Tennessee basketball has won two straight games ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against Oklahoma at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City. Ahead of the matchup, assistant coach Gregg Polinsky and shooting guard Bishop Boswell met with the media.
The duo discussed JP Estrella’s emergence over the last month, Oklahoma’s approved play as of late and much more. Here’s everything the duo said.
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Gregg Polinsky
On what has been different for Oklahoma in its last two wins over Vanderbilt and Georgia, following a nine-game losing streak
“I think over the last three weeks I saw where they were like second in the country in offensive efficiency. So I think they’re playing, you could almost say five guards, got guys with perimeter skills. All effective, all impactful, guys that are somewhat dynamic. And I think they’re playing with a lot of confidence. I mean, if you look at their season, they’ve had some really tough losses, right? You guys all know, at Missouri, Alabama at home, they’ve been right there at the door. And I think them breaking through at Vanderbilt, which we all know is a really good team on the road, and beating Georgia at home has given them some momentum. And I think they still feel like, based on the SEC and the opportunities they provide in Quad 1 wins, that they’re coming in here confident and knowing that this is a game that would be great for their resume.”
On if Oklahoma going on the road and beating Vanderbilt following nine straight losses speaks to the depth of the SEC
“Yeah, and I think that’s been the case. I’ve had these conversations with cohorts and friends and peers and around the country that our league, from top to bottom, is I think in KenPom or whatever considered the best. But I think teams that, ‘most people would think,’ at least, I’d say outside of Florida —Florida has merited the accolades of being a team that could win it all — that the Big 12, the Big Ten has shown, particularly maybe the Big 12, Big Ten has been really good, too, at the top of the league, right? And we can look at that through analytics as well, that they’ve shown they have teams that have probably, at this point that have the best chance to make a run. But we all know how the tournament can be and whatever, and you just want to be playing your best basketball near the end of the year.”
On Tennessee being 8-4 in SEC play after giving up a couple big leads, if the Vols are where they thought they would be at this point
“Well, I think you are what your record is. We just talked about Oklahoma and why they couldn’t get over the hump. Why we couldn’t get over the hump in the game versus Kentucky or some other games, it’s a matter of just having that possession or two back where you feel like, or possessions, that you didn’t take care of business and maybe play to the potential or the expectations you have for your own team. But we are where we are. And we know we have a really tough opponent coming in here. The record may not indicate that, but we know it. And we’re going to have to play really well to win this game tomorrow night.”
On J.P. Estrella’s growth defensively and in rebounding in recent weeks
“I think J.P., rebounding wise, he’s been great. He’s an excellent offensive rebounder. We’ve talked to him about defensive rebounding. That’s an area he knows he’s got to improve in and look to get his hits, blockouts earlier and then release, go get the ball. Got a great nose for the ball on the offensive board. Defensively, he’s still got a ways to go. We talk about it all the time. He’s had some great moments where he’s proven that he can switch and guard the basketball, but it’s just getting him to understand to square up on the ball, play to his length. We talk about the three C’s a lot with, with our big guys, all our guys, but particularly guys that can play to their length like him: cushion, contain, contest. That’s it. And if they make it, they make it. But you can’t open the gate, can’t let them get an angle, can’t be undisciplined, can’t reach in, got to stay vertical, on and on. And he’s not the only one we got to get to understand that. But J.P.’s a guy that we’re trying to get to understand that, and if he can do that and maintain those principles, I think he’ll be an effective defender.”
On what stood out about the front court against LSU
“We did what we’ve been doing, and knock on, is there any wood around here? Knock on wood. I think that we have continued to offensive rebound at a high level. And the thing that, I think, Coach and all of us are happiest with as a team, as a staff, is that we have gotten better defensive rebounding. We are taking care of the board, hopefully giving one shot, and giving us a chance to get out and run because we have been really effective in transition. So I think the front line is playing to their size, and this sounds like a simplistic, ridiculous. But I thought at the beginning of the year, we are big, but are we going to play big, right? We have the size, we look at it, our physical attributes are there, but are we going to play to it with the mentality? And I think we’re starting to do that.”
On the message to Amari Evans, Troy Henderson about consistency
“Being consistent every game. We talk about, one of the things I’ve learned over time in basketball (is) that great players and great teams don’t pick possessions to compete. Does that like resonate with everybody? You can’t say, ‘I’m gonna be great in this sequence, in this possession, and then I think I’m gonna take a break.’ We’ve had guys here that have proven that the first recipe works, competing every possession.
“And for young guys, I think that’s really something that’s difficult, particularly when you are cardio’d out, when you feel like, ‘I got to get a break. I got to get a blow.’ Well, we can’t stop the game and say, ‘Yo, can you give me a whistle just for a second? I just need a break.’ So those guys learning to sustain, and even if it’s not their best effort. I love the quote by John Chaney, who was one of the all-time great coaches,one time he said, ‘You may not be able to give me your best effort, but I gotta have an honest one on every possession.’ And that’s what we got to get with some of those guys.”
On if there are enough minutes for Amari Evans, Troy Henderson and Ethan Burg to play every night
“I think it would be hard to be equitable with minutes with all three on any given night. But what we’re asking of those guys is really hard, to be a good enough teammate to say, ‘hey, it’s Ethan’s night. It’s Troy’s night. It’s Amaree Abram, Mo’s night.’ So I go way back, for all you youngsters, when I was in my first go-around in the SEC, and Nolan Richardson, some of his best teams, I would be just baffled by his— because I worked for Wimp Sanderson that played seven, maybe eight, and a lot of coaches are like that, but he would play eleven or twelve, and the minutes difference on a given night, to give you names would be ridiculous, right? But just, some nights, a guy might play five minutes, the next game you’d look, he had 18. But they were really good as a team. He sold team, and those guys bought in. Different era, there was no NIL, there weren’t as much outside noise, but how he got those guys to buy in doing that, and I think that’s something we’re trying to say to our guys, ‘We have depth. Will you guys believe it? And can you be selfless enough on a given night to cheer for a teammate?'”
