Coach Pearson Press Conference Transcript
2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2009
Interim head coach Philip Pearson
Opening statement ...
"We're really looking forward to playing Arkansas, and obviously, much like we've been, they are searching for a win. I think looking back over their last few games, they have played arguably the best two teams in the league, and they've been in the game until literally the final horn with LSU and South Carolina. Their last three games on the road, they've been at Mississippi State and were up 15 at the half, at Auburn they were up eight at the half, and then they played an overtime game with South Carolina. We've got our hands full. We realize that. We had a good game with them out in Fayetteville before. We didn't guard them as well as we needed to and they scored 89 points. I felt like Rotnei Clarke, their wing guy, was the difference in the game out there. We didn't guard him nearly as well as we needed to, and [Michael] Washington did some nice things for them as well on the inside. We started working on them yesterday, and our preparation for them will continue today. We'll be excited about playing on Wednesday night."
On differences between first game against Arkansas on January 29 and now ...
"I think things are different now that we're seven games in to the new arrangement here. Admittedly, I think we were rushing into that game, two or three days, 48 hours or 72 hours, into a new coach and of course we had a little bit of a travel situation going out there too. So there were a lot of interesting things going on then. I felt like our guys responded pretty well, practiced pretty hard those two days that I remember. That was a game where we were in the game, but as I remember as we went down the stretch we couldn't ever get it to two or three or four points versus that eight or nine or 10; I think the final margin was nine. I think it is a little easier. Hopefully the preparation is a little easier this time around."
On post-season aspirations ...
"We haven't talked specifically, or in writing or anything of that nature. Certainly for us, I know it's been talked about in the media about what Georgia was able to do last year. So for us moving along, hopefully we can be that sort of team where when we get to Tampa no one's really jumping up and down to have a chance to play us, and I think we have that ability. Again, we've been talking in terms of getting a win and turning that into two or three more, so that's been more of our focus right now."
On what's improved about Alonzo Gee's game ...
"I think it's a real credit to Alonzo, as I've mentioned over the weekend he's got his degree, so he's here as a student-athlete, and he's spent a lot of time in the gym. More times than not the last guy who leaves our gym, working on his shooting and ball-handling every day after practice. Hopefully, he's getting some better shots. I like where his shooting percentage is over the past six or seven games. He's really been taking his time. He's been able to step into some three-point shots, and that's also a credit to some other guys on our team who've been able to find him when he's been open in those situations. Certainly, he stepped up and made two huge ones on Saturday."
On Alonzo Gee's influence on teammates ...
"He's more of a leader by example. He's a very good-natured young man, and we've had him up here for four years and gotten to know him very well. He's just a remarkable young man, a good guy, a guy you want to pull for, and again, not to make excuses but I think for us over the past few years in this program we've had Richard (Hendrix) and Ron (Steele). Those two guys, their positions, their roles on the team, their personalities led them to have more of a leadership role, but they're not here now so we need guys like Alonzo Gee and Mikhail Torrance to step forward and lead our team."
On getting Anthony Brock shots ...
"We'd like to get him shots. He can make them when he's open. I think he's had a couple of games starting with Vanderbilt where he really helped us. He got loose and got some open shots. I don't want him to force any bad shots, but I do want him to shoot it when he's open, because I do think he can make them. I do think that once you're a little more well-known on the scouting report that teams tend to get to you and cover you up and you mentioned his size. He's done a nice job with the ball and playing he and Mikhail together a little bit over the last couple of games is something I like, so we'll continue to do what we're doing and he's got the green-light when he's open."
On defending Arkansas on the perimeter, especially Rotnei Clarke ...
"I thought we did a much better job with Mississippi State. Of course, they have four terrific shooters to begin the game, and we've talked about our pick-up point and defense and where we need to pick those kinds of guys up. We'll have Hillman and Andrew Steele and Hollinger, those kinds of guys, Torrance, to guard those wing positions for us. I think we're doing a little bit better job there, and that's something we'll continue to work on as well."
On Playing Ole Miss on the road on Saturday ...
"It's a tough place to play. Over the years, it's been a difficult place for Alabama to play for at least the last 20 years that I've been going over there. I think that Andy (Kennedy) has done a terrific job with their team with the injury situation that they've had this season. He's held that team together, and now they seem to be playing their best basketball of the season. We know that will be a very difficult game, and after Wednesday night we'll begin our focus on Ole Miss on Thursday and Friday, bus over on Friday evening, and get ready to play on Saturday."
On Arkansas beating top teams like Oklahoma and Texas but struggling in SEC ...
"They have a lot of youth on their team. I like their players. They've got some good young players when you talk about Washington and Fortson and Clarke, guys of that nature. They certainly have two good wins. I watched those tapes before the first time we played them against Oklahoma and Texas, but anytime you go on the road in this league, and it's a very tough league, it can be unforgiving. As I've mentioned, they've been in a lot of close ballgames as well, games that with a bounce or two here or there, a shot or two, a stop or two, could have gone the other way. I don't know for sure, but I know they are certainly very talented, talented enough to come in here and win. They are a very dangerous team, and I've been impressed with the way they've been able to go the road at least in the last three games as I mentioned being up at halftime against Mississippi State, up at Auburn, then overtime against South Carolina. That's impressive to me."
On playing best basketball at the end of the year ...
"We'd like to. Any time you've got a team, a basketball team, where it's a tournament sport that's what you want to do. You want to have your guys mentally prepared and physically fresh. That's how we want to be. That's how we want to be now and hopefully two weeks from now when we head down to Tampa that's how our team will be."
On winning a close game against Mississippi State and what it does for team's confidence ...
"I hope it's been a big shot in the arm. Stating the obvious, but it's a lot easier to get up on Sunday morning and a lot easier to come to practice on Monday after a win. We've got a good group of guys on our team, guys who have had a lot of success in high school and guys who have been winners throughout their careers. Hopefully this will give us a little bit of a shot of confidence and hopefully we can turn one into two or three and see what happens down the stretch."
