Clark was well aware of the fact that the Bruins hadn’t won a Pac-12 regular season championship since 2013.
UCLA men’s basketball guard Jaylen Clark spoke with reporters ahead of Tuesday morning’s practice session at the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. Clark talked about the Bruins pushing to take home the conference crown, his thoughts on Saturday’s preview bracket reveal, what motivates him and his teammates, Amari Bailey’s singing and his oldhigh school’s own playoff hopes.
You guys obviously need to pretty much win every game to win Pac-12?
Every game to make sure…. we don’t want to split it. You want to get it. I mean, that’s the reason we came here. I know it ain’t been done since 2013, so that’d be a huge accomplishment for us.
So you knew that?
Yeah, I knew that, logging on. We was talking about that yesterday, I was talking about it with Jaime, because we was trying to figure out who was on that team. I just know that’s the year. I don’t know if that’s Norman Powell’s year…
His sophomore year
Okay. Yeah, but I know it’s been 2013 since we won.
Look at bracket preview stuff?
No, I just kept seeing we’re getting siding to the East and I saw something about their prioritizing quality wins versus not having bad losses. I mean, at the end of the day, we’re gonna play each other. So that’s where it’s all gonna be said and done. That’s how I look at it. That’s how my family looks at it. You go beat them, you’ll be in the West. They beat you, you’re in the east. Very simple.
Do you ever get motivation from disrespect?
Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I mean, to me, it’s not even disrespect. They’re all predictions at this point. But yeah, like I say, and we have to play each other. If we beat them, we’ll be good, and if they beat us, vice versa. It’s very simple.
Amari goofy?
At random times he’ll just scream. So he’ll just stand there, and it’ll be quiet, and he’ll just like scream. Or he does this funny dance with his feet before games. I can’t do it, but it’s like: he’s goofy, for sure.
Scream in his normal voice?
No, it’s like high pitch. Or he’ll yodel.
He’ll yodel?
Yeah
At what point?
Like we’re about to shower or something and he’ll start yodeling.
What’s the reaction amongst you guys?
Everybody just starts laughing.
Funny because he looks so serious?
Nah, he’s super cool. You get away from basketball. How he acts on the court is nothing how acts off of it. He’s a really cool, calm, collected dude. He likes to have fun. Very respectful. Nothing but positive things to say about him.
High schools in the playoffs?
Yeah, I think they play Bosco at the Honda Center. All right. And then Etiwanda is in the finals too. They play at Honda Center, too.
Double dip?
Yeah, I think we won’t be here though because the games are on Saturday, and we play Sunday. But if they play when we get back, I’m gonna go to at least Etiwanda’s, for sure.
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