Opening Statement…

“Reviewing Saturday’s game and looking at the first half, I thought we did some things really well. I thought we ran the ball extremely well in the first half, but as you look at the way the game played out, starting in the first half, we obviously didn’t create enough explosive plays in the passing game. As a coaching staff, we have to do a much better job of creating opportunities for our guys. We have some really good playmakers on the outside. I felt like the way the box count was, our offensive line did a really nice job in the first half. I felt like there were some plays out there on the perimeter that we’ve got to be able to call and dial them up to give the guys an opportunity to have success. That’s on us as a coaching staff to get that done. In the second half, offensively, we had a couple of penalties on some opportunities where we did throw the ball. We didn’t make a couple of throws there. Obviously, Jarrett (Guarantano) got hurt in the third quarter and went out of the game. To me, just philosophically on offense, we’ve got to be much more aggressive. We’ve got to push the ball down the field. That’s something that we’ve talked about as a staff and have continued to talk about it. We’ve got to be able to give our kids an opportunity to have success doing that.

“Defensively, for three out of four quarters, I thought our guys played pretty well. In the third quarter, starting with the opening drive of the second half, third downs were third-and-2, 3  and 5. In the first half, we kept them to a little bit longer down and distances. I felt like we had a chance to get off the field twice there and didn’t execute calls like we needed to. There were two plays there. One play down the sideline where the kid comes back in bounds – it was a scramble where we had everybody covered and lose a guy on the scramble drill. I thought we gave up two explosive plays that resulted in 14 points. I think there’s one play where there was a pass interference called on us that put them in position to kick a field goal and total 24 points. Going back to look at it, we need to play cleaner on defense. I felt like our guys did that for the majority of the game. We just had a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of it. That’s something that we’ve got to eliminate.”

On what he has seen from Texas A&M this season…

“Watching their tape over the last day, they’re one of the more complete teams that I’ve seen in our league. I’m very familiar with Jimbo (Fisher), after working with him in the past. Offensively, Kellen Mond seems like he’s been playing there forever. Isaiah Spiller, along with the other three running backs they play, is very talented. They’ve got a huge offensive line. I think they’re giving up the least amount of sacks in the SEC. They’ve got playmakers on the outside defensively. They create a lot of negative plays. When it comes to production, I think they’re first or second in our conference. It will be a tremendous challenge for us. Looking at their special teams, they’ve got really good return guys and they’ve got good specialists. We’ll need to find a way to create an advantage in the kicking game.”

On why the team altered the way they call offensive plays on Saturday…

“In this league, when you’ve been in it a while, you have guys that change staffs and over the course of a season, it’s not unusual to mix up your signals. It’s a part of the game. Just like in baseball, people try to steal signals. We were just trying to change it up.”

On if the change in the way plays were called was a long-term adjustment or just utilized versus Arkansas…

“It’s something that we’ve done in the past. I think everyone does that. Obviously, with familiarity with last week’s staff at Arkansas, with Coach (Sam) Pittman and Coach (Jim) Chaney, it’s something that we felt like we needed to do.”

On why he believes some of the team’s execution issues are happening…

“We didn’t have defensive busts in the back end. We had a guy that played really good technique and got the guy out of bounds. The guy pulled himself away to get back in bounds and caught the ball. Then, we had the guy guarded in the back end, we just took our eyes off the guy on the scramble. The scramble drill is something that we do every week. Offensively, as the game goes, there are more and more guys in there and they start playing man-to-man. We have to take advantage of it. We’ve got good skill players on the outside. It’s something that we’ve done where we’ve created some big plays over the season. We’ve got to be more aggressive to do that.”

On becoming more creative on offense…

“Offensively, the name of the game is scoring points. You can do it a bunch of different ways. You can run it every snap or you can throw it every snap. It’s my belief that you probably need to be able to do both. You have to mix it in there, and you have to keep the defense on their heels. When you do that sometimes you have to throw play action passes or drop back passes on first down and when you do that, you have to take advantage of that. If they guard them, you have to take the check downs. You can’t get holding calls. We’ve got to call an aggressive game and when we do that, we have to execute it so that we can soften the other team up.”

