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Cam Jones: NCAA Tournament Press Conference - Team Performance & Basketball Coach Insights
Apr 11, 2025
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart chats with media after 76-59 win over Seton Hall on 21 January 2025. Shaka talks about the "bizarre" way SHU was left out of NCAA's last year, his own journey compared to Shaheen Holloway's, the evolving world of NIL and how it affects schools like SHU, and more!
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0:00
I think about three quarters of the game
0:05
It's not a pretty offensive half in the first half either way, but I thought our guys did a good job leading the defense
0:13
We had three guys that had double-figured deflections, which is a huge deal for us
0:18
And it was nice to see the ball go in for Cam Jones, because he's been struggling to shoot from outside
0:27
We've got to keep building and growing our younger guys. They got extended minutes tonight
0:32
Lots to learn there. I know Cam's much more than just the shooting numbers, but still
0:39
How did you see him get back to his efficient self? Well, the ball bounced up in the air to about 20 feet, came back down
0:48
rolled around the whole rim, and they went in. Cam is, anyone I've ever coached, he's a rhythm shooter
0:57
He's feeling good. He can kick it up there. And it can go in
1:01
So it's amazing how ball going in helps you with the next one
1:06
He got some rhythm and was able to make four threes. Shaka, can you kind of sympathize with what Shaka's going through here
1:15
He's got some injuries, doesn't have the same team he had last year
1:19
What's kind of the outside perception of his team this year? I'm the wrong guy to ask about that
1:28
I mean, they were down two of their better players tonight in backcourt
1:33
So I think that you can take any team in our league, and if you subtract two starting guards, it's going to be tough for them to win
1:44
In terms of outside perception, I don't really focus on that. I think Shabin Holloway is one of the top teams in the country
1:53
I think the job he did last year was as good of a coaching job as anyone in the country I thought they got robbed and not made the NCAA tournament I thought it really made no sense a team that beat UConn last year and
2:10
beat us I believe that 13 regular season Big East wins. I don't know, that was bizarre that they didn't make it
2:22
And then they lost a lot of guys off of that team
2:27
And listen, I'm the last guy that's an expert on NIL or any of that stuff
2:35
But I think we all know it's a factor of why players move
2:40
And I know this, Shaheen Holloway is a winner. He's always been a winner
2:48
And he will continue to be. The bench guy's got an extended run today
2:53
Do you want to see more of them? What do you want them to take away from the effort tonight
2:56
Just continue to grow up. Grow up. And I don't say that in a derogatory way
3:05
This is not high school anymore. This is college. And if you want to play more and you want to play better
3:14
then you have to take ownership of everything that goes into that, starting culturally, secondly, defensively
3:21
and thirdly, offensively, in that order. and these guys have been awesome in practice
3:27
and I'm fine. I'm not, you know, Coach Brown told me a long time ago
3:34
things don't always happen when you want them to but they always happen on time. But if they want to be front line guys this year
3:42
and get that type of minutes in a game that's a possession game
3:46
then they got to play better. And again, on the defensive end before the offensive end
3:52
So we're going to keep working on it. Shaka, you've had a similar career apart to Shaq, right
3:59
Living in major teams in tournament has had success at the high major level How different is it to instill culture at the high major level at the state of A and the next level
4:14
Well, I just, you know, college sports have changed so much. I think that for all of us, as coaches and as players
4:28
we're just trying to adapt and evolve and learn. I was joking with somebody the other day
4:38
at some point someone's going to sue the NCAA and say, you know, I think every fifth possession
4:45
we should have two basketballs out there. And they're going to win. And so then as coaches and players, we need to figure it out
4:53
Say, okay, every fifth possession we have two basketballs. how do we defend these guys
4:59
how do we need to adjust but the way to do that is not to
5:05
lament that it's not 1985 anymore and I think that's for any of us
5:14
as coaches we just have to keep figuring it out find a way I'm not the big
5:19
social media guy somebody sent me some rant that Bobby Knight had
5:25
I think it was in the early 90s and he's just going off on his team and
5:31
it sounded so like you can't do that that's not building culture
5:37
and this guy was one of the best ever won three national championships so it has changed
5:41
I think one thing that will never change ever is that by far the biggest component of your culture
5:50
is the people in your room that will never change so those of us that are in this room
5:56
if we're a team then our culture is 95% going to be determined by what's inside of us
6:02
and if it not good then we not going to have a good culture Sorry to think about trying to play two basketballs With BG
6:13
like, you know, we're shooting well today. Last game, he had eight offensive rebounds
6:18
The game before against Shoreshound, one of his best defensive games. Just what have you seen from him over the last month or so
6:23
He's gaining confidence. He came into the year as someone who'd been a backup
6:29
He has so much humility. I think he thinks of himself lesser than what we would love for him to think of himself
6:37
But it's great to see his confidence built in the last couple months
6:41
since he's assumed his full-time starting role. I think that he can continue to do that
6:47
But to your point, the thing that's been great about Ben is in different games
6:53
he's done different things to help us win or have a chance to win. So whether it's rebounding on one night, whether it's banging and fighting against
7:01
He's a Goliath on another night, whether it's making threes on another night
7:07
He's a versatile guy, and I think there's a couple more notches where he can keep getting better
7:11
What was the final defensive number? 53. What did you see defensively from your team
7:17
18 steals? I thought my guys did a good job with activity
7:21
I thought in the last 10 minutes or so we did not defend as well. We've seen the all shot 65% in the second half
7:27
We didn't make them miss well enough. I do think in different games, and this is probably a very, very difficult conference to officiate
7:36
but I think in different games, some games nothing's called, some games more is called
7:43
So as a player, you've got to adjust to that. But I thought Stevie, Chase, and Cam, those guys set a tone with hand activity and deflections
7:52
that helped us hold them to 21 points in the first half
7:57
which, you know, the way you make a team feel in their own building is that significant
8:03
And if you allow them to feel too good about themselves, it's going to be a long time. Good. Thank you
8:10
Thank you, guys
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