• last year
Arkansas forward Makhi Mitchell with media on his birthday after best game for the Hogs with 19 points and 14 rebounds in win over Missouri.
Transcript
00:00 >> You and McKell had big birthday games last year against the Aggies,
00:03 I think it was.
00:03 What's it like having a game like this, especially on your birthday?
00:07 >> It means a lot.
00:09 My birthday is coming around one time a year.
00:12 And having a game on my birthday is pretty special to me.
00:18 So I just go out there and play hard as I do every game and
00:22 try to do what I can to help the team.
00:25 >> And then obviously it's been a rough SEC season, but
00:28 you guys final score is kind of deceptive.
00:31 You guys are pretty much in control.
00:33 What was it like to go out there, especially on the road, and
00:35 get a big lead and really be in control the whole time pretty much?
00:39 >> It started with practice this week.
00:43 Coach let us know everything,
00:44 ins and out of extremely talented Mizzou team.
00:49 We scouted them pretty well.
00:52 We pretty much had everything on them.
00:54 And huge kudos to the coaching staff and Coach Moss for preparing us.
01:00 >> And you guys obviously have been missing Trevin for a couple games.
01:03 It seems like the front line trio of you and Chandler and
01:07 Jalen really played well against Kentucky, really played well tonight.
01:10 What have you thought about what the front lines done the last couple games?
01:13 >> Like we've been all season, just continue to get better at our game and
01:19 continue to help the team in any way possible that we can.
01:22 And just controlling what we can control.
01:25 >> But do you feel like you guys kind of stepped it up the last couple games?
01:28 >> Of course, in each category, everybody stepped it up.
01:32 As you can see, Kentucky game we fought.
01:35 It didn't go in our favor, but it was a step in the right direction.
01:38 >> Jackson then Hutch, please.
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:43 >> Mekhi, how much do you think the solid performance against Kentucky maybe,
01:47 was it a confidence booster at all?
01:50 I mean, how much did kind of getting that performance and
01:52 I know it was a loss, but you guys played pretty well.
01:55 How much of that kind of maybe spur you guys tonight?
01:57 >> Within myself or within the team?
02:01 >> Yeah, within the team, I guess.
02:02 >> Yeah, definitely gave us a boost.
02:06 We definitely figured out a lot that game that we can play hard.
02:10 We can play at the level that anyone in the country plays at.
02:13 And if we continue to play for 40 minutes, we can win a game.
02:18 >> And I guess what about you individually?
02:20 Cuz you've kind of stacked together two really,
02:23 really good performances and double doubles here.
02:26 >> I know who I am.
02:27 I know what I'm capable of.
02:28 And I just go out there and try to do my best every night.
02:32 >> Did you know you needed one more point for a career high?
02:37 >> I did not know that.
02:38 >> Hutch.
02:41 >> Yeah, Mekhi, y'all scored 56 points in the paint tonight.
02:44 Was that something that was a point of emphasis going into this game,
02:47 part of the game plan?
02:48 >> Yes, sir.
02:49 As I said before, the coaches gave us a good game plan.
02:53 We call it zone one points, which is pain points.
02:55 That's what we wanted mostly.
02:57 And huge credit to the coach's staff.
03:01 >> What did you think of Jalen's game?
03:02 I mean, not only did he score 13 points, but he had like four assists,
03:05 had a bunch of steals and blocks as well.
03:07 >> Say it again, Hutch, we kind of went out.
03:11 >> What did you think of Jalen's game overall?
03:13 Not just the 13 points, but also he had a bunch of assists and
03:16 steals and blocks as well.
03:19 >> A tremendous performance by Jalen.
03:21 He's one of our key guys, as he mentioned before in the front line.
03:24 Extremely important to our team, so is Chandler.
03:28 But tremendous performance by Jalen.
03:32 We need that every night from the bigs.
03:34 We're one, so we one group.
03:35 We meet before practice and stuff and talk.
03:40 And we just kinda like, we gotta build from this, we gotta build from this.
03:43 So overall, good performance by everybody in the front line.
03:46 >> All right, thanks, K.
03:47 I appreciate your time.