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#UNC guards Matt Able, Terrence Brown and Isaiah Denis after victory over Wyoming
Nov 11, 2026
#UNC guards Matt Able, Terrence Brown and Isaiah Denis after victory over Wyoming
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0:00
about getting rebounding.
0:02
Remember after that game?
0:03
>> Did that in the second half? I think a
0:04
little better than the first.
0:05
>> Yeah. So, tonight it was pretty bad in
0:07
the first half. Coach just told us that
0:08
he kind of called everybody out. They
0:10
didn't get an offensive rebound the last
0:11
15 minutes of the game. So, how much of
0:13
it was what coach said and how much of
0:15
it was just something that you guys are
0:17
still trying to trying to build? I mean,
0:19
I think it was we came out, we, you
0:21
know, we came out, you know, we're ready
0:23
to play, [snorts] but obviously not
0:24
ready for the type of game that they
0:26
were that they were trying to play,
0:27
which was get it up on the rim and crash
0:29
all five people. And I think that's
0:30
something that we hadn't really We've
0:32
gone against big teams, but they weren't
0:33
even the big team, but they just sent
0:34
all five guys every possession. So, I
0:36
think that's something that we needed to
0:38
kind of shock to our system in a sense,
0:40
and we kind of weren't ready for it, and
0:42
we were back on our heels. And I think
0:43
coach came in the locker room and was
0:44
like, being soft right now. Like, we're
0:46
being soft. We got to pick it up. We
0:47
have to, you know, it's a pride thing at
0:49
that point cuz they're not doing
0:50
anything out of like crazy. They're not
0:52
hitting crazy shots, but they're getting
0:53
they had like 15 more shots than us in
0:55
the first half. So, it was just a matter
0:56
of wanting it more and locking in and I
0:58
think we did that.
0:59
>> You guys have had a little bit of an
1:00
issue though defending the defensive
1:02
class. Is this How much of a process? I
1:04
know a lot of what you guys are doing is
1:05
a process. How big a process is that and
1:07
how long is that going to take do you
1:09
think?
1:09
>> Yeah, I mean I I think obviously it is a
1:12
work in progress. I think that it is
1:13
something that we are showing strides
1:15
in. Obviously, the first half was very
1:17
bad at that, but I think the second half
1:18
kind of showed the type of team that we
1:20
can be. And I think once we cleaned up
1:22
the offensive, their offensive rebounds,
1:24
it kind of blew the game open.
1:26
>> Do you remember anything specifically? I
1:28
mean, Malone just told us in there that
1:29
he challenged you guys' manhood up and
1:30
down the roster. What do you remember
1:31
him specifically saying,
1:34
>> you're being soft or y'all are being
1:35
soft?
1:36
>> How would you say the group, I guess,
1:37
responded to that? I
1:38
>> mean, take that to heart. You don't I
1:40
mean, we're all grown at this point.
1:42
It's like you don't want anyone calling
1:43
you soft and we needed that. Um
1:45
thankfully that he did say that because
1:46
we took it to heart and we made sure it
1:48
didn't happen again.
1:50
>> Seemed like you're taking fewer
1:51
three-pointers than in the opener. Is
1:53
that just organic and what the team is
1:55
what the other team has given you? You
1:57
were like 54% in the opener, but about
1:59
34% of your shots are threes in in the
2:02
last two games.
2:03
>> Yeah. So I don't think it's really
2:04
anything. We're not going in the game
2:06
saying we're going to shoot a lot of
2:07
threes or we're not going to shoot a lot
2:08
of threes. I think it was just a matter
2:09
of kind of how they played. If y'all
2:11
noticed, we hit the lob a lot of times
2:12
and it was just because they were kind
2:14
of attaching out to the shooter. So that
2:16
single side roll was wide open for lob.
2:18
So it was just kind of how they guarded
2:20
us. I don't think it has anything to do
2:21
with us. I think we're such a good team.
2:22
We're able to adjust to kind of what
2:23
they do.
2:24
>> What is it?
