Coach Philip Pearson Press Conference Transcript
3/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2009
Opening statement ...
"Well I think Auburn is obviously playing very well, as well as anybody in the league, maybe with the exception of LSU. I've been very impressed with the way they've played over the last 6-or-8 games. They've been on the road and they've won in convincing fashion. They are a very difficult team to play, in my opinion, a little bit like Mississippi State in the fact that a lot of times they have four perimeter players, undersized type guys that can shoot the ball from the perimeter on the floor at one time around [Korvotney] Barber, who has been really good in the post for them as well.
"They do a lot of different things from a defensive standpoint. As I look at the SEC stats, I see Auburn near the top in about every defensive category - defensive field goal percentage, steals, defending the three-point shot, so they do a lot of different things from a defensive standpoint. So it will be a very difficult game, we understand that. I think it's a great challenge for our team at this point. Obviously, we've played a little bit better the last couple of games and I hope that we continue to do so."
On if the team has given any consideration to the postseason ...
"I mean we really haven't talked about anything from a post-season standpoint other than just a little bit here and there about Tampa. We have just kind of been one day at a time, one game at a time mode. I think that's been more or less the right thing for us to do. Looking down the road after this week, which is another big week for us, with Auburn coming in and a tough game at Tennessee on the weekend, it's another tough week, a chance for us to hopefully continue playing a little bit better, but after that, obviously you know basketball is a tournament sport, and that gives you one more opportunity to do something. So as we go along, we'll talk about that more and more.
On if the team and himself are having more fun with the recent win streak ...
"Well it's more fun when you win, and I do think a lot of times you can hide it if you like, but the fun is in the winning, and certainly our players were close a time or two and we've been able these last two or three games to break through. We had the emotional, hard-fought win with Mississippi State, and then they responded well against Arkansas when they came in here. I thought they were a very dangerous, capable team. I felt like hopefully we took one more step and that we would go out and win away from this building, away from Tuscaloosa. We had a nice margin to work with at the end of the first half and were able to maintain that at Ole Miss."
On why the team's offensive execution has improved ...
"I think we've just executed the offense better which has been a real priority, and I think we've gotten some better shots. I think you start with Alonzo Gee, I think in that regard, he's shot the ball so well, and a lot of that is him personally, I think he just feels like he is in a groove and scoring the ball very comfortably. I think it is a little bit contagious as it goes around, whether it's Anthony Brock or Senario Hillman, or Mikhail Torrance, I think it becomes contagious to some degree and I do think that in the last game or two. Our guys are playing with more and more confidence from an offensive standpoint. With that being said, I do want to give some credit to our defense. I feel like our defense has been better and it's giving us a chance to maybe get some easier baskets in the transition game for example. So I think it is kind of two things working together, our defense and our offense. I think they've both gotten a little better."
On expanding the rotation to include the entire roster ...
"Well originally, we had 10 scholarship players and I just felt like in this particular situation that we would best benefit ourselves, our team morale and camaraderie by giving everyone a chance to play. Now obviously how much you play, after you have a chance depends on how well you performed. I think we've been comfortable keeping about nine almost 10 guys in just about every game. I think the morale is good when you are able to play nine or 10 players. I think it picks up your practices to some degree because I think that guys when they know they are going to have a chance to play in the game, I think their practices are better because they know there is something coming Tuesday night with how I play or how I perform in practice. And in other things, I look at the minutes played, and I think it's helping us maintain some fresher legs throughout the game. I think it's helped us as the game has gone on.
On Anthony Brock's performance at Mississippi following the death of his grandmother ...
"Well obviously he did a great job on Saturday. He's a point guard by nature, he's grown up as a point guard and he had a lot of success in high school and a junior college as a point guard, they won I think 29 or 30 games last year and he averaged 17-18 points so that's the position he plays and is comfortable playing. Now it's a transition from junior college to SEC basketball, as we all know, so he's done a nice job, and he can get better and better. You mentioned his situation last week, late Wednesday night his grandmother passed away in Little Rock. I didn't find out until 8 or 8:30 Thursday morning, and just by chance we were going to take Thursday off, so we very quickly got it organized for him to take a plane from Birmingham through Atlanta to Little Rock. I told him I did not want to put any pressure on him and felt like Oxford was probably two and half or three hours from Little Rock and if he felt like he was in a position to play, then obviously we'd love to have him, but we were going to leave that up to him. And then we talked again on Thursday after he got to Little Rock, and I talked to his mother. And then on Friday, I got a little bit nervous because his mother actually had a car accident on Friday and was out of commission from a driving standpoint. But I think he had a cousin bring him up to Oxford on Saturday morning. He missed the practice on Friday, missed the shoot around, missed the pre-game meal, he just met us at the arena. I was careful with his play, I let him sit over there another minute or two, a little bit longer than usual, I just wanted to make sure he was settled and had a good feel. And then obviously when he got in I didn't want to take him out, he played so well. But attribute it to him, I know there were some heart-felt conditions for him and tough circumstances, he responded great."
On matchup issues from the first game against Auburn and its four-guard lineup ...
"Well I think it is an issue, what I'm hopeful for is that they're not the same but similar in that Mississippi State has a similar style to Auburn with the four out around one. Obviously with us we're going to have to ask guys like JaMychal Green and Demetrius Jemison to get a little bit out of their comfort zone maybe guard some guys that are a little smaller, a little quicker, a little better with the dribble and that sort of thing, maybe more than normal, but we'll see how the game goes. I know when Mississippi State came to us with overtime, we ended up playing a little bit of a smaller lineup down the stretch, so I think I just have to see how the game goes, but obviously we'll start the way we've been starting and hope at some point we can take advantage of our size advantage."
Heading into senior night, on what the team's seniors mean to the program ...
Alonzo [Gee] and Brandon [Hollinger] obviously came in their freshmen year, had a great run. That was the year Chuck Davis got hurt and I thought we had a great second half run that year and made NCAA tournament. [Jean] Felix, [Evan] Brock and those guys, we played with 7 guys, Willie Watson, a manager, was dressing out as a player during that stretch run there at the end. Of course, Alonzo and Brandon both made great contributions on that team in the top seven. And you know the last couple of years maybe haven't gone just as they would have liked but I think they both had very solid careers. When you look at Alonzo, obviously his stats and the points and the rebounds, he's moving up the charts in his career here at Alabama. I'm real excited and proud for him and the way he's played, you know his whole career, but especially the last six or eight games. I really think he's elevated his game to another level. He's earned it and he deserves it, he's done a nice job, I know I've mentioned the past week or so, he's usually the last guy to leave the gym, he's got his college degree, and he's spent a lot of time right now doing everything he can to improve himself and improve our team."
On the bench's performance in filling in for Alonzo Gee during his first-half struggles at Mississippi ...
"Yes, that was great to see, and I mean [Yamene] Colemanhad a little bit of a similar situation and JaMychal with foul trouble against Arkansas, and I felt like Andrew Steele especially did some really nice things. I think six or seven rebounds and a couple of baskets, I think he made three or four great passes, penetrated pitching to Anthony Brock and Mikhail Torrance, that sort of thing. When you're playing nine or 10 players and guys are getting comfortable out there, you are a little more ready for a situation like that, certainly we'd rather have him in the game, but I think our team is a little more able to handle those situations.
On the excitement surrounding playing Auburn on national television ...
"We will all be excited and I think we're playing our best basketball at this point in the year, which is obviously good, it's what you aim for, and certainly with our situation, it's what we've been talking about for three or four weeks. So I hope we have a great crowd in here. Our guys, I couldn't have asked anymore out of them the past couple of weeks with their effort and mental and physical preparation we've talked a lot about. Auburn is coming in here, we know they're here hot, they're playing awfully well, but we're looking forward to what's hopefully going to be a great environment for us."
