University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Vols 95, Army West Point 80
November 24, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Recap |
Final Stats |
Notes |
USATSI Photo Gallery 
|
Photo Gallery
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes
(Opening statement)
“It was a really good team win for us tonight against a really well-coached team, a team with depth, experience. We are all happy with our bench play. We thought we really got some guys to come in and gave us some minutes there. That is something we have got to continue to build on. That was a hard-fought game.
“They executed extremely well. We did not go a good job of executing our game plan. The out-of-bounds play, that is something we have worked on but they have been very effective with that through the games we scouted and they still got it on us.
“Overall, there were really a lot of positives. I thought far and away it was our best game of the year. But I thought we were going to have to do that to win this game. It gives us something we can build on. We are going to have to continue to get better.”
(On going to New York and playing bigger name teams)
“George Washington has already beat Army, in a game which was very similar to our game with Gardner-Webb, where the score looked wider than it really was. We know the Gardner-Webb was a much closer game than the score. Same ting happened there. If you go back and look, George Washington has already beaten Virginia. A year ago I think they beat Wichita State. They changed defenses. We can only look at that one. We’ve just got to get continue to get better. That’s what this time of year is all about. You learn a lot about your team. We’ve got to continue to get play from our bench, that we can get some rest. We still had three guys in the 30’s. Overall, I’m just really happy with our bench. Those guys have given us some solid minutes."
(On taking care of the basketball better)
“That’s something that we mentioned at halftime because I thought the ball was sticking a little bit to much. We need to keep moving the ball, and we’re better when we do that. We really are. We’re better when we play with flow. But we’re still learning some things about our team. As coaches, we’re still trying to learn ways which we can utilize each one of the guys. But overall taking care of the ball, and assist-to-turnover is huge. But for the most part, I didn’t think we took to many bad shots. We made a couple passes that you really wouldn’t wan tot see made, but overall is was a really good effort.”
(On learning about this team, good or bad)
“I think there is a lot more good. I don’t know if there is anything bad. We’re learning. We are behind in terms of where we want to mix our defenses a little bit more. We haven’t been able to move along that way quick enough. Robert Hubbs still doesn’t practice the way we’d like for him to. We are starting to understand, and getting him to understand that he is very effective around he basketball, but he still has to continue to fight for his space. The fact is it’s still early. We knew this group of game would be hard to get through, and we’re still not through it. We have improved, and now we have to keep moving. We can’t take a step backwards. We still have to get guys coming off the bench truly to understand their roles. Detrick [Mostella] really pressed tonight, you could tell. He’s just got to settle in and play the role he needs to play. I think [Devon] Baulkman has really improved the last three games because he’s really starting to play with a defensive mentality and he’s letting his offense come to him. The biggest thing is we have to to build our bench. We have to build it where we can utilize those guys.”
(On comparing Armani Moore to guys he's coached before)
“We really haven’t had a guy like him. I thought tonight he had lost a little bit of confidence. I think he’s done that on the free throw line. He needs to put a little more time into that, rhythm shot from the free throw line. They were giving him the three, and he’s got to shoot them. He’s got to play off the catch as opposed to settling to back down. If we could get them sinking in there the way they were doing that’s when had to kick out and let those guys take a crack at it. He affects the game in a lot of different ways. We’ve been able to block some shots that I don’t think we would have ever thought that at the start of the season. We had ten blocks tonight, and four of them came from him. You look at his line. That’s a pretty impressive line when you look at it. He could have done a better job at the free-throw line. Overall, when you have six assists, three turnovers, four blocks, and a steal in 29 minutes, that’s a pretty good line. I am disappointed from the free throw line. I think we are better than that, and I think we have to be better than that.”
(On the play of freshman guard Shembari Phillips)
“He did good. I thought he was more engaged defensively. We got him out because he has a tendency to get a little too amped up and puts his head down and tries to thread the needle as opposed to just making a simple play. We were trying to give him a simple set to run, when he was in the game at the point. Those are the things that we keep learning about our guys. We have to give each group a little different package to get them by for a few minutes. I thought he did a really good job. He still has a tendency to just stand around and watch for a little bit. We think he could be a terrific defender. If he would buy in to that role, we think he could be a lockdown defender. He needs to do that first and then let his offense come to him. Admiral Schofield has to do that too. He got the ball and was too quick in wanting to do something as opposed to being the fifth option. I thought Kyle Alexander went in and gave us some really solid minutes, especially defensively. What we can get done with our bench will determine how we play this year and how far we can go.”
