We're playing catch up with our weekend coverage from the Hoop Group Southern Invitational.  We'll start it off with a dual interview with Josh Hairston and Tyler Thornton who are teammates for the D.C. Assault AAU team.  Of course, both of these kids from the class of 2010 have already signed with the Blue Devils.  The following interview took place after DCA's first two victories.  They eventually lost to Boo Williams in the semi-final round.  We well also have two separate interviews with the duo this week.  Stay tuned in to BDN Premium for a packed week of the latest from the AAU trail.

The first two games are down as easy wins.  Where do you guys go from here?

Tyler - That last game was one we needed.  We've been having a rough spring trying to come back and get it together after our high school season.  We've come in here with a purpose and are trying to win this thing and show people why we are the best team in the country.

Josh, do you feel like it was important for you guys to have been able to save your legs in the two wins?

Josh -Yes sir it was.  Of course you want everybody to play and to get a whole lot of minutes.  We knew we had put them out in the first half and just wanted to keep it going.  We were able to then  finish it out with a lot of our guys contributing.

Tyler, have you taken a look at the tournament field?  Do you guys take a look and say like, well this Chris Paul team is going to be tough?

Tyler - We try to see who we possibly will match up with, but we take every game one at a time.  You can't look past the competition or play to the level of the competition, we've got to always focus in for the next game and hopefully we'll be able to play some of those great teams from the area.

Josh, have you guys ever played Boo Williams?

[private] I played with them when I was fifteen and under, but I haven't played against them since.

Tyler, what do you think of a possible match up with them?

I think it would be a great game and hopefully we'll get a chance to match up with them.

Would you guys bump (jokingly) your future teammate around (Andre Dawkins)?

Tyler - Hmmm, of course (smiling)

You would put him in the middle of you?

Tyler - Yeah ....

Are you guys keeping up with Duke recruiting?

Tyler -Yes sir,  we know they've got some targets.

Where will you guys go from here?

Tyler - We'll go down to Bob Gibbons and after that I will work out with Nolan Smith a little bit.

Where does Curtis Malone come in to play here?

Tyler - Curtis is the big man, he's up at the top of D.C. Assault.  He's the boss.  He makes sure we get to the tournaments like this, that our gear is right and takes care of everything.

I saw Curtis at the recent awards banquet and he seemed to be having a good time hanging out, talking with Nate Dogg and such.  Y'all do know who Nate Dogg is, right?

Yeah, yeah.  (smiling)

They call him Dogg ...

Yeah, I know (smiling).

Have you ever seen his dog?

Tyler (Still laughing) Naw, not yet. (Josh laughing int he background)

Wait until you see it.  It's a Mastiff ... I don't think I want to see it.  He obviously doesn't want any friends.  Maybe it's that nice looking new wife he has. (joking)

Tyler - Yeah, I think that might be it.

When is the last time you guys talked with anybody from Duke?

Tyler - Actually, it was last week.  He called me from California where he was doing promotions for his book.

Josh - I talked to Coach Wojo last week and had a good conversation.  I hadn't talked to any of them for a while so we just caught up on some things.

What do you guys have to say to the Blue Devil Nation?

Tyler - Me personally, I'm looking forward to going down there and trying to get a national championship. That's out main purpose and our main goal is to work hard and with the team and get a national championship.

Josh - Same for me.  I can't wait to get down there and we are going to try to do everything we can to win the national championship. [/private]