University of Tennessee Athletics
Buzz Peterson Weekly Press Conference
February 23, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Comments from Tennessee head coach Buzz Peterson from Monday?s weekly press luncheon prior to Wednesday?s game at Kentucky (8 p.m.-EST).
BUZZ PRESS LUNCHEON | 
VIDEO
TENNESSEE VS. KENTUCKY PREVIEW
1. What have been the factors in 6-10 junior Brandon Crump?s improvement since last season?
A -?His stats have improved every year. He?s put on weight, and that?s helped him. One thing I want out of Brandon is for him to take over. He did that in the Ole Miss game. He?s come a long way, and I want him to come even further next year.?
2. How important to Kentucky?s offense has been the return from injury of deadeye shooter Gerald Fitch?
A -?Fitch is really something, kind of a catalyst for Kentucky. They lean on him a lot. He gives his teammates confidence because they know he is capable of making key shots. He wants the ball at crucial times. It?s a big boost for Kentucky that he is back.?
3. What will it take for the Vols to come home from Lexington Wednesday (8:00E) with a victory over Kentucky?
A - ?I want the same kind of mindset we had against Georgia from the standpoint of defense. What hurt us so bad at Georgia were our turnovers late in the game. Against Kentucky you need to withstand their pressure, value the basketball and not turn it over. We seem to play well up there, and I know our guys look forward to playing in Lexington.?
4. Now that the Vols are getting closer as far as winning on the road is concerned, does that portend well for a possible victory against Kentucky?
A - ?I hope we can continue to do some of the things we did the first 25 or 30 minutes against Georgia. I want us to get over the hump of struggling on the road. We need one on the road, and this would be a good time to get it.?
On Playing at Rupp Arena
"The two years that I've been here, we've played pretty well up there. We haven't won, but we stayed with the gameplan and didn't get the win. Hopefully, we can go up there and take better care of the basketball than we did Saturday at Athens. I know our guys get excited about playing at Lexington in Rupp Arena. Last year I think we shot 57 percent up there. We still didn't get the win, but we shot the ball well. We have to have patience and get the shot we want."
On Team's Attititude
"I've told them that we have to keep improving and point to the tournament. If we hang our heads, we won't be able to do anything in the tournament. We've got two more home games and two more road games and we've got to do our best with those heading into the SEC Tournament."
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