Jarkel Joiner: "We Work Like Underdogs"

NC State guard Jarkel Joiner discusses his mentality, the Wolfpack's roster, and much more with the media.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

What were the deciding factors that brought you here?
Like I was stating earlier, it felt like home away from home. My parents loved it here, I loved it here. Coach gave a great pitch in the recruitment. My game style fits his play style, so it was an easy decision. 

How did the trip to the Bahamas help you?
Just get a feel for the new coaching staff, as well.  A new coaching staff, so everybody's gelling together. Everybody is learning each other, learning everybody. From managers to players to coaches. Just being around everybody you know, getting to know everybody. 

What are the biggest things you think you bring to this team that will help it take the next step?
My leadership... being vocal, being an experienced point guard... be able to help the team in big ways I feel like. 

With you and Terquavion, what do you think the pair of you can do in the back field, in the back of the picture?
I feel like we're going to be really good. We're going to be really special together. I'm just going to leave it at that. 

We were talking to Burns and he said, he asked questions about, "who's going to be my teammates?"  What was your thought about, there was a lot of change going on last year, with not the kind of year that anybody here wanted, how did you sort of weigh that in your decision to come?
Most definitely, you always want to know who you're playing with, and Coach Keatts told me who the guys was going to be and that's some great players and I would love to play, I said, 'I would love to play with them guys'.  Jack Clark, DJ, I was like 'that's going to be fun playing with them guys.' Dusan. 

Was there some question? I don't know exactly when you committed versus when they had guys back. Was there still some uncertainty about him saying "I think this is going to work out, but you need to trust me a little bit.”
Never uncertain. No sir, no uncertainty. I trusted Coach Keatts right when I committed, I said 'I put my trust in you', like he put his trust into me being the point guard on his team. So it was never no uncertainty.

What about the fact that, it's a team that was coming off a bumpy year last year. But there's a lot of different faces, it's not the same team back. So how did you weigh that part about a team that was not in a good position last year, going to that group. 
Right. Just coming in and accepting the challenge. Knowing that we're going to be the underdog and that was going to work to the best of my ability. 

How much of the team embraced that sort of underdog mentality? 
We work like it everyday. Weight room, basketball practice, anything to do with competitive, we work like underdogs. 

What do you kind of see your role on this team?
Like I said, just being a leader. Dogging the ball, picking up the ball, finding open teammates, scoring whenever they need me to, just things of that nature.

You weren't here last year, but there wasn’t a lot of efficiency, I guess you could say in the frontcourt, and there was too much pressure put on the back court. From what you've seen from new faces coming in, frontcourt players, what do you think the difference is going to be from last year?
Oh man, we always talk about playing inside out. Giving them guys the ball, so they can open things up for us. So, we're going to work off each other. And our frontcourt is going to be great this year. We got a great rotation, they going to be great. So, I can't wait for y'all to see it. 

What about the defensive end of it?
Oh man, we play defense. We can pick up from 94 feet, guard the ball, try to handle the ball, there's great turn over. It's great... it's going to be a fun team to watch, I feel like, this year. 

How much of the new faces in the front court going to help you defensively?
A lot, a lot. They going to help a lot. Jack Clark, DJ, Dusan, him being the energy guy. Dusan really going to help a lot on the physical end, he's a dog. He loves to do the dirty work. Rebound... all the dirty work, he loves doing it.

You project any of these guys being a fairly dominate shot blocker?
For sure, yeah. Ebe is a shot blocker. Dusan will be a shot blocker, I feel like Ernest Ross will be a shot blocker. We'll have to see.