SEC Basketball Coaches Press Conference
SOURCE: SECsports.com
QUOTES FROM TODAY'S TELECONFERENCE
Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt:
"I think this off week comes at a good time for us. We've been going consistently for quite some time and have had a difficult stretch of games. We know we've got a very difficult game awaiting us at the end of this week. It's nice to go into an off week with a win rather than with a loss."
On games versus Tennessee and Kentucky:
"Even though we didn't get it done and maybe play our best game, we were there at the end of both games. (After the losses), we wanted to focus on what was real and not feel like the sky was falling in...those are two good teams and it's nothing to be embarrassed by, even though we could have played a little better."
Odom, South Carolina:
"Sometimes when things are going well you want to keep playing but in all honesty I think it's a good time (for an off week). It's time to take a deep breath and evaluate things; where we are, where we want to go and how we're going to get there."
"We've got LSU, which is a formidable opponent, on Saturday night. We're going to use the next few days to concentrate on getting back to executing offense and defense."
"I don't really look at the Top 25. I can understand how our fans want us to be ranked or recognized but in truth, those kind of things happen when you earn it. While our team, record-wise, is in a good position, that's exactly where we are: in a good position. We haven't arrived. I have no problem with us playing under the radar for a while longer. It's not time for us yet."
Anthony Grant, (Associate Head Coach) Florida:
"We're coming off a tough game at Vanderbilt. We've got to get back this week and do better. We've got our hands full on Wednesday (against Mississippi State)."
"He's so versatile. He reminds you of Matt Bonner. A team feeds off him."
On Mississippi State:
"The one thing that stands out to me about them is they play hard. Looking at the Kentucky game, they really battled in that game, and every (other) game I've seen. They know what it takes to be successful in this league. They go on the road and play with the same type of energy and effort (as they do at home), which is very impressive."
John Brady, LSU:
On Ole Miss' Justin Reed:
"He's been a quality player there. He's a fine young man who plays extremely hard. He's a tough guy to guard. He's going to be a difficult matchup for us. He plays all over the floor. (Ole Miss) is extremely tough at home. We're going to really have to play well and play smart to have a chance to win on the road."
On Ole Miss' Aaron Harper:
"He's critical to their team in terms of scoring the ball. If Aaron Harper can make threes and shoot those on you, it makes it even more difficult. He's an established player and certainly some of our focus is going to be on guarding (him). Aaron Harper is a marked man every time he's on the floor."
Buzz Peterson, Tennessee:
"We're trying to figure out why we're so inconsistent from home and away. We've got to give credit to South Carolina; they came out and were more aggressive than we were.
"We're glad we're home against Kentucky. We'll have a lot more confidence, a lot more energy. We've got our hands full and we've got a team coming in here very hungry. We want to match that challenge."
Tubby Smith, Kentucky:
"We're trying to recover from a very, very tough loss to a very good Georgia team. We're a team that has a very thin margin of error."
"I don't think the streak was that much of a burden. Certainly it could have been but we were playing well most of the year. We've got a lot to address. The game at Mississippi State was a late game, we came back and had to play a very good Georgia team. It wasn't as much the burden of a streak as it was the fatigue factor, maybe mentally."
Stan Heath, Arkansas:
"We're feeling better about ourselves after a win and we want to carry some of that momentum into Auburn. Offensively they can really hurt you down and close. We're going to go to practice and look at some different ways we can match up. It's a pivotal game for us. We'd like to build on what we just did."
On Georgia's upset of Kentucky:
"It just shows that Dennis is adjusting his style a tad with the personnel he has. There's no question the program is in the right hands."
Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt:
"We've had a lot of different starting lineups. Going into the SEC I'd hoped to know what the starting lineup was going to be. That's the toughest part. We've had some suspensions, some injuries, and we've never had our starting five that we thought we would have. I'm very pleased with what our kids have been able to do with so many distractions. I'm hoping it makes us a stronger team down the stretch."
Sharon Fanning, Mississippi State:
"Needless to say I'm disappointed relative to our record at this time. To be on the road at some of the teams we've played, the schedule has been quite a challenge. We know this is going to be a time of year for us to somewhat rebuild and find an identity. What we're hoping is that we'll get through this character-building phase and get back to winning. Hopefully we're getting better as a team, and I do see that, a spark and a fight."
Mark Gottfried, Alabama:
"We've got a big week, Georgia on the road and Ole Miss on the road. Georgia was very impressive with their win over Kentucky, and that certainly got our players' attention."
On Georgia:
"Whenever you have a coaching change there's always a transition period. They have four senior starters that know how to win. They've kind of been up and down, so they're still getting adjusted to one another, but everybody knows how capable they are."
Cliff Ellis, Auburn:
"The Arkansas game is always a physical game and we have to get ready for that. They play hard nosed basketball. They'll be a tough competitor on Wednesday."
Rod Barnes, Ole Miss:
"We're thankful that our kids are pretty healthy at this point. We need to be healthy because LSU is an extremely tough basketball team and they're coming off a tough loss. Our team is going to have to be prepared. We're definitely a team that needs to win."
On Aaron Harper:
"Aaron had been struggling with his shooting in the first couple of (conference games). We expect him to start playing well for us and start shooting the ball better. I don't think he's lacking confidence in his overall ability but whenever a guy isn't playing as well as he think he can play, you lose a little bit."
On turning the program around:
"There are some things we have to correct. We feel like we're getting close, but there is a lot of work to do. Some of it is youth and inexperience."
Rick Stansbury, Mississippi State:
"It's never easy when you go on the road in this league. They have such a good team and a good crowd, and that makes it a very difficult game."
"I don't know if coaches go out and get somebody just because they've been a head coach. You get someone you know who has been loyal and who you can trust. If they don't fit well on the team, then (it doesn't work)."
On balance in the league:
"I don't just think it's well-balanced, I think it's the best (league in the nation). There's no question that from top to bottom it's the best it's been in a long time."
"We're happy and fortunate to be 14-1. We're just two seconds away from being 15-0. Being able to bounce back (from the loss against Kentucky) says a lot about your basketball team. (But) there are a lot of areas we need to improve in."
Dennis Felton, Georgia:
On preparation for this week's games:
"It's much the same as last week. We're working really hard and getting a sense of what it takes to win consistently at this level. Alabama will pose another terrific challenge for us. They're very, very athletic. They're having a far better season than any of the experts predicted."
On ups and downs this season:
"We're teaching an approach to basketball that's very new to all of our players. We only have four players who aren't new. (The seniors) carry the load for us, but what we're doing is very new to them, also. We really have to compete and play extremely hard."
"We're continuing on with the same (plan) we have to turn things around. We try to do things with such a passion and sense of urgency that we create our own energy to make ourselves better. Hopefully we'll inspire each other to take another step. This is a league that's arguably the toughest in the country. It's a very unforgiving league. We've got to create our own momentum to lift ourselves within our own locker room."