On Jarrett Guarantano’s health and backup quarterbacks…

“It’s day to day. Our medical staff didn’t feel like it was in his best interest to play the rest of the game, so we held him out. It’ll be day-to-day this week. We’ll work the other guys and see how we develop this week. We’ll work a good game plan that fits all of those guys.”

On the decision to go for it on fourth down late in the game and leaning on the coaching staff for decisions…

“We obviously always go back and do quality control each game. When you’re down two scores there’s a thought in all that: do you take the points? Do you go for it? Saturday, I elected to go for it. The reasoning was because of where were at on the field and we felt like we had a good call for that down and that distance. We had a good idea for what they would do. In the back end of the game, there was a thought when there were 40 seconds left to kick a field goal and do an onside kick. Obviously, it didn’t work and when it doesn’t work you want to do the other thing. It’s something that we philosophically look at and see where we’re at. We know kind of what we’re going to do during the game. If I had it back, absolutely I would have kicked it.”

On a lack of aggressiveness offensively and changes in the offensive philosophy…

“No, I think we had explosive plays against Alabama. You get into that game Saturday and we’re controlling the ball 13-0. It’s my belief that you have to be able to do both. You have to score touchdowns in this league. You have to try to eliminate as many field goals as you can. We had good control of the game and we kept it close by doing that. In the second half, we didn’t run the ball nearly as effectively as we did in the first half. Within a matter of one drive and one play we go from leading 13-0 to (trailing) 14-13. One thing that I’ve said all along is that you always want to coach aggressively. If you’re calling the defense, you want to make the other team react to you. It’s something that we have to do a better job of in all three phases.”

On rectifying third quarter struggles….

“If you look, I believe offensively, for whatever reason we’ve had turnovers in that quarter. We didn’t on Saturday. Turnovers and penalties hurt us. It’s obviously something that if you’re not doing it well, then you want to go back and try to figure out why. We’ve done that and we’ve been doing that. Offensively, as the game goes, you see the plays that were going well, and you mark them down to create a script for the second half. You meet with it at half time and get a good opening script. Saturday when we came out in the second half, we got a false start and that gets us a second-and-16. We end up being fourth-and-3. We have to do a better job there. Defensively, just getting off the field on third down on the first drive and obviously the previous two plays that I talked about.”

On covering the middle of the field…

“If you are going to play middle-of-the-field coverage, people are going to attack you with slants or what I call ‘chop’ routes, inside fades. They are basically working off the leverage. You have to be able to play man-to-man if you want to be good on defense and by playing man-to-man with a middle field safety; those are the two things that people are going to attack. There is lots of times in the game that we play split safety coverage and you can take that away if you are going to do that then you have to be able to stop the run with six guys in the box or find a way to hide to get the seventh guy. There’s lots of indications from formations that teams get in. On Saturday, Arkansas got in a couple of those formations and you kind of anticipate these plays are coming. We have to do a better job of getting our guys prepared to understand that.”

On snapping the losing skid and getting things turned around in a game week…

“Well, you just go back and look at the things you are doing well and you want to continue to do those. You want to do the things that you believe. If you are not executing (you ask), is it an execution issue? Is it a philosophical issue? Is it a personnel issue? All those things. You have to go back and look and see. It’s something that we do after we win, we do the same stuff. We keep trying to find ways to improve our football team. I feel like if you look at this last week, it is what I said, we have to be more explosive on offense. You are not going to win games in this league scoring 13 points. We didn’t turn the ball over, but you have to be more explosive. Defensively, it’s what I said, you have to get off the field on third down and you can’t give up big plays. You have to make them earn it.”

On quarterback development in his program…

“Brian (Maurer) has not been here two and a half years, he was here last fall. He missed fall camp being in quarantine and having a hamstring (injury). I don’t think it’s really fair to put him in that category. The circumstances at quarterback are relative to everybody around you. It takes protection, it takes a good run game, it takes wide receivers that you’ve got some chemistry with. I’m not sure that this fall’s body of work for those guys is really fair based on the circumstances that those guys were put in during fall camp and summer and without spring ball. When you look at the guys in our league, most of the time the guys that are playing really well at that position are guys that probably have a little bit of experience with them or they’re playing on a team that has a lot of experience. It can go either way. I think all of those guys have lots of talent, they work hard every single day and as long as they continue to do that they will develop and have a chance to be really good players one day.”

