Austin Price: Hello, friends. Welcome in for episode eight of Vol Club Confidential. I'm your host, Austin Price of volquest.com. I have an exciting show for you tonight. Olivier Nkaumhoua will join us tonight on Vol Club Confidential. But before we get to him, we're going to bring in Brandon Spurlock of Spyre. Brandon, we had the big signing day celebration on Wednesday night. A great event. Got to hear from Coach Heupel. Those at the event got to have a nice meet and greet with the early enrollees and get a feel for those new-look Vols. Brandon Spurlock: Yeah. It was cool to bring an event like that back and to do something for the first time where we had the signees actually in attendance. We've done those for years at various places where we talk about it, but to have them in the room and to get people to welcome them to Rocky Top the right way for the first time and let them know what Vol Nation is about, that's pretty cool for our members and for some of our non-members to get a first look at how we do things. Austin Price: How much do you think an event like that can help you with those non-members? Because they get to see some of that, you peel back the curtain a little bit. You see the wizard instead of just the big face up there, you see the wizard behind the curtain. When you can peel back the curtain, how big is that for people that aren't invested currently with the Volunteer Club? Brandon Spurlock: Yeah. I think talking about impact is one thing, but when you can see it and see them and the people that we're benefiting. NIL has presented so many unique opportunities here, so to look at this class, coming in and think about the future and to see that and to talk to them, and then break it down and humanize it and talk to them as a person and start to see that. Because that's really what NIL has done, has given us an opportunity to showcase the skillset and the talents of young men and women. To get them started out early on, doing that and to have the fans see that and not just read about it or hear us talking about, is pretty special, I think. Austin Price: Christmas coming up on Sunday, the team heads down to the Orange Bowl. I know you all have some events that are starting to get planned out and ironed out down there in South Florida. Brandon Spurlock: Yeah. We'll be in touch with our members. Be on the lookout for that. We're putting some things together, some last-minute touches on what we're doing and looking at the practice schedule with the football team. Hopefully, I have some pretty cool, unique surprises coming very shortly. Wish everybody a Merry Christmas. Austin Price: All right, Brandon. Appreciate the update. Now let's head to the main attraction of the show, Olivier Nkaumhoua. Hey, man. How are you? Olivier Nkamhoua: Very well. Austin Price: Olivier, when you were coming out of high school, what made Tennessee the right fit for you? Olivier Nkamhoua: I came here on my visit, and I had already been to a couple of schools. Just based on that, I just had interactions with the different coaches and I felt like when I came here, and I spoke to Coach Barnes, some of the other coaches, it was just different. The things we spoke of connected to me and what I wanted to do with my college experience. My main focus was to just come in knowing that I'm going to have to get a lot better. I wanted to play a lot obviously, but I wanted to keep getting better on it, to be in a place that I knew our focus was work. Just from seeing what they did, because I came on my visit, they showed me what vitamins they do and what kind of little things they do on the side, I felt like it would be a place where I could stay in the gym and somebody would be there with me if I needed them. I could go in there on my own at night, or I could come in and work with a coach or manager or GA. I just didn't feel the exact same connection with other schools. Austin Price: When you go back, you look at today's athletes, and everybody, the "it" thing to do is to jump in the portal. You fail a math test, you jump in the portal. Your girlfriend breaks up with you, you jump in the portal. The coach yells at you funny, you jump in the portal. You're old school. You came in and just went to work and just kept improving. Do you look at yourself that way? All these other guys can do what they're doing, but I'm going to just keep my head down and go to work. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. Well, I feel very strongly about things. When I came in, coach gave me chances to play. Then after my freshman year, I was like, "Okay, I just have to come in and perform and practice harder and prove myself." That year, I didn't get as many chances, but both those years, and something I feel like a lot of people forget about college is, if you have older guys in front of you, there's not much you can do about it. You can be a five star coming in, or you can be somebody that's just perfect for the position, or maybe there is nobody ahead of you, and then you'll play as a freshman. But most freshmen, which I was, just like any other freshman, you come in and there's two guys, three guys older than you. Those guys, for me, were Yves and Fulke. They were both juniors. They both had great years in my freshman year, and then they both came back for my sophomore year. But after my sophomore year, I thought to myself, "I got to start." If I wanted to leave, it didn't make any sense because first of all, I was working. Coach was giving me chances, whether they were big chances, small chances. After my sophomore year, I talked to the staff and I asked them, "Do I have a place here?" They said "yeah." I'm like, I can't leave when they said as long as I work, I have a spot. Then, after my sophomore, obviously Yves graduated and left. Fulke did come back, but once Yves left it was like, now there's nobody older and definitely not better than me anymore, on the team, so I'm going to take his spot. I waited my turn, and I got my shot. It's just how I saw it. I went year by year. Austin Price: The fact that you got injured in high school, I think probably stunted your recruitment a little bit. Then you got injured last year. What did you learn from those two experiences that made you better and maybe give you a different perspective? Olivier Nkamhoua: From the one in high school, the main thing I learned was really patience, just to have to learn to wait for things and wait for my time to come and learn to watch the game a little more and just learn to do something every day without seeing results is something that really taught me patience. Rehab, just going in, doing things over and over and over again, you're doing the same things. It's tough. Then last year, more from what I learned is just to deal with the ups and downs. At first, it was just patience. I thought to myself, "Junior year of high school, I'm going to heal, and I'm just going to make sure it never happens again." Then last year it happened again and my season was over in the middle of it instead of before it. It was very weird, but I just thought to myself, "I got to get through this and I'm going to be back. It's life. I have ups and downs, I just have to make sure I heal this right." My focus shifted completely, and I just grew as a person a little bit. For this year, just being able to deal with ups and downs and even over the summer when I was playing back home, just to deal with if you have a bad game or if you have a bad week or if you have a bad day, it don't really matter. You just got to keep going, and then there's never a hole that you can dig yourself in. Austin Price: You talk about going back home, playing this summer. What did you learn from that experience? That opportunity afforded to you, how much did that, I guess, give you joy to be able to go home and play in front of family and your mom, that type of thing? Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. It was great. Last year, I went also for a little bit, but it was COVID year, so everything was kind of off. But this year it was a full summer, I got to experience a full summer of being home. Also, got to go to Africa in the middle of the summer, to Rwanda. Austin Price: With VOLeaders. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah, with VOLeaders, which was really dope. But I got to spend a full summer at home. It was my first time that my mom had seen me play, pretty much since I left Finland, because freshman year she came to watch my game against Memphis, but it was freshman year, I didn't play a lot. Sophomore year, COVID, and then junior year, just as she was about to come, I got hurt. That was the first time she had pretty much actually seen me play full games in person since I was in Finland when I was 16-17 years old. I had some really good games. I had some really good games against Berlin, when we were at home. Then I got to play with Lauri Markkanen, which was really dope. That's when you really see how many levels. That's when I first really saw it. I've seen NBA players on TV and everything, but that's my first time playing against one at practice and playing with one in the game, at least one of those guys who have a career, guys who've been doing it for a while now. I think he's in his seventh year and he's averaging 20 and eight on Utah Jazz, so I think that's just incredible. Austin Price: How different is that style? Olivier Nkamhoua: It's crazy, because I feel like NBA guys, most of them, especially the ones that you see on TV whose names are talked about, I feel like they can play anywhere. In Europe, the way European basketball is so different from college, yes. I feel like NBA basketball is so different from college too. But when I was playing