1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - CJ Wilcher (Nebraska Basketball #0): April 20th, 10am

Episode Date: April 21, 2022

Kept showing up despite the season strugglesWhat would make you satisfied with the work you put inIs this team capable of playing high IQ basketball across the board?Scouting reports on the person that his teammates areNext season?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the Coppull Chevrolet GMC Studios, here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery, on 937 The Ticket and the Ticket FM.com. Let's get after it on a Wednesday. Thank the folks from Beatrice Bakery for making this hour of sports radio happen. 402, 464, 56685. Start a him in the text line if you want to text, CJ.

If you want to call in and shout out, you can do that on the Honda Lincoln Hotline, same number. Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, the video streams are up. You can communicate that way as well. Those chat rooms are open and you can put your comments and questions in the space. Again, we got a shooter score. Defender in the building, it's nice to have him. He's part of the ticket family. Anyway, anyway, let's bring it, C.J. Wilcher, how are you doing, bro?

I'm good, boss. You know, it's funny. walking, I was actually coming in to do the volleyball show last night. And walking out the building, walking to the car. And I look at a CCQ. CJ's like, what are you doing here? I left across the street from a whole year. Didn't even know.

I've been here a bunch of times. I move in stealth mode. Of course. As you should. Like I. As you should. You said I'm a part of the ticket family and I ain't even know that. Well, but here's the thing.

So now, I mean, you know, we'll have you over to crit. Say that. Like, that's real. You have to, you have to watch who people are, like, to find out what people want and what people need. As an elder, it's my spot to pay attention so that I can see what comfortable movement is. Emphasis on elder. I'm filled an elder right now, man. I'm seriously.

Y'all don't know. This elbow is giving me the business right now. But to watch people's movements in place, and a lot of what we do at this station and picking student athletes to work from is being specific. I am intentional. And when C.J. Wilters is in the spot,

and you talked earlier about your family, that's a big part of it. It's to know that, one, you've got the foundation for goodness and greatness. Both of those are required. So it's there. You have a positive attitude. You choose positive intentionally as well.

So you're the right person to have in this space. Also, let me say this publicly. Thank you for what you did this season on this station and in this community. Because it wasn't the ideal season, but you kept showing up. See, everybody shows up what is good in the crowd. Right? You and Kobe kept showing up. And you listen to people and you let people speak their mind.

and you handle it like grownups. Yeah. I think that's the part of, like you said, like growing up, like being able to take criticism, good, bad, or indifferent, honestly. And then being able to face yourself, like, if you could look at yourself and be like, all right, I could have did this better. Or, you know, if I could show up 30 minutes earlier, this could be, you know what I mean? So I think that's where it stems from.

And then once you're real with yourself, you get the results if you act on them according to. Everybody here who ends up here in the University of Nebraska and the athletic department, there's a journey that's required. And there are people that have to not only pave the way for you, but they have to remain boundary for you. You've got a rock-solid family. Let's talk about mom and dad a little bit

and give the folks a little bit of insight as to who the Wilters are. Yeah. My parents, a lot of people think, a lot of people call my dad crazy. He's live. Yeah, he is live. He's live.

He's live. Exactly what it is, but he just loves us out loud. You know what I mean? Like, he's just, it's not like, he has any ill intentions

or anything like that. Like, he's a great dude. He supports us to the utmost degree. I don't know. I wouldn't be here without my pops. And then my mom, she's like,

polar opposite. Like, like, she keeps us, like, together, you know what I mean? Like,

my brothers and things like that. You know, comes with, the journey come with doubts, comes with, you know what I mean, wanting to quit along the way but she's been the one that kind of like kept it even for us you know what i mean so

that not quit thing is big yeah it's big right and it shows up in a in your drive to get here your journey to get here your stops to get here that constantly you have a greater vision for your life and your talent and what you want to get from it um let's talk about the voice that you that your parents have put in your head so when you're what's the thing that your parents say to the most. One thing, I don't know if there's necessarily one thing they say to me the most,

but one thing I always, like in a bag of my mind, like, I don't know, sometimes I work, I work out a lot. And that's part of the reason, part of the reason why I do that

is because I always feel like I'm being lazy. Because you're never satisfied. But I'm not being, I know I'm not being lazy. I'm being a gym two times a day. You know what I mean? And they have to chase you out.