On being more effective on third down…

“You really don’t want 15 third downs in a game to start with. Probably 11 is the number, maybe 10 to 11 there. You want to stay out of third and longs. You want to be on third-and-one, twos, threes, fours and fives. If you just look, you probably have a better opportunity to convert those than the longer downs and distances. We have to be more efficient on first and second down and stay out of as many third downs.”

On Theo Jackson and Kenneth George Jr. filling in for Shawn Shamburger and Alontae Taylor last Saturday at Arkansas…

“Theo (Jackson) is a guy that has really played STAR, he’s played money, he’s played safety. He really can play any one of those positions. He’s a smart guy. He made some plays in the game Saturday. He probably gave up a couple plays that he’ll work hard to fix. Kenneth George has played off and on for us for the last year and when he’s played, he’s been really consistent. I didn’t feel like that from a technical standpoint that was probably one of his better games. We got to work hard to clean him up on some of his technique. Alontae (Taylor) and Shawn (Shamburger) are guys that have really kind of played a lot of ball the last couple of years. Unfortunately, both of them have been in and out of the lineup this year. That has probably hurt their development as players and probably a little bit of the chemistry in the back end.”

On the decision to not travel DB Shawn Shamburger and what went wrong offensively early in the second half…

“Every week we decide who we’re going to bring on the trip. We have 120 guys, so we take 70 each week. Based off circumstances, Shawn didn’t come this week.

“Offensively, I think the second drive we had in the game there in the third quarter – might have been the third drive – third-and-two we had a rocket sweep going by there that Brian (Maurer) should have pitched the ball there based off the count. Those little things like that. We’ve had a couple of things there on the offensive side that probably kept us from getting going.”

On DL Savion Williams entering his name in the transfer portal and his play since Pruitt took over as defensive line coach…

“I thought he improved in those two games. Again, the circumstances surrounding each individual is probably different when you talk about opportunities, really over the last six or seven months. Based off some of the circumstances, his were limited. Savion is a good kid that works hard, and I’ll help him in any way that I possibly can.”

On what he can say to the fanbase right now…

“To me, I’m just as restless as they are. I think everybody is kind of in this together. We all want the same things. My names at the head of the organization. I understand that. We as a group and this organization, we got to find a way to get it going and play the right way and finish the right way. That’s on me as the coach to get it going and we’re going to work hard to do that.”

On the status of DL LaTrell Bumphus and the play of QB Harrison Bailey…

“It was unfortunate with LaTrell, during warmups somebody fell into his leg there and he’s probably going to miss the rest of the season, so that’s unfortunate for him.

“I thought Harrison, based off the circumstance, did a really nice job there. They were dropping eight and he took what they gave him. He didn’t try to force the ball until basically the time on the clock forced him to do that, so I thought that was promising for him.”

-UT Athletics

On if LaTrell Bumphus’ injury is a knee injury…

“Yes, he’s probably going to be out 4-6 weeks, so based off the season that probably will be it for this year.”

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt held his weekly Monday game week press conference, this week to preview Saturday’s game vs. Texas A&M.

VFL Grant Williams sat down with the media (from his car in LA traffic) on Friday afternoon to discuss his first year in the NBA and all things Tennessee athletics.

On what his Friday entailed…
“Typically, I get to the Airbnb (here in Los Angeles) around 1:30 or 1:45, and I was going to be able to sit down, set up and be comfortable in this chat. This morning, I played 1-on-1s with Chris Paul and OG Anunoby. Afterward, I went to go play pickup with KD (Kevin Durant), Kyrie (Irving) and all of those guys. That’s why I’m running late. The pickup ran over, and we played more games than I thought we were going to. We normally play six or seven. I think we played 10 today. Now I’m pulled over on the side of the road talking to you guys. Hopefully that’s not bad or anything.”

