Tennessee @ Florida Preview : Interview With the Enemy
By Nat Scott
The Vols go on the road Saturday to take on the No. 8 Florida Gators in Gainesville. In their last meeting, Tennessee won a huge victory in Knoxville 67-56. To preview Saturday’s game, Staff Writer Nat Scott has done an interview with our fellow Fansided site, Hail Florida Hail.
All For Tennessee: How does UF rebound from such a disappointing loss to Kentucky?
Hail Florida Hail: Disappointing is a good way to describe it, but then part of me wonders if Kentucky is just that good. And they are. Not that the No. 7/8 team in the nation should lose to anyone by 20, but if I’m making my tourney picks right now, I’m taking the Wildcats to win it all. Anyway, the Gators need to get their confidence back. They’re still 19-5 (7-2 SEC), so this doesn’t knock them off the mountain, but they need to prove they can play at both ends of the court. Against Kentucky, Florida had trouble scoring and defending. A solid win over the Vols will get some of the confidence back.
AFT: Will Walker actually shoot this game? Last game he didn’t shoot much.
HFH: Walker seemed overwhelmed against Kentucky. Never good to happen to a senior. Like the rest of the team, he needs his confidence back. It was one game, so I’m sure it didn’t go far, but he needs to be the floor leader again and find his teammates for east shots. He’s so fast with the ball and I’m not sure he expected the Wildcats to keep up with him. The Gators don’t necessarily need many points from him, but they need him to create offense.
AFT: What do UF’s guards need to do to produce better against Tennessee?
HFH: Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal got their points against the Wildcats, but both struggled to find their rhythm the first time they faced the Vols. The biggest thing for all of the guards will be taking smart shots. If Tennessee does get out to a lead, don’t panic. Stay calm, work the ball around, and take the smart shot. The Gators get into trouble when they try to force things.
AFT: What do UF fans think of all this Bruce Pearl craziness?
HFH: I’ll be honest, I’m all about being entertained. If that means Spurrier saying something funny, Pearl being crazy, or Kiffin being a raging lunatic that’s fine with me. These sports need some personality. The guy did some stuff that wasn’t exactly what you wanted in the end, but he could coach basketball. I’m sure we’ll see him back somewhere eventually and I’ll be watching. Life sure would be boring with a collection of bland coaches.
AFT: What are your thoughts on Cuonzo Martin so far?
HFH: He was put in a tough situation. It’s hard to follow a legend and it may be even harder to follow a scandal. Mike Davis followed up Bobby Knight at Indiana, but despite going to a title game in year two never had less than 12 losses. Sticking with Indiana, Tom Crean has gone 46-72 since becoming the permanent replacement for Kelvin Sampson. Not to say Martin won’t have success, but Tennessee fans may have to be patient and give him some time. It takes a few seasons to get out of the shadow of a situation like Pearl’s.
HFH: Florida is undefeated at home, but Tennessee forced the Gators to play their game in the first matchup of the season. Without the home crowd behind them, what do the Vols need to do to win again?
AFT: Ask if the game can be played outside of the O Dome! For as well as Tennessee has played at home (as everyone has seen with wins over Florida and Connecticut plus taking Kentucky to the wire) the Vols have been equally as bad on the road. The first five minutes of the game will be the most important for the Vols. At Vandy and at Kentucky the Vols were out of the game by the first TV timeout. However, against Mississippi State they held it together for the first few minutes and played the Bulldogs tough for 40 minutes. The first five minutes will tell you all you need to know about this game.
HFH: How does Tennessee matchup against Florida’s guard play?
AFT: Before last game I would say Tennessee matched up horribly. Tennessee’s guard play has been a constant struggle this season. Trae Golden has even been moved to coming off the bench the last few games to try to shake things up. Richardson brings it on defense, but on offense is a reliability. Skylar McBee is supposed to be a sharpshooter but has apparently gone cold all season. All that to say Tennessee does not match up well with Walker and Boynton at all on paper. For some reason Tennessee kept them in check the first game, so we will see if they can keep that up. I just think the experience factor will help Walker and Boynton to bounce back and have a huge game.
HFH: It’s been a rough season for the Vols. Tough start, some good wins, but some bad losses. What’s important for Tennessee to accomplish over the remainder of the season?
AFT: NIT NIT NIT NIT! If Tennessee could somehow manage to make the NIT this season Cuonzo Martin deserves to have a street named after him. For Tennessee to accomplish that they need to finish 4-3 over the final seven games which is actually not impossible. The schedule is much more favorable for Tennessee in February so they may be able to make a bit of a run. For a team that was picked dead last in the SEC (and projected as some as the least talented major conference team in America) that would be a great season. To be honest before the season some people thought ten wins would be acceptable. NIT would be unbelievable.
HFH: With only two seniors on the roster, is 2012-13 a season the Vols take a big step forward?
AFT: Let’s say 2012-2013 should be a step forward but not a big step forward. Tennessee could contend for the tournament next year, but should in no means be expected to make a too much noise. The Vols will be more experienced but still will not have the talent most top tier teams have. The addition of Stokes is great, but the tallest player Tennessee will be able to put on the floor will still only be 6′ 8″ and there is no clear answer to the struggles at guard play. The Vols will be better, but are still a couple years away from another shot at a deep tournament run (but I hope I’m wrong).
HFH: Bruce Pearl. Cuonzo Martin. What are the biggest differences you’ve seen?
AFT: On the floor Cuonzo preaches defense and toughness. While Bruce’s teams were tough at times, they were not exactly great at defense by any stretch of the imagination. Cuonzo is a hard nosed coach and his team shows it on the court. Coach Martin is also trying to implement changes off the court as well. He wants his players in class everyday (he checks on them himself) and wants them to be just successful outside of basketball as well. Do not expect the NCAA to come around investigating Cuonzo Martin anytime soon. Martin also does not like BBQ like Bruce does.