with him, he knew where he could get his shots. It didn't matter how everybody else was playing. He would just react and see where they were at and then make sure he could get to his spots. Austin Price: You're from Finland, your mom still lives in Finland. Your dad lives in Maryland, is that right? Olivier Nkamhoua: Yep. Austin Price: How much do you get to talk to your mom? I mean, Zakai, we had him on last week. He talked about having his mom around the corner. That's not the same for you. Do you FaceTime a lot? How do you keep that relationship fresh? Olivier Nkamhoua: With my mom, we text a lot. We try to do our best to FaceTime. The time difference is seven hours, so one of us is usually doing something or the other is asleep. Sunday is the day that we try to call each other and talk to each other. But other than that, we try to keep texting just because you can respond to texting in two seconds. It's easy. With my dad, we call occasionally. With him, because he's still in Maryland, the guy likes to drive, so he'll drive here all the time for games. He came to New York. They took the chance and took a family Thanksgiving vacation to The Bahamas when we went there. Austin Price: Nice. Olivier Nkamhoua: He does a good job, and I get to see him a lot. Then with him comes my little sister and my stepmom. My little sister, both of them are really my favorite people on the planet right now. The one that my dad comes with is the younger one, so she's just a big ball of energy. But, yeah, I call. I call. Luckily, my sister back home in Finland, my brother... My sister's so young, so it's not a big problem for her because she's so focused on just friends around her. But then whenever we see each other, it's obviously great. With my brother, he's an adult. He's living his own life, and he's taking care of his own things. But with my mom, we just stay in touch. Austin Price: Take Tennessee fans through Finland. What's the best part of your home country? How many languages can you speak? Olivier Nkamhoua: Well languages, I speak two, English and Finnish. I was supposed to learn how to speak Swedish in school, kind of how Spanish is here, so you take that how you feel. Then I spoke French when I was very little, but I completely forget how to speak French, which is kind of embarrassing, but that happened. Finland, depending on when you're there. Over the summer for June, July, maybe even August, it could be like LA summer. It's just almost perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold. Certain places you can go in, it'll be really hot. Finland, really hot is like 90 degrees so not a hundred or something. 90 isn't really bad. If 90 is your hottest day and it's not super humid, it's cool, I think that's pretty good. You have that for about two months if you're lucky, three months if you're really lucky or a month. But after that, fall, the leaves drop pretty fast, and by November you might be seeing a lot of snow. Austin Price: You a big snow guy? Olivier Nkamhoua: I am for a week or two. Austin Price: Then it becomes like, "Okay." Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. The problem with Finland is, once that snow hits in, it's first a little bit, then it might be really heavy storms. Then it might go away a little bit. Then by the time January hits, it'll probably be just a lot of snow everywhere. The closer we get to January, it will be... We never not have a white Christmas. Then February is still like that. March probably still like that. April is when it gets tricky. April is when it gets tricky because the snow starts melting, but it's still cold enough that it's really only the sunshine it starts melting. Then it'll rain. Then it'll turn into slush. Then it might snow again, and then the snow and slush mixes and it's just thicker slush. Then it might melt some more. It's just like gray stuff everywhere because it was so much snow. Yeah, the trucks clean up the driving roads, but because so many people use public transport, you're going to be on your feet and there's slush everywhere. It's bad. I used to not like that part of the year at all. Austin Price: Say something in Finnish. Can you sing Rocky Top in Finnish? Olivier Nkamhoua: No. Probably, it would just be Rocky Top. Austin Price: Give me an average sentence in Finnish. Olivier Nkamhoua: Okay. What would you like me to say? Austin Price: I have to go to the store. Olivier Nkamhoua: Minun täytyy mennä kauppaan. Austin Price: Not sure I can repeat that. I did ask Zakai last week. I'm like, "You've got so many guys that can speak multiple languages. When they're frustrated with the ref, do they ever express it in multiple languages?" He said he's never really heard you, but he says Santi does some. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah and Uros, but no. Austin Price: He said Uros just says it in English. