bleedingTNorange
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- Jan 9, 2012
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sorry im a day late, i had a busy day yesterday...
On if it's tough being the road team during Senior Night ceremonies
"I'll say this as humbly as I can say it: Not when I was a player. I enjoyed the road atmosphere. That's what you look forward to because of the excitement. You go in there and do what you have to do; you don't have to worry about pleasing and playing a certain way. You're just trying to get a win. It can be as ugly as it can be, but you're just trying to get a W and get out of there.
"I don't think that will be the case for our guys. We have to go out there and play the way we're capable of playing and not get caught up in the atmosphere."
On where Maymon's level of play stacks up in the SEC
"There are so many talented players but the One is (Kentucky's) Anthony Davis. That's understood, and then you have other guys who definitely will be professional players. But when you're talking about SEC players and the way they compete and bring their hard hat every day, I'd put him (Maymon) up against anybody. He brings it every day and he never takes days off. He's early. You go in there at practice and at 2:30 he's getting shots up, he's getting them in the morning. But the thing about him is the way he plays, how hard he plays, to not take days off and to do pretty much everything on the floor for you. He's invaluable for our program. We can't go far without him."
On the tough early schedule paying off at this time of year
"More than anything it's a credit our guys. Not giving up when you have tough games and tough losses, to stay the course and continue to get better. The most humbling loss was losing at home to Austin Peay - give those guys credit for winning the game and coming and competing. But as a coach, that was the point where our guys said, `OK, now let's start to listen. Let's really completely buy in to Coach.' Because that was a humbling experience for our guys. But the things we talked about from Day 1 as a staff to make them understand - you approach every game with a hard hat. It doesn't matter the opponent.
On calling the Austin Peay loss a turning point in this season
"That was one where, `OK, I think the guys are ready to listen and truly understand.' But it was also a case of, on a neutral court, I don't know if we would have won that game. We weren't a very good team. What happens is you go off a reputation of a guy in high school because a scouting service said this - was he really that good? It's one of those deals where we had to get better as a team. We weren't a very good team. On a neutral court, I don't know if we would have won that game."
On when the team became better than not `a very good team'
"Florida is when we started to turn around, because then they understood, `OK, we can play. We're a pretty good team.' And that's not to say we lacked talent, but talent can only go so far. They started to understand, `OK, we can be pretty good. We've got to continue to work, though.' There's a work buy-in on a consistent basis and they guys understood that."
On where the team can still get better
"Oh, man. Individually, you turn the ball over so that means being able to handle the ball. One-on-one, handling the ball, handling it with pressure and still being able to make decision. We work on those things from Day 1 of practice, so handling pressure and able to make decisions with pressure and not turn the ball over. Each player can get his skill-level better, every player can get better defensively. You've got guys who need to improve 3-point shooting, guys need to improve off-the-dribble moves.
On if the season is in the balance
We keep rolling. We're fighting for our life. I mean, it's just--you have to get better every day. There's plenty of work to do and our guys are hungry right now. We're fighting. We don't have any luxury or margin for error. We have to be successful to think we've done something special. We have every right just like anybody else to win ballgames. We have to continue to get better and we're getting better. We've got a tough road game and we're going to do everything in our power to try and get it.
On improving on the road
I think one I think is to make shots. We've just gotten better. You have to accept the atmosphere and environment and embrace it. We've defended better as a team. For us to be successful, we need Trae Golden to be solid in his department, especially offensively--making stuff happen. When he's getting to the rim, everything flows. Not to put a lot of pressure on Trae Golden, but if he's able to penetrate and make stuff happen, everything opens up offensively.
On whether the team has talked about doing big things at the end of the season
Without a doubt. I actually said in the South Carolina game, you have a chance to do something special. To go 8-8 worst-case scenario, it's not often that in league play you can go .500. Now you have a chance to at least go .500 in league play, so now let's have some fun and do some things. I think our guys are excited about these last two games; it should be fun.
On the resiliency of the team
I think the four losses obviously--one was Mississippi State, tough loss there. Tough loss here against Kentucky. Georgia was a tough one. We just really turned the ball over. I can't think of the other team. I thought we were in position to win those games and just came up short. That's the maturation of a team to go through those situations and understand what it takes to win ballgames. It's not an easy thing to win games on the road; it's really tough. I go back to Missouri State: we didn't win a road game my first year there. Personnel we weren't at the level we are here. The second year we won one road game; third year we broke records. It's more of a mental approach. You're teaching your guys how to compete on the road. Even when you lose, guys understand it's a way of life. It's how we approach the game. I think it's a credit to our guys. I've been in lockerrooms where you lose games and as a coach you try to keep your guys positive and help them understand we're making progress. With young guys, they want that W. We're not making progress since we lost. I saw it in certain games. It was ten minutes here, 15 there, maybe a half. All of the sudden, it started following suit.
