Siddle talks Shot Selection, Sickness, Jamahri Harvey and Jaylen Sims
The UNCW coach had plenty to discuss in his Monday radio show
For the first time since the start of the regular season, UNCW coach Takayo Siddle sat down with play-by-play voice Mike Vaccaro for his Monday radio show.
With six games down — two cancelled — and one coming up on Wednesday vs. Norfolk State, the second-year head coach had plenty to discuss.
Here are the highlights:
On the flu outbreak that struck the team in Montana
I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve got to give them credit; they were trying to battle through it and they were wanting to play, but they just didn’t have the energy to do it. It seemed like when one guy got sick, two more guys got sick right after that, so taht was something like I’ve never seen before and never want to experience again.
I didn’t know it was going to hit us as hard as it did. I got a little worried when (Jamahri Harvey) got sick, I immediately started thinking, ‘Do we need to switch rooms up? Do we need to put him by himself?' Things like that, but I didn’t have an idea it was going to hit us as hard as it did and affect so many players. Hopefully that’s behind us.
On the Coastal Carolina victory
I thought we played a pretty complete game. It was fun to be a part of it because ewe were at home in front of our home crowd, but I thought our guys executed from start to finish the way we needed to. I thought we grew a lot in that game.
I think we can take a lot of good things from that game. I thought from a defensive standpoint, we really did a great job of playing good team defense. We rebounded the ball well for the most part; they got a little loose in the second half and got some offensive rebounds. I thought offensively, we shared the ball well, I thought we played with great poise and patience. I thought we got the shots we wanted, that we were looking for. If you look at that game, that’s what we want to be about. That’s how we want to play, more consistently.
Trask Coliseum was special, like it always is. It’s always good to play in front of our home crowd — they always give us so much energy. I though they got us over the hump against Coastal Carolina.
On Jaylen Fornes and Jaylen Sims coming off the bench
It’s one of those things, as a coach, you’re just trying to do what’s best for your team, what’s best for your program. I felt like bringing those guys off the bench and having them watch the game for a little while before they went in… I thought Trazarien deserved to start; he had been playing well and practicing well. It’s one of those things where I was going with my gut, going with feel and it worked out for us.
On Trazarien White
With a balanced group like we have, a talented group like we have, you’re always looking for guys who impact winning in other ways than scoring, and he does that. Deflections, getting on the offensive glass, defensive rebounding, his energy, his effort, making those toughness plays that I like to talk about — he brings that to the table and I feel like we needed that in our lineup.
On what makes the Seahawks the best version of themselves
When we can get stops, when we can get steals and deflections and get clean rebounds so we can run, that’s when we’re at our best. That’s something we have to continue to grow in.
On the win at Delaware State
I was proud of them. It was one of those situations where I knew it was going to be tough, I knew the guys were fatigued both mentally and physically, and you go into a game where you see zone for 35-plus minutes and you haven’t seeen that yet. So, it was one of those things where guys are having to adjust on the fly and battle through some adversity and figure out along the way, and they did an unbelievable job of gutting that win out.
On Mike Okauru’s success vs. Delaware State
You could tell Mike was out there, like we call it, just hooping. He was out there just playing extremely hard on both ends of the floor. When the shots were there, he took them with confidence; he didn’t think about ti. he played within himself and you know, he was aggressive from start to finish.
I think what started his little run is that he got some steals and got some layups early, got to the free throw line a little bit. That’s just Mike being Mike.
On whether he liked the shots vs. DSU and general shot selection
We were getting clean looks that we feel are good 3-point shooters, and they just started stepping in with rhythm and taking them without hesitating and they started dropping for us.
I was thinking about that, obviously thinking about hat a lot, but my assistant coach Travis Hackert pointed out to me, if you really think about everything, the travel, the amount of games we’ve been playing so close together. I think fatigue has kind of played a part in some of our good shooters missing those shots. I’m OK with the shots we’ve been taking; the room and rhythm threes we’ve been taking, they’re going to start falling and I’m confident in that.
We always talk about shot selection and I think that has improved, because we made it a point of emphasis, especially going into the Coastal game and moving forward. I don’t necessarily talk to them about, ‘Hey, this is why you missed this shot,’ we don’t do that. The shot selection has improved and it’s going to continue to improve. As long they stay confident and step in with rhythm and never turn an open look down, I won’t say a word about it.
On the loss to Southern Miss
It’s crazy to go back and look at it. We had so many open shots in rhythm and they just didn’t fall for us, especially early. We were getting the shots we wanted.
Defensively, we were guarding like we wanted to but then this one kid who was at the bottom of our scouting report, who was averaging four points per game maybe, lit us up for 29. I think he was a game-changer; he was on fire … it was one of those crazy things where if he doesn’t have a game like that, maybe we pull it out, maybe we make enough shots to win the game and pull it out. Give them a lot of credit; they did everything they needed to do to win the game.
On Jamahri Harvey
I wasn’t surprised. I love that kid — I really do. He’s so loyal, he’s a hard worker. I love that kid and I probably should have been playing him a lot more than I have been, and I told him that. I love that kid; he’s a difference-maker for us when he’s playing that way. He hasn’t been playing that way consistently enough, which is why his minutes have been affected, but that’s what I’ve been waiting on. He can really change the dynamics of our team. What an unbelievable game he had with his energy and his efficiency on the offensive end, and his defense. I’m extremely proud of Jamahri.
