NC State are the 2023-24 ACC Tournament Champions!

This is the best of the Adam Gold Show Podcast, brought to you by Coach Pete at Capital Financial Advisory Group.

Visit us at CapitalFinancialUSA.com If you ever have to buy a drink in downtown Raleigh for the rest of your life, he joins us on the Adam Gold Show. First of all, have you come down from five games in five days and cutting the nets down and all of that? Yeah, I mean, I'd definitely say now we're starting to come down and starting to focus more on our next thing at hand, but it was definitely an unbelievable accomplishment with the guys and the team, you know, fighting through all the adversity winning those five games in five days. And, you know, obviously yesterday doing the watch party with all the fans was an unbelievable experience.

So, but yeah, definitely now we're definitely coming back to earth and getting ready for our next game at hand. So you're a lacrosse guy as well, and you could have, you could have played lacrosse in college as well. And you know, you're a Long Island kid and that's a big sport on Long Island. But when people say, man, you guys had to go through five games in five days, like, isn't like going through everything you went through playing sports as a high schooler? I mean, isn't, doesn't that kind of condition you for five games in five days? Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. You know, growing up, especially with all the different sports, but even like an AAU basketball, you're, you're probably playing three games a day for two or three days over the weekend and stuff like that.

And then even across playing multiple games a day in the hot sun. So growing up, a lot of us were definitely just kind of getting used to that. But when you get to the college level, it's definitely definitely a little more intense to say a little more challenging, especially when you're playing this top competition in the ACC.

Michael O'Connell is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. And by the way, just with lacrosse as an off, as a kind of an aside here, and we're not going to really get into it. But there are people hitting you with a stick for no reason. It's just beating you on the arms with a lacrosse stick.

I still have never been able to figure that out. All right, so let's walk through this. You know, Louisville was Louisville, Syracuse, you guys start to finish handle them. Now, let's get to the Duke game. And you guys just played Duke about a week and a half ago. And you guys hung with them and maybe were better for the most part over the first 30 minutes and then they eventually pull away.

What enabled your group to turn that into what really was, I thought, a start to finish beating? Yeah, I think the game plan going into the game was huge for us. The first time we played them, they beat us to a lot of 50-50 balls and they got a lot of offensive rebounds for second chance points. So going into the game, that was one of our focal points was we need to finish possessions and limit them to one shot because obviously they're a very talented group of guys. And if you're giving them more shots than us, it's going to be tough to beat them. So going into the game, we've put a priority on that. I think we did a pretty good job at finishing plays and trying to get our offense started in transition, which helped us get the win. Michael O'Connell is joining us here.

Averaged 13 points a game, 3 assists per game, made 9 of 15 three-pointers in the ACC tournament shooting 60% from the field. I think the analytics would tell you to shoot more, but maybe you can work that out with Coach Keats. Now let's get to the next game. Virginia, they play a style. The game is slower and we all understand that. There are fewer possessions. I noticed that there were a lot of people that maybe stopped believing when it was a 7-point game in the last 5 or so minutes.

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Investment Advisory Services offered by Capital Financial Advisory Group, a North Carolina registered investment advisor. Yeah, I think I think just it started from the before the tournament started was we have a great chance to go win this championship and make it onto, you know, the NCAA tournament. So just having that common goal, we knew no matter what we're going to go through, we had to stick together and try to finish the plan and at the end of the day, you know, we just want to go out there and just win. So even when things weren't looking good for us and wasn't looking bright, we knew we had to try to finish the game. That's the best of our ability and, you know, just keep fighting to the last whistle.

So I think that was a big thing for us. Even if we were, you know, didn't make the right shot at a score, just keeping our heads level, then just going after to make the next play. So walk me through your mindset at the free throw line when Isaac McNeely is an 85% free thrower.

