Coming off a week where Tennessee split a pair of matchups against top 15 teams, the Vols return home for another top 15 matchup on Wednesday night against Missouri.
The Tigers enter the week with an outright hold on third place in the SEC thanks to a 6-2 record and are unquestionably the conference’s most improved team.
Ahead of the matchup, Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky and shooting guard Chaz Lanier met with the media to put a bow on the Vols’ win over No. 5 Florida and to preview the tilt with the Tigers. Here’s everything that the pair said.
More From RTI: Tennessee Basketball Optimistic About Zakai Zeigler, Igor Milicic Injury Status Ahead Of Missouri
Gregg Polinsky
On Missouri’s turnaround after going 0-18 in the SEC last season
“Well, I mean, last year was a brutal year for them. A lot of injuries, et cetera. They are playing great basketball. I think in the month of January they have been the top offensive team in the country. Their defense has always been really good, chaotic in an organized fashion, so they’re a very difficult matchup. But they’re really improved. It’s a really good basketball team.”
On how much of a boost a win like the one over Florida can give this Tennessee team this time of year
“Yeah, I mean it was extremely gratifying. And we’ve said all these words, right, but they’re all real. Like, really proud of the group. Proud of the culture here. Guys mean what they say about, you know, we had enough in here to get it done. We, I think, took it personal and were embarrassed by how we played down there (at Florida) and guys stepped up and did it. And those seven got it done. I mean, look, it’s hard to sustain something like that. Health is a major issue at any level. I don’t care what sport, you got to have enough numbers and et cetera. But that was a very proud couple of hours for the Tennessee Vols.”
On if he gets the sense that Igor Milcic and Zakai Zeigler will be back for Tennessee against Missouri on Wednesday
“I get a sense, yeah. They both practiced yesterday in somewhat limited amounts. But as always our performance (staff) and Chad (Newman) have done a heck of a job, and those guys (the players) getting themselves back.”
On what challenges are presented by Missouri’s Caleb Grill, who is shooting 49.0% from the 3-point line this season
“From behind the arc, you mean almost at half court? That’s a real issue. You guys probably are all too young in here to remember Alex Dillard that played at Arkansas, (shooting) from the nose of the pig. That is what you’re looking at. And he reminded me, he was from Bessemer, Alabama, and at the time I was (coaching) at that word we all like here, Alabama. So (Grill has) got great range. I think the most impressive thing is his ability to balance himself on his shot — shot prep, quick release. He’s just a really tough cover because you can play really good defense and his offense might be better.”
On Missouri shooting well from three but also playing through Mark Mitchell in the post
“I think when you have like size and a guy like that that is strong physically, but also like very mobile, versatile, it makes it tough to manage. Like how are we going to guard all these other guys? They space the floor, they lift the floor. There’s area to cut. Kentucky obviously does some of that, or a lot of that. Mitchell’s just a little more fluid probably than (Amari) Williams at Kentucky. Williams is bigger, more of a rebounder. Mitchell is capable of putting ball the floor and creating plays. So it’s a real issue. We’re going to have to be really sharp defensively. Our communication will have to be top notch, but it’s very challenging.”
On Jordan Gainey running Tennessee’s offense against Florida with Zakai Zeigler out
“Yeah, it’s impressive. I think Jordan, not only that, but like Coach (Barnes) talks about it to be able to play 36 minutes. Look, cardio wise, we want cardio tough guys. We always say you can do this a little bit, but you can’t fall off the cliff because that turns into a six-, eight-point run and you might not be able to recover. I think the fact that he and some of the other guys we’re able to play 36 minutes, sustain their effort, and not just offensively, but defensively manage their guards at Florida who are terrific. I mean we just had a really good day, and they had a tough day. You guys have seen them before, that’s probably as good a trio and you add (Denzel) Aberdeen in there. It’s a really good guard group. We’re getting ready to see another one here coming up in Missouri.”
On if the Florida game can be a turning point
“Well, we’ve won 18 games. Our four losses, coach has talked about it, have been to really good teams in our league. I don’t know if it’s a turning point. I don’t think that that necessarily would be how we look at it. I get where you’re coming from with it, like did that give you guys a boost and maybe turn this, but we’re going to see so many more good teams and I think that for the entire league, how many road teams won the other day? It was like, what, five out of seven or four out of seven? I mean I think that we just have to try and remain consistent throughout this season and find ourselves and obviously offensively find what’s going to work best for this team because it’s different than last year’s team. Right. So I don’t know if I’d say turning point. I just think that we’re looking for that level of consistency and I’d say mainly more on offense than defense.”
On guys playing in different roles against Florida potentially helping the team
“I think the psychological advantage or the confidence level of it gave guys like Dstone, Bishop Boswell and like you mentioned earlier (Jordan Gainey), guys having to step up, play a different role for a sustained period of time. That’s a hard thing to do, but the fact that we have a team that is connected, that understands that and we push hard in practice to be able to do that and be ready for those kinds of moments. I think it’s very helpful.”
On Cade Phillips growth from the start of the season to now
“We trust him a lot. I think his teammates will say the same thing. I think you know my comment about the Waffle House. I think the one thing that I appreciate in life is a level of consistency. I just want to know what I’m going to get, and I think when you’re coaching and you’re a teammate of a guy, you just want to know what you’re going to get every day. The most frustrating things are the rollercoaster ride with people, with relationships, with players. That’s a tough thing to deal with and I think with Cade you get a consistent personality, you get a pretty consistent effort, execution sometimes, you want it to be a little higher, but he’s done a really nice job for us.”