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. Uros says it in English. Uros is just here because he be on the phone a lot. Then Santi would do it. Santi will change languages in game. Yeah. He would do that, definitely. Santi be the main one. Austin Price: You never break out a little Finnish during the game? Olivier Nkamhoua: Well, I have a word that I'll say, and then that's it. It will be really quick, so people might not catch it. Sometimes I just clap my hands and say it, so then they definitely won't catch it. Not a lot. I don't be talking to the refs. I try not to talk to the refs in English. I just try not to talk to them a lot. Austin Price: Now, just a little bit back to your game. Where do you feel like your game has grown? I think every Tennessee fan has seen you start to shoot the ball more and more from the outside and shoot it confidently from the outside, knocking down big threes. You had some big shots the other night at Arizona, but where do you feel like your game's grown the most, from when you got here to now? Olivier Nkamhoua: Well, I think for me, the most is just my basketball IQ really. I feel like I've always been a good finisher, okay shooter. I've definitely become a better shooter, a better finisher. But I think the most is just my IQ, especially with our offense. Just learning to fit into a system has just raised my IQ a lot. I feel like I'm now knowing where to get the ball, almost knowing what moves I like, where I like them, knowing if I'm on my spot for a shot. I'm still learning it, but I feel like I've gotten so much better at just knowing where to be, knowing what cuts in the offense are the best ones for me, and knowing how to set the screens better, knowing how to pass. I've gotten lower on my passes. I feel like just experience has made me so much better, and IQ is the only way I can really explain it. Austin Price: You look at Grant Williams who was here when you first got here. He's making so many threes now. In college, his game was predominantly down low. Now, he could step out there and make shots, especially the mid-range game. But now, I mean he's almost a straight three-point shooter in the league. How much of you growing your game is for that purpose, to show the next level, "Hey, I'm not just a guy that can play on the block, I can step out and knock down open shots at my size?" Olivier Nkamhoua: It's definitely important to show that you're able to, but you also got to know, I feel like NBA scouts know what they're looking at. They'll find out if you can shoot or not, then they'll recognize on your team, if you need to shoot or not. I feel like that's a very big part of how you need to play. Because if you're shooting the ball just trying to prove that you can shoot and it's not helping your team, you're not doing anything for yourself. The scouts most likely to just going to swipe that by. Yeah, you want to show them you can shoot, but you also want to show them that you have the IQ. I got guys Santi and Tyreke, where Joe comes back, Z, that can really shoot the ball. For me, yeah I want to show them I can shoot, but I want to show them everything else that I can do. Then if I need to shoot more up there, they'll know I can shoot. They'll ask people go look and look back like "Okay, when he was taking one or two but he was making one or two." Yeah, I want to show them, but I don't want to force-feed that. Austin Price: Next week, you dip in the conference play for the first time this year going to Ole Miss. How much do you enjoy conference games versus non-conference games? Because I mean, sometimes you played a non-conference team a couple of times during your career, but you've played all those kids at Ole Miss and Auburn and Kentucky multiple, multiple times. Do you enjoy the whole like, "Eh, I get to play this guy again?" Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. There's a lot of guys and a lot of teams that we've now played multiple times and I do actually enjoy that. I always think back to last year, but for me a little bit extra motivation on some of those teams I didn't get to play last year because I get it's super dope to get to play against guys that I know. But it was a couple games that I wished I played in last year that now I'm going to get to play in. Austin Price: Any game that you have targeted specifically, not because there's bad blood or anything but just a game that where you can, "I'm going to raise my level here. I know going against this guy is going to be a challenge and I want that." Olivier Nkamhoua: I'll say Ole Miss, but it's funny because it's only Ole Miss because a guy on their team dunked on me pretty bad my sophomore year, and last year we played and I didn't have no dunks. Luckily, Ole Miss is our next game and we going there so I want to have a dunk hopefully on somebody, but I want to have a