Yeah. Like, CJ chill But if I don't work out in a day You know what I mean? I feel like, dang, you're being lazy Or if I don't, you know what I mean? Do something productive for my body

Or whatever it is. Like, I feel like I'm being lazy. What would mark you as satisfied With the work that you put in? What result is required? I don't necessarily, I don't know. Like there has to be something that at the end of the day

You can say well done. I mean, always got points where you could say, there's always points in time where you say well done. Like I could say well done on how I ended up the season. But it doesn't mean I'm satisfied. You know what I mean? So it's like I don't necessarily think the work ever ends. There's certain places.

Like I feel like when you end something, like when the chapter ends, then you could be satisfied or dissatisfied with how that chapter went. But I don't think there's any. How common is that within the basketball program? What do you mean? Is this a team-wide thing? Have you injected that thing of, we have to overwork and overproduce in order for this thing to work.

I don't think it has to do with like overworking, I think it's doing the right work. Because, you know, a lot of people are, like, getting to the gym or, like, do things and just start doing things. It don't mean it's work. You know what I mean? Like, they're doing what they're good at instead of what they need to work out. Yeah. Or just in there, you know what I mean? That's not work.

So it's like doing the right work. and I think planning it like accordingly, I think that's where you get the best results. From the Texan, CJ was my favorite player. The team loved his continued effort throughout, through the tough season. Appreciate it. You said to, you spoke to Jay earlier and you said, here's the things I'm working on. So let's get specific. What are you working on?

Your off-season work now, what's your focus? I don't want to give a cliche answer. But like, honestly, I'm literally working on every part of my game, ball handling, shooting off the dribble, catching shoot. mid-posts, like, mid-range jump shots, things like that, because, like, I feel like I'm more than just shooter, but that's my thing. You know what I mean?

Like, I shoot the ball at a high clip, so I can't negate that. I could just add on to that. So it's like I really just been working on literally everything, not trying to give a cliche answer, but like. Well, but it's important because now you've had time in the system. Yeah. You've had time in the league, right?

So you know what Big Ten basketball is like now, right? You know the things that what was in your mind was required versus what you actually know now to be true. So like you said, I've been in the system for a season already. So I kind of know where certain spots are within our offense. And I'm an offense. Like, I don't really break off plays. Really, I get my stuff within the flow of the team, flow to game, flow to offense. So I could, I've, one thing I've been working on is like mid-post mid-range things.

This team's going to run me off the line. And then also, too, like, I'll have, like, a mismatch. So sometimes I have, like, a smaller guard guard in me sometimes. So that's where they mid-post stuff comes in. So it's kind of, like, just trying to be able to find spot so I can be as productive offensive as I can. Here's where I know growth has happened. For you to say that, look, I can get mine within the system.

Yeah. Like, one, that requires a full understanding of the system. Yeah. And I'm not sure that people grasp. how many levels there are to coach Hoyberg's system. And then you often will run off in two or three different places in the system. Yeah. So how comfortable were you at the end of the year with the system?

I was super comfortable. Like the second half of the season, because I understood, like, it's not necessarily about, like, in particular for me, like, how I think. It's not necessarily about the whole team doing, it's just, as a team, I think it's individually everybody doing their job and then, of course, the net result be. You know what I mean? So that's kind of like what I've been focusing on.

So like I get put in the game, I'm putting in the game to make shots. You know what I mean? So I make sure that my mental is clear. I don't. So, you know what I mean? That's kind of like how I'll approach it. That's good. But it let me write to when they look down the bench and they're looking for C.J.

