VCU transfer center Christian Fermin met with the Knoxville media on Tuesday afternoon for his first formal press conference at Tennessee. The last addition to the Vols’ portal class, Tennessee is looking for Fermin to bring rim protection and rebounding next season.
Fermin discussed emerging team leaders, differences in Tennessee’s practices compared to VCU and much more on Wednesday. Here’s everything Fermin said.
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On his first month as a Tennessee basketball player
“I’d say it’s been hard. I feel like there’s a standard here of just like how much work you’re going to put in every day, and I feel like it’s definitely like far beyond like where my college experience so far, like as far as just the amount of work we’re putting in and just the intensity in it. So I’ll say it’s just full of work, just hard work.”
On his biggest areas of growth over the last month
“I would just say in my consistency, like I feel like here everything is really just based upon just being where you have to be and being consistent and giving your all. I would just say that I think there’s a lot of like structure here, so I feel like that’s definitely something that you can like gain from being here is just structurally you’re going to be on point, you’re gonna like learn how to be punctual and everything, and yeah, just definitely I would say like just a lot of balance and structure has been given to me just coming here.”
On his perspective on the front court, how he will fit in
“I definitely feel confident about the front court. I already knew Miles like just coming in from the A-10, so me and him had played against each other, so that was honestly just one thing. I came in here just like, oh yeah, I’m ready to kind of go into the situation like with the iron sharpens iron mentality, as far as like, he’s concerned. DBrown has been like really like vocal, as far as like somebody that’s just been here for longer than everybody else has, so just hearing from him as much as we have throughout practicing, just constantly like on and off the court has been, it’s been good for the bigs that are coming in because we kind of have somebody to lean on and kind of ask questions who knows exactly what they’re doing for the most part.”
On what stands out about DeWayne Brown’s game
“His physicality, his strength, for sure. I would say for sure he’s a really big, strong player. Definitely a solid frame. So yeah, I’d say his physicality, and just I feel like he’s really poised, like he’s really poised when he gets around the rim. He has good decision making. He’s a really solid player, for sure.”
On his thoughts on the new uniforms
“The new uniforms, I feel like they’re really, they’re tough, honestly. I haven’t been like a Vols fan my whole life to have like the same reaction as like the fans and everything, but I’m definitely up to moving towards adidas. Like, I like adidas gear. I feel like everything we’ve gotten so far has been really nice. I saw a couple of my teammates in all the new adidas gear look really cool. So I’m definitely excited, optimistic. This is gonna be my first year playing in adidas, like anywhere, though, so it’s going be a change, but I’m ready to see it. They definitely got some heat, though. So far, I got some heat, like shoe-wise.”
On how he would describe a Rick Barnes practice
“A Rick Barnes practice, man. I would just say, like, one word I guess I would say would just be accountability, like you’re going to have somebody talking to you about something you’re doing the whole time in practice. Like just trying to correct something or let you know when you’re doing something right. I would say, like, what’s the word, like tolling. Like it’s definitely some of my more tired summer practices that I come out of, like, you definitely could go somewhere and have like a really relaxed, like maybe just getting shots up, like a couple skill days here and there, but like coming to a school like this, like you’re coming here to really work like as soon as you get here. So yeah, I would say like definitely tolling. It definitely takes a toll on you, but that’s why we got recovery, and we got Chad (Newman), and we got G(arrett) Medenwald to help us out.”
On if practices are more tiresome mentally or physically
“I guess it could be both, depending on how you go into it, but I feel like more physically. Like I feel like there’s not like mentally, there’s a lot to keep up with, just playing at this level. Like, there’s a lot of new guys here, so this is all of our first time playing at this level. So, like, obviously, mentally, there’s always going to be kind of like that step you got to take to get caught up and adjusted to where you’re at, but I feel like I’ve played long enough where it’s like I’m not having a hard time coming into concepts here as much as I was like earlier in my career at my at my older school. So yeah, I’d definitely say like more physically tolling is the main thing.”
On what Rick Barnes is harping on with Fermin’s game
“Definitely just being a defensive presence. Definitely just being a rebounder. just really being a glue guy in a sense, like just being able to like do a lot of like the dirty work in a way that like a lot of players aren’t going to want to do, just going out there and just playing hard, and yeah, rebounding, hitting guys, just being the most physical dude I can be.”
