KNOXVILLE - Listed below are transcripts from Monday afternoon interviews with University of Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and Southeastern Conference player of the week Wayne Chism.
Pearl and Chism discuss nineteenth-ranked UT's game at Florida tomorrow and the Volunteers' overall preparations for postseason play.
Tomorrow night is potentially very big for UT. The Vols (20-6, 8-4 SEC) and Gators (19-8, 8-4) are tied for third place in the SEC Eastern Division with just four games left in the regular season. If UT completes a season sweep of Florida, it will own the tiebreaker for SEC tournament seeding.
The Vols will board a bus for the airport here in a few moments - around 5:15 p.m. - and they'll arrive in Gainesville in a few hours.
BRUCE PEARL
Opening statement:
PEARL: "The approach that I'm taking with my team is for the rest of the way, we're playing against teams - of course next week we play against the two teams that are right there in the West in Mississippi State and Arkansas - and these games are going to prepare us. The only way you get to be playing your best basketball is when you're playing against the best teams. They force you to. So that's what our approach is as we leave this afternoon for Florida.
"The only other thing I would say would be for those of you posting now or going to be running stuff before tonight's game, I do regret that I'm not going to be in pink tonight (for the women's game against LSU). It's one of my favorite colors. I don't look good in many colors. I don't know that I look good in pink, but I would be there tonight in pink if we didn't have to leave to go to Florida. I wish the Lady Vols good luck tonight as they go after winning a championship and also continue to do good works to fight cancer.
"This is also a huge week for Outlive. We've now got five days or so before we play Kentucky where we're going to try to have everybody there in orange. So whether you have a ticket for that game or not, wearing that shirt either at that game or some place in town sends a message to everyone else that sees it that you're playing your role and you're doing your part to fight cancer in East Tennessee by supporting the Cancer Institute at the UT hospital.
"We're really excited about the possibilities that are going to exist that day for the funds that we can raise. Chris Lofton has beat cancer, and he beat it for a couple of reasons, one of which was early detection and secondly he was able to get treated right here at home, and he's cancer-free because of those two things. That's what the vast majority of the Outlive funds goes to: Early detection and screenings.
"Again, I don't want to miss an opportunity to encourage our fans to get out there and get those T-shirts and come to the game and send a message and do the things we can try to do to help make a difference."
Q: Do you like where you starting lineup is right now, specifically as it relates to point guards Bobby Maze and Melvin Goins both being in the first five?
PEARL: "I don't think it's so much about Bobby and Melvin as it is whether or not JP stays at the 4. I think that the bottom line is Bobby has earned a greater role and more playing time, and as long as he doesn't rest defensively, that's fine. Bobby wants to be a part of the game. He wants to be a bigger part of the game. He hates to sit there. It bothers every player, but it really bothers Bobby as anybody because he just wants to be in the game. I think that he's done well with the increased minutes and with the increased role. Seniors have an amazing sense of urgency. They're counting it down. They just tend not to take possessions off. I'm pleased with his play, and I would think I will look for that to continue."
Q: And regarding Prince starting at the 4?
PEARL: "It's just about whether or not he plays the 4, and continues to play and get some rotations at the 4. That's what we've been starting with, bumping JP down to the 4 spot. Whether or not that continues, we'll have to see."
Q: What were your initial impressions when you saw this schedule and saw these tough final four games in the regular season?
"You know, I honestly don't look at it and study it that closely. I just don't. But there's no question that I do remember at some point when I first started looking at those final four. But again, I was looking at it as, 'This is going to be a chance for us to play our way in or out of the (NCAA) tournament.' Again, I've been on the other end, where there's just nothing in front of you short of your conference tournament to get you in, and there just isn't a team with a high enough RPI to get you in off that bubble. I guess I'd rather be in a position where you're in control of your own destiny, even though it's against some great teams in some tough venues. I think if you look at it any other way, it's not going to do us any good. You have to put yourself in the right frame of mind, because you can make the argument that it doesn't get any tougher than this, than having to go to Florida, play Kentucky as they're trying to get a No. 1 seed, playing Arkansas as they're trying to get in (the tournament), and then Mississippi State on senior night. But I don't look at it that way. I look at it as each of these games afford us the opportunity to get in, and to improve our seeding, and to challenge us to play our best basketball - because if we don't, we'll get exposed. You put up with a lot of games all year long to put yourself in position to play games like this. We played like that in the second half against South Carolina. I don't know that we did in the first half. But I'm hoping that we learned from that in both the Georgia and South Carolina games, and we are able to put two halves of basketball together. We're going to need to."
