Fight Like a Lion - Men's Basketball 2025-2026
Download MP3Hey, everybody. This is Paige LeBleu with your fight like a lion podcast on ninety point nine the lion. Super psyched to have in the studio today our lions basketball, some of the representatives from our lions basketball team. You guys wanna go around and introduce yourselves?
Jaiden Lawrence:Yeah. I'm Jaiden Lawrence.
Peter Hemschemeier:My name is Peter Hemschemeier, and I'm from Germany.
Jeremy Elyzee:I'm Jeremy Elyzee.
Kyle Roane:I'm Kyle Roane, assistant coach.
Paige Lebleu:Alright. So, I'm hearing that we've got some exciting basketball coming up here for for all of the Lion fans. Definitely. Tell us a little bit about what what expectations are for this season, kind of where you guys are, what your headspace is and what you're looking forward to?
Jeremy Elyzee:As far as expectations, I feel like, you know, no hate to last year, but we're probably a little more talented than last year's team. And, we kind of had a little bit of an upset. So I think, for our expectations, we're definitely gonna be in that conference championship, you know, March Madness first round. That's our expectation.
Jaiden Lawrence:Definitely. I think people can just expect to compete every night no matter circumstances or and picking up off what Jeremy said, we definitely have a deeper roster, more talented guys than we had last year, but I'm super excited for this year.
Peter Hemschemeier:Same for me. My goal when I came from Germany was also the March Madness. That's why I came. That's why I also chose this program. I totally would coach and the great the guys are really great.
Paige Lebleu:I love that. I love that. That really speaks volumes for this coaching staff, this team, and really for having a mindset and a goal like you have a very clear goal of where you to land. Coach, what about you?
Kyle Roane:Well, I probably could kind of bring everybody's goals and expectations together as each of them express theirs. And I like to hear what these guys say. And obviously, what we have to do as coaches and understand that, as Jeremy said, you know, obviously, and Peter and J. Law even said in their expectations for this program is to our desire to get to the NCAA tournament. And to do that, what we've got to as coaches is, yeah, we want that dream, we want that expectation, and ultimately we want that standard for our program.
Kyle Roane:But what we have to do, our job is to make sure that that's got to be a byproduct of what we put in every day, and to make sure we push every day, we can't take a day off, that we become a team that's player driven. So these expectations that they said, they have to make sure that's translated to the rest of the team. And, you know, we that coaches aren't the ones just driving continuously, that these players are strong with their voice and strong with their efforts by examples, that everyone on our team can follow that. And and if you do that every day with consistency and with everybody's buy in, I think that's when we have the capability of the makeup of this team to be exactly where these guys say they wanna be.
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. That's awesome. That's awesome. I'm I was checking out y'all schedule before we came on and woah, that preseason. Talk to me about that.
Jeremy Elyzee:We definitely got, some big heavy hitters to start off the year, but I think it's gonna be great for us because, yeah, we might be the lesser known conference, but I still feel like we have a chance to really go out and compete against, those top schools that we got lined up. So
Jaiden Lawrence:Yeah. I'm excited. Yeah. I think, at this level, it's it's not really like, it's all the same talent level. Anybody can win at any night.
Jaiden Lawrence:So, I mean, if we go in with the right mindset, we definitely have a chance to, you know, knock off some of these bigger programs and, you know, really put Southeastern and even our conference, you know, on the map.
Paige Lebleu:I love that. Yeah. I'm hearing confidence, coach.
Jaiden Lawrence:Oh, definitely.
Paige Lebleu:Hearing some confidence in these young men.
Kyle Roane:And it takes that. It takes that it takes that behavior ultimately because confidence builds strength mentally and physically, but at the same time, we can't have confidence outside of our what we allow ourselves to push each day. We can't think we're going to do something and just kind of end up free. So confidence has to be something that we won't and we push to have just a little bit of swagger, to be honest, but at the same time, we've got to understand confidence comes from being prepared and working hard each day.
Paige Lebleu:Got it, yeah. You know, I'm here in work ethic, right? I'm here in work ethic, we're working hard each day, we're not taking any days off, we're going at it, But what are some other things that maybe this team has that are a little special that are gonna give you guys the edge?
Jeremy Elyzee:It's probably too early to tell, but I think, the team chemistry right now is probably is built, quicker than what, I've been a part of. Like, you know, as far as like me, I'm a sophomore now, like from high school to now, like the team chemistry, especially since we're all new, we all kinda like gelled quickly and like we like out with each other outside of basketball. So I think that's one of the main important things to us being happy and that confidence. So, yeah.
Jaiden Lawrence:I think that's probably the main thing right now. We all get along so well. And last year, I mean, I'm not saying we weren't, you know, didn't get along last year, but we definitely hang out outside of basketball more this year. And, you know, I come from Ajuko where we have no choice but to hang out with each other. And, you know, I just think those teams, when you really go to war with those teams, you just know that everybody has your back and y'all are in this together.
Jaiden Lawrence:So I think that's a a definitely a big one.
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah. Also agree, and I think we also everybody went through a really hard preseason with hard practices, and I think that brought us all together. So we all put on one string. So I think that's our biggest strength that we are a big team, you know.
Paige Lebleu:I like that. Now, Peter, you were here to talk about sleep. Yeah. And I know that you have that really, we talked about improving sleep. Yeah.
Paige Lebleu:No names. And we talked about like you have a really, a really good healthy like sleep schedule and respect for that, you know what those, to me those little things like paying attention to taking care of your body, you know, getting the rest that you need, all those things, they can be the difference in championship and not. Do you feel like you're able to kind of, like, encourage your teammates with some of that, that wisdom that you carry?
Peter Hemschemeier:I don't know about, like, them, but I just try to kind of do my thing and, yeah, be really consistent with what I do, and I hope the other people see what I do, so they maybe, if they want to, can pick it up. For example, I shoot after every practice, do my stretching, I go early to bed, but I'm not telling them. If they wanna learn, they come come to me and ask, but I'm trying to more lead with, like, example, you know.
Paige Lebleu:That's exactly where my mind was going. I was like, oh, okay. So you're about leading by example more than just don't do as I say, but, like, watch me and do as I do.
Jeremy Elyzee:Peter for sure has a great point. You know, I listened to his last podcast about the sleep. I definitely took a little pointers here and there. So I can definitely improve my sleep schedule here and there.
Paige Lebleu:Alright. I love it. Tell us what what are you doing different?
Jeremy Elyzee:I try not to be outside the house after like 10:30. Try to be in my bed more so. I just try to be as relaxed as possible. And I feel like once I get to that mode of relaxation, there's no nice little bedtime. I'm good.
Jeremy Elyzee:I've been sleeping better too, so maybe something's working.
Paige Lebleu:That's awesome. All right. All right. All right. Coach, one time when you were here, you had with the team, you talked about grace.
Paige Lebleu:Ask these men what grace is right now. They'd able to answer me?
Kyle Roane:Absolutely.
Jaiden Lawrence:You want me to start? G means, gratitude. Y'all wanna do the I
Jeremy Elyzee:think you got all five.
Jaiden Lawrence:R is respect. E is in or I'm I'm tripping. A is attitude. C is what's C. Commitment.
Jaiden Lawrence:Commitment. And then E is enthusiasm.
Paige Lebleu:Alright. I love that. Yep. So, is that part of something that you guys like kind of really try to ingrain in in these young men every day?
Kyle Roane:It it is. It's it's not only our acronym that we share across our teams that Coach Kiefer has had here, but it's just not letters. But they know them, and we also want to implement them into our life and kind of how the energy that exudes from each player and from this program. We want that because obviously we're here to win as many basketball games as we can, but we also want to, because of going through our program, we want to put out really, really good human beings. And, those are those are pillars of our standards for our program that that we like for each of our guys to not only know but to live by.
Paige Lebleu:Awesome. That's awesome.
Jeremy Elyzee:Yeah. Backing off what coach said, I think the the acronym grace, it probably just you know, because eventually, like, nobody wants to hear it but the ball's going to stop bouncing at one point And then at that point, we're just gonna be men in the real world. So I feel like if we hold ourselves to that standard, we'll probably be six not probably. We will be successful, you know, in the upcoming year. So I I respect the acronym a lot.
Peter Hemschemeier:I agree totally and I'm also like a big believer in karma and I treat like things what you give, you're gonna give get back, you know, and grace is like the first words they said in the first team meeting I was here at least, and then I kind of knew how the philosophy of this program is, and I really like it and I think it's really important.
Paige Lebleu:That's awesome. How is, is it really different, basketball here, versus your experience in Germany?
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah, like basketball, technical wise, is completely different, like playing styles is completely different, but, like, the respect and the love for the game is for sure the same. But playing wise, it's really different.
Paige Lebleu:Okay. How's that been for you to adjust then?
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah. I think I'm I'm adjusting right now, and it's getting better and better at the start of the preseason. I for sure had some problems because the play style is different. Like I said, it's a little bit quicker, sometimes also more chaotic a little bit than in Europe because it's more structured. But I think it's getting there, I really believe we have a good team.
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah.
Paige Lebleu:I love that.
Jeremy Elyzee:Yeah. Pete Pete got that. He wanted a few pros we got on his team, so he definitely wanted them big leaders. Yeah.
Paige Lebleu:Talk about that. What did let's tell the audience, what do you mean by that?
Jeremy Elyzee:Him being a leader?
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. And a pro.
Jeremy Elyzee:What does
Jaiden Lawrence:that mean?
Jeremy Elyzee:You know, when Peter first got here, I'd like me, I didn't know much about him. I'm a just be real. And I think it was after summer break, we all came back. We did like a little pick up here and there. And Peter, he just looked real comfortable with his stuff and then stepped back threes,
Jaiden Lawrence:catch shoot threes.
Jeremy Elyzee:Came in, he knew what he could do and probably did it the best that first couple of days. Just watching him, I'm like, oh, he could hoop. And it's like a different type of hoop, if you know what I mean. Definitely that's what I mean by a pro. And most of his moves, it's not like, oh, let me hit three different combos and then get to this spot.
Jeremy Elyzee:It's like, you gonna play me this way. I'm a take this angle, and I'm a hit this shot over you. So yeah.
Jaiden Lawrence:Yeah. I would say a lot of it like, outside of basketball is just how you carry yourself. Like, if you wanna be a leader, you have to, you know, do the things that you're telling other people. You have to do those things right. And people would just end up respecting you because you have no choice at that point.
Jaiden Lawrence:Like, if you're making all your times and sprints and doing all the right things, then people have no choice but to listen to you. So I think when Peter got here, everybody knew he carried himself in a in a very respectable way, and people just ended up respecting him as one of the leaders. So
Peter Hemschemeier:We also gotta talk about the other two leaders right here in the room.
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. Why don't you talk about that then? What do you what do you see in these guys?
Peter Hemschemeier:First of all, I think both the guys are, in my eyes, two of, like, the hardest workers in here for sure. And that's what I really respect because in my eyes, you can, like, do mistakes however you want to if you work hard, you know, and what JLo said, if you can see they want to play, you know, and Jeremy is, like, also leader by example. He's always the first ones in sprints. Also both really talented players. I think that's also you also have to be kind of a good basketball player to be
Jaiden Lawrence:able Just a little bit.
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah. Just a little bit. You know? And then JLo also really ative, I don't know if that's the right word. Yeah, yeah.
Peter Hemschemeier:Yeah, and he talks to everybody, gets everybody involved, and it's just helped me also to get, yeah, to play.
Paige Lebleu:I love that. Alright. Alright. So, you know, when we start to get in the thick of it, right, and it starts to get like, you get in the grind, what's gonna keep you guys going? Like, how do you keep the momentum?
Paige Lebleu:Like, I'm hearing a lot of positivity, I'm hearing a lot of confidence. What's gonna keep it keep it rolling?
Jaiden Lawrence:I think well, for the returners at least, just the way we ended last year, like, we always are gonna remember that, like, that feeling. So, I mean, of course, the new guys, they wanna win, but I think the returns is some more personal almost. But the the new guys that came in, we have picked up some great pieces, all very competitive. So I'm I think that every and also coach talked about this today that everybody has been slept on. Like, everybody that we have on the team this year actually can play basketball just have been in situations where they have been, you know, not that guy or been slept on.
Jaiden Lawrence:And I think everybody has a chip on their shoulder just to, you know, prove those people wrong. So I think definitely everybody's a chip on their shoulder, very competitive, and just remembering last year how we got knocked out first round was just what's gonna keep us driving forward.
Paige Lebleu:Alright.
Jeremy Elyzee:Yeah. Back in, what Jayden said is like, like, we are very competitive and, like, there's gonna be a lot of down moments, but I think we have the pieces to, like, move on. Because if we stay behind, we're never gonna move forward. So I feel like, like, once we like, we're gonna face adversity here and there, but once we clear that, we're gonna be good. So that's what I think.
Paige Lebleu:Alright. So when you face adversity and you kind of maybe you've heard a coach, I don't know, maybe this coach, maybe not, would say, like, gotta dig deep, like dig deep, right? Y'all know what I mean when I say that? What's dig deep? How do you what's that for you?
Jeremy Elyzee:For me, it's like, how am I gonna, make, like, the last play affect the next one? That's what I feel like digging deep is. Because I true. I might have some bad games here and there. Like, maybe one day I don't score.
Jeremy Elyzee:Like, I gonna let that next game am I gonna let that game affect the next game? So that's where digging deep is just, I know what I could do, I'm confident what I could do, and just going forward, I'm gonna produce what I could do. And I feel like that also translates throughout the team. Because if I play bad one game, then the next game, I'll come in, like, all moopy and sad. Like, that's gonna, like, translate within the team energy.
