Dan Skillings Jr., John Newman III UCF Postgame
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00:00 Like everybody expects, they're singing happy birthday to you in the crowd.
00:04 Everybody expects you to have a big night.
00:06 >> No, I just reacted like it was gonna be a regular game for us and
00:09 a regular get back and get back in the winning column.
00:11 And I just played normally.
00:12 I didn't let the birthday get ahead of me and
00:14 worrying about before the game, after the game.
00:17 Just took it like it was a regular game.
00:20 >> John, you played really good defense on sellers early.
00:24 The most of the first half and he still kept hitting tough shots.
00:27 How do you stick with it and not let that impact your effort?
00:33 >> Yeah, kind of like I said a couple of games ago, it's gonna be,
00:36 that's where guys hit tough shots on me.
00:38 But my job is to make it as tough as possible.
00:40 And I believe that's what I was doing.
00:43 But good players are gonna hit tough shots.
00:44 That's why he averaged like 17 or something like that.
00:47 So he's a good player in this league and that's gonna happen sometimes.
00:51 But just continue to make it tough and try to have that next play mindset.
00:54 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:04 >> He's a dog.
01:07 >> [LAUGH] >> I try to be.
01:11 Really it's just like, for one, you gotta know your personnel before the game.
01:15 That's Coach West, he really emphasizes making sure that we know each guy,
01:20 that we may be guarding.
01:20 So it has its challenges, like size differences and stuff like that.
01:27 But for the most part, I know who I'm guarding, I know who I'm playing against.
01:32 So it's kind of just all about sticking to my principles and
01:35 what I know about them.
01:36 >> John, you guys were all redundant in the first half.
01:39 You're probably gonna need to [INAUDIBLE]
01:44 Is there an emphasis by West,
01:46 that you need to start a three-time [INAUDIBLE]
01:51 >> Yeah, definitely, definitely.
01:53 And I think that's something I said at halftime too,
01:56 it's just like, slice on the boards, man.
01:58 Cuz the boards are a way to set a tone, really.
02:02 And they were doing that in the first half.
02:04 I believe that we were the nail, they were the hammer.
02:06 And so we just kinda at halftime regroup, we know what we gotta do.
02:12 And I think that was the result, second half, crashing the boards.
02:15 We're capable, it's all about us deciding to do it every single play.
02:18 >> Guys, if Diallo don't play five minutes, fouls out that time,
02:22 that part of the game tends to attack him, get him in foul trouble, and
02:25 kind of kick away his team.
02:26 >> I don't know.
02:28 >> What did you say, who did?
02:29 >> He bring up Diallo.
02:30 >> Diallo.
02:31 >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:32 >> What do you think?
02:34 >> Can you repeat the question?
02:35 >> Was there an emphasis to kind of attack him and
02:37 get him in foul trouble to kick him out of the game?
02:39 >> Yeah, yeah, when we were doing scout on him, we just knew to attack him cuz
02:44 he wasn't reacting as well in the first half.
02:46 So we just kept pressuring that and
02:48 then we just kept playing as a team, wasn't really focusing on one thing at a time.
02:51 So we just attacked everybody, played together,
02:53 knew we had to get to offensive boards, was kicking us on offensive boards,
02:56 honking us really.
02:57 And we knew what we had to do, we wasn't gonna let that happen at home.
03:01 >> Hey Dan, I just wanna ask you a question,
03:04 I think you go behind your back, so it's a pretty big play in that 9-0 spurt.
03:12 >> I'll tell you exactly, it didn't just end up in his hand.
03:16 So I was driving, I wanted to do the hop step, try to lay it up, but
03:22 it wasn't there, so I went behind the back on purpose, didn't have nothing.
03:26 I saw John, I just went like this.
03:28 That's what happened, and I'm glad he got an A-1 cuz that turned me up.
03:32 When he got the A-1, that turned me up.
03:33 I was like, go right up, John, when he wasn't going right up.
03:35 He made a good play, got an A-1, had the crowd going, had us all going.
03:38 >> There's definitely some truth to that cuz he makes a lot of weird plays like
03:41 that, so yeah.
03:42 It was kind of surprising, but now that I really think about it,
03:45 I'm really not surprised.
03:45 >> You had a great start, and then you were kind of quiet for a while.
03:50 But at some point, did you say, enough of this, it's my birthday,
03:53 I'm gonna get this.
03:54 >> Nah, man, like I said before, I didn't let the birthday get all ahead of me.
03:58 I was just playing with my team, man, and letting the shots come to me.
04:02 I just wasn't trying to force, I'm learning how to play with my team a lot
04:04 more, I'm learning my game a lot more.
04:06 The more I force things, the more it goes the other way.
04:09 So I just try to let everything happen, come to me and not force some things.
04:13 I forced a couple, I think, three or two in a layup in the second half,
04:17 around like 11 minute mark.
04:20 And I just controlled myself and just let it come to me.
