He was joking. Boatright's confidence has never been higher. He always has had a bit of the Napoleon complex, but this is a more mature swagger.
"My confidence is a lot higher, just because K.O. installed that confidence in me," Boatright said. "He let me rock. I feel a lot more comfortable. I feel like I've got a lot more freedom and I can play my game. Plus me and Shabazz [Napier] are clicking real good. We're getting along so well. It all came together this year.
"I've got a rhythm. I've got a flow to the game. Last year, I was pulled in and out too much [he meant twice by the NCAA, not by Jim Calhoun's hook], and then just trying to work in the team chemistry, especially with having Andre Drummond and Jeremy Lamb and older people above me. But right now, man, this team we've got good chemistry. Everybody understands their role."
Before the game, he talked about DePaul and its press and he was saying that if the Huskies execute like they can it will be "lay-up city." He doesn't lack for self-assurance. So when asked if he feels like anybody can stop him when he has the ball and attacking, he didn't back off.
"Nah," Boatright said. "That's where I'm at. I felt like that my whole life. Considering how small I am, you've got to have a lot of heart and that kind of attitude or it can go south for you. I don't feel like anybody can stop me and I'm going to keep that attitude."
You get the feeling the guy is having the time of his life. Just the other day, there he was at the Notre Dame-UConn women's game jumping around, dancing, cheering. Some of his teammates were much more restrained. Not the Boat Show.
"I talk to the girls all the time," Boatright said. "We run into each other in Gampel all the time," Boatright said. "I'm good friends with a few of them. I see them in the crowd supporting us. Any time I get a chance to support them, I go. I want to experience the college atmosphere. So I don't just sit down and watch the game. I'm in the student section."
Yeah, he's full of life. Just the other day, he got into a little tussle with Daniels in practice.
"Yeah, a little tussle, but that's my brother," Boatright said. "We've been roommates since we got here the same day summertime our freshman year. We're together 24-7. But brothers fight. It was practice. We were heated and tired. It was intense, a little box-out drill. Just a little wrestling match."
And then in the shoot-around, Boatright bumped into Daniels' shoulder with his knee.
"We've been running into a lot lately, we ran into each like four times in the game, too" Boatright said, laughing.
But he stopped laughing when the subject of Notre Dame and the rest of the schedule came up.
"We know there's a deadline on our season and we've got to try to pile up these wins and compete for the Big East regular season championship," he said. "That's all we can go for."
And so he's going after it. Hard. And fast. And high.
