University of Tennessee Athletics
Interview of Coach Pearl Before South Carolina/Alabama Games
March 02, 2009 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2009
1. How do you explain the uncanny success your Vols have enjoyed against Florida--seven wins in eight games?
A - "Part of it is that three of the games were settled at the end -- spectacular, phenomenal, special -- last second, last possession. Throw those out the window, and it's more like 50-50. Part of it is that Florida is a rival in the (SEC Eastern Division). They are going to be right there, playing for championships like we do. Sometimes it runs through Gainesville; sometimes it runs through Knoxville. Our team gets excited about playing Florida.
2. How much progress has Wayne Chism made in his junior season?
A - "Wayne has improved tremendously. He can score inside, and he can score outside. He gives us tough twos and open threes. He's rebounding better, and he's playing good defense. He gives us versatility. He's an extremely valuable player. Every year he's been here, he's gotten better."
3. How much rides on the Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) game with South Carolina at Columbia?
A - "It's for the championship. Everything you do in the offseason comes into play -- the conditioning, the weight training, Gate 10, The Hill. It boils down to 40 minutes in Columbia to see who wins the Eastern Division championship. Nobody remembers who came in second."
4. What will it take for the Vols to sweep the South Carolina series with a win at Columbia?
A - "Handling their pressure. They really drive everybody crazy by forcing turnovers at home. They play elevated at home. They make athletic plays. I don't know how many shots they blocked against Kentucky... seems like it was about 16. We've played pretty well a couple of times at Columbia. Up here, we played well in the first half, but they outplayed us in the second. We need to do the things that we did well in the first half and avoid the things we did wrong in the second half."
5. What problems will improving Alabama present at Thompson-Boling Arena Sunday (Noon ET, CBS)?
A - "I can't say how important that game is. It's a two-game week. Every game is vital; it's crucial. For Senior Day, I hope we have a large crowd. I hope the students get to bed early Saturday night, get up and go to church and then fill those seats at the arena on Sunday. We need them. It's an early game. Alabama was picked to win the West. They are a senior-laden, experienced, athletic team. They are finally playing like that. Remember, Alabama is the only team in the SEC to beat LSU."