dunk because, yeah. I remember that very vividly and it was over there too, actually. Austin Price: The Arizona game was y'all's first true road game of the year. Everything else has been neutral side or at home. How much did you learn about your team even in a loss against Arizona? Olivier Nkamhoua: A lot. Especially we were in film today, just a lot. Even personally looking at it and talking to all the guys on the team, just first, we're fighters. I feel like we all competed and we tried to do the right things. It's just we made mistakes that we can't make, especially in an away game. That's all that we can focus on. We can just focus on making ourselves better, fixing our mistakes and coming back and bouncing back, but we learned a lot. We realized we can do it. We went in there and the pressure didn't break us, we broke down ourselves, but the pressure didn't break us. It's not like we were letting the crowd get to us and fumbling the ball. We were making plays, we were taking shots. We had some breakdowns, but those were on us. It was not like we were startled. We just didn't execute what we needed to execute. Credit to those guys, they played really hard and they did execute when they needed to execute when we didn't. Austin Price: Take yourself out and then take Josiah out because you just don't know what's going to be up with the knee the rest of the way, who is the key for this team? Who will determine what you all do? One player. Olivier Nkamhoua: I think it's interesting because it's one guy, but there's a couple guys that can take that spot, and it's really between Uros now starting to be Tobe and Jonas. Because if one of those guys steps up, and it can be any three of them, all three of them. Austin Price: So you're saying the five spot's the key. Olivier Nkamhoua: I think a big part in that, and then if I had to, because I feel like it's for both ends of the court. Then if I had to say if Z keeps doing what he's doing and keeps going the way he's going, it's going to be big for us. Austin Price: How different has he been since Colorado? Olivier Nkamhoua: He's just been getting better every day with his passes, with knowing how to get to the spots that coach wants him to get to that ultimately are the spots he needs to get to as a point guard in our offense. It's been making the game easier for us, for everybody. If he keeps getting better, that'll be very, very big. Austin Price: Most underrated part of your game is what? Olivier Nkamhoua: My passing. Austin Price: Favorite pass? Backdoor cut? What we talking? Olivier Nkamhoua: I came alive for the recent memory that was at Shoot-around or practice when we were at Arizona. We had drawings drill that was during a play that was actually for Tobellas because we were doing scout team. He's supposed to drive left and then just see what he can create with one guy in the corner, either coming off a handoff, back cutting, or just giving him space to drive. We did the play and I drove left, I took another dribble, he came up, back cut, and I passed it with my left hand. And I liked that pass because it was my left and it was to back cut and he made the layup. Austin Price: I hear you like chess? Olivier Nkamhoua: Yes, I do. Austin Price: Talk to me about where that love comes from. I mean, everybody was like "chess over checkers," but I mean, where did that come from? Olivier Nkamhoua: My grandpa. Thinking back, it definitely came from my grandpa and then going to our grandparents' house, he just had a chessboard and I'll play him, we'll play each other, and I'll play with my brother. He wouldn't really want to play that much. Then later, I played with my stepdad a lot. He liked to play, he was really good and my grandpa was really good too. I couldn't really beat him. I think I beat my stepdad once when I just went back and that was the first time I had ever beat him. I played with them, and then once I left, I didn't have anybody to play with for a long time because you could always play phone chess, but I don't really like it because you can cut your phone off and then just do something else and then come back to the chess. For me, I can't do that. My attention will be, it'll half there, but if I'm in person sitting like this, I love to play chess. I was living with VJ last year, my roommate who I asked, "Have you ever played chess?" He was like, "No." I'm like, "Would you be down to learn or want to play?" He was like, "Sure." We got a chessboard and we started playing, and I was beating him to begin with but obviously because I had been playing. But he started getting better, so we started playing more. It was one day we were actually at the mall in Nashville because we had made a trip to Nashville just to, I think it was around Easter, but we were at the mall and we saw those chess pieces on a chessboard that was big. We just stopped and