Everything From Baye Ndongo and Kowacie Reeves At ACC Men's Basketball Tip Off

Basketball season is right around the corner and the season is upon us.

In Charlotte today, the ACC Men's Basketball Tip Off began, and it was media day for familiar faces for the Yellow Jackets program. Coming up to the podium were Baye Ndongo and veteran leader Kowacie Reeves. Here is everything they had to say in their press conferences.

Baye Ndongo on not having to play the five all the time and more big men on the roster this year...

"I mean, it's been great so far, because having to play like we do this year, a lot of freshmen are coming up and a lot of guys that coming from the transfer portal. It feels good to have some players that can actually really play actually really good, and especially that they're going to help us this year a lot with everything. I just got to keep getting better and trying to help my team with everything that I could and let the freshmen do what they got to do, and I do what I got to do, everybody do what they got to do, and I feel like we be better."

Ndongo on if last year proved he could physically hang with all the minutes he played...

"I mean, last year it was kind of different, because all the injuries we had and how we started the season. We started kind of slow. I feel like this year will be different, because we have a lot of players that are coming in ready to play, ready to make an impact right away. I would say that you just got to do your best and we got a bench, and I feel like, Coach, like he say in practice, he will use everybody if he can. I be like I just got to do what I got to do and just let the rest of the guy take care what they got to do."

Ndongo on his ability to be an elite shot blocker....

"I honestly don't really know. I just be out there just playing hard as I can and just trying to help my team. It's not something that I'm looking to do every time. It's not something I'm looking not to do every time. I'm just out there playing the game, how I can help my team win every time, yeah."

Kowacie Reeves on having his season shut down early and having to redshirt....

"Yeah, it was pretty tough. I never had a season-ending injury in my life ever. It was definitely some triumph there, some perseverance there. I give a lot of credit to, like I said before, the institution, the program, and Coach, because he just has an unwavering commitment to us as players. So my support system was super strong. Physically and mentally I was well-kept, and I was always reassured that, you know, in whatever I decided to do, that I was going to have full support."

Reeves on what he learned about himself being injured and the process...

"It was a real humbling experience. I learned a lot about humility. I learned a lot about manhood. I learned a lot about just -- again, I learned a lot about the humanization factor of basketball. I attest a lot of that to watching Coach lead by example. You have to come in and maybe not be feeling the best, but you still are preparing for rehab. You still have to try to have an impact on the guys in a certain way, even if vocally it may not be hitting in depth as you want it to be, because you're not physically there with them. I just accepted that fact, and I think it helped me by just displaying humility and just realizing that what I have in store in my head may not always be materialized in my reality, but what I can control is my approach and my mentality.

Reeves on the roster turnover for the Yellow Jackets and being a leader while bring in new faces...

"Coach has a saying. He says when you meet in a circle at the end of practice, he says this circle will never be the same again the next year. Players are going to go to the next level. Some guys are going to leave. That's just the reality of the business. So for me and what I have learned and how I understand and perceive it is that as the older guy, I'm the oldest on the team now, you just have to have a really mature approach into letting guys really understand in depth the seriousness of the situation. Like there's a time and place for everything, and I think this group does a good job of knowing there's a time and place for everything. I think this group does a good job of knowing this circle will not be the same next year and knowing that you don't have the amount of time that you think you have, I think gives everybody the feeling of urgency, and I think it gives everybody the feelings of camaraderie and togetherness for the time being to have a deep gratitude for that."