[jwplayer mntqLfH0]
Allen Flanigan, G, So.
On how practice is going…
“Preseason practice is going really well. We’re just getting our chemistry down, having more of an impact and learning how to be leaders and take bigger roles this year.”
On what he is working on in his game…
“Just to be better in my all-around game, leading on defense and get better at guard skills.”
On how the point guards and big guys are coming along in practice…
“The bigs are coming along great. The point guards are coming along great, too. They’re learning how to get the ball down the floor faster and communicate. Communication is the biggest key for our point guards. They’re the quarterbacks of our team. The bigs, they’re the vocal leaders on defense. They can see everything.”
On what the team has been working on during the week…
“This week, communication has been key. [Coach Pearl] wants us to be louder and call out more actions, just talk and communicate on defense, call out your frames, your denies, who to switch off of and who not to switch off of.”
On adjustments being made due to COVID…
“The biggest adjustment has been not being able to go to class. We have more time in the gym. You have to take advantage of your time and also be able to get your classwork done. With practice, it’s just the safety protocols – being six feet away when we’re not at practice, wearing masks 24/7 and all the safety protocols with COVID.”
On Jamal Johnson…
“The biggest growth I’ve seen from him is he’s real talkative. He’s communicating a lot on defense, stepping up and knocking down big shots in practice and leading as an older guy on the team.”
On the defense and its importance to the team’s success…
“The defense is coming along. At Auburn basketball, we hang our hats on defense, speeding the other team up, forcing turnovers and capitalizing off those turnovers. The defense has been key at practice.”
On how good the team can be on defense this year…
“I think defense this year will rely a lot on ball pressure and not letting guys get set up in their half-court sets and run their offense freely.”
On the election and voting…
“As a team, we’ve all registered to vote. It was very important for us to register to vote because our voices can be heard.”
On Jaylin Williams…
“He is a lot more athletic this season. You saw the athleticism from him last year. He’s playing all over – above the rim, knocking down shots in practice, being able to put the ball down on the floor and playing defense, keeping guys in front and challenging them at the rim vertically.”
On who has been good in practice recently…
“This week, Dylan [Cardwell] has been moving good. He’s running the floor, sprinting, not getting tired, talking on defense, blocking shots, getting rebounds and being able to turn around and face up to the basket.”
On steps he’s been taking to work on his offensive game…
“Ball handling and knocking down open shots. I’m getting a lot of shots up on the gun. Just being able to knock down open shots as well as playing off the dribble.”
On COVID’s effect on a player’s motivation and if a game gets canceled…
“It doesn’t really affect the players. They’re working hard. They’re more so worried about the COVID protocols, them working hard and then the games being canceled after all their hard work.”
On his comfort level entering his second year with the program…
“Last year, I was a freshman and new to college basketball. With me playing last year, I have a little bit of experience under my belt and get some confidence heading into the season because I’ve been there before.”
Jaylin Williams, F, So.
On his improvement from last year to this year…
“Last year, I didn’t have many minutes or play as well because I had two seniors ahead of me. It was kind of hard, but I just stayed in the gym. I worked on my ball handling and everything all around. This summer, I was just working on my game to improve in everything. I’m still working on the same stuff – rebounding better, playing off two feet better and making plays.”
On how he improved his athleticism this offseason…
“I’ve got bad knees, but working with Clark Pearson and Damon Davis, they really helped me with lifting and made me more athletic, helped my ankles get more flexible and being able to move better, which made me more athletic.”
On how his performances at the end of last year helped him heading into this season…
“I wish we could’ve played in the [NCAA] Tournament. That would’ve been so nice. [The performances] push me to do more to become a better player for this season and to be more of a leader for this team. We’re a young team, so we’ve got to have a leader somewhere. I’m trying to fit that role of being a leader.”
On how he feels about the team overall…
“I think we’re going to be good. Lots of people may be like, ‘we’re young and we might not have good chemistry,’ but we know each other. We talk to each other. Even before we all got here, we all talked to each other. I feel like our chemistry is pretty good right now. There’s nobody that says, ‘I’m the man here.’ We’re all in this together and we just want to win games.”
On JT Thor…
“He’s long and very skilled. He does everything offensively and defensively. If you can drive it to the block on him, you might as well give him a couple pump fakes or something because he’s going to block it. He’s an all-around player. He hustles, talks and communicates. He’s got it all.”
On importance of defense and how Auburn has progressed at it…
“Defense is going to be key for us. We have a lot of offensively skilled guys. We can’t just keep scoring on every possession and then the other team come down and score. We’ve been trying to improve on communicating our actions and being in the right spots. Chemistry is key. I feel like we have that right now.”
On the point guards…
“They’re looking really good. They’ve very confident. They’re handling ball pressure and getting us set up in our offense. For ball pressure on the defense, the point guards are getting it every time. They’re looking good.”
On his motivation to earn a starting role this season…
“I’ve been working really hard. Last year motivated me to be better than I was, increase my minutes and do what I can to help the team win.”
On pressure being labeled as a left-handed Chuma Okeke…
“I wouldn’t say there’s any pressure. That’s a good comparison because he was a first-rounder. It’s cool with me. No pressure.”
