University of Tennessee Athletics
Coach Pearl interview before UTC game
December 03, 2007 | Men's Basketball
1. Why does UT schedule basketball games in Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis?
A - "This is Big Orange Country all over the great state of Tennessee. To go on the road and win against somebody like Chattanooga, you need to be better than good. You need to be real, real good."
2. Explain the importance of having a big crowd of Vols fans at the game in Chattanooga Tuesday night.
A - "We need our Knoxville fans to drive down and see the game. It would be great if there was some balance in the crowd so we didn't feel like it was such a road game. Tickets are still on sale."
3. When looking for the right rotation, how important a factor is consistency of performance?
A - "If you had consistency, it would be easy to figure your rotation. These are 18, 19 and 20-year-old people. They won't be very consistent. But you are looking for people who complement one another."
4. What can the Vols expect from UT-Chattanooga Tuesday (7:00E) at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga?
A - "They are multiple defensively. They will play with emotion and intensity. We are helping celebrate 25 years of Moc basketball at the arena."
5. With exams coming up, how will you work in practice time before returning to action Dec. 15?
A - "We are having a break in games for 11 days because of exams. We want to assure primarily that our players finish up strong academically. That is the top priority."
BRUCE PEARL???S COMMENTS FROM MONDAY MEDIA LUNCHEON
Opening Statement
???We???re getting ready to go on the road again, go down to Chattanooga and play a really important ball game. It???s a place we haven???t been to in about 25 years. It should be a terrific environment and a great crowd. Hopefully, they will be somewhat neutral. I understand there are still a couple thousand tickets available and I hope more people in orange take advantage of that than in blue.
???We know we???re going to face a team that is extremely inspired. Their coach, John Shulman, does a tremendous job. He coaches with a great deal of passion, even more intense than I am on the sidelines. They???ll throw everything but the kitchen sink at us; they are extremely multiple defensively. JaJuan Smith has told me that their guys have been pretty focused on this one since they found out Tennessee was going to come down.???
On the UTC program???
???This is a program that has won around 20 games four out of the last five years. Last year was a 15-win season for them. I think they played in their conference tournament championship either four or five years in a row. I???ve only been here three years, but I knew when I got here that Tennessee-Chattanooga was one of those teams that got in the NCAA Tournament, advanced and did well. They are in a good conference and a good team. I think they are going to do well. They have played a tough schedule.???
On what concerns him about the UTC team???
???They play 10 guys; they are an excellent transition offensive team. (Stephen) McDowell, the transfer from South Carolina, shoots the ball in transition like JaJuan Smith or Chris Lofton. Transition defense was very poor for us against Texas and not that much better against Louisiana-Lafayette, particularly in the second half. Their offensive strength???they???re an excellent offensive team that averages 80 points a game???is our defensive weakness right now.???
