University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Vols 89, Gardner-Webb 64
November 22, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2015
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Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes
(Opening statement)
"I was really impressed watching Gardner-Webb on tape. The fact they run good stuff and they ran good stuff. They hurt us with some things.
"We just got blistered right there the last four minutes (of the half). We turned it over and just didn't do some things against the zone. They went to it (the zone) to slow us down, and we allowed them to do that as opposed to really trying to attack it. We need to get out more in transition.
"A lot of that is my fault because we have not spent enough time working against zone. Today was good for us. I do think we got some guys, when they move, they see the floor. They pass the ball well. This was a really good game for us. That was probably the most zone we have played against combined practice and everything. That was good for us."
(On giving up the lead)
"We had a lead and gave it up in the last four minutes of the half. It is something we have talked so much about, but we got blistered. We turned it over. We didn't do some things early against the zone. They went to it to slow us down, and we allowed them to do that instead of us attacking and trying to get in transition. We still too many guys putting the ball over the head, and a lot of that is my fault because we haven't spent enough time working against the zone. Today was good for us. I do think that we have some guys that, when they move, see the floor and pass the ball well. That is probably the most zone that we have played against combined in practice and everything."
(On defensive adjustments made)
"We would like to be more aggressive, but when you have guys playing [30-plus minutes], it is hard to do that. I thought Shembari Phillips' five minutes were huge. I do think he has played the best he's played at any point in time this year. He came in, and those five minutes were big. We started double-timing the ball to change it up. They weren't hurting us on one set but because we weren't doing what we were supposed to do. By double-teaming, it at least gets the ball to go in the direction that we want it to go. There were some good things. When we went smaller against the zone, I liked that because we have a guy like Robert Hubbs III working the baseline, Armani Moore can pass the ball and then you surround that with some pretty good shooters. Some of our guys are still caught in that area of, `Do I shoot, or do I not shoot it?' Detrick Mostella is kind of like that. I do think the last couple of games that Detrick and Devon Baulkman have done a good job because they have done the things that we have wanted. For instance, today, a guy that we wanted to put a target on was [Dylan Poston] because he is a guy that can really shoot it. He was 0-for-5 today. Baulkman was really on the edge today. We need to get more from our bench so we can do some of the things like extend our defense a little bit. We went zone for a little bit to give us a chance to rest our guys. I like it when we are aggressive, but minutes are our biggest concern."
(On how the team is different based on Baulkman's production)
"He started out slow for two reasons. One, he thought [shooting] was what he had to do to impact the game. Over the last two games, he has rebounded the ball and today was his best defensive mindset all year. Detrick is really trying to do that. We need to get everyone to do that. The fact is Baulkman has been so good because he is better than just a spot-up shooter. I told him last night that I would hate to have the pressure of thinking I had to make shots if I'm in the game. I told him, `If you will put the pressure on defense and rebounding, you will make shots.' I think that is what has happened to him."
(On what he saw differently from Robert Hubbs III in the second half)
"He is a great athlete. He can finish. He is really good in the air. He can get his shot off against anybody. I don't care who you put out there. He has a chance to get a shot off. He has great hands. I think what has happened to him is that sometimes these kids come to college and think they have to prove they can shoot the ball from the perimeter. He can shoot the ball, but he will also shoot air balls, and that is a bad shot. When he shoots an air ball, it's him thinking he hasn't shot in a while and needs to do it. We are trying to get him to understand that he can really do some things around the rim. I think the other thing that happens is that his teammates are confident in throwing him the ball. I think they are hesitant to throw it to certain guys, and I would be too, but the fact is they are confident that he can catch a pass that maybe isn't perfect. We tell our guys all the time that good players catch bad passes. I think the know that he will come up with it."
(On playing against Gardner Webb's zone defense)
"What I told KP was that they went zone to slow us down. Well we don't want to slow down. We want to get the ball down the floor so it gives us time to work against the zone. And like I said, we haven't been as crisp with that, and that's my fault. But I think we've improved defensively, we've done a better job rebounding the ball, and some of these offensive rebounds we get are because we're mismatched inside from guys we've switched. But again, the things that I've underlined coming into today that I thought was really impressive was 23 assists and 10 turnovers. That's a pretty good idea of where our guys are trying to share the ball. We had 38 points in the paint. We didn't do a very good job at the free throw line, which that has to be a strong suit for us. And we shot 52 percent, 46 percent from three. If we would have done what we were capable of it could have been a great offensive day for us. And if you look on the other end, this is the lowest anyone has shot against us I think. The fact is, 23 and 10 pops at you and that means we are sharing the ball. The minutes of some of those guys I'd really like to get down Detrick's really trying to improve on some things. He's got to get better against the zone. He has a really bad habit of putting the ball above his head and just sticking it up there. Everybody knows what you're trying to do then. He could still be aggressive with the ball. But this one's over and done with, and just have to move on to the next one."
(On if he would like for younger players to be getting more minutes)
"I thought we'd be able to get them out there a little bit more. The hardest thing that we're having the toughest time to figure out right now is a rotation and who can we count on. When we go to the bench, what are we going to get from Shembari? In the first half, KP turned around to reverse the ball and he threw it away, and Shembari did the same thing earlier. Those are the types of plays that have to be eliminated. Those plays change momentum of the game. The threes they made changed the momentum of the first half. When we had a little space there, we gave it back to them. Not to take anything away from them, but you can't make momentum-shifting plays like that. So we desperately need those guys, we need them all. I've said that from the beginning of the season, we've got to develop that, but they've got to help us too. I always talk about trust. They've got to build a trust where we are confident to put them in there and know that they can give us something. And it sounds like a little thing, but just one or two minutes where they're really efficient. Like Shembari tonight, he had five minutes, and now, maybe your goal is five and a half or six. And then keep building that and see what happens. That's going to continue to be the question for us as a staff and as a team, can we continue to develop guys coming off the bench and can they figure out what we need from them."