On Jeronne Maymon's stability
Without a doubt. I think the really good teams have multiple guys like that on the floor at all times, guys you just book in so to speak that you know what you're getting from them every night. He brings it every night. He works hard. Sometimes he goes against guys who are closer to small forwards and he guards them well. He switches ball screens. He defends. He rebounds. He boxes out. He handles the ball. He's only getting better because he put the time into it. Now he's putting time into his shot. The thing about his shot--and he has a good shot--it's his confidence more than anything, just to feel comfortable shooting the ball. When you have multiple guys like him on the floor you have a chance to have higher level success.
On Maymon's scoring consistency recently
I think that was more of a case of him believing in his skill and also as a coach I have to put him in position to score and make sure he gets the ball in certain situations. For him, it was around the basket. He's a guys that I know now can face up to the basket and make plays off the dribble. You can have him on the perimeter even though he isn't shooting because he can make plays off the dribble.
On senior day
I think when you've been in relationships, for me it doesn't matter how much time it's been, they're a part of your family. For Renaldo and Cam, those are two quality young men and two good guys who put the time in. They've been solid. It's not always easy, but once again these guys are part of our family. They might be going away certain places, but they're part of the family and they're always welcome. In most cases, you get most of your feedback when they're gone. They won't tell you a lot when they're here, but they give you everything when they're gone. They're two guys I enjoyed being around.
On what he gave up for Lent
My wife actually did something and I said I would try to give up sweets, but that's a fight I can't win. I tried to give up sweets and so far so good, but we'll see. That's a fight right there.
On the bowtie
The Black Coaches Association came up with the idea. It's really for prostate cancer awareness. They called me about it and I said I'd love to be a part of it. I get involved in so many ways with cancer and I want to make people aware. I'm just doing my part. I'm not a bowtie guy. It clipped on.
On getting a bye in the SEC Tournament
It doesn't matter to me either way. We just want W's. If we can win games, we keep moving forward. It doesn't matter to me. I've been in a situation where we needed to get wins. We finished maybe 4th or 5th. We felt like if we played more games, we could get into the NCAA Tournament.
On making the NCAA Tournament
I'm not on the committee so if we win two games and finish 10-6, I don't know if we're in the tournament. We have to win games. We need to continue to play games and have success.
GBO!!!:hi:
On if it's tough being the road team during Senior Night ceremonies
"I'll say this as humbly as I can say it: Not when I was a player. I enjoyed the road atmosphere. That's what you look forward to because of the excitement. You go in there and do what you have to do; you don't have to worry about pleasing and playing a certain way. You're just trying to get a win. It can be as ugly as it can be, but you're just trying to get a W and get out of there.
"I don't think that will be the case for our guys. We have to go out there and play the way we're capable of playing and not get caught up in the atmosphere."
On where Maymon's level of play stacks up in the SEC
"There are so many talented players but the One is (Kentucky's) Anthony Davis. That's understood, and then you have other guys who definitely will be professional players. But when you're talking about SEC players and the way they compete and bring their hard hat every day, I'd put him (Maymon) up against anybody. He brings it every day and he never takes days off. He's early. You go in there at practice and at 2:30 he's getting shots up, he's getting them in the morning. But the thing about him is the way he plays, how hard he plays, to not take days off and to do pretty much everything on the floor for you. He's invaluable for our program. We can't go far without him."
On the tough early schedule paying off at this time of year
"More than anything it's a credit our guys. Not giving up when you have tough games and tough losses, to stay the course and continue to get better. The most humbling loss was losing at home to Austin Peay - give those guys credit for winning the game and coming and competing. But as a coach, that was the point where our guys said, `OK, now let's start to listen. Let's really completely buy in to Coach.' Because that was a humbling experience for our guys. But the things we talked about from Day 1 as a staff to make them understand - you approach every game with a hard hat. It doesn't matter the opponent.
On calling the Austin Peay loss a turning point in this season
"That was one where, `OK, I think the guys are ready to listen and truly understand.' But it was also a case of, on a neutral court, I don't know if we would have won that game. We weren't a very good team. What happens is you go off a reputation of a guy in high school because a scouting service said this - was he really that good? It's one of those deals where we had to get better as a team. We weren't a very good team. On a neutral court, I don't know if we would have won that game."
On when the team became better than not `a very good team'
"Florida is when we started to turn around, because then they understood, `OK, we can play. We're a pretty good team.' And that's not to say we lacked talent, but talent can only go so far. They started to understand, `OK, we can be pretty good. We've got to continue to work, though.' There's a work buy-in on a consistent basis and they guys understood that."