On how rare it is for Tennessee to be such a great offensive-rebounding team this consistently
“Well, I don’t know that it negates it, but when you sometimes give the ball to the other team as much as we’ve done, you gotta make it up somewhere, right? And so that has got to stay steady for us, and I do think — knock on wood — that we’re getting a little bit more conscious of taking care of the basketball. We still got a ways to go. I know what (the) analytics says, but we do feel like at least we are now being more intentional with what we’re doing. We need it to keep going to a higher standard.
“But the offensive rebounding, absolutely. More shots, more possessions, that’s big, especially when you are not at a point where you’re taking care of the ball like you know you need to. That’s a big deal. We had this talk the other day, you know, with our guys. We’re there. We lead the country in offensive rebounding, but let’s look back to a few games. Let’s look back to the level, and pointed out five or six teams, that if we really want to make a big run, we’ve got to get to another level. Because what happens is, just like us, when we know another team is really a good rebounding team, we probably take it to another level or we get our blank kicked, and it’s happened this year. So we still have to look at those teams that are gonna walk in the locker room, and that coach is gonna deliver a message, ‘Hey, we’re playing Tennessee, and they are,’ … and then we’ve got to be ready to meet that challenge. So that is our challenge.”
On if he feels like Tennessee is on the path to playing its best basketball in March:
“Yeah, I mean, we’ve shown signs of it. I just think level of consistency — and let me say this, Coach (Barnes) said it in his press conference — LSU was pretty awesome the other night in here. Without two to three starters, what Matt’s (McMahon) done with that group — and you can say, ‘next man up,’ and all that stuff, but that only sounds good and is real when the talent level is pretty even. But, you know, when you have to dip into your bench and you’re missing, you know, some real key guys, and I didn’t think our response was as good as it could have been. And again, LSU was more physical, they executed. We gotta be better. We gotta be better, and so to say, ‘yes, have we’ve been playing better basketball?’ I’d say, yeah, we’ve improved. But we’ve got to take another step to be more consistent with what we’re doing.”
Bishop Boswell
On what stands out about Oklahoma
“Been playing really well as of late. Dynamic guards. They have a lot of guys that can shoot the ball, space the floor, small ball lineups, guys off the bench that can really shoot the ball. So I think just versatility.”
On his message to Ethan Burg, Troy Henderson and other fringe rotation players about staying ready
“Yeah, I think Coach kind of said we need everybody. And whether I’m in foul trouble or Ja’Kobi is not playing well, it takes everybody. We’re going to need a different person every night because every game is a different matchup, different things we’re trying to attack. So yeah, if we can get the most out of everybody on the team, we’ll be successful.”
On if his foul trouble is the result of who he is guarding or if he can clean it up
“It’s definitely stuff I could clean up. I will, a lot of the times, guard other players (teams) offensive guy, a lot of times they want to draw fouls and stuff, but a lot of them is just me being sloppy, fouling when I probably don’t have to trying to be over aggressive and stuff like that. So watch film on it, and trying to get better with that.”
On if that’s more mental or technique based
“Probably mental. I think just making the decision sometimes to, you know, maybe just let that one go.”
On what he’s seen from JP Estrella as of late
“Obviously we know how talented JP is. Just every game getting more comfortable, taking on a leadership role. Being vocal for us, but then also just being that presence in the post. Get rebounds, score, do a little bit of everything.”
On stuffing the stat sheet, which stat he takes the most pride in
“Wins and losses. … Outside of that though. I mean, I love to get steals as a defender, but I think rebounding is huge, and that’s something we harp on at Tennessee. Being physical, being able to rebound. And I think our bigs do such a good job of clearing out space. So I try to go in there and help them as much as I can.”
On if steals and rebounds were his favorite stat when he signed with Tennessee
“I mean, I like assists, too. I could probably go to each one. Yes, points, everything. Just trying to do everything.”
On where points scored for the opponent he is guarding ranks amongst his favorite stats
“Yeah, obviously, every game we’ll have like points per how much you played, and you can either be in the red or in the green. So, you know, I try my best to be in the green, even though I’m guarding probably, you know, a scorer on the other side.”
On what he saw from sophomore guard Ethan Burg against LSU and how Burg can sustain his success
“Maturity. Obviously, he’s played a lot of ball. He’s a really, really good player, but, you know, the game might be a little different from overseas. He’s adapted to that. He’s stayed the course. Obviously he was huge for us, and we’re going to need him to continue to do that, and continue to be that leader, as kind of a guy that, you know, has played a lot of basketball.”
On where he feels Tennessee is at in the SEC with an 8-4 record compared to what he thought in the preseason
“Yeah, obviously, you know the SEC every night, you’re going to get a battle, whether it’s the top of the league or bottom of the league. We’ve put in a lot of work. We know how good we are. Obviously, some of those games we’d like to have back, but you never want to peak too early and, you know, we can’t focus on that. We could just learn from it. And you know, we have a lot of SEC games left going. So, you know, if we can just get rolling at the right time, and, you know, stay the course, we’ll be fine.”
On if he has a magnet attached to his face
“According to Nate (Ament).”
On his opinion on why he gets hit in the face so much
“I think me being aggressive, me taking up player’s space, and then sometimes I don’t even know, to be honest.”