Q: What have the past two games showed you about your team's toughness, as it relates to putting opponents away?
PEARL: "I think there was certainly some growth, but I think a couple of things. Against Georgia, we were fighting for our lives. Against South Carolina, I think I would just say that we are a better basketball team than South Carolina. I'm not taking anything away from them or diminishing the importance or quality of that win, because there have been some teams that have gone there - Kentucky went there, Florida went there - and were not able to win. I give us credit for it, but at the same time, I just felt like we were a better team. I felt like we were a little bit deeper, and we should win that game. But I think Georgia, as you line up against Georgia, I think you're hard pressed to say with any certainty who the better team is. I can think they could make a pretty strong argument, considering four or five of their players. And so obviously, that one there was tough to get. But there has to be growth. We've got to continue I think to value possessions offensively. I think you could say that particularly in the first half against Georgia and at South Carolina, we didn't value possessions - either the bad shots against Georgia or turnovers against South Carolina. I think our defense and rebounding have been consistent, and they're going to be huge down the stretch. Florida has out-rebounded seven of their last nine opponents. Florida can put a really, really big team on the floor, when Chandler Parsons at 6-9 is their 3 man. They've been playing him at some guard, even. And then Kentucky, of course, is one of the biggest teams in the country."
Q: Do you expect Cameron Tatum back on a more regular basis this week? If so, it seems like this is the strongest your team has been, at least depth wise, since Dec. 31. Would you agree with that assessment?
PEARL: "Getting Cameron back would be great. I think while he was available for South Carolina, we didn't plan on playing him until J.P. got in foul trouble. He played a little bit before J.P. picked up his third foul. J.P. got two early on, and we went with Cam. It was good to get him out there. I'm hoping that him just getting out there will help him now that I think he's ready and able to play, and we expect him to play some. And so yes, therefore, it would be the healthiest we've been since the beginning of January. And that's a good thing, considering what the task is - absolutely."
Q: What are your thoughts on the current rotation of your three big men - Wayne Chism, Brian Williams and Kenny Hall? It seem like that size paid some dividends last week.
PEARL: "And Steven Pearl, too."
Q: Well, I guess I meant, 'your big guys with big size.'
PEARL: "Well, yeah (laughter). But that's been our rotation, and it was good against South Carolina. But again, with South Carolina, they are undersized. I thought we took advantage of that, particularly in the second half. Brian Williams has started the second half in each of the last two games, and we've played well, particularly offensively and on the boards. I do think that is a good sign, as were getting a little bit healthier and a little bit more depth. And of course, I do think that depth was a big factor against South Carolina. That's always been a benchmark of our program. I think that was always something that allowed us to press and run and win games at the end, and I think depth has been something that's allowed us to survive the roster adjustments. And now that we're getting healthier, maybe the depth will put us in a position to remain competitive as we go up against some of the toughest teams in the league."
Q: Do you think you're still playing to get in the NCAA tournament, or do you think you're already in?
PEARL: "I know that nobody wants to ask that question, but I don't mind answering it. I still think we're playing to get in. I think you look around the country, and there's a lot of good teams out there and a lot of basketball left. We'll take them one at a time. You just don't want to be in a position where you're not in control of your own destiny, so I think we've got to continue to approach these games like were playing to get in. I was in this situation a year ago. I just don't want folks to take an invitation to the big dance for granted. It's a special invitation, and it's one that on every selection Sunday gives me goosebumps, and I get emotional, because I can tell you how hard it is to get in. This year will be no different. It's just not going to be any different. I think the last two selection Sundays have been just OK. I think that two years ago, since 1985, no team that had an RPI and strength of schedule as high as ours wasn't a No. 1 seed. And we weren't a No. 1 seed, obviously. And the last year, as SEC East champions, we were a No. 9 seed. Nine gets pretty close to 12 or 13, and those teams are the last teams in. We've got to keep playing."
Q: What do you say to a player struggling to take and make shots as much as Skylar McBee is right now?