2:25
>> Oh, thank you. I talked to Michael a
2:27
little bit about the drills y'all do in
2:29
practice, the defensive drills where
2:30
it's like minus a point for every given
2:32
up offensive rebounder turnover. How do
2:33
you think those um kind of drills are,
2:35
you know, helping y'all kind of improve
2:37
with this rebounding? [snorts]
2:38
>> Yeah, I think it is helping for sure. I
2:40
think it's something that, you know,
2:41
we're going to continue to get better
2:42
at. So, I think that's a that's a big
2:44
thing for sure. But, I mean, the drills
2:46
obviously help and it helps us. And I
2:49
would just say, you know, the more time
2:50
that we put into it, the better we're
2:52
going to get at it.
2:52
>> And those specific possessions,
2:54
>> you had three defensive rebounds in the
2:55
first half. More than everybody else,
2:58
that wasn't acceptable. I think they had
3:00
what, 15 offensive rebounds at halftime.
3:01
What was that halftime talk like?
3:04
>> Oh, he was just saying basically what
3:06
you said, they got 15 offensive
3:07
rebounds. Someone's got to step up and
3:09
go in there and rebound. Uh I was trying
3:12
my best to go in there and get some
3:13
rebounds. Uh yeah, we were just missing.
3:16
We were doing a lot of like standing and
3:18
watching instead of turning and hitting
3:19
guys. So in the second half I I don't
3:21
think I got a lot of our defensive
3:23
rebounds, but like I was just trying to
3:24
turn and just put a body on somebody so
3:26
they could go get clean it up and get
3:28
the rebounds.
3:28
>> How much of it is just that? Cuz it
3:30
looks like a lot of time you said
3:31
standing around like guys are boxing out
3:33
and that's obviously a recipe to give up
3:35
that offensive rebound. How much was
3:37
that different during the last 15
3:38
minutes of the game if they didn't get
3:39
any? And it's just something that you
3:41
guys had to condition yourselves to more
3:43
consistently to lay a body on guys.
3:45
>> Yeah, just like coach was saying, it's
3:46
an effort thing. It's like a basically
3:47
like a want to thing. Like either you
3:50
can choose to go out there and do it or
3:51
you or you don't. And that's what I feel
3:53
like the whole team did and that's why I
3:54
was proud of the whole team for stepping
3:56
up in the way that they did because
3:57
coach challenged us at halftime and uh
4:00
we came out there and we and we showed
4:01
them. You ever had a coach call you call
4:04
a collective group soft like that
4:06
before?
4:06
>> Yeah.
4:09
>> But, you know, I feel like constructive
4:12
criticism is good. Like when someone
4:13
calls you out, it should it should be on
4:15
your mind to like want to prove them
4:16
wrong and want to show them that that
4:18
you're different. So, I think it's a
4:19
good thing that coach did that to all of
4:21
us in the locker room because it showed
4:22
a lot of people's character of how they
4:24
came out in the second half and they
4:25
played way way harder. Uh got got way
4:28
more rebounds. You know, Kada played way
4:29
harder in the second half. Jiren stepped
4:31
up. Everybody stepped up in a in a in a
4:33
good way for us to go out there and get
4:35
the win.
4:35
>> In the beginning of the second half, it
4:36
looked like you made a conscious effort
4:37
to go to the rim and you you got
4:40
repeated layups. Was did was that
4:43
organic or did you decide, hey, I'm
4:44
going to start doing this?
4:46
>> Um, when coach call my number, I'm I'm
4:49
basically just like, everybody just get
4:50
out the way and we'll figure it out
4:52
after that. But like coach start he
4:54
called my number a few times. So, I uh I
4:56
just took advantage of the opportunity
4:58
as much as I could and tried to um uh
5:01
get to the rim as much as possible and
5:02
try to make something out of it. You
5:04
know, coming out of halftime, we're up
5:05
two and uh like all everything that was
5:07
on my mind is just I just don't want to
5:09
lose this game. Like I don't want I
5:10
don't want to lose this game at all. So,
5:12
I'm going to go out here and do whatever
5:13
I can uh to win the game. And that if
5:15
that's getting to the rim and scoring,
5:16
then it's that. but uh also on the
5:18
defensive end just challenging myself uh
5:20
their best to guard their best player
5:22
and try to hold him to as much limited
5:24
opportunities as possible.
5:25
>> What were those plays that he set up for
5:27
you?
