Owen Freeman 21724

  • 7 months ago
Owen Freeman interview
Transcript
00:00 [INAUDIBLE]
00:03 [GROANS]
00:05 All right, go right into questions for Owen.
00:09 Owen, another bounce back game for you guys.
00:10 You trailed a little early and came back.
00:12 What went into that?
00:13 How much of that was a comeback?
00:14 Obviously, we didn't start the way we wanted.
00:16 And that's something that we've been
00:18 trying to emphasize in practice.
00:20 But coach kind of jumped us.
00:21 And we knew we had to lock in on defensive end.
00:23 Everybody was open.
00:24 So that's what we did.
00:25 And that really allowed us to get this win.
00:28 It just seems like you were all over the floor, six assists,
00:32 four blocks, 20 and 12.
00:33 I mean, do you feel like this is probably one of your more
00:35 complete games and really be able to take you
00:37 guys past the finish line?
00:38 Yeah, definitely.
00:39 This game was huge.
00:40 And I knew I had to step up because they
00:41 have some great, great players on their side.
00:43 So I really had to lock in.
00:45 I was locked in.
00:45 I was really locked into practice yesterday
00:47 and just came locked in today and allowed
00:51 us to get the win too.
00:52 What do you think of Tony's play down the stretch?
00:54 Yeah, man, I love Tony Perkins.
00:56 Really just get the ball in his hands at that moment.
00:58 And he does what Tony Perkins does.
01:02 He said he called you a beast.
01:04 Oh, man.
01:05 Like 18 times.
01:06 Yeah, he did.
01:07 Yeah, like every time we came together, that's all he said.
01:10 So yeah, no, but I love Tony.
01:13 When older players are talking to you like that,
01:15 is that something that gives you confidence to just keep
01:18 doing what you're doing?
01:19 Yeah, definitely.
01:20 Like when him, Peyton, Patrick, they're
01:22 all talking to me in the huddle.
01:24 It really boosts my confidence and allows
01:26 me to just kind of go out there and play more for you too.
01:28 When's the last time you got a technical?
01:30 I don't know.
01:31 Yeah, that's a great question.
01:33 Were you surprised?
01:34 I was, yeah, because I was excited.
01:36 It was like-- and I didn't realize
01:38 how hard I slammed the ball.
01:40 Yeah, so yeah, haven't got one of those in a while.
01:43 Each of the four freshmen, Josh, made impacts.
01:47 Just how does that make you feel, you guys?
01:51 A lot of young guys that are making an impact.
01:53 It just shows how special our team is
01:55 and how special we can be.
01:56 We have so many different guys that can hurt you
01:58 on so many different levels.
02:00 And it's just so much fun to be out there with them
02:02 and just to be able to play basketball with them.
02:05 And yeah, I mean, this is kind of what we wanted.
02:07 Like we needed to step up in this moment
02:09 and get on a hot streak.
02:10 And this is how we started it.
02:11 I feel like the--
02:12 I'm sorry.
02:12 No, go ahead, Josh.
02:14 I know you're freshmen.
02:16 The crowd was a solid crowd.
02:17 How much did they help get you through a 45 minute game?
02:21 Oh, yeah.
02:22 I mean, it's the craziest crowd that I've ever
02:24 played in front of.
02:26 They brought so much energy.
02:27 And we knew coming in that we needed them.
02:30 And I mean, just the energy that we
02:33 were able to kind of play with because the crowd was
02:36 so into it, it was special.
02:38 I know the upperclassmen and you kind of took you guys
02:41 to the finish line.
02:41 But it seemed like when Brock, Price, and you guys
02:43 were in that first half, I mean, how much of a spark
02:45 did Brock bring right off the bench
02:47 to kind of cap off their run?
02:48 I mean, he just played like Brock Harding plays.
02:51 He came in, does the little things.
02:53 And we were kind of able to execute in our game.
02:56 And obviously, Price has been playing really well.
02:58 And for him to come in and do that, and Lodgy coming in late
03:00 in overtime, and I mean, it just shows how special our class is
03:05 and how--
03:07 it shows how much we have in store, too.
03:09 Oh, and the excitement for you guys post-game
03:11 was pretty palpable.
03:14 Could you feel that this one was almost a must need win?
03:17 Yeah.
03:18 We needed it.
03:19 Patrick said, it's like when you're falling out of a plane
03:22 and you need a parachute.
03:23 It's like that.
03:24 We need it.
03:26 So yeah, I mean, we knew the level that this game had.
03:30 So I feel like this can really get us a jump start
03:32 to the next couple of games.
03:34 You said with the younger guys, it also
03:35 shows what you guys can have in store down the road.
03:38 What do you feel like that is?
03:40 I mean, I feel like in our four years,
03:43 we're going to do something special here at Iowa.
03:45 What did Patrick--
03:46 --mentality right now with kind of win one,
03:49 lose one throughout the season as far as looking at March?
03:55 Yeah.
03:55 Have you taken a look to see where you may need to be
03:58 to get to the tournament?
04:00 Or is it more we just concentrate
04:02 on the task at hand today?
04:03 We really just concentrate at the task at hand.
04:05 We know we got to get hot in order for us
04:07 to be able to make that run.
04:09 But it kind of comes with that each day type mentality.
04:13 For me, the Bible says that each day will worry about itself.
04:18 So I'm taking each day at a time and just trying to do that.
04:21 And I feel like when we do that, it'll execute in the long run.
04:25 When did Patrick give you the parachute quote?
04:27 Was that like--
04:28 That was just in the shower.
04:29 Yeah.
04:30 We were showering after, and he kind of said it.
04:33 Oh, when we open up the mid-range today,
04:35 because I shot a really high percentage.
04:37 Oh, you said what?
04:38 Open up the mid-range?
04:38 Yeah.
04:39 I mean, when you have elite shooters like Tony and Josh
04:42 that can execute that well at the mid-range,
04:44 it just shows how good we are.
04:48 We can kind of execute at all three levels,
04:50 inside the paint, mid-range, three-point.
04:52 We got Peyton and all those other guys.
04:54 So it really just shows the kind of team that we have
04:57 and how we have a bunch of three-level scores.
04:59 Owen, you're an emotional player.
05:00 But it seems like, regardless, you
05:02 seem pretty even keeled through the ups and downs this season.
05:04 I mean, how have you been able to kind of stay the course
05:06 and just kind of trust the process?
05:08 So for me, that really relies on my faith.
05:11 I'm a basketball player, but who I am
05:14 is like I'm a Christian, I'm a follower of God.
05:16 So that's really my basis, and that's what I build upon.
05:19 So no matter what, no matter wins, losses, how I play,
05:23 it really just falls upon that I know God loves me,
05:25 and I know that that's who I am.
05:28 How do you feel to get a win without chipping a tooth?
05:32 Oh, yeah.
05:32 It's nice.
05:33 I don't have to go to dental work tomorrow.
05:35 No, it feels great.
05:36 [LAUGHTER]
05:38 All right, thanks, coach.
05:39 Thanks, guys.
05:40 Appreciate it.