Alex Condon spoke to the media on Tuesday between games against Ole Miss and Texas. He’s put up back-to-back 20-point-plus games with a combined 14 rebounds and 10 assists, helping his confidence grow.
Condon talked about being the big man that the offense runs through and the support the rest of the frontcourt gives him. He focused on Rueben Chinyelu’s rebounding surge and Thomas Haugh’s scoring, while tipping his cap to Micah Handlogten as well. Condon said the group has a lot of chemistry and experience playing together, which has helped them improve over the season.
As a reigning national champion, Condon talked about the mindset required to get through the end-of-season stretch and how keeping things light can help. Still, the team is focused on winning big games and playing the right brand of basketball each day.
Here’s everything Condon said on Tuesday.
Condon on growing confidence
“I just grow with confidence every game. I feel like I’ve done a better job the last few games, not worrying about the result of my performance. Just going out there and hooping, doing what I do best. I put so much hard work in and just trusting the process.”
On Rueben’s rebounding surge
“It’s a pretty standard thing for him right now. I look up in the first half, and he’s almost got a double-double every game. That’s a standard he’s set for himself now. Last game, he was kind of, not down on himself, but you could tell he wasn’t used to not getting the same amount of rebounds. I’m sure he’s going to bounce back in this game and be super motivated and ready to go.”
Did you foresee him turning into this kind of player?
“It’s pretty crazy. We saw it in practice last year. We had the big three with the guards, and the offense went through them and got more opportunities to shoot the ball well. We always knew he had that talent. It’s just tapping into that and running more of a style for our team.”
On his stat line and decision-making
“Turnovers were a big emphasis for me the past few weeks. I had a few too many against Georgia and another game. It’s hard to trust me to run our offense from the top of the key and choose which players are going to get the shot on that possession. Running our offense through the bigs is pretty unique in college basketball. I think it’s a really good thing that we have going on here.”
On making a three-pointer, shooting with confidence
“It was like finally one of these went in. All my teammates said they knew it was going in before I shot it. I definitely shot it with confidence, how I shoot in practice every day. I just have to take the good ones and keep playing the game.”
On passing up more three-point shots after that
“It’s a split decision in your head that you’ve got to go with your gut. If I think we can get a better shot, I know I’m a good shooter, but we have elite shooters and players on our team. I just look for the best shot possible every possession and do the overall best thing for the team to win in the end.”
On interior passing chemistry
“We have a lot of chemistry. Everyone wants each other to succeed, which is what makes us such an elite frontcourt. I feel like I know where Tommy’s going to be before he even starts moving. I have that kind of connection with him because I’ve been playing with him for so long. Me and Rue are starting to get to that point as well, even him throwing me the ball. He says to me all the time, ‘I got you, I got you.’
“Rue’s awesome. He’s really developed his passing and his overall game offensively. Everyone knows Micah is super unselfish, too, with his hockey assists and offensive rebounds. We just have an elite group of guys in the frontcourt.”
On championship experience and the stretch run
“It’s still one game at a time. We’ve got two really good tests this week on the road against Texas. They play well at the house. They’re a good team. We can’t take any team for granted, and then Arkansas on Saturday. WE’ve just to take one game at a time. We know that when March comes around, we’re going to be in the right place. I think we’re playing the right way, kind of basketball.
“Early on, it was a new team, and we had to get used to playing with each other. Now I think we’ve really found our groove and are getting back to what our team was like last year at this time. I think we’re almost there.”
On Haugh’s breakaway dunk
“It was pretty funny. I looked at X, and he had his hand on his head. If Tommy threw the ball to him, he probably would have thrown it off the backboard, but I reckon he would’ve just laid it up, so I’m glad Tommy dunked.”
On ribbing Haugh after that play
“Tommy can windmill very easily, so I was a bit disappointed when he didn’t do it, but two points is two points at the end of the day. He dunked it pretty hard as well, so you can’t be too mad at the bloke. He is one away from 1,000, so I let him know about that, too.”
Did he know he is so close to that milestone?
“I told him at the last media timeout he needed three points. I told him to shoot a three. He got the dunk, so he’s going to get it this game.
Did you joke with him about hitting 1,000 points first?
“I wouldn’t say I joked with him about it, but it’s a little edge that I have over him. He’s had a good season, but I got the 1,000 points first. It’s pretty cool to get recognized for that. We’re very blessed to be in that situation. Me and Tommy have been playing together for three years. Both reaching 1,000 points in the same time span is pretty cool.”
On recovery and physical play
“It’s definitely been some physical games. Kentucky really stood out with guys trying to match our physicality down low. You feel like you played a rough game after those. Our athletic trainer does a great job prioritizing our guys and getting us in the next day. Todd does a great job scheduling light day-after practices as mental days, focusing on what’s coming up and what we can do better from the previous game. He does a great job of player load.”
On family support and team roles
“Ryan’s (Haugh’s father) is a good bloke. Both of those parents, Jen and Ryan, are like a family away from my family. Just knowing they cheer for me as well as their own son is pretty special. I’m grateful to have those guys.
On post-game TikToks
“Coop’s always looking for guys after the game to get in the TikTok. That’s good. We have guys like that, who want the team to be great. Everyone’s got a role and everyone plays that role very elitely. We did that last year, and it led to a great team. We had a really fun team off the court, kept things light and funny but are able to lock in at the same time. We’ve got great guys in that regard.”
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Alex Condon talks offensive surge, frontcourt chemistry ahead of Texas
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
