University of Tennessee Athletics
Donnie Tyndall Press Luncheon: Jan. 12
January 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Head Coach Donnie Tyndall
(On the concern of three starters not scoring vs. Alabama and how that affects the starting lineup against Arkansas)
"We have alternated lineups all year and switched some things up, as you know. Outside of Josh (Richardson) and Armani (Moore), we really don't have anyone that has just separated themselves from the pack. So we are going to continue to test different lineups to see what works and doesn't work. Anytime you have three starters that don't score, obviously it's going to make it tough on you. I thought we had some good looks, but I also think Alabama did a really good job of challenging and contesting shots. When we drove the ball, we struggled to finish over their length and size. So give them credit, but I think we had some different guys step up as this year has gone along. I think we will continue to do that. It's just simply a matter of who will it be."
(On the team's assist-to-turnover ratio)
"As a team, we kind of have it divided up. You want your point guards to be 2-to-1 guys, your wings to be 1.6-, 1.7-to-one guys and your post players you can live with 1-to-1 at the post. As a team, you always want a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Certainly, we were 1-to-2 the wrong way. That makes it that much tougher. A few games ago, we had 18 assists and 25 made buckets. The other night (against Alabama), we only got seven assists. I don't think we have any selfish guys on our team. It's just, when we drive the ball, we have to locate the open guy and make the right decision. We didn't do that against Alabama."
(On who is developing signs of being the complementary scorer, taking pressure off Josh Richardson)
"I think guys have certainly improved from the beginning of the season. The problem is, outside of Josh, we really don't have a playmaker and other teams know this. Detrick Mostella is athletic, but he is a catch-and-shoot guy. Devon Baulkman I think in time will be that, but right now he gets most of his points behind the arc. Kevin Punter is a shot-fake, one- or two-dribble guy. He is not a `create-and-get-all-the-way-to-rim, break-you-down, make-a-teammate-better' guy. That is just the team we have. So that is why the ball is in Josh's hands so often. Josh is as unselfish as anyone in college basketball. We doesn't have that natural feel when he drives it to collapse the defense then kick it out to make teammates better. He has done it at times. It is just not necessarily a part of his fabric. That is why it is tough in the half court, because when you can't throw it in inside and get a cheap bucket or draw a foul, and you don't really have a lot of playmakers in the perimeter, it makes it tough. It is especially tough when the teams extend their defense and get to your shooters."
(On the strategic impact of the team's lack of playmakers)
"The biggest thing is, when (our opponents) go man-to-man, you can do different things to put the ball in Josh Richardson's hands. Even though guys might not be great playmakers, when (opponents) are man-to-man, you can dribble hand-off, which creates an angle to the goal. Or you can go flat ballscreen where you get a guy like Derek Reese and Armani Moore to pick-and-pop. Then two guys will stay with Josh, you throw it back, and those guys can shoot it or can play make it at the four spot versus a big. They are not going to do that against perimeter players. When teams go zone, which Alabama did the last 14 minutes of the game, there is only so much you can do. Then it is about punching the gap, getting to the foul line, which we tried to do a few times from the 12-minute mark to eight-minute mark. When we were challenged at the rim, we settled for double-pump shots, off-balance shots, and you could almost see our team become reluctant or hesitant to keep doing that. Then we settled for jump shots over 6-7 or 6-8 wings. That is not the answer. Against the zone, there is only so much you can do. If you are not making shots behind the line, it makes it challenging for the makeup of our team."
(On the team's offensive changes going against an Arkansas team that will want to speed it up)
"I prefer to play a team that is going to be more conventional in the half court because of Arkansas's length and athleticism. They play 11 guys. Without a true ball handler and without a lot of playmakers, it is going to be very challenging, because they make you go make plays. They are going to switch ball screens. Even though it is going to be a big guard and a small. A small is going to have to guard a 6-9 athletic guy and be able to finish over top of someone at the back of the play. They are going to make it tough. They are going to trap us. They are going to trap ball screens and switch ball screens. They are going to trap the posts. It is going to be a very helter-skelter game, and when you don't have a lot of playmakers, it makes it tough."
(On Arkansas forward Bobby Portis)
"He reminds me of--he's a better offensive player--but a lot of Kenneth Faried as a young guy. He is bigger. He runs the floor. He challenges shots. He rebounds out of his area. He is more skilled on the perimeter than Kenneth ever was, but he is a lottery pick. He is a top-15 pick, whether it is this year or next year. The biggest thing that impresses me about him is that his talent level is off the charts, but he plays extremely hard. I guess last year as a freshman, with the two big guys Tennessee had, maybe they were a little physical with him and limited some things. This year, he is the guy that is initiating contact and bringing the physicality. He is really, really good."
(On expecting to see more zone from opponents given the Vols' offensive limitations)
"I don't know how much we will see against Arkansas. They do play some zone, but I think they will really pressure us man-to-man and try to speed the game up. I think Missouri will certainly play some zone. That has been in their package. They have played quite a bit of zone their last four or five games. When you look at it, we struggled. Marquette played mostly zone... we go 3-for-20 and lose. Alabama played mostly zone... we go for 2-for-17 and lose. Now Mississippi State played some zone (last week) and mixed it up. We made 10 3-pointers and it changed the complexion of the game."