On if he’s working more at the four or the five spot
“It’s kind of like all interchangeable, like we all kind of work at both, like so … yeah, I’m working at both, technically, I guess, right now.”
On what he likes about the way Rick Barnes emphasizes defense
“That’s something that, like, you have to be able to — like, we win off defense here, so, we’re a defensive team. I feel like that’s something that he emphasized when I was coming here on my recruiting visits, and just even throughout the summer, like, if we’re lacking defensive intensity during practice, that’s something that’s brought up to us. That this is a defensive team, so yeah, he really cares about a lot of our abilities like rim protection, for me and Miles (Rubin) specifically, just our ability to protect the rim. That’s big to me, because I’m a defender for the most part, so hearing him be so locked in on defense, it definitely was a selling point to being here with him and getting coached by him, for sure.”
On coming to Tennessee from VCU with Terrence Hill Jr.; what it’s been like to watch Hill grow
“Yeah, Terrence, that’s a crazy full-circle moment, just kind of seeing him at a school like this. I knew him freshman year, when he wasn’t getting a lot of playing time, and I kind of see him grow into — like, we knew what he was at that point. We knew he was nice. It was just, we had a lot of players ahead of him at the moment, but he kind of found his way and took his own spot, and went and made his own path that next year, his sophomore year. Now seeing him here is insane to me.
“But it’s good just having that familiarity with somebody, just being able to — like, I already have rapport with him. We’ve talked about things on the court and off the court, so it’s easy (to) mesh with him as a player, but then also just have him be my guy off the court. It’s a blessing, honestly. It’s cool just to be here with one of my boys.”
On what has stood out to him about Tennessee freshman forward Chris Washington Jr.
“C-Wash, I’ll say his effort for sure. He’s getting tested, like any freshman coming into college, but I feel like he hasn’t been taking it to heart. He’s kind of just been moving in stride, and just constantly trying and trying. Again, I feel like that’s one thing, is his effort is just impressive, and his scoring ability, too. Like, obviously, his body and his frame has to come in to what it’s going to be, but I feel like his ability to get to the rim and just score as a freshman in college right now is intriguing for sure. It definitely looks like he’s going to be nice, for sure, I would say.”
On having his own AAU program
“Yeah, that was a conversation I had with my high school coach, honestly. It was like the end of my freshman year, going into my sophomore year, and he came to me with the idea of starting an AAU team. The idea was like, where I’m from (Tobyhanna, Pa.), there’s not a lot of elite AAU teams. When I played AAU, I had to go to New York to play EYBL. I just so happened — not a lot of kids are that good where I’m from to even get recognized to get pulled to go somewhere else to play basketball. So the idea really was just kind of having an at-home grassroots AAU team that’s just gonna provide an opportunity for kids to get scholarships, because where I’m from, that doesn’t happen a lot. Like, a lot of kids don’t make it out athletically, or do much cool stuff to begin with, so just wanted to kind of give them that outlet to go and be on those stages that they got to see me on, and kind of go compete at a high level.”
On if there are any plans to bring his AAU team down to Knoxville
“Maybe some time down the line, but I don’t know yet. I kind of let — my high school coach really does manage all that himself very well, so he kind of keeps me out of it, just because he wants me to be focused on where my feet are, but I definitely could see that happening. I don’t see — I don’t think it would be too hard to get them down here to kind of see campus and stuff.”
On who else has emerged in a leadership role with Tennessee sophomore forward DeWayne Brown II
“I’ll say Tyler (Lundblade). Tyler, just because of his age, and just because of his presence as a player, he definitely emerged as a leader. I feel like a lot of the returning guys were just leaned on heavy. Like I know in lifts, like I look for Cam (Campbell Duncan) a lot, just to be a good leader by example. I feel like there’s a lot of guys that really just do the right things, you kind of just follow, but I feel like, yeah, D-Brown definitely is one of those vocally. Tyler’s another one. I say Cam is somebody I look out for a lot. I feel like a lot of the new guys are just — we’re all still getting comfortable, so they’re going to come into that role and be more present vocally, and assert themselves as leaders more, but right now, I feel like a lot of the returners are doing that for us.”
