Before the season, the Stanford men’s basketball freshman point guard Kanaan Carlyle caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about how he feels about the upcoming season and how he’s loving life at The Farm so far.
VIDEO: Kanaan Carlyle Feels Like This Season Will Be A Movie For Stanford MBB
Carlyle said life at The Farm has treated him incredibly well so far. He loves the support from the community and the coaching staff. It was funny.
Carlyle focused on eliminating turnovers, his 3-point consistency and improving his rhythm. Those are the three things he focuses on. He is excited to show everyone how much he has improved in these areas.
Carlyle chose Stanford because he feels it is a place that will challenge him mentally and physically. Athletically and academically, Stanford is a top school and he is ready to get Stanford back to where he feels it belongs as a top program in hoops. He said the degree meant a lot to him.
Looking back on his time with Overtime Elite, he said playing for them was a big part of his development. They taught him how to feel the game better, how to make the right reads, and also how to play with and against other great players. Learn to share the ball and not get the same volume of shots as you did in high school.
Being from the state of Georgia, Carlyle feels like it prepared him a lot as well. Georgia is a state with a lot of basketball talent and that has pushed him to give his best. There is always someone looking for your place. According to him, every game in Georgia is a battle and he loved this part. Collin Sexton And Jared Harper are two Georgia State guards that he really admired.
Carlyle is excited about the upcoming season. He said they all said they were going to try to win a national championship and make a movie about it.
In addition to Sexton and Harper, Carlyle admired many leaders: Garland of Darius, De’Aaron Fox, Damien Lillard, Stephen Curry, and others. He likes to study other guards and try to apply what he can in his own game. Anything to learn how to play with and without the ball.
Carlyle had fun playing with Jared Bynum, a graduate transfer from Providence. He feels like Bynum taught him a lot. It’s just about being a professional and knowing how to approach the game the right way. He is grateful for everything he has done for him so far.
What Carlyle loves most about Stanford is the authenticity of everyone and the friendliness of the community. He likes how everyone respects everyone. He says the community aspect is Stanford’s strong point.
Regarding his defensive toughness, Carlyle said it came from growing up with his father. His father told him that defense was what would set him apart from others. As a result, he has always focused on his defense and made it a top priority. According to him, learning angles and speed are the main keys to being a good defender. Understand player trends. All these things coming together.
Carlyle said they are taking things one day at a time and not looking too far ahead. I’m getting one percent better every day. He said they are excited for the upcoming season and ready to see what happens.
On the overseas trip to France and Greece, Carlyle said it was a great experience playing the three matches they played. Even though they couldn’t win these three games, they still learned a lot. Carlyle’s favorite country of the two was Greece. More discreet and relaxing than Paris. It was his first time in Europe and his second time outside the country (Tijuana, Mexico with USA Basketball). He appreciated it. Carlyle hopes to travel around the world and experience different cultures.
Of the basketball they played against in Europe, Carlyle said the pace of the game was different against professionals. He said they know how to use their body, read a defense, etc. He felt like they played well for the first three quarters, then calmed down in the fourth. Now it’s just about improving and raising the level of play throughout the match.
Carlyle is loving his African American studies classes right now. Just discovering his culture and heritage is stimulating for him. Finally, Carlyle shared his favorite flavor of Gatorade. Watch the end of the interview to find out what he selected.
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