********************************************************************************************
Deal ends Friday!!!
********************************************************************************************
CHAPEL HILL- North Carolina senior forward Leaky Black met with the media Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Tar Heels’ battle with Michigan on Wednesday night at the Smith Center.
The versatile wing from Concord, NC, discussed his role on the team, Brady Manek's leadership, what the Heels focused on during their eight-day break, and much more.
Above is video of Black’s Q&A session, and below is a full transcript of what he had to say:
Q: What do you feel like your role has been so far?
BLACK: "Honestly, I feel like my role is to lead by example and just be there. Say like Caleb (Love), or RJ (Davis) or somebody goes down, I have to step up and feel those shoes. I feel like my role is to lead by example and to just be available for Davis and wherever he needs me."
Q: Specific to offense, how do you feel like you fit?
BLACK: “I've played point guard my whole life, and obviously, here I am playing the three. But I feel like I still see the game differently, I can tell people to cut, and they will be open. I know how to screen people and get people open, just being able to quarterback it out there, just being everyone's eyes and still being that point guard out there.”
Q: You just had a Thanksgiving break. If you could give us a little peek behind the curtain at your family thanksgiving table, and what are some things you are thankful for?
BLACK: "Everything. I'm just trying to live in the moment this last year flew by. Seems like me Coby (White) and Nas (Nassir Little) just got here, in 2018. I'm just thankful for everyone, everybody that's ever coached me. This program has just formed me into the man that I am today. I'm just really appreciative to be here, honestly."
Q: What were the top two defensive priorities you guys focused on in practice during the eight-day break?
BLACK: "Guarding the ball was one of the big ones, and just the will and want to, to be able to get defensive stops. Obviously, I feel like we are all capable of guarding the ball and doing that stuff, not allowing our man to score. It's a matter of getting that mindset that you are not going to let your man score. And that's what Coach Davis has been trying to put into our heads."
Q: Do you take responsibility on yourself to lead my example and show the will and want to on the defensive end?
BLACK: "Absolutely. Absolutely, I feel like that's my biggest role on this team is defensively step up and guard the best player on the other team. In previous years I felt like they've given me that task but obviously I had my losses, but I am taking it more personally this year."
Q: Do you think having an eight-day break and being able to practice has improved your chemistry?
BLACK: "Absolutely, a lot of guys not being able to go home for thanksgiving allows us to stay here and just chill with each other. Obviously, we're bonding. We're building that bond. Obviously, we would've loved to go home, but then again, we have big goals this season, and I feel like making that move was good for the season, and it will show in the long run. "
Q: What kind of leadership traits have you seen from Brady Manek?
BLACK: "He just shows how passionate he is about the game. He's a player, not only can he shoot the ball, I've seen him put the ball on the deck. He's a load down low, he can (shoot) left hook or right hook he has all of that. He's a hell of a player honestly, we just need to find a way to get him rolling consistently obviously he can help us out in the long run."
Q: But in terms of his leadership have you seen that out of him too?
BLACK: "Like I said, he shows his passion, and he leads by example. I feel like he's just so passionate about everything he's doing and it's just makes everyone else rise up and not want to mess up while they're out there."
Q: What are your film sessions like and leads them?
BLACK: "They rotate throughout the coaches. Depending on who we are playing, and we will break down personnel. We're in there pretty much every day, breaking down personnel and just little stuff like that. "
Q: What are some things you feel like you guys do well offensively?
BLACK: "I feel like we have a lot of weapons. A lot of people who can score the ball in different ways. We feel like the offense can take care of itself. Like I said, we have a lot of weapons. I feel like the main place we need to step up is defensively."
Q: Would you rather have a team that's good on offense but struggles to defend, or would you rather have a team that can't score but is good defensively?
BLACK: "Honestly, I feel I like where we are at though because defensively, it's just a mindset. Once we get that mindset then we are going to lock people up. I feel like that will take care of itself, and you will start seeing how powerful we really are. Offense, if someone can't score the ball, then they just can't score the ball, it is what it is. I like having the situation that we are in."
Q: When you are matched up with the opponent's best player, what are some things you look to take away?
BLACK: "I just try to make them uncomfortable. Offense is pretty much about confidence. I feel like once you take someone's confidence on offense that pretty much half the battle. They're not going to want to do anything else. They're going to start second-guessing themselves and then you can start making them uncomfortable, and it's like a little mind game with myself. I feel like I just know how to make people uncomfortable."