Jeremy Elyzee:So I feel like if I just okay. I play bad one game. Next day, I'm, like, the most hyped guy on the court. Everybody's gonna get up with me. And I feel like that just puts it out there.
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. That's that's words of wisdom. That's that ability to reset, and you're talking about changing your mindset and keeping it positive. And that really is what separates the best.
Jaiden Lawrence:Right? Short term memory. That's what coach always says. Just, like, not being too high, too low, just staying in the middle, and that's how we have to be this year to to be successful. So
Kyle Roane:yep. And it also puts team over ourselves, and I think you've heard that within these three guys. And we we, you know, we say that all the time. You know, it's and Jeremy just reiterated, and Peter Jaylov said the same thing, but it's, you know, every night's gonna be somebody else's night in terms of numbers, but we all can control what we can control and the effort and, whatever getting the scouting report to the game, executing all the things that we need to effort, bringing our effort, consistent effort, energy, enthusiasm. But you've heard each of these guys sacrifice our team goals.
Kyle Roane:We started out this podcast by mentioning wanting to play in the NCAA tournament. So that's our team goals. So each of these have mentioned that as we've went through this podcast of putting the team over themselves. And I think this team has had a really good response mechanism. As coaches, have seen a lot in this team with our individual parts and our collective group as a whole.
Kyle Roane:And in doing that, to not let any kind of complacency set in and seeing what we can say and maximize our potential, we've really pushed. And it has been some days with some adversity individually and as a group. And our team has really responded. You know, I don't know that we've had too many, like, even back to back segments within our practice if we think it has to get better, or even back to back days if we've had a not so good day. I don't know that we've had bad days, but maybe a not so good day up to our standards, and we've really responded as individuals and as a group on those days that haven't been not so good.
Kyle Roane:And I think this group has been really, really good with that.
Paige Lebleu:I love that. So just, I'm here in unity and the ability to, like you said, to continue to focus on the positive, on the next thing. I love how you said I going come into practice and be the most hyped guy. And it sounds to me like you recognize that energy is really important.
Jeremy Elyzee:Yeah, it is because, you know, especially learning from last year, I don't wanna relive this moment, but like the last few games, it felt like everybody was drained. Because like we went on from like I think 10 to 12 game winning streak and then we ended up losing the last five. And I feel like that started with the game after we lost the first one to start the losing streak. So I feel like ain't no energy translates just in life, period. So I think me learning from that, I don't wanna be that guy to bring it down, especially since I'll say I'm pretty mature for my age.
Jeremy Elyzee:So I wanna be that guy to bring everybody up. If I see my teammates down, I always wanna bring them up. I know my guys got my back if they see that I'm too quiet, so.
Peter Hemschemeier:Have nothing more to say. It's perfect.
Paige Lebleu:There's some heads shaking in here. You guys can't see that, but they're like, they're all like, yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you, what are y'all like, so we talked about having a steep preseason, anybody like any particular team that you're super psyched to play just as an individual or like Everybody. Can't wait to walk onto that court like
Jaiden Lawrence:I would say everybody.
Paige Lebleu:Everybody? Everybody.
Jaiden Lawrence:All of them. Everybody.
Peter Hemschemeier:I think it's everybody listed above us in, like, the preseason predictions, like, just I don't know. Not makes us mad, but it just, like, gives us energy. You know? If they say, oh, miss is way, way better. They might be way better, but it's also a great chance for us, you know, to prove Absolutely.
Peter Hemschemeier:That we can play on that level. A
Paige Lebleu:100%.
Jeremy Elyzee:Yeah. Definitely. Just, you know, being in that spotlight, you know, like once we there, we there. So
Jaiden Lawrence:Yeah. You
Jeremy Elyzee:know what mean? I ain't really worried too much. I wanna see everybody that, you know, they put in front.
Jaiden Lawrence:Yeah, definitely.
Paige Lebleu:What about you, coach?
Kyle Roane:You know, though, we we have to really, really utilize those games to get better. And, I like I like what I hear because, you know, those games on paper, Peter mentioned they're above us in terms of where their where their league ranks. They're above us maybe where as individual teams that we rank among the among the teams in NCAA division one basketball. However, I like what these guys have said that we we going to go just and want to want to want to see. I've heard heard those guys say that but to want to compete, you know, and and and that that makes up sometimes for what you may see on paper and that's what we have to bring is you know, once they tip it up, you know, it's our team versus their team.