(On the Army West Point game being the toughest yet on the schedule)
"That's what the coaches are telling me. They're the ones out there scouting them. I haven't looked at them yet. If you look around college basketball with what's happening right now, there is a lot of parody. There really is. And when you play against teams that are experienced and teams that have been together for a while, I don't care where they're from, they can play and beat you on any given night. Army's a team that's going to do a little more pressing down the floor and will try to slow you down and they're good. And obviously you would expect them to be disciplined. Every game we go out, our guys have to understand it's going to be a battle. I don't think we can ever think it's going to be easy because we're not going to have any easy wins all year."
Tennessee guard Devon Baulkman
(On his initial thoughts following the win)
"First, I want to thank God for no injuries. I've just been taking it one step at a time, basically just coming out and playing and having comfort in myself and my teammates--trusting them."
(On his high level of confidence right now)
"Coach tells me to keep shooting the ball, but take great shots. I'm really confident in myself right now. I've been spending extra time in the gym, working on my form and shooting the ball a lot."
(On Tennessee's zone offense Sunday)
"Armani (Moore) is a great passer. He always finds teammates who are open. He creates for us, and we create for each other. Armani is a big-time player, so helps with that a lot."
(On if Tennessee playing zone defense helped stifle Gardner-Webb)
"Yeah, we zoned them up and slowed them down. And then we pushed it in transition. It really slowed them down. They tried to slow us down, but we kept up the energy and had a lot of fast-break points."
(On Rick Barnes' philosophy on shot selection)
"A good shot (becomes) a great shot basically when someone creates for another, and he has an open shot. He wants us to make the extra pass for a great shot for (a teammate) who is open. You've got to take that shot. Even if you miss it, he says to keep shooting. That's what he means by `green light.' I feel like once you've got your eye on the goal, you've got to go up (for a shot).
(On learning what is truly a `great shot')
"It takes time and practice every day. Everybody's learning what a good shot and great shot is every day. Basically we just keep learning from coach and see what we have to do to keep that going."
(On Robert Hubbs III)
"Hubbs is a really solid guy; he can do a lot of things on the court. We're great for each other. We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things, but everybody has a different role. We've got to play our role for us to be a good team this year."
Tennessee guard Armani Moore
(On what the team wasn't doing offensively that changed late in the game)
"At first we weren't swinging the ball and we were taking shots that they wanted us to take. But I thought once we got in our groove and started swinging the ball, driving it, and kicking it, then we started getting better looks."
(On if the defense is improving)
"I think a lot of guys are starting to take more pride in the defensive side of the ball. It's definitely got to be that if we are going to be successful on the defensive end. Everybody needs to buy in and we need to use our defense to dictate our offense. I felt like tonight, Devon Baulkman did a great job of that. He took out the best shooter on their team, and he came out and had a great night for us on the offensive end, so I think it definitely correlates."
(On if he takes an attacking mindset on defense)
"My goal has always been the same: whatever I need to do to help my team win, that's what I want to do. No matter if that's scoring a lot of points, blocking shots, or rebounding the ball. I'm going to do what makes my team successful. An I think tonight it was definitely not about one individual because tonight everybody was stepping up to the plate, everybody was flying everywhere, everybody was getting in the passing lanes. So I think it's definitely more fun to play a game of basketball once you have everyone on the same page."
Tennessee guard Kevin Punter
(On Tennessee's trapping defense)
"It helps us a lot. Sped it up a little bit, but I feel like those guys got what they wanted a few times, which, you know, led to some good plays for those guys. Trapped those guys, sped them up like three-straight possessions I believe they didn't score. So Coach said, `Keep doing it.'"
(On UT's huge 34-7 run)
"I know Coach Barnes mentioned when those guys were creeping back into it and it was kind of tight, we weren't in our stance, and we pulled our team together and got back to our roots and got back into our stance. I feel like that's what got us going."
(On Baulkman feeding his offense off his other areas of his game)
"I feel like that's the way with all of us. I feel like if we concern ourselves with getting stops and building stops, then everyone is going to flow offensively."
Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft
(On his team's overall performance)
"I was proud of our team for overcoming some adversity and getting it close and taking the lead at one point, but obviously Tennessee handled those last 10 minutes the way you have to handle them to win the game and we did not. That was the name of the game at the end there."
(On Tennessee's big run to close the game)
"We were trying to stay in the zone and the zone had been good to us, and I just think those guys just made plays. Whether we left them for open shots or in the paint -- you know, [Tennessee guard Robert] Hubbs getting to the paint and getting put backs, or being around the rim which he's really good at doing -- break downs in our defense and good plays by them."
(On his team's use of the zone defense)
"I think the zone kind of changed up the tempo and the flow of the game. We we're able to get some turnovers and get some stops, and get out and transition a little bit. Our guys finally got a little bit of confidence and we were able to make some plays that they were capable of making. I thought early on in the first half -- and throughout those last ten minutes -- we had guys that really struggled to make plays that they make in practice. Sometimes you just have those games and whether it was open threes or post ups or plays around the rim, for whatever reason -- and maybe credit Tennessee for them being physical around the rim without fouling and making it tough on us. We struggled with those type of finishes and plays today."