He's got a believable one on one front front end of a one on one and that's the game. They make the shot, it's probably over and if he doesn't, you have a chance. Was there a play design? Was it all about get the ball to Mike and see what happens? No, it was just honestly, he obviously missed the shot and Casey, you know, outlet it to me and my thing was just get up the court and try to go make a play, whether it was for myself or just trying to, you know, maybe draw someone, kick it to another great shooter we have. And then just coming up the court, I just, you know, had a little bit of room and I felt some confidence and stepped into it and just, you know, let it fly. Are you surprised that Virginia didn't foul you or anybody in the backcourt?

Oh, yeah. So after the fact, like I didn't know in the moment, I was even thinking about the moment that they were trying to foul. I was just, you know, my mindset was just trying to get a shot off. But looking back on it, people were kind of telling me that they had some fouls to give. So, but yeah, I mean, I don't know their thought process and how they approach it. So I'm not going to be one to judge about, you know, I'm glad they didn't tell, obviously, if when you become a coach, if you ever become a coach, what would your strategy be?

Well, looking back on it and having the experiences I've had, I would for sure. Certainly, I wonder if Tony Bennett is going to rethink that whole strategy. Michael O'Connell is joining us here. Now, let me let me ask you about the Carolina game.

Obviously, that's the big one. And again, another team that, you know, the first one you guys got off to, I mean, they just they were so good in the first one. The second one, you guys played with them toe to toe for basically half the game. And I don't know how much of that you carried over, but they absorbed the first punch, actually took a lead. But then in the second half, you guys just had more in the tank than they did.

Why do you think that is? I mean, just just from our standpoint, I think, you know, we were just we were just really wanted and we were ready for it. Obviously, we we played four games prior and our mindset is, you know, it's just one more.

We got to leave everything out there. You know, at the end of the day, we have this could be the last game of the season or we're advancing on. So for us, we were just like, we have to no matter what pain you're going through, how tired you are, it doesn't matter.

We've got to figure it out in this moment because these last, like, say, four minutes or five minutes of the quarter half can last forever. So we were just trying to band together, trying to talk to each other through it when we were tired or things weren't going right. And it just worked out for the best. All right. Walk me through the celebration.

Not only I mean, there's two of them, right? There's the one that you guys experienced together. And then at like the watch party yesterday for the selection show, walk me through those things and what you guys experienced. Yeah, I mean, obviously after the final whistle and the final horn, it was just, you know, it was a surreal experience. It was we finally we finally got it done. We won.

We won those five games, won the championship, which state hasn't done a little bit. So it was just just pure excitement and pure joy. We were all who are just running around hugging each other, just like trying to really enjoy the whole moment and just really take in everything that's going on at the moment. And then obviously the celebration continued in the locker room and we just put the trophy, taking pictures and everything. It was just we were trying to really capture that moment, be in the moment, but also captured forever. So we never forget it. And then yesterday it was an unbelievable experience. When we were able to have the fans with us, you know, we were able to take pictures and all that things and really just kind of bond with fans over the whole experience and everything we've been through and throughout the season.

And really, you know, because obviously we wanted to do it for the fans and university, too, which is which is great to really get their reactions and their excitement also. Thirty seven years since it's since NC State has won a conference championship in men's basketball, maybe the most important school in the history of the ACC did not have won a title in 37 years. The last time they won it, it was three years after the Islanders. I know I don't know if you're an Islanders fan or not, but you grew up in Mineola, which is, I don't know, a handful of miles away from Uniondale. That was it was three years after the Islanders won their last Stanley Cup. I mean, it's it's forever.

I don't even know how you even process any of that. Yeah, I mean, for me, too, it was also it was my first championship in college, so it was definitely an exciting moment to get with these guys. But, yeah, I was just like I said, it's a surreal experience. You know, it's things you've been dreaming about since you were a little kid, just being in these games, hitting these shots and just celebrating, you know, and just going down in the history book. So it was definitely an unbelievable experience and we were glad we were able to get it done.

Final thing. Why did you choose state when you when you decided to leave Stanford? For me, honestly, it was big with fit and feel when I when I came out to on a visit, you know, talking with the coaches and just getting a real idea for what they had in mind for me. And then the program as a whole, you know, we both had the collective goal of winning a championship coming in.