5:28
>> Uh I can't I can't disclose those.
5:30
That's how he scored.
5:31
>> What we've seen from you so far is you
5:32
scoring bunches. Is that Have you always
5:34
been a guy that scored? I know you had
5:35
some stretches at Utah, some of those
5:37
games where you'd score bunches. Kind of
5:38
had to at times. Yeah. Is that sort of
5:40
the player you are?
5:41
>> Yeah. Yeah, if I it's just like if you
5:43
see one going, it's just going to keep
5:45
boosting the confidence to keep trying
5:46
to score. And I feel like if I get a few
5:48
open looks, I'm just going to keep
5:49
taking them. Coach Coach instills a
5:51
confidence in me to shoot them. So, um,
5:54
if I have open look, I'm I'm not going
5:55
to turn it down just like I feel like
5:57
anybody else on the team wouldn't turn
5:58
open look.
5:59
>> And you guys collectively offensively,
6:01
you think you go through periods where
6:02
things don't look very smooth and then
6:04
there's four-minute stretches where you
6:06
guys are popping on all cylinders. Is
6:08
that part of the process that you're in
6:09
as a team right now and working through
6:11
that to where those four-minute
6:12
stretches become six down the road and
6:14
eight minutes down the road even more?
6:16
>> Yeah. Yeah, that's the challenge to just
6:17
put a full 40-minute game together, you
6:19
know, just but that's that's comes with
6:21
it. You know, this is the third official
6:23
game together, you know, six or six
6:25
games playing under Malone. So, you
6:27
know, it's it it'll all come together in
6:29
the at the right time. You know, I feel
6:31
like we're all still jelling. You know,
6:32
as much as as much as I say that, it's
6:34
just, you know, we got so many people
6:36
from everywhere. You know, we got Kada
6:37
from Mali, we got
6:40
um Neo from Greece. Everybody's from
6:42
different places. We're just trying to
6:43
all understand each other in the right
6:46
uh in the right aspects. Yeah.
6:48
>> Terrence, what what do you think makes
6:49
you an effective rebounder for a player
6:51
your size?
6:52
>> Uh just my athleticism, being able to go
6:54
up there and and jump with anybody, try
6:56
to uh alter a rebound, not not even
6:59
really me grabbing the rebounds, you I I
7:01
was trying to in the second half I was
7:02
just trying to alter the rebound so
7:03
somebody else could get them whether
7:05
it's tipping it out or uh not even going
7:07
to get a rebound just trying to push
7:08
somebody out out of the of the paint so
7:10
the big the big the bigs can go up there
7:12
and clean up.
7:13
>> Terrence Michael said he challenged you
7:15
everybody except for you I guess. What
7:16
does that feel?
7:18
>> Um my aunt told me before the game stay
7:20
stay bold stay confident stay focused.
7:22
So I think those three things right
7:24
there just just did it for me. Um just
7:26
staying confident staying bold staying
7:28
focused. I know it's early in the
7:30
season, early in his career, but what
7:31
have you seen from from Sion so far
7:32
through his first couple months uh with
7:34
you guys? And then specifically, what
7:35
did you see from him tonight?
7:37
>> Uh Sion, man, he's just a beast at the
7:39
rim. Uh he blocks everything around the
7:40
rim in practice. It's tough. I I I get
7:42
him a few times with the high uh high
7:44
glass layups, but it's tough to shoot
7:46
over him. Um and he's just very uh very
7:50
aggressive on the boards, very
7:51
aggressive when he's going to block
7:52
shots and and he's just a guy getting
7:54
talented.
7:55
>> Is there an added sense of I'm sorry. Is
7:57
there an added sense of relief, I guess,
7:59
with you guys on the perimeter playing
8:00
defense where you guys can be more
8:01
aggressive, you know, and know if you
8:03
get beat off the drive that you've got a
8:04
guy with a seven five wingspan down
8:05
there in the paint waiting for whoever
8:06
gets past you.