PEARL: "I'll tell you what, Skylar made a big shot at South Carolina. He took a big shot, and he made a big shot. They had just come down and hit two 3s in a row on some drive-draw-dish looks. I think one of the 3s that they made were actually when he was drawn away by some help. But then he came down on the other end and knocked it down. It was huge. It was a big lift for us. My best advice to Skylar would be just keep trying to relax on both ends of the floor. To know him is to love him, and to watch him is to appreciate him. He does so many more things than shoot the basketball. He is one of our best to help offenders. He's going to get every loose ball and win every 50-50 ball. Occasionally, his hard fouls get disguised as intentional fouls, and he needs to do a better job with that. But I think Skylar does a lot of things for our basketball team."
Q: Does that surprise you?
PEARL: "At this point, it doesn't. It might have surprised some folks are early on, because he was known for his ability to score and shoot. But early on, I think he sent a message that he was here to play, to defend and rebound and just play the whole game. I think he could play even more effectively if he ... I'd say he's pressing a little bit. And it's not just with his shot. He wants to win so badly, and he wants to be out there so badly, and he wants to please everyone so badly, and sometimes by wanting it so much, you tie yourself up a little bit. But boy, I'd rather have him care more than not enough, and he's a guy that cares plenty."
Q: That second half against South Carolina did nothing to disprove the notion that you and your staff, by in large, have been really good against teams the second time around in a season. Any thoughts on that?
PEARL: "I don't know that I am (that good at it). Somebody asked me that question, and I did not know what our record was against teams the second time around. I had no idea. I assumed since we had been competitive in the SEC the last few years that it was OK, but I didn't know what it was. Whether or not we're going to be better the second time around against Florida and Kentucky, I don't know yet. But I'm not holding anything back. I'm showing you my hand, and I'm going to play you the best way I think we can beat you. And so I'm exposed. Now, what adjustments we can make the second time around has to do with maybe whether we're playing at home or on the road, or what wrinkles are out there. I'll say this: One of the things we do - and this is what makes it challenging for guys like Kenny as a freshman, and guys that play more than one position, like Wayne and Bobby and J.P. and Brian - is you need to involve your counters and your intricacies. And so what a month ago was one thing is something different now. Through repetition, through teaching, through experience, you start to understand it. The new guys are over there looking at the bench way too much, because they're not in the flow with the adjustments and changes that need to place. It's like going in at halftime and changing some of your game plan. I have more time in a couple of days than I do at halftime, but it's still different for these new guys."
Q: Florida has been a much better second-half team this season. The Gators are 5-3 this season when trailing at halftime, as opposed to 1-7 last season. Why is that?
PEARL: "Chemistry, confidence, toughness, size. I think Macklin has helped them in that area. I think Warner has become a guy that's a little bit like J.P., in the sense that he can create, he can dish, he can create possessions with his defense because he's smart. He's a high basketball IQ guy. He's kind of been there and done that. I think Chandler Parsons is one of the most improved players in the league. He was a guy we really wanted and recruited hard. It didn't take him long to accept their offer. Our offer was on the table a lot longer than Florida's was, as soon as they offered, he got a chance to stay home and play with his high school buddy and teammate Nick Calathes. But his improvement has been big for them. And then I just think that Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton are tough kids. They are. They just are. Walker is from New York City, and Boynton was one of the top five guards in the country. If John Wall and Eric Bledsoe weren't at Kentucky, everybody would be talking a lot more about Kenny Boynton. There were only a handful of teams that could recruit him. I just think greater confidence and greater chemistry have helped them. They're playing really well right now. They really are."
Q: What are your thoughts on Chism being named SEC player of the week? What has he meant to this team and this overall program this season?
PEARL: "I was really glad to see him get that, because he's been up for the last few weeks, but other players have put up some big numbers. Again, it's too soon to reflect. But he's played in more games than any Tennessee Volunteer. He'll graduate in four years with a double major. We will continue to walk with him as he goes through his life after basketball at Tennessee, with his professional career. Like a Dane Bradshaw, the satisfaction level for me for a guy like Wayne is right there. Of all the guys that I've coached, to see him accomplish what he's accomplished - and to do with him and walk with into everything, and know that we'll continue to walk together when we're done - that's special. Coach Summitt has a great statistic. I don't even like to bring that stuff up, because when it comes to statistics, I can't even compare to Coach Summitt, but if you stay with us for four years, you'll graduate. Ryan Childress did it last year, and Wayne Chism will do it this year, and hopefully we'll have a couple of guys that will do it next year. All you've got to do is stay four years. If you can hang in there with me for four years, you got a chance to leave with some championships and graduate. I'm very proud of Wayne."
