA? What was that like? Did you enjoy it? Or were you someone to win that?

PIERRE: I honestly probably didn't start watching basketball until last year. My teammates got me to start watching it.

Zoe, obviously, you've played for Coach Moore for three years. But Khamil, it's your first year. What's it been like playing for a coach like that in your first year with him?

PIERRE: I mean, going from playing for a female head coach to a male coach, I think it's a lot different. But I mean, I think honestly, he's just a lot harder than what I came from. And he keeps everything pretty straightforward. But I mean, understanding he wants the best for everyone and just trying to help us all get to where we want to be.

How does that help you? How does that help push you this year in your first year with him?

PIERRE: Kind of just understanding like, you just got to take what he says. Got to take the message, not always the tone. And just understand that everything is for your best interest. So just kind of helped me grow tougher skin and just go with the process.

Yeah, I actually want to go back to Braylon. But I want, Zoe, from your perspective as a teammate, what was it like to kind of watch Khamil over this year and how that impacted her, her growth, and her comfort back on the court?

BROOKS: Obviously, it's really hard coming from a different school. It's just a whole new environment. You've got to make new friends, new teammates, new coaches. And I feel like she's done a pretty good job adjusting. As I said, it wasn't easy to make that change, especially as a junior. But I think she's doing pretty well. Isn't that right, pal? 

BROOK: Yeah! Go pack.

PIERRE: Sorry, guys. 

Oh, no, no, no. I was just, yeah. If you saw a specific change in Khamil because of that?

BROOKS: Oh, she definitely looks forward to seeing him before every home game. So I think that makes her day when she sees him. It's so cute. They look like siblings. They actually got each other gifts, right? They got each other gifts. They surprised each other last game.

Wait, what were those gifts? What did he get you, and what did you get him?

PIERRE: I got him like a Nintendo Switch game that he wanted, a bunch of Pokémon stuff that I guess he liked, and like a stuffed animal and probably like candy, a bunch of random kid stuff. Then he got me a card, candy, and a cute picture frame of a bunch of different pictures we had taken throughout the season.

Have you had a relationship with a young fan like that before?

PIERRE: Yeah. You just for the kids. 

BROOKS: That's what it sounds like to me.

PIERRE: Why ain’t Spectrum News ain't asking questions? Spectrum, W. Rowell, Tucker.

BROOKS: Chris. 

PIERRE: Chris, Kevin, y'all got nothing? I see y'all in here real quiet.