8:07
>> Most definitely. Um, even talking to my
8:09
dad before games, he's like, you know,
8:10
you could you could be a little bit more
8:12
anti up top, you could you have more
8:14
hands and [music] because if you get
8:15
beat, you know, you got signed in the
8:16
back. So, it's it's a bit of a relief
8:18
knowing that you have somebody in the
8:19
back like that that that can go and get
8:20
shots um in case you get blown by, but
8:23
still trying to stick uh stick out your
8:24
perimeter defense on oneonone. seemed
8:27
like in the second half you looked
8:28
really determined trying to get to the
8:30
hoop and trying to make a difference.
8:32
What was your mentality there? Seemed
8:34
like you really wanted to make something
8:35
happen.
8:35
>> Yes, sir. Um just making just reading
8:38
the defense. The defense was giving me
8:39
the layup, going for the layup. Um I
8:42
know I hit three uh three threes in the
8:44
first half, so just staying aggressive.
8:46
Um being who I am uh and just being
8:49
confident in my shots. Um being
8:50
aggressive, but they weren't going to
8:51
stop me. Um just keep going to the rim
8:53
and if they do, just make the right
8:54
read, get off the ball. So just just
8:56
letting the game come to me and uh
8:58
letting letting it be in the field.
8:59
>> Are the three-pointers coming different
9:01
ways? I mean you you guys took a a
9:03
boatload of them in the opener. They
9:05
haven't been taking as many the last
9:07
couple.
9:08
>> Um I say I mean I just think it's the
9:10
flow of the game and the way the defense
9:11
is set. Um the way the def team plays
9:14
defense. Today we we shot a lot of
9:15
threes because they were heavy in gaps.
9:17
They were helping off strong side
9:18
corners. So I think every game is going
9:20
to be different. Um different guys are
9:21
going to get great looks. Um, and it's
9:23
just going to be a different every game.
9:25
>> Isaiah, I talked to Michael a little bit
9:26
about the drill stall where it's like in
9:28
practice it's minus points for a given
9:30
offensive rebound where also minus point
9:31
turnover. How do you think that can help
9:33
y'all kind of develop your defensive
9:35
rebounding kind of defense?
9:37
>> Um, I think that helps a lot. Um, it's
9:40
it's pretty new. We weren't doing it
9:41
over the summer, but now that we know
9:43
that's a [snorts] toggle of toggle on
9:45
our focus, um, we're just trying to do
9:47
that more. And I think it just keeps
9:48
guys cognizant of what we have to do and
9:50
rebounding and getting better in that
9:52
area. Um, and I think it's going to help
9:54
us down the stretch.
9:55
>> You mentioned it a little bit. What was
9:56
like kind of that adjustment to those
9:57
drills for you?
9:59
>> Um, it was it it was easy because we
10:01
knew that's something that we had to
10:02
work on. So, we're all like bought in
10:04
into it. Um, trying to trying to get
10:06
better at that. Obviously, there's still
10:07
room to work, but I mean it's a long
10:09
season, so we continue to work on
10:11
continue to get better each and every
10:12
day there.
10:12
>> And then those possessions where it
10:13
seemed like they were getting rebound
10:14
after rebound after rebound, like
10:16
offensive rebounds. What was kind of
10:17
going through your mind? And what were
10:18
y'all kind of saying in the huddle?
10:19
>> Um, in the huddle, it was just like,
10:22
man, they're they're they're out they're
10:23
outmanning us. Uh, we have to go on the
10:25
boards. We have to get the boards even
10:27
if we have to foul somebody to set it
10:29
set the tone or something like that. So,
10:30
that's what we did in the second half.
10:32
not letting guys bully us around,
10:33
getting the rebounds, so that way we can
10:35
play in transition and play basketball.
10:37
>> Isaac clearly trusts you. Um, I guess
10:40
what what is he telling you when you're
10:42
having a little bit of struggles in the
10:43
first couple games?
10:44
>> Um, I mean, just just watching film with
10:47
him, uh, asking him to watch film, um,
10:49
just getting his point of view as a head
10:50
coach. Um, I think that's important as
10:52
me being a point guard, um, point guard,
10:55
combo guard, um, just and somebody who
10:57
has the ball in their hands a lot, just
10:59
knowing what coach wants, what coach is
11:00
seeing. Um, so watching a lot of film
11:02
with him, um, trying to figure out how
11:03
he's thinking about the game because I
11:05
want to be extension of the coach. Um,
11:08
but man, he's just been nothing but
11:09
encouraging um, to me and that just
11:12
keeps me uh, prideful and it keeps me
11:14
like in an attack mode and confident to
11:17
have a head coach uh, believe in you and
11:19
to trust you with the ball um, to run
11:21
the team. So, he continues to do that
11:23
and it just continues to give me
11:24
confidence. So even when I'm struggling
11:25
some games and not not being the best
11:27
me, um I know I could [music] count on
11:29
coach still having confidence in me.