(On Arkansas as an improved road team this year)
"I think this is Mike's fourth year, so he has basically--every guy in his program is probably his recruit or close to it. So, he has his type of guys. He's had his program instilled and in place for three and a half seasons. I think as teams grow and mature, that struggling on the road goes away a little bit, especially if you're a quality team. Alabama hadn't won a road game, but those guys are seniors or redshirt juniors, and they overcame that mental block. I think Arkansas going to Georgia and winning is a perfect example of it. Experience helps you win on the road, and they are certainly an experienced club now."
(On Derek Reese's ability to give the Vols a lift)
"With Derek, he is not a true post player, so he's not going to score the ball around the rim for you. Now the other night (against Alabama), he ripped it and drove it from 22 feet and got the dunk as we caught them in a rotation. But he's not a guy that's going to score around the rim like a true post player. He's going to get his baskets on pick-and-roll opportunities, pick-and-pop situations. Against the zone, you can step him out on top of the key or step him out to the corner based on what you want to do against the zone. But, he's a guy that's capable of scoring some; he's just not a true post presence, and he's not a playmaker. He's more of a catch-and-shoot guy or a shot-fake, one-dribble guy. There are only going to be so many shots or opportunities a guy like that gets. The guy that I would hope would continue to step up would be a guy like Devon Baulkman, who could make some plays off the dribble. Kevin Punter, he's got to be able to make some mid-range shots, because he doesn't get all the way to the rim and that's not his forte. Robert Hubbs has got to continue to develop and grow. I'd like to get a little more out of Derek, but his opportunities, because of the type of player he is, are going to be limited."
(On the offensive aggression Robert Hubbs III displayed Saturday)
"I was. The biggest thing that we talk about, though, is Robert plays 30 or 31 minutes and doesn't get an offensive rebound, doesn't have an assist and, I believe, doesn't have a steal. So, even if he makes some of those shots he happened to miss, what else has he been doing to help our team win? He certainly wasn't the only guy that night. It's not about shots made. It's not about shots attempted. What else can you do? What else can you do to help our team? When you look at the stat sheet (from our game against Alabama), outside of Armani, who had six offensive rebounds, the rest of the team collectively had two. That's not good enough. You have to get one or two offensive rebounds from Hubbs, one or two from Baulkman, two or three from Derek Reese, and we didn't do that. We just have to continue to work and play well. I like the fact that Robert has been more aggressive, but he needs to be more aggressive defensively and more aggressive trying to rebound the ball as well."
(On Detrick Mostella's injury status)
"Yeah, he was probably only about 80 percent in (the Alabama) game. That's why we put him in. He didn't play real well, so we just sat him out. He played only eight minutes. I would think he's going to be closer to 100 percent by (Tuesday). We didn't do a lot on the floor yesterday, but what we did, he was full speed. So, I think he'll be ready to go."
(On Arkansas' key players)
"Their guards... Rashad Madden is a senior--he's kind of got an old-school game. He doesn't turn it over. He just finds a crease or angle to get to the goal and draws fouls. He's a good passer. You can tell he's kid of the guy that when things aren't going the right way, they put the ball in his hands and let him kind of calm things down. Michael Qualls, the wing player, is just fantastic. I think he's an NBA guy as well. He's a freak athlete, he's tough, he has unbelievable enthusiasm and passion when you watch him compete. You can tell he absolutely loves the game. I think he's already one of the top six to eight players in our league. So, they've got a balance. They have perimeter guys. They have post guys. The other big guy, (Moses) Kingsley, doesn't play a ton of minutes, but if he were on our team, he'd play 40 minutes a night. He's long, he's athletic, he can score it some, he's got good hands, he blocks shots and that's a guy on their team playing 13 minutes a game. It gives you an idea of the depth and versatility they have."
(On placing Galen Campbell on scholarship last week)
"Galen is a great kid, first of all. He's been committed to the program for three and a half years. He never gripes or complains about anything. He wants to be a coach, and when he talks in our locker room, our guys respect him even though he doesn't get to play a whole lot. I've just enjoyed being around him. We had the scholarship available. He graduates here in May, so we said, `Hey, let's give him a scholarship to finish up his career for a semester here.' I don't think anyone could have been more appreciative or thankful than he was. His family was certainly very gracious as well. That's what college athletics is about. Those opportunities don't always present themselves to help a guy like that, but when they're there and you can reward a guy for his hard work, it's pretty cool."