(On Kevin Punter’s progression at point guard)
“He is still learning a lot about the game and space on the floor. Tonight, I thought he did a really good job of keeping the ball in the middle, where we need him to keep it. I played with a much better pace coming down the court. It is all new to him. If you think about him, he spent two years in a junior college and then a year in a matchup defense, where he is learning a whole new defensive scheme and new offensive scheme. He has never played point in his life, so at this point in time, I would say that you have to give him an A+ with how he is doing. I also know him well enough to know that he wants to get better. He will, and it is going to help him so much in the long run.”
(On finishing the first half strong)
“In the first half, we want three to five consecutive stops, but at not point in the first half did we do that. The fact is we showed them that. We showed them how you lose a lead. We talked about what we gave them and what they earned. We gave a bunch away tonight, but that is going to happen some. You get the lead with your defense, and your offense has to keep it. I thought we learned a little bit about that. We definitely worked the clock better tonight. That is where we can get better, know the time to score.”
(On Derek Reese making a three)
“Coach Ogden made a deal with him that, if he got 10 rebounds, he could shoot a three. He asked me if he could shoot the three. I told him no. He asked me tonight if he could shoot the three, and I told him he could at anytime where there was one second left on the shot clock. I think it is a great example of a guy. Look at how he is rebounding the ball. 11 rebounds tonight with two assist in 24 minutes. That is a great line for him. In the past, he wanted to shoot the three. You have to play to your strengths. He is a guy that can rebound the ball if he wants to, and I think he can get more. I want to see him score in the post. He can really jump. Those are shots that we are really trying to work on with him."
Tennessee forward Armani Moore
(On taking good shots)
“Coach Barnes always says that a good shot is not a shot that you have to rush; a good shot is a rhythm shot.”
(On the team taking good shots)
“The second half we came out, we were driving the lanes, kicking it out, swinging the ball, and I felt like everybody was taking a lot of in-rhythm shots.”
(On improving his shot from three)
“One of the biggest things in improving my shot was my vision. Once I got that right, I was able to shoot the ball better.”
Tennessee forward Derek Reese
(On how much fun it is to score 95 points)
“It’s fun. You get more opportunities. It is still tough. You have to be in shape. Coach wants us to run. He wants to score in seven seconds. Getting that many chances to shoot, it gave me a chance to score. You kind of get the opportunity to show what you can do. And it’s fun. It’s even better when you’re paying defense, when you stop the other team from scoring.”
(On if it’s fun getting rebounds.)
“Yes. I had to change my mindset. Before, it was just I wanted to shoot the ball. Now I want to get double digit rebounds very game. I would rather have more rebounds than points. That’s my role. That’s my job. So if I’m not rebounding, I’m not doing my job.”
(On how he changed his mindset)
“It was really tough. Coach was on me the whole time. I had to completely forget about shooting, not even want to shoot. Not even thinking about it. Just focus on rebounding, and taking the shots I need to take. I still shoot the ball on my own to make sure I still have it. It was tough at first, but coach telling me this would help me a lot more, and thinking about how this would expand my game. I said ‘I really have to do this.’”
Tennessee guard Shembari Phillips
(On what changed the momentum between halves)
“They were doing everything [Coach Barnes] told us they were going to do before the game.”
(On critiquing his play)
“I’m just starting to get comfortable. I just have to keep working. I know what I have to do.”
(On pressure of needing to give starters a break)
“No, I don’t feel pressured. I’ve been here before. I have to stay solid, and I don’t need to go out of my element.”
Army head coach Zach Spiker
(On the difference in the game)
"I thought Tennessee did a good job moving the ball up and down the court from an offensive standpoint. You know, really it just came down to the time of the plays they made. We had some opportunities -- 2 on 0's, we kick it in the stands, we have another dunk we miss, we have a couple of opportunities that when I think we had the lead we could have stretched it out even more. So when they did make their run it wasn't about creating distance it was getting that up to us. When we were even and we should have been ahead, we should have made a run."
(On defending Tennessee's Armani Moore)
"Clearly he's a very coachable young man, playing multiple positions, he seems to be the strongest right now. He's a tough cover, he's a competitor, he plays hard and he doesn't look at the scoreboard or stats, he just plays. Unless you're playing against him, I'm sure he's a joy to watch. He really sticks out on film and I thought clearly he was a difference maker tonight."
(On guard Kyle Wilson)
“He seems to be the straw that stirs their drink right now. You saw some of the shots he made tonight. He has a tremendous ability to score the basketball and that's something you can coach. He will continue to do that and we need him to be successful. I thought he was a little tentative early on , his two offensive foul calls. I hope we don't get that call very often, but it was tonight and his time will adjust with that. But he needs to take 16 shots and [forward Tanner Plomb] needs to take 19 shots. Those guys have been consistent for us and do a better job taking care of the basketball and they need to do a better job. Our transition defense wasn't the best that's probably what the game came down to. I think we could've done a better job stopping them in the paint."
