• 11 months ago
Brock Harding interview
Transcript
00:00 All right, questions for Brock.
00:05 Brock, I asked Fran about that spin move
00:07 that you had against Minnesota.
00:10 Is that something that--
00:11 I mean, it's kind of unique body control that you had.
00:14 Is that something that you've had to kind of develop,
00:17 or is that something you naturally have?
00:19 I mean, I've always kind of played pretty fast,
00:22 gone too quick.
00:23 There's definitely been times, especially early in my career,
00:25 where I've gone too quick and lost my balance a little bit.
00:27 So yeah, just kind of learning how to change my pace
00:30 a little bit, control my body more,
00:32 makes it easier to maneuver around the paint and on the
00:34 court.
00:35 Can you just describe that play, what you saw?
00:39 I mean, Sante got the steal, and then he tipped it to me.
00:42 I felt like they were kind of back,
00:44 so I was going to slow it down a little bit.
00:45 Then I thought I had a little lane with Hawkins in front
00:48 of me, and then I thought I could get to my right hand.
00:50 So just whatever way I could do that.
00:52 And then the spin move, obviously, was there.
00:54 So I just went to that.
00:57 What does it feel like to make a move like that?
01:00 I didn't even see him fall, really.
01:02 I was just focused on--
01:03 I hadn't scored, so I had an open layup.
01:06 We needed a pretty big bucket, and I
01:08 thought I got that, got the energy going a little bit,
01:10 silenced the crowd a little bit.
01:12 So I thought it was a pretty big bucket in the game.
01:15 That transition assist to Owen behind the back,
01:19 is that something you saw him?
01:21 Did you kind of feel that he was back there?
01:24 I mean, I know you guys have that chemistry.
01:25 I didn't know it was him.
01:26 I just kind of saw that we had somebody running with me.
01:28 I kind of felt Garcia behind me, too.
01:30 I didn't know who it was, but I thought
01:31 they were going to try to block my shot.
01:32 They see me going to the rim.
01:33 They think it's an easy block.
01:35 So I knew I was going to have somebody open for a layup
01:37 after that.
01:39 What kind of environment are you expecting on Saturday?
01:42 Number two team in the country, long-term rival,
01:45 Saturday afternoon game.
01:46 I mean, the crowds have gotten better
01:47 as the season's gone on.
01:48 We've gotten into Big 10 play.
01:49 The basket game, obviously, doesn't really
01:51 count because of the snow.
01:52 But I mean, there's been a lot of buzz on campus.
01:55 People are excited with how well we're playing.
01:56 So we're going to expect a pretty packed crowd,
01:58 a lot of students here.
01:59 So we're just going to try to keep the energy going
02:01 for the whole game.
02:02 How does that impact you going forward?
02:04 I think just being at home, we played
02:06 in some pretty tough environments at Purdue,
02:07 at Iowa State.
02:08 Their fans were all over us.
02:10 So we're kind of hoping to get that same thing
02:14 from our home crowd, attacking the other team,
02:16 and just kind of feeding off our energy on the court.
02:18 And then we can feed right back off their energy
02:20 that they give us.
02:21 Those fans are right behind you, and they're
02:23 right behind you, whether it's Aims or Mackey.
02:26 How does that-- does that impact you at all,
02:28 especially if you're on the bench?
02:30 Or when you're on the floor, do you not even notice it?
02:32 How does that work?
02:33 You can kind of just feel like the hostility a little bit.
02:36 I've kind of always liked--
02:37 sometimes like away games more than home games,
02:39 just because it's kind of fun to go somewhere and beat
02:42 a team at their own place with their own fans.
02:44 It's just kind of fun to not really
02:45 have a lot of people like you where you're playing at.
02:48 I can't remember the last time you probably lost three games
02:50 in a row.
02:51 And I imagine that that stuck with you.
02:54 How did you get through that, and how did the veterans kind
02:56 of help you guys, the young guys, get through that?
02:58 They talked how last year they kind of
03:00 went through the same thing.
03:01 And just to kind of stay focused on our team,
03:03 not point fingers, just get back in the gym.
03:05 I think after each one of them, we
03:07 came with a good mindset the next day.
03:09 And then it's kind of tough to just go right back
03:11 into a loss.
03:11 But we've figured some things out.
03:13 Guys are really gelling now, figuring out
03:14 where we like to have the ball, where we like to get shots.
03:17 And the team's just playing really well right now.
03:20 Steven Bardo mentioned something about you guys
03:22 being one of the most connected teams he's seen.
03:24 I'm sure you probably saw it in the video.
03:25 But what does that mean to you?
03:27 And do you feel that way that you guys have kind of built
03:29 a stronger bond connection?
03:31 For sure.
03:32 I mean, this year we don't have the top 10 pick
03:34 that we've had the past three years.
03:36 So just kind of learning how it's
03:38 going to be a different guy scoring 20 every single game.
03:41 It's not going to be the same guy.
03:42 Obviously, we have Josh and Ben that put up 50 together
03:45 the last game.
03:46 So that helps, obviously.
03:47 But just knowing that whoever's hot,
03:49 we've got to give them the ball.
03:50 And I think that's what makes it so tough to guard,
03:52 because you never really know who it's going to be on any
03:54 given night.
03:55 Is there like, based on what you remember,
03:58 like the first time you crossed someone up?
04:00 Or like, I don't know, just a crazy move?
04:02 No.
04:03 I kind of just really been pretty quick my whole life
04:08 and always had a pretty decent handle,
04:10 been able to change my pace.
04:11 So I've been able to do that a couple of times in my career.
04:16 How early did you start using both hands?
04:19 Back growing up, I used to be ambidextrous playing baseball.
04:22 I used to throw with both hands, hit with both hands.
04:24 So and then I write with my left hand, too.
04:27 So I've kind of always had both hands.
04:29 I used to be more left handed than I am right handed.
04:31 So I've kind of always had both.
04:34 What did you play in baseball?
04:36 I played shortstop and pitcher.
04:38 I'm going to Moline this weekend to watch
04:41 former teammate Braden.
04:42 I guess, what do you remember about playing with him
04:44 and what is he good at?
04:46 I mean, he's just--
04:47 he's gotten better as I've seen him grow up.
04:49 I mean, he's always had a pretty good skill set.
04:51 But he's just learned how to use his body more and more
04:54 as he's gotten older.
04:55 He's gotten a lot stronger.
04:56 He's developing his three ball.
04:58 And I mean, he's having a pretty good year right now.
05:00 That whole team's having a pretty good year.
05:01 So I think it's been fun to watch him and kind of take
05:03 over his own team.
05:04 Him and Trey Taylor both have had really good seasons
05:07 to start.
05:09 All right.
05:09 Thanks, Brad.
05:10 Thanks, Mark.
05:10 Thanks, Brock.
05:11 Yeah.