Most coaches will give that player marching orders. like it's the thing. Yeah. What are they saying to you when they put you in the game? I don't. Do you, is that a thing? I don't think, I don't think they, I don't think they literally tell anybody.

We have like, it kind of got to a point where everybody kind of knew their role. So it's like, I'm going to just come in and do my role. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I would guard, guard, whoever, like. That's fascinating. That really is fascinating to me because I would go, I would think, man, I need, I need, I need good solid shot selection. Okay, let me get CJ'd.

Yeah, but that's my role, though. So it's kind of like an unspoken thing. Like, all right, come and bring spark off the bench, whether or either end, you know what I mean? Let's talk about that other end, because that other end is important, and I thought that played a bigger part. Last year, did you think this was an offensive-minded team

or a defensive-minded team? Offensive. Right, right? Right. And so people have. I had questions over whether the schematic phase of defending in the Big Ten was addressed or otherwise. Did you find it difficult to guard Big Ten guards at three levels? Did you personal?

I mean, of course, it's definitely difficult. You know, it's Big Ten basketball. So it's like, which means there's Big Ten players. It wasn't easy, but I feel like our coaches gave us. like very detailed scouts so I pay attention to the scout a lot because I'm I'm not the quickest most most athletic and none of that so it's like I got to outsmart people I got to be in a right spot like I have to do so sure I love that you just said that the cerebral basketball players don't get like it that gets missed yeah people who who are who are not nuanced in the game would

call you would call you a physical specimen right that CJ takes the floor and you just got a different or yeah but I think a lot of that comes from your high-level IQ, being comfortable in what they're going to ask you to do and knowing what they're going to ask you to do. If in a weird time where this program is trying to get its legs and it's trying to be what it was, and we all had our hopes and wishes for it and it didn't work, how did you get through the season? This wasn't an easy season to get through.

How did you get through? I started meditating. Like, and some people would laugh and go, CJ playing. No. No, I'm so No. I started meditating because it's easy to be like when you're around people enough every day

you pick up traits from them. So it's like it was in it. Last year I'm not going to sit here a lot. It was kind of a negative energy around our team sometimes. So like it's easy to pick up on that and I started to feel like I was picking up on that and I just wasn't playing my best basketball and at the end of the day for me to get to where I want to get to I have to

put my best foot forward. So like All right, I'm just, for me, it started off like, all right, I'm going to just try this meditation thing. So I started meditating before every game for like five, ten minutes, and then it gradually came 20, 30, 45 hours. So it's like, it gradually grew, but it helped me a lot. It's the difference between the CJ I met and the CJ that is. There has been an emotional maturity that happened right before our eyes. And this is, I'm telling folks, the part of the reason why we're doing. these shows with these student athletes is to watch the evolution.

Like for them to know, oh, CJ putting in work and to feel good about it. And it helps the program know this stuff. When you talk about meditation and that mental aspect of the game, is this team capable of playing high IQ basketball across the board? 100%. Right? So with the players that are currently on the roster. Mm-hmm.

All right. Is there an understanding of Derek Walker? Yes. So if I ask you to give a scouting report on the person that is, forget about the player. But everybody kind of knows what everybody does currently as it. Yeah. But the player that Derek Walker is, the person that Derek Walker is. Who is Derek Walker?

Derek is, and I'm not trying to say it's to be funny. No. He's like an old soul. Now he is older than us, but like he's real to himself, you know what I mean, like off the court. He's probably the most, like, caring teammate I've had, like, ever, you know what I mean? Because he dead wants to see everybody do well. You know what I mean? Like, he'll turn up a shot to get me a shot in a corner.

Or, like, he'll set me up off the ball stuff to get me a shot. You know what I mean? So it's hard to not pass him the ball. You know what I mean? Like, and then as a player, I mean, we all saw how he played this year. You know what I mean? Like, led the conference in field goal percentage. Probably top five in the country football percentage.

