In this November 2021 press conference, Arizona Wildcats forward Dalen Terry discusses several facets of his life on and off the court. He announces a pop‑up shop for his personal clothing brand at Sid’s Vintage, explaining how his family and teammates will help promote the line while he focuses on game preparation. Terry describes how he balances entrepreneurship with the demands of the season, noting that the brand is a passion rather than a distraction. He provides scouting insights on upcoming opponent Northern Arizona University (NAU), naming familiar players and outlining a game plan centered on fast pace and open‑shot opportunities. The conversation shifts to teammate Calo’s return from injury, highlighting the added depth, speed, and versatility his presence brings. Terry praises the overall practice performance of the roster, calling out Christian Coloco, Umar, Ben, Kerr, and Justin for their sharpness. He explains the offensive philosophy—prioritizing the “open obvious shot” and increased ball‑handling responsibilities for himself—while also detailing the defensive emphasis on active gaps and forcing turnovers as instructed by coach Tommy. He offers high praise for assistant coach Rob, describing him as an experienced yet youthful mentor. The discussion expands to the broader Arizona athletic community: Terry talks about supporting volleyball and football teams, the mutual encouragement among sports, and acknowledges women’s basketball standout Madison “Maddie” Conner. Throughout, Terry’s tone remains upbeat, collaborative, and community‑focused, reflecting confidence in the team’s readiness for the season.
Chapters
Questions for Dalen?
How's the brand going along?
It's doing good right now. Matter of fact, Friday I'm going to have a pop-up shop at Sid's Vintage during the game or all day before the game, 12 to 6. Obviously, I won't be there because I'll be getting ready for the game, but people from my team, my family, they're going to be there promoting the clothes and helping— hoping to get a lot of people from Tucson out there. What's the name of the place? Sid's Vintage. It's right here by the Chiba Hut. Sid's Vintage.
So how do you deal with that, like, now that you're getting into the season?
Yeah.
Yeah, you've had— since the beginning, you've had stuff going on. Like, how do you— how much time do you have to worry about it, or do you, like— or is it mostly, like you said, other people?
It's mostly, like, obviously, like, the stuff that gets put out, it's definitely me. But I've always loved clothes. Like, even during the season, I'm still buying my own clothes and stuff, so. It's not really a distraction. It's just like my family know what I'm doing. All my management and stuff, they know what it is. So we was just thinking it was a good thing for having my family come out here and promote the clothes on the street so people can actually wear it at the games.
Is that something that maybe you'll— they'll try to do, your team will try to do around home game days?
Yeah, for sure. I'm going to— I'm trying to work on like my mom doing it like every like 2 weeks. Like not just my mom, but obviously she's the one that's going to be sitting at the table. But I just want to get— like, I know a lot of people in Phoenix are wearing my stuff, but obviously I'm not in Phoenix a lot since season has started. So I just want to— I want all Tucson to be wearing it.
So what's your thoughts? You guys ready for this to get going or overdue or how do you feel? Are you anxious?
Yeah, we all couldn't wait for the season to start. So after Red and Blue, we all wanted the season to start the next day.
Yeah.
Can you talk about NAU, what you've seen on film, what they do?
They, they can all shoot the ball. I remember playing them last year. It's a pretty different team than they were last year, but obviously we have a game plan. I think we're going to stick to the game plan and we're going to try to get the dub.
They got some guys from the Phoenix area you've known, you know, or have played a lot against.
I know, I know Azeong. Yeah, that's about it, it looked like. Oh, wait. Mason Stark, I know him too. Carson Taub. Yeah, there's a couple guys on here I know. And then the other guys, some of them aren't even from Arizona, but I know them too. Nick Mains, Jordan's brother.
Right.
Calo's been working back from injury. Just what have you seen from him in practice and the element he could provide to the team?
Nah, he's been— he's been doing real good. I've been, you know, me and him work out pretty close to— close to times. Like, usually if I work out, he's working out right before me or after me. He's looking real good to me. He's been practicing pretty, pretty hard lately. And I remember playing against him at Utah, and he's better than he was last year.
How much of a boost will it be for the team to have him back out there on the court?
It just makes us deeper, faster, stronger. Another, another guy with vision, another guy that's versatile. So, it just makes us a lot better.
Who else has looked good in practice leading up to this game tomorrow?
Honestly, everybody's been looking real sharp. Everybody's been— got their game face on this week. Christian Coloco, he's been looking real good. Umar, Ben, Kerr, Justin has been shooting the ball like y'all seen. Pretty much everybody, I'm not going to lie.