On the transition from college basketball to the NBA…
“The toughest part of adapting is being able to be on your own. I feel like that’s kind of difficult. You don’t have the highs and lows. You have to be more focused on yourself. Coaches are there for you, but you’re also a professional now. They’re not going to walk with you, hand-in-hand. Coach (Rick) Barnes did a good job of keeping guys engaged and prepared. In the NBA, you have to be prepared yourself and have confidence in yourself. That’s something that’s always difficult.”

On the biggest difference between college basketball and the NBA…
“The biggest thing was pace of the game—the speed and the talent of players. You don’t realize how talented these guys are until you’re playing against them 1-on-1 or up close and personal. I think that’s probably the most difficult thing—understanding the pace of the game. There’s six seconds less on the (shot) clock, as well as the talent that you’re guarding.”

On if he had moments as a rookie when he realized he was playing against players he had admired growing up…
“I think that was more so with Draymond (Green). As everyone knows, when I was going through high school and college, he was my favorite player. I wanted to be in that role, so it was definitely a moment for me when I played against him for the first time. I’ve met him before, so playing against him is unique. With every other guy, it’s the competitor in me, and I want to take on the challenge. No matter who I was playing, there was a bunch of names like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or Pascal (Siakam) and I was like, ‘I’m playing against them, cool. Let’s just compete and get this win.’ It was definitely and interesting time. This (week) is my first time ever playing against KD and all of those guys. That’s unique. I never played Kyrie this year, either. Seeing the shots that they make and how talented of scorers they are, I’ve got nothing but respect for them.”

On his experience at Tennessee and how it helped him transition to the NBA and if he ever heard Barnes’ voice in his head during his rookie season…
“I feel like coach always used to say I couldn’t guard anybody or ‘guard a soul.’ The next thing you know, I’m labeled as a defender in the NBA. I think that’s the thing that was the funny part to me. He prepared me with the discipline of not only focusing on game plans but being prepared in film. That’s the biggest thing I took away from Tennessee, was how prepared he had me for not only professional living, but the game itself. I know that was a chuckle moment for me when everybody kept saying how good of a defender I was, how good I was doing and how much I communicate. I look back and say, ‘Dang, coach Barnes didn’t even want to nominate me for (SEC) defensive team.”

On if he sent the video clip of his defensive play against the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals to Barnes…
“I didn’t. Hopefully somebody else did, though. That’s a big-time play for a big-time moment. Hopefully he can say, ‘Okay, he’s an average defender now.’ Maybe I’ll never get that out of coach Barnes, but hopefully I’ll find a way.”

On that defensive play, which helped the Boston Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference finals…
“It was definitely an impactful play, just because I had just missed two free throws (right before that). I also had a 3-point shot cashed out in my face. So first, you missed two free throws, and then you gave up a three? That would have been rough. The fact that I got the block—although I didn’t get credited for it—and we got the stop, that’s a big-time moment for me. If you think about the Eastern Conference semifinals, that’s a dream as a child. Playing against guys as talented as Fred (VanVleet), Kyle Lowry and those guys with the Raptors is always cool. It’s definitely one of those moments for me that took me over the top for the next series, as well.”

On if he and Kevin Durant have shared any Rick Barnes‘ stories…
“We did in the past, but not more recently. I remember the first time I ever met KD, he asked me about coach Barnes. Every time that I was playing defense yesterday and I kept getting stops or I kept being physical with the fives that were there, like Bruno (Fernando) and Clint Capela, they would say, ‘We know you played for coach Barnes.’ They said it jokingly about the physicality and type of play I was playing with. That was the joke about having coach Barnes as a person that was in both of our lives.”