Q: In talking with some NBA people, it seems that Chism has finally emerged as a guy who could realistically be drafted and play at that level. Have you seen him take that big of a step this season, or do you think people are just now realizing what kind of player he is?
PEARL: "I think others have seen the step more than we have seen it. We've seen it. We know what he can do. We've seen what he can do. I think others are beginning to appreciate it and recognize it. He's on draft boards now in the second round, whereas at the beginning of the year, he wasn't, and we all said he should've been. So in other words, we're not surprised, because we've seen what he can do, with his abilities inside and out, the high basketball IQ - particularly on the defensive end; he's a very, very smart defensive player. I think with his size and athleticism and his basketball IQ and his demeanor, and him being such a good person, I see him being somebody that has a chance to keep playing the game for a long time."
WAYNE CHISM
Opening statement:
CHISM: "Any questions for Wayne?"
Q: Yeah, here's one. Why were you named SEC player of the week?
CHISM: "I don't know. I just found that out. That's awesome."
Q: What are your thoughts on that?
CHISM: "Finally. No, seriously, it's a great thing. I worked hard to help my team come up with a lot of quality wins this year, plus last week, so I'm very happy to be named player of the week."
Q: What are your thoughts on Florida's post game?
CHISM: "They've got some good players on the inside. You can say they match up with every big man on the inside that we have, and any other team. Tyus is roaming out there making a lot of jump shots this year, and he's making them consistently. And he's a lot better in the post this year, too. They're all playing hard down in there, so I think to play them, we've got to battle against those guys."
Q: How do you feel about your team's last four games in the regular season? All four opponents are either NCAA tournament locks or squarely on the bubble.
CHISM: "It gives you a lot of confidence if you can beat the best teams at the end of the year. It's a long season, and if you can pull out the best wins at the end of the season, that shows you your team has come a long way. We're only focused on one game at time. We'll go practice and focus on that team that we've got that week, instead of looking forward to another team. The only time you do that is in the tournament, because you've got to play somebody the next day, and you're talking about two teams at the same time."
Q: As a senior, do you get pumped up for games like this - big games - as opposed to games against lower-level opponents?
CHISM: "The only time I get pumped up is when that 20 minutes is about to get ready to start in the game. Walking around, I'll be normal all day. I just can't do it anymore. Sometimes I get too pumped up, and I lose my mind and focus on the game, and I get about trouble really fast. But other than that, I just get pumped up when they're starting to jump off."
Q: So do you really approach every game the same?
CHISM: "Every game. It can be the best or the worst team in the league, and I still approach the same way as I've been approaching it. I just can't change anything to go play another team."
Q: Have you started thinking about NCAA tourney seeding at this point?
CHISM: "It's very hard not to think about that, especially with the way we're playing right now. You get those comments from your coach like, 'If you do this, you can better yourself for the tournament.' We did it better ourselves for the tournament last year. We got a 9 seed, where we would have had to play a No. 1 team in the second round. It was tough, so you've really got to play your cards right to get the right see that you really want, so you can bypass a No. 1 team until like the Sweet Sixteen or something."
Q: Has this point in the season gotten easier for you personally than it was maybe as a freshman or sophomore?
CHISM: "I was just having fun as a freshman. I didn't think about none of that stuff. I had a lot of juniors and seniors on the team, so it was pretty much up to them to think about it. I was just a freshmen lineup, just playing, so I let them think about that and handle that, because it was their season, and I was just a young guy on the team to sit back and play with them and watch the season hopefully be a great season that it ended up to be. But the way the young guys are looking at now, they're looking at it and taking it like they're seniors. They don't go into the game acting like they're just having fun. They're thinking about where they really want to place themselves in the tournament, and how they want in the season in the right way."
Q: Was it more fun as a care-free freshman?
CHISM: " Man, it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of veterans on the team back then. The way the guys came in this year, there were a lot of veterans, but there really weren't that many. Some of the freshmen and sophomores had to step up and play big roles - especially Scotty. He had to come and play really big role. A lot young guys have had to step up and really play big roles for young players the past couple of years."
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