On Missouri’s Caleb Grill dramatically increasing his shooting percentage, how rare it is
“It’s impressive. I mean, as we prepared for Florida in the second game, I watched that game down there. He was phenomenal. I mean, the shots he was making off of movement were NBAish. It’s rare but it happens to have that uptick and the thing is, can a guy like that do it again next year? I don’t know if there is next year for him, but can he do it again at the next level? I know we used to look at that a lot (when he was a NBA scout). Is it a one year thing? But it doesn’t matter because right now he’s doing it and he’s doing it at a high level.”
On how to balance conditioning and wear and tear in the middle of SEC play with only nine scholarship players
“I think that’s where (strength coach) Garrett (Medenwald) comes in and (trainer) Chad (Newman). We follow their lead pretty much. It depends. I always tell the guys, ‘hey, let’s get it done here in the time that we really have allotted, that we have allotted, that we want to go with, optimal amount of time for you to be on the court.’ So when we execute and guys are given effort, then we can get in and out. But Coach is not gonna leave practice unless we’ve gotten done, what we need to get done.”
On Wednesday night’s game against No. 15 Missouri being the fifth straight game against a top-15 team, how that helps them heading into March
“Yeah, I think that our whole league is benefiting from this, right? That we get to see top-level competition every single night. There’s not one game on the schedule that you might circle saying we probably have a little better chance to win this one. I just can’t say that. I mean, it’s also when you catch an opponent, like Florida caught us when we were — or you catch another team when they’re not as healthy. I’m watching Iowa State, I have great respect for them. What’s happened? It’s a long year. There’s a lot of dynamics that go on within a team and sometimes you just don’t find your stride.
“I know coach (Barnes) brings up all the time, I think one of the years UConn won the national championship, they lost five straight games. So you can flip it if you have high-character people and we do. So like one game, whatever. But to go back to what you originally asked, the opportunity to play these games, I think our players will tell you, they love. And it gives us a great opportunity to maybe get some seeding if we can take care of business, you know, and I think every team feels like that. That, wow, we get a chance to really put ourselves in a position for the NCAA tournament.”
On being in charge of scouting Florida this past Saturday, what it means when the defense performs well when it’s his scout
“Well, I take pride in our players. I mean, we are pretty much insignificant. We give them the information, we give them a game plan and a strategy, but it didn’t change immensely from the first time, that guys just did it. The guys went out and executed, played at a high level competitively. Listen, the guy (Chaz Lanier) you’re getting ready to talk to next, came off screens like a pro, knocked down shots at critical times. We just had a great defensive effort from everybody and the energy level and execution. Their level of concentration. So, I say this and not to sound so noble, it is a hundred percent the players and they did a great job with the Florida game.”
Chaz Lanier
On his pull up transition three against Florida, where it ranks on his list of favorites
“That’s a good one. I was just feeding off the energy from the guys who got the blocks and thought I got to take it. The crowd is into it. It’s a pretty good look. I don’t get a lot of open ones so it is up there for me.”
On if that’s the ultimate confident shot
“Oh yeah. Definitely. Once you see it go through a few times, it’s definitely going up in transition.”
On if that’s one of his favorite shots to take
“I love to shoot threes. Whenever I get a little bit of separation, I love to get it up.”
On what was working for him against Florida
“We did a great job preparing, the coaches and the players. We were all locked into the game and my teammates did a great job screening for me and then just finding me when I got open.”
On how he’d assess where he’s at after a month of SEC play
“It’s been ups-and-downs for me personally. But I’d say there’s a lot of good. A lot of growth has happened. I’ve soaked in a lot of the experiences and have learned a lot. So I am in a good spot.”
On how he’s gotten better coming off screens
“We’ve been working since the summer, Coach Barnes especially, but just getting my hips flipped coming off the screens and sprinting into my shot and not slowing down. Then just getting my release quicker.”
On how different things felt on Saturday (against Florida) compared to Tuesday (against Kentucky)
“It definitely feels good to get the win, come out with the win. All the guys, we were just really locked in after the Kentucky game. Everybody has a great attitude and is ready to move on to the next game and that’s exactly what we did coming out at Florida. The guys, we just did a great job coming together.”
On the character of this team helping it bounce back from losses
“Everybody is willing to accept criticism and hold each other accountable so I would say that is one of the biggest things. Everybody is high character guys and we all share one common goal which is to win. So everybody had open ears and we all just want to grow together.”
On where he’s at defensively compared to the start of the season
“I’ve definitely gotten a little bit better. Maybe a lot bit better. But Coach Barnes and the staff, they have done a great job with me, pushing me every day in practice. Then my teammates as well, holding me accountable and teaching me new things. I feel like I’ve gotten better for sure.”
On how much time he spends watching other SEC teams when they’re not playing
“It’s the best league in America so every time I go home I’m watching basketball. It’s just exciting. The league is filled with great talent top to bottom. It’s just fun to watch.”
On what stands out about Mizzou
“They’re a super electric team. They have some great players. They’re going to run and jump and trap. It’s just going to be a fast paced game. It will be fun.”
