The rookie second round pick talks about his expectations going into to camp
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00:00 >> This is a high culture program as well.
00:04 The standard is the standard here.
00:06 You got a bunch of guys who want to get better, a bunch of guys who have the right
00:09 mentality, the right mindset, and a group of guys who just really just want to win.
00:13 >> I can take you back to the draft.
00:16 A lot of people don't realize how far you have come with your family as far as
00:21 the sacrifice and stuff that your mom made.
00:22 I know that your coach said that when you told your story during the meeting that
00:27 it broke him up.
00:29 Coach Smart said it kind of made him emotional.
00:32 You are the K3.
00:33 Do you plan on wearing the K3 on your towel here for your mom, for you,
00:37 your mom, and your dad?
00:39 >> Of course.
00:40 My nickname's K3.
00:41 All my guys call me that.
00:43 My family even started calling me that very recently.
00:45 Growing up, my nickname was Mari.
00:47 I was always Lil Mari.
00:48 But now my family just kind of started calling me K3.
00:51 They call my mom K1, my pops K2, and I'm K3.
00:54 So that's always gonna be with me.
00:56 So yeah.
00:57 >> Going back to that night, how emotional was it for
01:01 you just to know how much your family had sacrificed to where you were,
01:04 to being drafted?
01:06 >> It was just a wave of emotions.
01:08 You dream of getting drafted, and then whenever it actually happens,
01:11 you don't really know what to do in that moment cuz it's never happened before.
01:14 So just seeing the look on everyone's faces,
01:16 it was just something that I'll never forget in my life.
01:19 Just seeing, I have my mom and my grandma work cuz they were sitting right beside me.
01:23 Just seeing all my family behind me and everyone just cheering.
01:25 And whenever you see the pictures, you can really see everything.
01:27 So just looking at the pictures, man, it almost brings tears to my eyes every time.
01:30 >> Mari, what has this process been like for you from draft night to this point?
01:35 What's this process, the steps, I mean, what has it been like for you?
01:42 >> I would say it's been fun, just really just taking it all in day by day.
01:46 Just really trying to put my best foot forward every day.
01:49 Just trying to come in and just get 1% better every day.
01:51 Just learn something new every day.
01:53 Just soak up a little bit of knowledge.
01:54 So I just say it's been a good ride and it's just getting started.
01:58 >> Mari, you kind of brought up a second ago the culture that was established in
02:01 Georgia, the culture here as well.
02:03 With D'Amico going to Alabama and you going to Georgia,
02:06 what were some similarities that you noticed between him and Coach Smart and
02:09 what they preach?
02:10 >> Coach with the Bama?
02:11 >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah.
02:14 >> Yeah. >> I didn't know that.
02:16 >> [LAUGH] >> But those two programs,
02:22 very high profile programs, got a lot of similarities.
02:26 And what was the question, I'm sorry?
02:27 >> [LAUGH] >> The standard that Kirby set for
02:32 you guys, similar to the standard set at Alabama based off NACA,
02:35 or just those type of programs in the SEC?
02:37 >> Yeah, of course, the standard I would say to Georgia is super high.
02:41 It don't matter how old you are, it don't matter how many years you play.
02:44 The standard is the standard and it's always gonna be that.
02:47 Coach Smart does a really good job of just making sure that everyone buys in.
02:50 And I think that Coach Ryan does a great job of doing that as well.
02:53 That probably comes from his background of being at the other place.
02:56 So.