You know what I mean? Brute, he'll horse down there, you know what I mean? So it's like, as he's kind of like basically describes D-Walk in its simplest form. Let's talk about Q. Because Q is like he has its own place within the program, even though he hasn't played the minutes. He still has that persona that kind of draws people. Who is Q? Q.

You describe Q is Q as Q. Like he's his own like person, honestly. Like he goes about his. life the way he sees it wherever he sees fit and when it comes to the court man I love playing what I play I've known Q since I was like 11 12 years old we've been playing together since then too so it's like I love playing with him because it's the energy like I feed off energy like positive energy especially when people give you when people yeah and and give it to you he gives that you know what I mean especially defensively

and then he always looking for me officially so as long as they're looking for C.J is good The funny thing is, I mean, when you watch, so, and next year, Rico, I want to make sure you get to go to practice and kind of watch the personalities. There's definitely a bunch of personalities. Who's the funniest guy on the team? It's a lot. I feel like, I feel like I'm top two personally. True. Aside from yourself.

And he's not too. Right. But then I'm funny, Q funny. All of them. I'm even going to lie. Sam, Will, Kese, they all funny in their own right. Who is...

Give the people, because we don't have that connection with Kaysa. Who is it? Let me describe Kese. Kesei always happy. I'm not going to lie. He's probably the most, like, no matter what going on. Unless, of course, he gets upset.

He's human. 90% of the time he's in a good mood, smiling, laughing, joking. Then, like, we always have shoot. in competition like me and case they relationship i feel like it's different in his with a lot of other people because like we just talk about literally anything like honestly of course something that and he's adapted to the culture and he's he's he's found his way in lincoln um it's and it's weird asking you speak for him but you're giving insight to things that people don't know how comfortable

is he here i mean he seems like he's comfortable right i mean he's got people around him that help him get through the process yeah for sure okay um through all of it now will let's let's talk about will because i will he be my my guy you know and i love that he got his goggles deal right he got his he got his glasses deal what's he like away from it we've had him in a couple of times and and he's he's a california dude literally skateboard to class like he's snow i mean not snowboard uh what's it water ski no uh surf surfs back at home yeah yeah that's have you have you have you have you have you have you got out there with him yet no i haven't you need to do that yeah i want to you need to do that are you going to serve with him no

no we're talking to c j wilter huskin basketball and the evolution of cj wilcher uh has been astonishing and again you know you and cobi were pioneers in this thing of getting student athletes amplification. And some people said, well, that's a distraction. I'm like, no, no, no, no. One of the greatest gifts you can give a person is to be hurt. Let them be hurt. And you have a lot to say.

And I think you're just starting to peel back the layers and let people see you, which you stepping up today is a huge, loud statement that leadership is in you, and it's coming too. standing next to Derek Walker, you guys will have impact on how this thing goes next year. Right? What will define success to you?

What would define success? Yeah. How would you, at the end of this thing to say that was successful, like we did what we were supposed to do. Win. Right, and we're not talking about, you know, 10 wins. We're talking about wins. Yeah, about wins.

Like, you know what I mean? Be in the top half of the big 10. Right? Like standing. Is that outlandish to think that that can happen? Not at all. I don't think. Crazier things have happened.

St. Peter's went to the Elite 8. Which is the, which opens the gate, right? I know half of those dudes on that team. Right. And if they can make it happen and they can win games in this space. So what's going to be the bridge to success? What's the, is it work?