Kyle Roane:And at that point, you know, we get to kind of see where our preparation and talent level is in terms to a comparison to each of those teams we may play outside of our league. So, you know, all of them are using it collectively by the time we start league play, We're gonna we're gonna be able to pull from each of those, whether it be we won or whether we lost. We're gonna be able to pull from different portions of that game, even us as individual players and as a group, and we're gonna take some lessons from there, you know, because and and because every moment is either a memory or a lesson. And I believe that, and and and we gotta take moments from those games and and have a memory of what we what how we did what we did to be successful or have a lesson if we did something that wasn't so successful and then put that into play when we get into our league games and that way I think that will help us again toward our goal that we're trying to get to.
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. And, you know, just for our audience, I mean, we're talking about SEC teams. We're talking about, like, county, give us a rundown of just for folks that don't know. Talk about some of the teams you guys are going to be looking at.
Kyle Roane:Well, you know, it's it's it's a bunch and it's kind of top heavy because of the region we're in, obviously, probably a little bit loaded more toward the Southeastern Conference which is what you said but we'll we'll open up we'll we'll we'll have an exhibition game on Wednesday, the twenty ninth versus Mississippi College, which is a non non one, a non division one team out of Mississippi. And then November 3, we'll open up with Ole Miss, which is Southeastern Conference. And then from Ole Miss, we'll play the likes of University of Louisiana. We'll play Georgia Tech out of the ACC. From Georgia Tech, it'll be Mississippi State back in the SEC.
Kyle Roane:We'll come back home and play William Carey, a non division one team here, and then we go to Wilmington, North Carolina, and play in a tournament there hosted by North Carolina Wilmington. And we'll those three games will be Wilmington, Gardner Webb and Navy. And then we come back to to our place to kind of start league play. League play starts a lot earlier this year, and then we'll jump back out of league play and get one last game before Christmas against LSU back in the Southeastern Conference. So a lot of those a lot of those teams are because of our region and bus travel in the SEC, but we do reach out to that tournament during Thanksgiving to get some of those teams and go to ACC to play Georgia Tech, so those are kind of our lineup.
Paige Lebleu:That's nice, and yeah, that's serious, so that's good. You know, I'm thinking because, and I hear these guys saying, you know, they, it's almost like they put their tennis shoes on just like I do, they have to tie their laces just like I do and we get out there on the floor, right? It's my chance to like get out there and I think of a few years ago of Alexis Horn in Baton Rouge just tearing up LSU, you know, can, and did Southeastern win? No, but did we make a presence? Yes.
Paige Lebleu:So much so, right, that their head coach called and said, we just got schooled, you know, and I see where all my weak points are now.
Jaiden Lawrence:So,
Paige Lebleu:you know, that was a beautiful experience and that's what I hear like, I kind of hear you saying coach, like we're going to learn from this and you know we also have opportunity to really shine too.
Kyle Roane:From both ends of it, we're successful in terms of the scoreboard or not, there's things we're going to take from each of those games that goes toward our conference play.
Paige Lebleu:Right. Awesome. Awesome. I feel like our time has gone by really, really fast. You guys have been so great.
Paige Lebleu:Anything like just on your mind about this team or about the season coming up that you wanna share with your fans or with other folks that are listening out there?
Jeremy Elyzee:I think, this season is gonna be very exciting. So hopefully we could get as much fans out to the game as possible because they'll also have an influence on how we play. So it's definitely gonna be an exciting season. We're definitely gonna be on the ups. So come out and support really for anybody who's listening.
Paige Lebleu:Yeah. Let's pack that UC. I
Jaiden Lawrence:think picking up what he said, the fans, they come, affect how we play, and it's gonna be a really exciting year, I think. So I'm very excited.
Peter Hemschemeier:I wanna say March Madness. This where we're going. Yeah. Is.
Jaiden Lawrence:What Peter said.
Paige Lebleu:March Madness. Yes. Alright. Coach, any parting words?
Kyle Roane:Well, we thank you for having us. I I play off that. You know, obviously, we've gotta do our part for excitement, but the the more people that we can get here to support our to support our team and to be here in the in the seats at the university center definitely has an impact on on our, you know, on our play and our enthusiasm and our energy, all that can be really enhanced by by the crowd and the and the support and, you know, what we can what we can have here in the seats. We we we would love to invite everybody out and we'll we'll try to do our part.
Paige Lebleu:Alright. Alright, Lion Nation. Y'all just been challenged to show up and see some exciting basketball this year from our men's basketball team. So, we want to just thank every single one of you for being here today and we look forward to watching y'all out there on the court. Thank you.
Jeremy Elyzee:Thank you. Thank you.
Kyle Roane:Thank you, miss Page.