On what life in the NBA bubble was like and if he got any of his teammates involved with the Catan board game…
“It was definitely a unique experience. I enjoyed it because I’m a homebody in the first place. I don’t really do much, anyway. I got the camaraderie of guys all around me was able to play cards, board games or video games. I made a lot of great relationships. Most of the time, I didn’t get anyone to play Catan. There were people playing, but they had their group already. It was the Denver Nuggets, Mason Plumlee and all of those guys. They had their whole staff playing, basically. Every time somebody dropped out, I was trying to get in. They basically had people on call. That was tough, but the game of choice for us was Spades. I think it was me, Kyle (Alexander)—who was in the bubble with me—Jamal Murray and Chris Silva were in our group most of the time. We went up and played cards together most of the time. It was a great experience. I think the first couple of days, as everyone said, the food was definitely different, but I wasn’t complaining. It tasted good, but the presentation was different. Let’s just say that the bubble definitely got better as time went on. At the very end, you do miss your family. That’s something I do struggle with, but outside of that I thought it was a plus.”

On the mental adjustment of going from a two-time SEC Player of the Year to a role player for the Boston Celtics…
“That’s definitely something that I’m still adjusting to. You kind of don’t have the same feel, and the shots you may have made in college you’re not making because you don’t have the ball in your hands as much. People don’t really notice that as much, but it’s a very different, contrasting jump. I’m comfortable with it because I move the ball. But in terms of shooting, it definitely was kind of weird. Normally, you get a chance to feel the ball. You can take your time, and you know any shot is a good shot. Now, you have to make the right shot. And if you don’t take that shot, it’s a bad shot. That’s something you have to get accustomed to. I’m still learning how to be comfortable with the ball in my hands off a catch and being able to shoot it then, versus taking your time. That’s something that is definitely an adjustment, but I feel like I’ve gotten better at it as time has gone on.”

On how he developed a voice in the NBA this year, especially in terms of the league’s social justice movement…
“The way I found my voice was I never lost it. I was fortunate enough to be a rookie on the team where they allowed me to not only speak up, but be myself. Let’s just say that I always stay communicating. I communicate with guys the right way. They knew it was coming from the right place. I never try to disrespect anyone. I think that’s the biggest reason why I kind of had a role of not only leadership, but communication on the team from when I got there to where I was in the future. I try to have a light-hearted mentality and hopefully bring some smiles to guys’ faces day by day. I think that’s what made the experience so nice for me—especially the transition, because you’re going to a whole new team. You never know how it will be. They could make you be quiet because you’re a rookie. In your rookie year, you’re not supposed to say anything on most teams. For them to allow me to be myself was amazing.”

On what he would tell the Tennessee players who didn’t get to finish the 2019-20 season due to COVID-19 and how to attack this upcoming season…
“Just attack it day by day with the right mentality. We’re all going through the same uncertainty. You’re cautious of the security of others. You just have to go out there and compete because if you don’t, you’re going to be thinking about so many things on the outside that you can’t really control. I have embraced the saying, ‘Control the controllables.’ Be focused on the fact that you have the blessed opportunity to play this game. Make the most out of it. Don’t ever be down about it, because it’s a fortunate opportunity. It’s definitely going to be a unique situation that we’re all in, but hopefully we can tell these stories to our children or grandchildren in years and look back saying we persevered through it.”

On how he believes Tennessee benefits from Yves Pons’ decision to return for his senior season…
“They benefit so much because of the fact that Fulky (John Fulkerson) and him bring veteran leadership and they know the system. They can teach the young guys. I feel like this is the youngest we’ve been in I don’t know how long. We’ve usually had a team full of guys that play most of the minutes that are either sophomores or juniors. For part of last year, we had Josiah (-Jordan James) as one of the freshmen, as well as Davonte Gaines, ‘Ticket.’ Outside of that, we still had Jalen Johnson, Jordan Bowden, Lamonté (Turner) for a period of time. Santi (Santiago Vescovi) having a year of experience is hgue for us now. The whole team will hopefully not only be able to learn from (Yves and Fulky), but also grow together as a young team. They’re going to experience some woes throughout the year, but I’ve watched practice and I think the talent that is there that makes them a team to be really excited about. Lastly, when you think of Yves as a defensive player, he anchors that defense, as well as Fulky with his athleticism and his expansion in the offensive game. I’m excited to see how they perform. Keon Johnson is a talented kid. Jaden Springer is going to compete. Santi and Josiah are coming back. Victor Bailey Jr. is getting off of redshirting because of the transfer, so it’s going to be an interesting year for them, for sure.”

