NC State's Aziaha James speaks at ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte

You uh had a hot hand especially during the tournament

when you have hot hands like that floaters are going

in threes are going in everywhere on the perimeter

What what's the feeling like And how do you keep

that float going and not let the jitters get a

hold of you on the floor

Uh Me personally I try not to focus on like

you know the the may bugs and stuff

I always want to say next play next play you

know even though I made that you know I still

want to get my team to the final four

So just not even worry about myself but about how

can I you know incorporate my team as well So

just like that I mean this team is gonna say

something special but obviously they're play they're already um reporters

saying well they're not the same team they've lost a

few people overseas

Um How do you change that narrative I mean does

maybe beating South Carolina in the second game of the

year change that narrative you know um nobody cannot replace

Mimi Collins and River Ball went

Um they were big for us but we also got

new players and um not gonna let nobody you know

down talk them you know we're we're the same team

Um we can be better um but also not even

trying to worry about the media at at all

Um just maintain our focus and you know win the

games that we win and focus on what we need

to focus on

Is there something specific to to your game that you

worked on over the off season Um Definitely just being

more of a leader

Um I've been very vocal more

I talk more on the court and off the court

making sure that uh you know my players like my

I say my players I'm sorry like my my freshmen

um are not like you know hanging their heads say

like you know they're getting like yelled at at a

time or you know some some people have bad days

or some just making sure everybody's having their head on

straight and we're locking in together

Can you talk about my last question before So I

don't talk every time your relationship with coach Moore

Can you describe I mean up there on the podium

the press conference you know we're tapping each other up

and everything talk about that relationship and how close y'all

have gotten as a coach and player and maybe as

family members

Definitely

Yes he's like my second dad you know he cares

about the whole team like we're his daughters

Um we go to his house and with his wife

and um you know they cook for us we watch

football games

Um This is a family environment with him

You can't get nothing like he shows you how he

is every day like every day

So he he don't hide who he is

And I love that about him

He wants to win

He's very passionate and that's what

Thank you

How are you today How are you I'm well thanks

So just a couple of questions kind of test questions

You're one of the few that is actually not entered

your why is it about CC and coach Moore that

has made you just feel like you're at home

Um Just a family environment like when we came back

from Port um it was three o'clock in the morning

and the fans were outside

So that that'll tell you like how much love we

have around campus and stuff and every time like we

win a game you know the campus light up red

and you know it's a good feeling

But you know the reason why I didn't answer the

uh transporter was just because you know just being loyal

to coach Moore and you know just understanding what he

has for me because you know my first two years

I really didn't play and you know some place we

probably would up and leave and stuff like that but

just you know trusting his process and his process got

me to a final four

So yes

And then my last question anyway I look forward to

every single game that everybody has a game or two

that they're looking for you for this upcoming season

Definitely South Carolina

The start

Um Number two would definitely would definitely be one of

my road games you know either Un C or Duke

Definitely

Yes thank you

Yes it just give us a pathway

Um You know it give us those key steps of

you know this good like goal tokens to you know

perform the same way for the next year and you

know progress off what we did wrong in the last

previous year

So yeah I wouldn't say life changed

I I would definitely say life got better

Um You know we got a lot of spotlight the

spotlight that we needed

Um um I feel like you know people are now

seeing like oh just because you know people you know

downfall like look down to you that don't mean you

gotta give up

So I think we represented that very well

Uh One thing I

was like oh my God it was so good

Like I'm so honored to even be like sitting at

the table with you know Sonya Rivers and Georgia a

Moore and a blood and people like that

So just to be at the table it it felt

good you know um the camp was very uh inspirational

you know she then we like focus on basketball we

focus on mental health you know and how to go

about that because you know your mental is first

So it was very good

Yes

Yes definitely

Because I've been in those shoes

So I know exactly how they feel

Um you know coach get on you one day and

I just tell them look keep your head up

It's ok you know keep pushing

He's only doing this because he love us and he

was the win

So just saying things like that say it again definitely

it's it's definitely a comfortable fit because I love helping

you know I I love helping my dream job is

to be a coach

So just it work out that way

So yeah

Yes I definitely credit to myself because I definitely work

behind the scenes you know I don't always you know

record myself in you know saying what I'm doing but

my behind the scenes definitely paid off and I'm not

done yet you know I got this last year and

I'm gonna finish this wrong