What Ryan Odom Said In His Monday Media Availability Ahead Of Matchup Vs NC State

On Jacari White and Chance Mallory personality and swagger and how it lifts the team…

“Yeah, I think he's (Jai Lucas) dead on with that. You know, they're confident players in their own right, and they're different, you know, which makes it really cool.

Uh Jacari, you know, can really get going, uh, from behind the arc, but he's gotten so much better at driving and passing and finishing around the rim. Defensively, he's a weapon for us as well. He's so quick. Uh, good hands. Chance is just ahead of his time and a really good player and a confident player and a smart player and uh you know he makes the most out of his game.”

On Johann Grünloh best game as a Cavalier….

“He was flying around. He was just going for it. Uh, blocking shots, you know, finishing around the rim. Made his free throws. He was just really confident in that game.”

On if seeing NC State twice changes preparation…

“I mean, I think it certainly does because it's the second time you're playing them, but you know, as we tell our guys, I'll tell you, neither team is the same as they were back then. So there'll be adjustments, and both teams are playing good basketball right now. NC State's playing excellently. They're the best three-point shooting team in our league. They can score in and around the rim. They play fast. They're very well coached. Uh, they steal the ball. They're very active on defense and they're a tough matchup.

On the legacy of the NC State vs Virginia series….

“I think it's always been a great matchup. You think back to the the 80s and when Jim Valvano was there and, you know, Coach Holland was here, that was certainly, you know, a time to remember and some some huge games on both sides and I think that's continued over the years and, certainly this one uh this next game, you know, we expect to be a battle on, you know, not unlike a lot of the games that we've played recently.”

On his team’s growth…

It's been huge. I think we've been in a lot of hotly contested moments where the guys have had to answer and step up and make big plays. Jacari’s three was huge.

The stop at the end with three seconds, you know, was huge. Chance, you know, just having the smarts to get the ball inbounded quickly to get it up to give us a chance to either call a timeout or, you know, allow it to materialise as it did. That's what you do as a point guard. You put yourself in a position and let the coach figure out if he wants to call the timeout or not.”

On if he wanted Mallory to make the play at the end…

“Yeah, we definitely did. I mean, we definitely wanted to get the ball over half court as fast as we could, so that way, you know, we're able to make a decision, you know, at that point. So that's typically what we would do, but you know, every situation's a little bit different, but he was on the run, and so I wasn't going to stop it at that point.”

On if he prepares for or even thinks about Duke before NC State…

“No, we won't, worry about Duke at all until it's time to play Duke. That would be a disaster.”

On how to prepare for NC State defensively with multiple scorers they have…

“We have to be well-balanced on defense. Different guys step up in different games, and they have a lot of weapons. You can't just focus on one guy and say we're going to take this guy out from NC State and expect to win because they have multiple guys that can beat you. Our attention to detail, relative to their personnel, and just really trying to impose our will on the defensive side of the ball and being really clean on offense, taking the right shots and really finding ways to score.”

On if having a game like Miami helps the team and give confidence….

“One game leads to the next. You know, just because you win your last one in this conference doesn't mean you're guaranteed the next one. I do think the situations that we've been in, the close wins can be helpful because the guys can always reach back to those moments and realize that, hey, we were down this much and we came back and and we were able to to overcome that deficit, but certainly not a way you want to live, you know, over the course of the season. You want to play your best basketball down the stretch, and that's what we're looking to do.”

On if he expects a different sense of urgency after big win for NC State…

“They've been really good regardless of the court that they've played on. So whether it's been at home, they've had some great wins or on the road, they've had some awesome victories as well. Just really tough environments. They're going to be ready to play. There's no question about it. and they have a history with us from the last game, and so they're going to be motivated, you know, to do really well here in JPJ and so we've got to be up for the fight.”

On what he anticipates to be different in the second matchup…

“Their lineups are a little bit different. They're very secure with their lineup now and who they're playing. Um and the guys are in their roles now and know exactly what they need to do for them to be successful. I think we're at a similar point, and so it's going to be interesting to see it play out.