What do you make of that? It seems like you have a lot of guys at the 2 and 3 and even the 1, guys who can play some 1 like yourself. What's that mix been like as far as Especially mixing Kella into this now, what do you make of who you have and what you guys— how that—
I feel like it just makes us better because a team's never going to know who's going to get off, whoever— who's going to be facilitating good. Like, everybody can bring different things to the table at different nights, so it's real hard to scout us in my opinion.
How has Coach defined to you guys what makes a good shot in this offense?
Literally just The open obvious shot is the best shot. And in our offense, we're going to get at least one of those if we run— if we run our plays the right way.
Did it seem like you had 79 possessions in that practice game?
We had 70. Did it seem like a faster pace than last year? I didn't even know that, for real. It did not seem like that, but it doesn't— it surprises me, but it doesn't at the same time because we play so fast.
What's something offensively that you guys want to try to work on tomorrow against NAU?
Just running our stuff, not letting them— they play defense a little differently than most teams would. So just not letting them dictate what we do. We dictate what we do. So if we do that the whole game, I think we should end up on top.
What are some of the bigger changes you've adjusted to as this fall's gone on in the system? You know, and is it because— are you maybe handling the ball a little bit more, or is it just a matter of some of the decision-making or moving What's kind of jumped out at you, differences compared to last year in particular?
Handling the ball a little bit more, being in positions to facilitate. I mean, literally every—
everything.
I've upped my role, I feel like, since last year. So I just feel like everything, everything has been— is a difference this year.
You've been asked a lot about the offense and the speed and the movement. Defensively, what's going to be the emphasis for this team? Tommy told you guys about what the style of defense he wants you to play?
Be active. Be active in the gaps. Just play solid and just make them, make them feel uncomfortable as much as possible so they turn the ball over.
Tommy said he's not nervous or anything entering the first game. Does that— do you guys sense that? Or what's he like, especially now that the season's getting closer? Is he just the same guy every day or?
Yeah, he's pretty consistent on who he is every day. He doesn't act nervous, and we're not acting nervous either. It's just basketball. We've been playing basketball all our lives.
How do you guys feel? I mean, well, you said you obviously want to get going, but I didn't know, do you think most of the guys are like that, or is it more of a— not laid-back guy, but maybe more of a— I don't know, is it— how would you describe it, I guess, just kind of the emotions that are going on?
I mean, last week we were all watching all the other college exhibition games on TV right after practice, so If that tells you anything, like everybody's just watching basketball, like waiting for us to play. We talk about other games across the country that's happening the same night as us. So stuff like that.
Coach Robinson is obviously maybe a little bit older assistant coach than we've had around here in a while. Have you gotten a sense of just his knowledge and the different places he's been and, you know, the players he's coached and the emphasis he can really Bring put on to you guys?
Yeah, definitely. I love Coach Rob. Coach Rob, he definitely is older, but he's still got a young soul. So, he joke with us. He laugh around with us, but he definitely tells us the right things. He stays honest. He's real consistent on how he is every day in practice. And he doesn't even have to tell us like who he's coached. Like we know, like, so we respect everything he says and we know what he says is in all good means.
Did you get a chance to watch any of the football games this weekend, or do you have any friends on the football team?
Yeah, I got, I got some friends on the football team. I got a couple guys from Phoenix. I know, I know I made friends here too. So, the guy on the team that's really my friend, Rashee Hodge, he's from— he went to Mountain Point High School. That's around the same area where I'm from. But yeah, I talked to him before the game and after the game. Talked to all the guys after the game for sure. And, yeah, it was good to see them get a dub for sure.
Dalen, you seem to be at a lot of events. I've seen you at volleyball and some of the other events. Is that just kind of the person you are? You just like to maybe just go out and support some of the other teams?
Yeah, definitely. I feel like at Arizona, like everybody, all the athletes, we all know each other. So why not support? Because we want the support from them too. We want the girls to come to our games. We want all the, like, all the girls' teams, all the boys' teams to come to our games and just support us just like we support them. And it's fun, you know, like, Seeing seeing like the volleyball team, we see them walking around all this time putting in work when we trying to get on the court. They on the court, and now we get to see them play and beat a team or football. Just how their season has went, and they finally get a dub. Like that's just cool for us, and we just a big happy family.
Most impressive player on women's basketball team yet?
Uh hmm. Let me think. I think— that's a tough one. They all cold, I ain't going to lie. I would say probably Maddie, Madison Conner, because I know her from before. And, like, I know all of them, but I knew Maddie from high school. So seeing her, like, grow up is crazy. Like, seeing her come here early last year, and then now she's playing and Doing good, so it's like wow.