That was one of the biggest things we talked about. And they saw me as a piece that can go help them win it. And I felt like I could be a piece to fit this team to help win a championship. And then I just, you know, with the guys, the piece they had coming back, I felt like I can, you know, contribute and help that make that make them better as well as make me better.

So it just felt like the right basketball decision at the time and still feels like it at the moment. So are you going to do it? You're going to do another year regardless of what happens in the next tournament? Yeah, yeah, that's the goal.

I mean, I have another year left on eligibility. So the goal of the goal is to be here for sure and hopefully run it back and keep keep it going. Michael O'Connell, I appreciate your time. The pride of Minneola, New York, by the way, is Minneola North Shore or South Shore or because you're kind of in the middle.

You don't care. I mean, it's definitely North Shore, but I don't I don't really claim it like that. I just Nassau County, I call it Nassau County when I say things. So is there a Nassau, Suffolk County beef? Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say beef.

No, it's a little extra. But, you know, when you talk to different people, if you know from Suffolk, you know, you might feel a little different way or, you know, make some jokes and stuff like that. But I mean, everyone, everyone around, you know, everyone sticks together because that's what we are.

We're part of New York. So we've got to make sure we stick together. All right. Michael O'Connell, congratulations on not only an iconic shot, but a great run and being a big part of it. And good luck starting on Thursday.

Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. So there are two counties on Long Island. Nassau County is closer to New York City. Suffolk County is where the Hamptons are. But you've got to go all the way to the end of Suffolk County before you get to the good stuff. No offense to the rest of Suffolk County. But I'm just curious. There is North Shore and South Shore kind of different. I was going to say, isn't that a thing up there? Like, oh, I'm from this side or that side.

It's everywhere. I mean, yeah, but we we have arguments. We have arguments over barbecue. Yeah, we do.

Yes. I know there are differences between Eastern and Western. But there's not that big a difference.

It just isn't between the two between Eastern and Western barbecue. Oh, my God. It's not mustard. Oh, my God.

Whatever those are eating in South Carolina. Yeah, that's just wrong. Not that big a difference.

Vinegar and tomato based. I'm not saying there's no difference. I'm just saying it's not that big a difference. I mean, they both have a lot of the same properties in it. And the meat is the same. No, no, I can't agree with that.

But I mean, I've lived here my whole life. So I struck a nerve like that. It's not it's I mean, it is what it is. You're entitled to your opinion, but they are not the same. So what do you prefer? Oh, I like both.

See, that's the thing. I like both kinds, but they're definitely not the same. Well, I don't think you're are you allowed to like both kinds?

Yes, I do. But sometimes like for me, if you just want the barbecue, then it's better to have like Eastern style. But if you want like a sandwich that's sloppy, Western's perfect. So Western coleslaw.

Western is more tomatoey. Yes. Yeah. It's like a sloppy joe. It should be anyway. If it's it should be the sauce should almost be like sloppy joe's. That's too much sauce. I don't need that much sauce. Well, you know, some people like to chop it up.

You go easy on it. But I actually prefer the coleslaw on the Eastern than I do the Western. That's OK. That's good. Good. Yeah. Coleslaw is a whole nother thing. How are we making the coleslaw?

Because some people don't know how to do that either. I agree. Yeah. I don't want yellow coleslaw. Oh, no. No.

What are we doing? Yeah, I don't want you. You probably like your tea unsweet, too. Let's not.

I don't do tea. Yeah. Sorry. It's one. That's the one thing.

It's blurred. It's a lot of sugar. So it's not a regular thing for me. I don't do the I don't do that. No, I am sorry. I don't feel like there's that big a difference between Eastern and Western North Carolina barbecue, but I like both. My preference, I think, is Western, but only slightly. And it really is a mood for me. Now, I just but I for some people like, what are you talking about, Gold? Clearly, that's exactly where Victoria was.