On how long he’s been on the west coast and how he became connected with the players that he has been training with…
“I’ve been on the west coast for six days, if that. I’m only here until Tuesday, and the only reason I came out here was to get my face scan done for (the video game NBA2K). I met these guys because I’ve kind of known a couple of them. I knew James (Harden) before, and we connected during the season. But it’s really because I’m training with Alex. He asked me if I wanted to play in runs. I said, ‘Sure, I want to play. Who’s playing?’ They said these names and I said, ‘Cool, that sounds good to me.’ The next thing you know, we’re playing and it’s don’t step off the court. The first time, I didn’t lose. We only lost one or two games. Today, we definitely lost a little bit more. That’s kind of how it goes with the talent you’re playing with. You see guys like Kyrie and other guys that are hitting tough shots. You’re like, ‘Wow. This is the level that we’re at. This is how the NBA works.'”

On his role in head coach Brad Stevens’ system with the Boston Celtics…
“I think my role is whatever he tells me it is. Last year, it was just being a guy that kind of did everything for us, whether it was defending, knocking down open shots or just being there and being a great energy guy off the bench and always being ready in my role. For him, it’s just being myself and what I do is like a Swiss Army knife in being reliable in whatever you need. Whether you need to cut something or screw something in, or anything. I think that’s like my role. As a coach, he’s a tremendous person. That’s the first thing I’d say. He’s a genuine, kind-hearted soul. He also knows what he’s talking about on the court. That helps, too.”

On his reaction to seeing John Fulkerson having such a successful season last year…
“Honestly, it almost made me tear up. Seeing Fulky not only persevere from what he was after his injury and seeing how he’s performing now like we all knew he was capable of. So, the fact that he’s expanded his role and being more confident in himself, that honestly makes means the world to me and everyone around him in Knoxville and the community. Even Coach Barnes probably teared up seeing how Fulky was playing. I think that everyone is happy for him and hoping that he repeats his success because he’s projected to be first team All-SEC. I think he can be the SEC Player of the Year. I think he’s capable and that’s something that he could do. I’m putting my confidence and bet on Fulky and betting my money on Tennessee as a team.”

On what it was like to watch Tennessee play last season, in more of a fan’s role…
“I relate to Vol fans, especially when it comes to basketball, football, softball, soccer, everything. I’m over here screaming at the t.v. even though I know the people, which is kind of weird because when you were there, you kind of were more focused more so on the sport yourself and were in a more cheerful role by commending people, telling them what they were doing well. I remember me and Josh Dobbs were over here screaming at the t.v. watching the game. I said, ‘We need to be better. That used to be us. People used to scream at us the whole time. I think that’s the unique part of switching over from being a player to more so a fan now.”

On if he ever talks about the game between Tennessee and Purdue with former Purdue guard and current teammate with the Boston Celtics, Carson Edwards…
“Any time we have somebody bring it up, we always joke about it, but he always says, not to expose anyone, but the ball definitely went off his foot before it went out-of-bounds. So, he shouldn’t have had the ball to get the foul anyway, in regulation. We definitely joke about that and he ended up having a tremendous March Madness run, which helped him get drafted by the team that we’re on. We wouldn’t be in this position if it didn’t happen, so I laugh at it and we talk about it, but it’s definitely still heartbreaking every now and then when you’ve closed the door and you’re not with him anymore. I’m like, ‘Dang, we could have gone on and moved even further.”

On his message for the Tennessee Soccer program, who played South Carolina for the SEC Eastern Division title on Friday night…
“I want to say good luck because you all have had a great year. I’ve been keeping up. Erin (Gilroy), Jaida (Thomas) and everyone else on the team have been playing their butts off. I’m hoping that you guys pull it out. I think you guys are really talented and have a great opportunity. Make the most out of it, have fun and be who you are. Coach (Brian) Pensky, I’m here for you if you need me and also happy for you. I hope you do well.”

-UT Athletics