UC Guard Luke Kandra on His Strong Season, How He's Grown Blocking Skills, And More
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00:00 All Bearcats reporter Russ Heltman here talking with Luke Kandra on Talking Cats.
00:06 You see guard Luke Kandra to be more specific.
00:09 So Luke, it's been a really solid year for you individually.
00:13 I mean, in my eyes, I think you and
00:15 Miles have been right up there as the best offensive players on the team.
00:18 Two of the best players on the team overall.
00:20 What do you think's worked so well through eight games for you?
00:24 >> I think it's just from the coaching that I've received and
00:26 just the, I think what helped me a lot is coming with the coaches,
00:30 being in the system for four plus years and just trusting my technique and
00:34 then the abilities that I have.
00:36 >> Is there anything like body wise that changed for you this year?
00:39 Do you think you added like an extra amount of weight or
00:41 an extra amount of muscle that's really given you a little bit of an edge in
00:44 these kind of minuscule tight battles in the power five defensive trenches?
00:49 >> Yeah, over the summer, I think I got the strongest I ever was in my time in
00:55 college and I think that all due respect to Coach Nico and the strength staff.
00:58 So I think that helped me become better in the pass blocking and run blocking.
01:02 >> You've been pretty even in your success, pass blocking and run blocking.
01:06 There hasn't been like a huge discrepancy in how well you're doing in either.
01:09 How difficult is it to keep those two things sharp?
01:12 Do you have to make sure to give the equal amount of time?
01:15 Do you lean one towards the other?
01:16 How does that work in terms of your focus on each?
01:18 >> For me personally, I've been more focusing on my pass blocking.
01:22 So I know my run block is always pretty good, but
01:24 that was really the biggest thing I focused on in the summer was really getting my
01:27 pass blocking down and right now in the season just kind of do a mix of both.
01:31 Because I have to do one and the other in each game and each practice.
01:34 So I think now I've been doing more equally.
01:37 >> Is that run blocking kind of come more naturally to people where you can just
01:41 kind of, you know where you're going, you're getting downhill versus pass blocking.
01:44 You might have to pass something off.
01:46 You might have to communicate a little bit more in terms of
01:48 what the different looks are.
01:49 >> I think it's really all depending on the person.
01:51 I mean, personally for me, I think it's more natural for run blocking.
01:54 I know some people are more natural pass blocking than run blocking, but
01:58 I think it's just all depending on the person, but yeah.
02:02 >> Biggest thing that you guys are keying in on and maybe you specifically as
02:05 an individual matchup coming up this weekend against UCF, a team that has
02:09 been susceptible to giving up big rushes to teams like you guys this year.
02:13 >> Yeah, even though they give up big rushes, I mean,
02:15 they're still a big physical team that we need to focus on,
02:21 just be mentally and physically ready for the game on Saturday.
02:25 >> Favorite drill as an offensive lineman, outside a team,
02:28 like what's your favorite specific drill to get on?
02:30 >> I'm not too sure.
02:32 I mean, all of our warm up stuff, just like individual blocks,
02:37 pass blocking, I kind of like them all, honestly.
02:40 >> Love it. Luke Andrew, UC guard, everybody.