(On his message to freshman Willie Carmichael III, who has been forced to play significant minutes early in his career)
"Every guy in our program, we push. I guess you could call it constructive criticism. Willie is a young guy, but he's got to get better. He's got to be better. I tell him all the time, `When God gives you a lot, he expects a lot.' Willie is starting on an SEC team as a freshman, and there aren't a lot of dudes out there getting to do that. With that comes expectations, and he's the guy that, even though he probably isn't quite ready to be playing the minutes he is playing, that's where we're at. He stays in foul trouble for lack of discipline, he's out of position, he leaves his feet, he doesn't get the post fronted, and now all of the sudden, instead of playing 22 to 24 minutes, he's playing 12 or 14, and he's constantly frustrated. Well, we're every bit as frustrated as he is because we keep pointing out the same mistakes, but that's freshmen. It's a growing process. Ideally, if our program was where we would like it to be, Willie is a guy that plays six to eight minutes a game or you redshirt him. Unfortunately, that's the position he's in, but he's got to take the good with the bad. He's getting to play major minutes and start early in his career, and he can't feel sorry for himself. He can't hang his head. He's getting better with that, but he has to mature and grow up."
(On team's response after Saturday's loss to Alabama)
"I think guys were disappointed. Anytime you lose, guys are going to be disappointed. I think, probably more than anything, we were frustrated with how we played the second half. Like I told our guys, give Alabama credit. They deserve the credit. They made us play, to a point, the way we played. The only thing you can do is get better in the film room and get better on the practice floor, because if you hang your head and feel sorry for yourself in this business, people crush you. We have no time to pout and feel sorry for ourselves, and I don't think our guys did that at all."
(On his reaction to being place on scholarship Friday)
"I was speechless, honestly. I was very speechless. It was definitely an honor and a blessing. It was definitely a dream come true. All I could do was give the glory to God. It was definitely an honor."
(On his family's reaction to the scholarship)
"I'm guessing you guys have seen the video. My mom was really emotional. I was emotional too, but I'm one of those guys that tries to hide my emotions. I'm one of those in-the-closet emotional guys. I go back in my room and get emotional by myself. I try to be tough and everything, but my family has definitely been emotional the past few days. My Twitter, Instagram and my phone has just been going crazy from texts, mentions and calls. Just a lot of people have been emotional. My mom told the church yesterday and my whole church was emotional. It has definitely been an emotional time."
(On if he had any hints that the scholarship might be coming)
"No sir, not at all. It was definitely by surprise. When I walked into the film room (and saw the video camera in the back), honestly I thought we were just filming something for coach. He brought me up there to say something, and I was thinking, `Dang why did he call me first? He should have called on Josh (Richardson).' Then he told me to stay up there. When he told me, my body just went into shock, that is why I kind of just looked at him and said 'Are you serious.?' It was definitely a dream come true."
(On what it has been like to be a part of the program these past four years)
"It has definitely been rough. I came from my freshman year, basically being cut from the team. I stayed, but I could have gone to some decent junior colleges. But it was just something about the University of Tennessee. I wanted to stay. I never told anyone, but I came close a lot of times where I wanted to quit. I just didn't want to play anymore. If it is wasn't for my family, my pastor and my girlfriend being encouraging to me and just telling me to stay through... They knew how much I loved basketball and how much I want to coach. Without those people, I don't think I would have made it. I'm glad I stayed, because I got rewarded for it."
(On how much experience he's gained for a future career in coaching)
"It has definitely helped me a lot. Being with two good coaching staffs, first under coach (Cuonzo) Martin and now coach (Donnie) Tyndall, I have learned so much about different levels of basketball. It is just amazing. I feel like I will do good at that career, and I just can't wait. I'm excited for it."
(On choosing Tennessee out of high school)
"I had a couple of mid-major offers out of high school, but I didn't take them because when Bruce Pearl offered me to come here as an invited walk-on, I liked the idea because I saw (walk-ons) Skylar McBee, JaJuan Smith and Josh Bone getting scholarships. When he got fired, and we got coach Martin, it was just something about Tennessee. I felt like God--my parents and I prayed about it, and it was just something about Tennessee. I wanted to be here. I felt like I had a reason to be here. I didn't even know what it was. A lot of times and a lot of years, I wondered what was it going to be. I feel like now, I'm starting to see it. I love coach Tyndall... I love coach Tyndall for giving me this opportunity. Now I get to see that I'm getting my future lined up. I'm graduating from a good institution. It's just been a blessing being here."
(On the offers he had out of high school)
"I had offers from Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State. They wanted me to commit early, but I didn't want to do that. I wanted to wait it out. So, they gave those scholarships to other players. But, those were the only two offers I had."
(On if he keeps up with the Fulton High School program)
"Oh, definitely. I honestly can't believe I forgot, but coach (Jody) Wright and the coaching staff at Fulton, they definitely helped me through this process. They always gave me encouraging words and always kept me going. I have a great relationship with the whole coaching staff. I actually have a whole group message with the coaching staff. They definitely helped me through this process."
(On his plans following graduation in May)
"I talked to coach about being a [graduate assistant] for the team next season, so right now I'm trying to get things in line for grad school. I'm starting to study for my GRE and fill out my résumé for graduate programs, so that's what in line right now."
(On whether or not the 2014-15 will be his last season as a player)
"This is going to be my last semester (playing basketball). I thought about it. I prayed about it and everything. For this to happen and this probably be my last four months playing basketball in my life--I've been playing basketball since I was four. Both of my parents played college basketball. It's been a long journey, but I'm ready for a new stepping-stone. To get a reward like this, I can't do anything but give it to God. I'm definitely blessed."
