>> The creativity, the content and background, tell me mother about why that's something that you have gotten into?

>> So I started vlogging more consistently last year, right.

I red shirted, I had so much time in my hands.

I'm like, "You know what?

I'm just going to start vlogging, capturing this year, and it turned into something that I was not, like, expecting, where people were, like, saying that they appreciate the vlogs because they get to see my teammates, and my teammates were watching it like, I just try to show authenticity through my content of like, my journey, and that's, like, the main focus of what I wanted to do, and it's kind of turned into people tuning in and being fans and supporting wherever I'm at and just my journey and I think it's awesome, because that's kind of the goal I wanted to have with it, but it's turned into something pretty cool.

> Yeah, you've got this really great basketball pedigree, high level player in high school, play that great schools, USC and UCLA.

Coach Jack has talked about why she wanted you with your pedigree and the experience that you've had.

Why did you want Coach Jack and why did you want Syracuse?

>> I love Coach Jack.

She's awesome.

Funny story.

Her and my father have known each other for decades, and I say that not to age her, but her my father, but my dad played at Syracuse, and I'm obviously Coach Jack played at Syracuse, so there's a lot of ties there.

You know, Coach Jack and my dad, and they talked before when I was in high school, like, Yo, she's like, I love your daughter, da dah.

And she's like, "If she ever decides to, you know, like, look at other schools, like, you know, let her know, and so when I got into Portal this time around, then I was like, you know, like, let me look at more at the East Coast schools, because I went to go back home and play in front of my family.

That was really important to me.

And Coach Jack, the first phone call I had, I just loved it, you know.

She's very passionate.

I say this all the time.

She'll run through a wall for you.

but I want to do the same for her, and she's just that coach that uplifts you and makes you believe in yourself and your dreams and to encourage you, but also challenge you in the same sentence and you can't find a lot of coaches that know how to balance that will.

>> You mentioned your dad and his incredible career here as a football player, how full circle does it feel for you and for him that you ended up back representing the S and wearing the orange?

>> Yeah, I have a joke with him.

I'm like, I tell him I like, you know, they're going to forget that you wear that number here, you know?

And I was like, you know, I'm going to take on that number, and they're going to see you as, " ohh, that's her father."

said, " oh, that's Donovan's daughter, you know?

So I have that joke ahead, he But me and my dad have a really good relationship, and he's just so proud of me.

I think, you know, knowing the journey I've had, I've been to this point of not playing, being that, and being able to be here is somewhere that he calls home and being one of the captains, and being one of the leaders, and one of the people that, you know, the coaches and my teammates look at to help us win these big games.

He's just a super proud father, and he always tells me how proud proud of me he is.

That's awesome.

>> I love that joke.

>> And he's okay with that too.

He's cool with that.

>> I'm sure it is what he wants for you too.

>> And I think that in the early going here, you're kind of making that be the case.

So has it been difficult at all for you to kind of get back into that role after a few years of being a little bit more behind that?

>> Definitely.

I think the pressure that I was putting on myself before we even had a game, you know, I made I meet with a mental coach, and we have a lot of talks about my anticipation for, what might happen, and it didn't happen, or it may not never happen.

I think for me, I was like, I want I don't want to let my team down.

I don't want let my team sound, and my coach is down, and that was putting so much pressure on myself, and I wasn't kind of playing or performing with freedom that I should have.

And I think knowing that just has me now be able to just be, like, in the present moment.

And I think allowing myself to just be grateful for the opportunity that I'm in now, because that's what hasn't been, you know, consistent for me the past few years, so now that it Is now, just be grateful and enjoy every moment.

and we're like, let's just be loose liked noels and just enjoy every moment.

>> Being in the moment, is there anything that surprised you or that you've learned about this group now that the games have actually started to take place?

>> I mean, definitely, like, we could be really dynamic.

We have a lot of really talented players.

I think the main thing is just, like, being locked down defenders, being a team that, you know, other teams don't want to play, you know, I think offensive will come with time.

I believe that, but I think defense should be really, I want, and I know our coaches and teammates want it to be your vocal point, because, you know, there's a lot of teams that make Maybe they don't score 100 points, but they limit the other teams to 40 or 50th, and that's what matters.

And having that be your focus, I Think that will take us along and I'm excited to see how we develop over time.

>> What does the ideal chapter in Syracuse look like for Dominique Darius?

>> I would say, like, you know, accolades are just, like, you know, winning ACC championship and everything like that, making it too deep into the tournament.

But honestly, like, I just want to have fun, you know, I want to, you know, be there for my teammates, I want to have fun with basketball again, and just be present, 'cause I can't predict the future, so I think, obviously the accolades just the titles is what is the main focus and, like, what everybody says, but how I internally feel I just want to enjoy basketball and take every game for what it comes.