04:24 >> For both of you, can you rate each other's plays?
04:27 >> His was about a 10, mine was about a 9, 9.5.
04:31 But my zone was close to a push into a 10 cuz it was opposite hand,
04:34 it was a left hand.
04:35 >> I was in, I give him a 10, I give him a 9.5.
04:38 >> Okay, but his was a 10.
04:41 >> [INAUDIBLE]
04:51 >> Yeah, I think it's just like everything with us is like,
05:01 he wants us to be aggressive.
05:03 It's not necessarily a plan, he just puts us in the position.
05:06 First of all, he gives us the confidence to go and be aggressive.
05:10 And then he just puts us in position to succeed offensively.
05:15 So I think that makes it pretty easy.
05:16 And then, I say this every time I have a game,
05:19 my teammates just find me in opportune places.
05:23 And my job is to be aggressive.
05:25 And so I mean, I look at the stat sheet.
05:29 I don't know if any of my bookies work cuz of this, but
05:32 like T-Miles has like six assists.
05:34 And you feel like, well, that's they got four.
05:36 You know what I'm saying?
05:37 I think in the second half, we shared a lot better.
05:39 We had the ball moving.
05:40 So it was probably a result of that.
05:41 >> John, I know it's a long way to go.
05:45 [INAUDIBLE]
05:50 >> Yeah, I mean, yeah,
05:54 I feel like that a little bit.
05:57 But truth be told, I be feeling like every game is a gotta have in this league.
06:03 Every win helps.
06:04 I'm not really sure if losses hurt as much because everyone's good and
06:10 everyone's beating everybody, obviously.
06:14 But like, yeah, I think this was definitely a must win for us.
06:22 I think just like for our, what's the word?
06:27 Like mojo.
06:30 I think it was just a must win for our mojo.
06:32 Yeah, for our swag.
06:33 But we try to win every game.
06:35 Every game is like a must win.
06:37 >> [INAUDIBLE]
06:42 >> It meant big, man.
06:43 Had to get our swagger back, like you said, get our confidence back as a team.
06:46 And we haven't been playing really as hard as we can and
06:51 together as much as we can and believing in each other.
06:54 So tonight, no, we were down 12, 14 in the first half.
06:58 Coming back and fighting and
06:59 then winning in double digits after the fact that we were down by double digits.
07:03 It's big for us and that's hard in this league.
07:06 Big 12, man, it's hard in this league.
07:07 So just step forward and we just gotta, we can't get too high in college.
07:10 We can't get too low.
07:11 We gotta stay even.
07:12 >> How big was the crowd for you guys, especially in the second half?
07:16 Not the end of the first half.
07:18 They let up a little bit.
07:20 I don't know if you guys heard it, but just how big was it?
07:23 Just to have that momentum, help that momentum with the crowd.
07:26 So I wanted to say this too, man, I appreciate the fans, bro.
07:30 I appreciate y'all so much, man.
07:32 Losing the past two games to close games, missing free throws or
07:37 whatever the case may be.
07:38 Y'all still came out today after two losses and it was an amazing crowd, man.
07:43 That was probably one of the loudest I heard it so far this year and
07:46 it was just amazing.
07:47 It made us all feel good and it makes us wanna work even harder for y'all,
07:50 not just our team and our coaches, the university, but just y'all fans.
07:53 So thank y'all for coming out and turning up today.
07:56 >> Couple more.
07:57 John, you learned big.
07:59 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:02 When did you guys find it out?
08:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:08 >> Yeah, we found out pretty soon before they got even.
08:12 Yeah, it wasn't that much time before the game.
08:15 So it was kind of like a shock to me.
08:17 But he tried, so I respect that.
08:20 But I think tonight was just all about going out there and doing it for him.
08:26 Cuz of course he wants to be out there, but sickness and things like that,
08:31 they come upon us sometimes, we can't control that.
08:33 But I'm really proud of us for holding it down for him.
08:36 I know he's happy, he's happy about the result.
08:39 >> Final question, Chad.
08:40 >> How much of an adjustment is there when you lose a guy that late?
08:43 Is it just taking him out of the game, playing,
08:46 obviously a big part of everything too.
08:49 That may be some of what went on in the first half is not,
08:52 figuring out how to adjust what you were gonna do about it.
08:57 >> Well, we always wish we were all healthy and
09:01 then wish we can have each other.
09:04 But Vic trust us, we work hard every day and we know what it takes and
09:08 we knew he's gonna have his back in that moment.
09:10 And it's not no like, dang, we wish we had him or damn, he couldn't play.
09:14 We just keep working and Vic believes in us.
09:16 We told him we got him and get better and get well and we're gonna fight.
09:20 >> Thanks guys.
09:21 >> Thank you.
09:22 >> Thank you all.
09:23 >> [COUGH]
09:24 >> Yeah.
09:25 >> That always gets everybody sick.