On where the team can still get better
"Oh, man. Individually, you turn the ball over so that means being able to handle the ball. One-on-one, handling the ball, handling it with pressure and still being able to make decision. We work on those things from Day 1 of practice, so handling pressure and able to make decisions with pressure and not turn the ball over. Each player can get his skill-level better, every player can get better defensively. You've got guys who need to improve 3-point shooting, guys need to improve off-the-dribble moves.
On if the season is in the balance
We keep rolling. We're fighting for our life. I mean, it's just--you have to get better every day. There's plenty of work to do and our guys are hungry right now. We're fighting. We don't have any luxury or margin for error. We have to be successful to think we've done something special. We have every right just like anybody else to win ballgames. We have to continue to get better and we're getting better. We've got a tough road game and we're going to do everything in our power to try and get it.
On improving on the road
I think one I think is to make shots. We've just gotten better. You have to accept the atmosphere and environment and embrace it. We've defended better as a team. For us to be successful, we need Trae Golden to be solid in his department, especially offensively--making stuff happen. When he's getting to the rim, everything flows. Not to put a lot of pressure on Trae Golden, but if he's able to penetrate and make stuff happen, everything opens up offensively.
On whether the team has talked about doing big things at the end of the season
Without a doubt. I actually said in the South Carolina game, you have a chance to do something special. To go 8-8 worst-case scenario, it's not often that in league play you can go .500. Now you have a chance to at least go .500 in league play, so now let's have some fun and do some things. I think our guys are excited about these last two games; it should be fun.
On the resiliency of the team
I think the four losses obviously--one was Mississippi State, tough loss there. Tough loss here against Kentucky. Georgia was a tough one. We just really turned the ball over. I can't think of the other team. I thought we were in position to win those games and just came up short. That's the maturation of a team to go through those situations and understand what it takes to win ballgames. It's not an easy thing to win games on the road; it's really tough. I go back to Missouri State: we didn't win a road game my first year there. Personnel we weren't at the level we are here. The second year we won one road game; third year we broke records. It's more of a mental approach. You're teaching your guys how to compete on the road. Even when you lose, guys understand it's a way of life. It's how we approach the game. I think it's a credit to our guys. I've been in lockerrooms where you lose games and as a coach you try to keep your guys positive and help them understand we're making progress. With young guys, they want that W. We're not making progress since we lost. I saw it in certain games. It was ten minutes here, 15 there, maybe a half. All of the sudden, it started following suit.
On Jeronne Maymon's stability
Without a doubt. I think the really good teams have multiple guys like that on the floor at all times, guys you just book in so to speak that you know what you're getting from them every night. He brings it every night. He works hard. Sometimes he goes against guys who are closer to small forwards and he guards them well. He switches ball screens. He defends. He rebounds. He boxes out. He handles the ball. He's only getting better because he put the time into it. Now he's putting time into his shot. The thing about his shot--and he has a good shot--it's his confidence more than anything, just to feel comfortable shooting the ball. When you have multiple guys like him on the floor you have a chance to have higher level success.
On Maymon's scoring consistency recently
I think that was more of a case of him believing in his skill and also as a coach I have to put him in position to score and make sure he gets the ball in certain situations. For him, it was around the basket. He's a guys that I know now can face up to the basket and make plays off the dribble. You can have him on the perimeter even though he isn't shooting because he can make plays off the dribble.
On senior day
I think when you've been in relationships, for me it doesn't matter how much time it's been, they're a part of your family. For Renaldo and Cam, those are two quality young men and two good guys who put the time in. They've been solid. It's not always easy, but once again these guys are part of our family. They might be going away certain places, but they're part of the family and they're always welcome. In most cases, you get most of your feedback when they're gone. They won't tell you a lot when they're here, but they give you everything when they're gone. They're two guys I enjoyed being around.
On what he gave up for Lent
My wife actually did something and I said I would try to give up sweets, but that's a fight I can't win. I tried to give up sweets and so far so good, but we'll see. That's a fight right there.
On the bowtie
The Black Coaches Association came up with the idea. It's really for prostate cancer awareness. They called me about it and I said I'd love to be a part of it. I get involved in so many ways with cancer and I want to make people aware. I'm just doing my part. I'm not a bowtie guy. It clipped on.
On getting a bye in the SEC Tournament
It doesn't matter to me either way. We just want W's. If we can win games, we keep moving forward. It doesn't matter to me. I've been in a situation where we needed to get wins. We finished maybe 4th or 5th. We felt like if we played more games, we could get into the NCAA Tournament.
On making the NCAA Tournament
I'm not on the committee so if we win two games and finish 10-6, I don't know if we're in the tournament. We have to win games. We need to continue to play games and have success.
GBO!!!:hi:
