No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Duke: How To Watch, Key Stats, Betting Odds

“Well, I think on paper they’re probably the biggest team in the tournament, and they make a great effort to go get there. We’ve always believed that it’s a talent. It’s got to somewhat be in your DNA that you want to go get it like they do.

They run really good offense. They space the floor well, and I think they know where their shots are coming from. So they’re ready to go get it, so that will be a big part of tomorrow’s game, but it’s a big part of every game. But again, as we watch film with our players, that was one of the big emphasis. We know that they’re going to come to the glass, they know we’re going to come to the glass, so I expect that to be a big part of the game.”

On his players not being star struck by a team like Duke

“Yeah, you think about it, we’ve beaten the No. 1 seeds this year, I think a No. 2 seed. So yeah, we’re play in a great basketball league, and again, I don’t think — these guys, first of all, they have a lot of respect for the name of Tennessee. We feel like we’re a team that can compete with any team in the country, and these guys have shown this year certainly when we’ve been at full strength — I don’t know if we’ve been at full strength all year. Josiah wasn’t with us at the start of the year.

But the fact is I think our guys have a great deal of respect for what they do, their work, and what they put in year-round to know that they belong wherever they play.”