On the comeback vs. Southern Miss
It definitely tested their toughness. I was proud of how they battled back and gave us a chance to have the opportunity to win the game; we just ran out of gas. I was playing an unconventional lineup — i had Jaylen Sims playing the five. I just wanted to put my five guys out that were healthy, first and foremost, and then the guys who were giving me the most energy — who could give me the most energy — it was those five and they battled back, but we just ran out of gas … we really didn’t have many substitutions because everybody was sick. I was proud of how they fought; obviously we don’t do moral victories, but I was proud of how they fought.
On what he told the team during the Southern Miss game
Keep shooting … we were talking about it as a staff, playing inside-out, and we were doing that. We were getting clean looks and they just weren’t falling for us. I think fatigue played a heavy factor in that.
I went back and looked at all of our offensive possessions, and they were all clean looks, with the exception of two or three shots.
On how they decided to pull out of the Montana event
Right after the Southern Miss game, I contacted Jimmy Bass and I told him it was probably not going to be able to happen, for us to be able to play the next day. I knew that probably midway through the second half that it was getting really bad. I contacted him and we talked about it.
We were prepping for Montana just in case, but when we went to breakfast the next day and more guys started to get sick and the guys that were sick were getting worse, I knew it was no way we could play. I contacted Montana’s head coach and I’m very thankful for him, he was very, very cooperative…
On whether the team is healthy now
We came in (Sunday), healthy guys, which is about eight of them came in and we got some shots up and they ran a little bit. The guys that were sick are getting better and they should be available for practice (Monday), four out of the six. They’re continuing to get better and get healthier.
We’ve got a tough task in front of us on Wednesday and we’ll prepare as much as we can to get ready to win that game, then I’ll give them a few days off and start preparing for finals.
On Jaylen Sims
I think the one thing about it is, it’s easy for a guy to, especially a guy like him, a senior who’s bene a starter for most of his time under me - I bring him off the bench, it’s easy for him to sulk, it’s easy for him to be upset and not handle it the right way. He’s handled it the right way; the way I expect my older guys and leaders to respond to adversity, and I think it says a lot about him. I think he just wants to win; that’s the one thing we talked about when I told him that I was making the change. HE said, ‘Whatever you think is best for the team, Coach. I just want to win.’ That was good for me to hear, so I’m proud of him.
He hasn’t and we haven’t as a group shot the ball well. He’s continuing to work and he’ll break out of this little mini-slump he’s in, and I’m confident in that.
He’s a big, strong physical guy and we’re on him all the time about making quick, powerful moves and getting to the free throw line more, and he’s getting there. I’d like to see him get there a little bit more, especially when you look at how much he was getting there before he got injured. I’m proud of him, man. He just wants to win, and I can’t ask for much more from him.
On the freshmen…
They’re getting better. More than anything, I think they’re starting to understand what I’m expecting on both ends of the floor and just overall. I think they understand what they need to play more winning basketball and limit their mistakes on both ends of the floor. I think they’re starting to get a grasp of it.
On whether he’s getting a handle on the rotation...
A little bit. I’m probably going to make another change going into the game on Wednesday, just trying to get guys more comfortable. Like always, I try to do what I think is best for the team and best for the program. I’m going to make a couple of more changes and see if it helps us out a little bit more. I’m starting to get comfortable; I’m starting to understand who can help us and who’s going to take a little while longer, but it’s starting to shape up a little bit.
On whether the depth is good or makes lineups a challenge
It’s definitely a luxury to have that. I’d rather have that than the other way. I think the guys are understanding more that I don’t dictate playing time; they do. Numbers don’t lie, their production doesn’t lie. It’s starting to shape up a little bit and I think one thing about this team is everybody is getting to a point where they just want to win, so they understand the rotation and they understand their minutes.
On whether he’s happy with shot selection
I am. Early on? No. But we addressed it and they’re starting to buy in to it. It’ll continue to improve, but overall, I think we’re getting really good looks. They’re going to start falling as we get our legs up under us a little bit more.
On his target for assists…
I think we can get to right around 14-15 assists, I think that’ll help our shooting percentage. Around eight, nine turnovers will be my limit for the turnover margin. Right around there, I think we’re shooting upper 30’s from three, close to 40. Mid-40’s to upper-40’s from the field, I’ll be comfortable with that. I think that’ll get us where we need to be.
On Amari Kelly’s shot-blocking…
He does a really good job of timing it up. He comes from them weak side and gets a lot of blocks. Not a lot on the ball, but coming from the weak side is one of his strong-suits.
On Norfolk State…
I think they’re better than they were last year, I think they’re deeper, I think they’re more talented. This will be the most talented and the best team we’ve played so far, and it might end up being the most talented team that we play all year, with the exception of a couple of teams in our league.
Well-coached, they’re physical, fast, very efficient on the offensive end. We’re going to have to bring our A-game, and I’m excited about it.
We’re going to have to get back in transition defense, first and foremost. We’ve been harping on that. We have to get back and set our defense, that’s number one, because they’re really, really fast and explosive in transition.
In the halfcourt, they run a lot of sets and they do a really good job of executing, so we’re going to have to be sharp with our communication on our pick-and-roll coverages. We’re going to have to sit down and guard because every one of their players, one through five, can be a threat. We’ve got our work cut out for us.
Offensively, we’re going to have to get some stops so we can, then we’re going to have to take care of the basketball and make the right, simple play, and hopefully, our shots will start falling for us.