Is it personnel? Is it talent? What is it? I think it's. think it's it's our willingness to to listen and put ourselves in the in the in the in the in a back view as like as the team you know I mean because it's not about us as individuals like of course we all individually do our job will win but it's not about each individual it's about everybody when everybody does their job so I think if we approach it like that I don't see how we can't

win because like I said this year's team definitely doesn't have the most known guys and so we're just here to play basketball and at the end of the day when basketballs played the right way anybody can win see that that's the that's the statement like of all the things you said today that tells me we're okay um what say you to fans right because the fans are like oh we bought into it last year and it didn't happen um we never get good things it's all that stuff stuff, right? And I know that's a negative space that you avoid. Yeah. So what positive statement can you give them to keep them connected to the program, keep them caring about the program, keeping them interested in the program?

I mean, honestly, I don't want to sit here and be like, just give a bunch of it. Yeah, you don't have to. I don't want to say, oh, we're going to do this or we're going to do that. It's honestly, like, at this point, like we did that last year. Like, we all preseason, we're on a bunch of different things talking about, oh, we're going to do this. But we didn't follow suit. So I feel like we just got to go out there and do it. Like, I don't think there's anything that I can necessarily say to be like,

oh, yeah, we're excited for next year to get the fans amped up. Either you're amped up or you're not. You know what I mean? Well, here's the thing. If you win, they're going to be amped up. And that's my point. You know what I mean? That's my point.

Winning will fix a lot of the nonsense. It'll fix it. It'll fix it. Give us the CJ Wilter perspective. on coach coach hoary bird that's my guy right like i feel like he's he's got in like a stigma i don't want to speak too much about it but like it's not based on what i've seen and heard and he has a stigma that's not necessarily positive and he's probably like one of the i'm not going to say he's one of the most positive because we're not the closest but like he's extremely positive like he he

how he goes about like our stuff especially lately like in practice and workouts and things like that. It's all been, he invited us to his house. Like, he's having more conversations with us, being a little more engaged with us. And I really appreciate it because I've always, you know what I mean? He's played at the highest level.

He's been the decision maker at the highest level. I think that's dope to have a close relationship with somebody who's been at where I'm trying to get to. You know what I mean? He knows where you want to go. And he's a great dude, too. Great family. Like, I don't, you know, I don't got nothing bad to say about him, honestly.

That's the thing, and that'll be the clip today, that hearing you talk about Hoiburg is a thing. And I think it's a missed the importance and value of a head coach who opens himself to his player. I've heard it about programs. The moment I hear that you went to the head coach's house and broke bread, I can stop it. It wasn't like, oh, had the whole team over. There was a few guys. It was more of an intimate setting. Just hanging out.

Just chilling, watching some golf. The humanity matters. Has he gotten you into golfing yet? No, but he's definitely invited me. Yeah, right? He has, yeah. Well, I'm pretty sure if we offer, there's a whole bunch of folks who would pay your way

and teach you how to play the game. Golf kind of a big deal. It's a big deal around here. Just go to the driving range. That's funny. Him, Sam, and Ks say go golfing a lot, though. Oh. See?

Like, he does stuff like that. Like, honestly, I can't, I honestly can't sit here and say anything bad about them. And know what I want you to. Yeah. Like that's somebody else's space. Yeah. I don't have to deal with that space.

Listen, I know you got to get going. I appreciate you. Make a time for the stuff that you've done, the stuff you're doing, and the stuff you're going to do. Look, man, you've got support. You've got family. We're going to root like crazy for you.

Appreciate it. We'll stay connected. And yeah, you know, well, the truth renewed, revised. Yeah. Yeah. Let's get to that. Let's get to that. We're going to talk, excuse me, we're going to talk to COVID about, you know what I mean, wherever he is.

He got to hop on a few times. Well, Strik doesn't Zoom call. He does it every day. So we are not done with Kobe Webster. Yeah, that's how we get that. For sure. CJ Wilter, everybody, Husker basketball, again, you know, positive is his thing. And that's how we're going to leave it.

We'll toward the break more one-on-one here on the ticket when we come back. Download our app by searching 93.7 the ticket in your app store. You're listening to one-on-one with DP on 93-7 the ticket and the ticketfm.com.