11:32
>> When your head coach goes at halftime,
11:34
when he goes down the roster basically
11:36
player by player and calling everybody
11:37
out, basically calling you guys soft,
11:38
what effect did that have on you guys?
11:40
>> Um I mean obviously uh we're we're still
11:44
young adults, but as men you don't never
11:46
want to hear that somebody's punking you
11:47
around or somebody's like taking plate
11:49
off, uh food off your plate. So, I mean,
11:52
just going out there having more pride
11:53
on the offensive rebounding and um just
11:55
making sure that we don't get mad over
11:57
again. Um that coach doesn't have to say
11:59
that again. I mean, obviously that
12:00
should ignite a fire in you. Um coach
12:03
having to say something like that. I
12:04
mean, nobody wants to hear that. So,
12:06
>> how was it delivered? Was it more of a
12:08
fiery speech or what was the mood?
12:11
>> Um I mean, coach coach's tone was really
12:14
chill about it. It was just like, "Hey,
12:15
we know what we have to do. Like, you
12:17
guys are getting manhandled." And kind
12:18
of like that. It wasn't like up up uh
12:20
his tone wasn't like high or anything.
12:22
He was just like, "You guys know what
12:23
you have to do. You guys are going to
12:24
manhandle out there. So, just go out
12:26
there and fix it in the second half.
12:27
We'll come out with the win."
12:28
>> Isaiah, when you come in off the bench
12:29
and see your first couple of shots go
12:31
through, how much more confidence does
12:32
that give you going into the rest of the
12:34
game?
12:34
>> Um I mean, I've been like this my whole
12:36
life. When I see that uh first that
12:38
first shot go in, it's just like a
12:39
scorer's mentality. It's like, "Okay,
12:40
I'm going to keep going. Um, I'm going
12:42
to keep being aggressive and obviously
12:43
just reading the game if if I don't have
12:45
it, um, getting off of it, but if I do,
12:47
just having that confidence that the
12:49
next shot is going in and I think that's
12:50
that's helped me to get where I am now
12:52
and that is going to continue to help
12:53
me.
12:53
>> And the way your conversation went with
12:55
Malone in the offseason when you were
12:56
deciding what you wanted to do with your
12:57
future, how much confidence did it give
12:59
you also to hear what he had to say in
13:00
that meeting and allow you to just take
13:02
the opportunity if you can run with it,
13:04
then he's going to let you run with it.
13:06
>> Um, say the first part one more time. I
13:08
mean, how much confidence did that give
13:10
you coming out of that meeting that this
13:11
is the place you wanted to be?
13:12
>> It gave me a lot of confidence. Um,
13:14
obviously I was looking at different
13:15
schools and different options, but I my
13:18
heart was here. Um, and just knowing
13:20
that coach had confidence in me and my
13:22
skill set and that I could that I could
13:24
help the team, but telling me that, you
13:26
know, uh, this year it wouldn't be
13:28
anything like if you go out there and
13:30
earn the minutes then then you'll play.
13:32
And I knew that's something that I could
13:33
do, something that I could take pride in
13:35
and just going out there and earning my
13:36
minutes. Um, and I feel like I've done
13:38
that and that's why I'm playing now. Um,
13:40
so I just continue to go out there and
13:41
play my hardest when I get out there and
13:43
just play with confidence, stay
13:44
aggressive.
13:44
>> How about Cion tonight?
13:47
>> How impressed were you with what Scion
13:49
did?
13:49
>> Uh, I was super impressed. I mean, I was
13:50
in a game where he got like four blocks
13:52
in a row, so I was, hey, we got to grab
13:53
the rebound, but I mean, it's it's just
13:55
a god-given talent, man. God-given
13:57
length. Um, he just uses the best of his
13:59
abilities. How?
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