played a game, and then a bunch of people were walking by. Some of them were asking to get pictures and some of them were just asking, "What are you guys doing?" We're playing chess. We weren't doing anything out of really thinking about it too much, but we was actually playing a chess game at the mall for no real reason. Austin Price: Does the strategy transfer to basketball, and does it help your anticipation? Olivier Nkamhoua: Chess? Austin Price: Yeah. Olivier Nkamhoua: No, I don't think so. I don't think so. Austin Price: Too deep on that one, huh? Olivier Nkamhoua: No, I feel like it's just I don't play chess with a clock or anything, so I just be taking my time. For me, it doesn't. For some people, some people, because they probably think fast, they read about it, but I don't and don't want them to play basketball. It's like everything is... Austin Price: Growing up in Finland, what's one thing most people don't know about you as far as was there a particular TV show you watched growing up? Was there a particular tradition you had every year with any particular thing? Olivier Nkamhoua: Off the top of my head, I think I love saunas. People probably wouldn't assume that I love saunas. People probably don't even, I don't know. It's not a lot of places I've been here where there are saunas, hotels, otherwise. There was a sauna in Arizona, we just didn't have a chance to use it. But not a lot of places. I love saunas. Austin Price: Why is that? Olivier Nkamhoua: I just have great memories of being at the lake at my summer cottage back home, and we would go into sauna and then run into the river. Then if we would be at my grandparents' house, we would run the sauna and then run into the snow and then run back into the sauna. Austin Price: Steam. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. Steam saunas at all the swim places, but not at my grandparents. Just old school put some wood under the rocks. Austin Price: How many players on this team would use the word cottage? Olivier Nkamhoua: I don't know. Not many. Austin Price: It's just a word you don't hear used a lot. It's more of an old school term or a European term. Most people would say cabin here. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah, but I feel like cabins are in the woods. Ours is kind of in the woods, but it's by the lake. I don't know why, if that makes any difference. Austin Price: Sure. Olivier Nkamhoua: I don't know if that makes any difference. I just feel like, I don't know why, but when I imagine cabin, I think like a cabin in the woods. Austin Price: Favorite country in Europe, not named Finland? Olivier Nkamhoua: Probably, Greece, and I don't think I've never been either. Austin Price: Well, how can it be your favorite if you've never been? Olivier Nkamhoua: Because I want to go so bad. Austin Price: Where all have you been? Olivier Nkamhoua: England, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania. Austin Price: Norway? Olivier Nkamhoua: I don't know if I've been to Norway. I don't know if I've been to Norway. Belgium. Croatia is nice. Croatia might be my favorite. Croatia might be my favorite now that I'm looking back. Yeah, I don't remember if I've been to too many. Maybe I've stopped by on flights, but that doesn't really count. Austin Price: Best place you've been in the United States? Olivier Nkamhoua: Does The Bahamas count? Austin Price: No, we're not going to let that count. Olivier Nkamhoua: For what? For living or? Austin Price: Just for anything. It can be just basketball. It can be living, can be basketball. Olivier Nkamhoua: Vegas. Especially, if I had a lot more money. That would be bad. Austin Price: Everybody enjoys Vegas. Which NBA player do you try to model your game after? Olivier Nkamhoua: Oh, that's a tough question. I'm still trying to figure that out. I used to love watching Giannis play, but it's hard to model yourself after Giannis. It was a time I loved watching Paul George play, but that's also very tough. Those guys do some things that you need a lot of time and practice to be able to do especially well. Giannis is just strong and too big too. I'm not that big. I'm big, but the difference is real. Austin Price: Do you watch a lot of old school NBA? I love asking the basketball players this because I want to see do you ever just turn on old clips and watch Larry Bird, Magic Johnson? Olivier Nkamhoua: I was about to ask you what counts as old school? Austin Price: Clyde Drexler. Well, I mean for you guys old school would be Larry Bird. Olivier Nkamhoua: Does Kobe count? Kobe's not old school, right? Austin Price: I mean, no. Olivier Nkamhoua: Okay. What about Shaq? Is Shaq? Does Shaq count as old school, or Jordan? Austin Price: Jordan, yes. Shaq, I mean... Olivier Nkamhoua: Shaq's not really. Austin Price: Kinda in that fringe. Olivier Nkamhoua: It has to be from basically before you were born. Austin Price: Let's go '70s, '80s, '90s. Which I mean, Shaq played in the nineties, so did Kobe, but I mean, they were super young. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. A little bit, but not that much. I watched Scotty Pippen. I think Vince played back then a little bit, but really I watched Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen. I've watched some Byrd highlights, but I can't say that I've watched many. I've watched some Ben Wallace highlights, but I feel like that's not from way back then. That's not. Oh, Hakeem, I watched a lot. Austin Price: Hakeem. There you go. Olivier Nkamhoua: But that's really it. There's not that many players that I personally. But games, I've seen, I've seen some games from, no, I think that's even, it's just some Laker games I can think of and some Laker-Boston games. Not a lot. Austin Price: Best basketball nickname? Olivier Nkamhoua: I like The Answer. I think that's dope. I think that's really dope. Austin Price: Yep. I don't disagree with that. I like that. Also, like, as you just referenced him, Hakeem Olajuwon, The Dream. Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. Austin Price: All right, we're going to do rapid fire. You ready? Olivier Nkamhoua: Yeah. Austin Price: One word answers. What team do you most want to beat this season? Olivier Nkamhoua: Alabama was the first one that came my mind. Austin Price: Who made your Spotify Wrapped this year? Olivier Nkamhoua: Troy Lanes. Austin Price: What do you miss most about Finland? Olivier Nkamhoua: Rice porridge right now. Austin Price: Which word in Finnish do you say most in the game? Olivier Nkamhoua: Ah. Austin Price: We don't want them doing the dictionary. Biggest culture shock coming here is what? Olivier Nkamhoua: Free refills. Austin Price: You like that, huh? Olivier Nkamhoua: I did. It was dangerous. Austin Price: Favorite UT tradition. Olivier Nkamhoua: I like the fact that the football runs to the T. I think that's probably dope. I think that's the dopest thing they do here. Austin Price: If you could play anywhere when you graduate, where would you play? NBA? Korsilinga? Olivier Nkamhoua: That's messed up. NBA. Austin Price: Saturday night in the off season, what are you doing? Olivier Nkamhoua: Just chilling with my friends. Maybe we go out. Maybe we stay in. Depends on a group decision. Austin Price: One thing you always keep in your fridge? Your must-have snack or beverage. Olivier Nkamhoua: Orange juice, Austin Price: Pulp or no pulp? Olivier Nkamhoua: Light Pulp. Austin Price: Light pulp. My father-in-law is a heavy pulp guy. I'm like, I don't even know. Choking it down. Olivier Nkamhoua: Most of the time, probably no pulp, but sometimes I need light pulp. Austin Price: When your time is done at Tennessee, when your time is done with basketball, no matter how long you play, what do you want to do after basketball's over? Olivier Nkamhoua: Honestly, I've been thinking about trying to either get into coaching or then trying to do something on the media side of things. Just with, hopefully if I have a good image, I'll use that to either podcast like this or any kind of... I'm studying to be in public relations right now, so I was just hoping that I could join the media world, either in front of or behind the camera. But yeah, one of those. Public relations or in coaching. Austin Price: Sports information department. You going to take Tom's job? Olivier Nkamhoua: I don't know about that. I heard about how he- Austin Price: Big shoes to fill. Olivier Nkamhoua: It's a lot. It's not my style. Austin Price: Better shoe game. You or Tom? Olivier Nkamhoua: I think I might, but I haven't really paid attention to Tom's shoes, and now you making me want to. Austin Price: Tom's got a strong shoe game. He's also a big Peter Malar guy. Olivier Nkamhoua: Now I feel like I'd have to get back to you on that, after I find out, I start paying attention now. That's interesting. Austin Price: Well, let's hope he brings it this week. Olivier Nkamhoua: I know, right? Austin Price: Yeah. Olivier Nkamhoua: SEC, I bet he will bring it. Especially, if he really has shoe game. We're going to find out. Austin Price: Well man, we appreciate the time and I think this has been a good get-to-know-you. I think a lot of, I joked to you I'd never heard your voice until I started preparing for this and started watching interviews. Getting to know you and understand where you come from and all that's involved, I think this gives Tennessee fans a great chance to peel back the onion a little bit and find out a little bit about you. Olivier Nkamhoua: Appreciate that. It's been great to be here. Austin Price: All right, that's the latest Vol Club Confidential episode eight. This guy, ready for a big SEC season, which starts next week against Ole Miss. Merry Christmas everybody.