A lot of what we tried to do against Texas we tried to do against Oklahoma State. But they (Cowboys) were better at (handling) it. I think our win at Texas really helped Oklahoma State...

Arkansas is one of the most talented teams in the country and playing really good basketball right now. It’s hard to imagine (Arkansas and Alabama) having to fight their ways in as well as they’re...

He plays so hard and plays with guts and passion, and he’s the kind of guy you’d like to have on your team, but hate to play against. I think it’s a combination of respect,...

There is very little margin for error. What has gotten us where we are is that we bring it every night, regardless of the opponent. And that’s what we’re going to have to do (today).

Half of those were very well defended and contested. Those are the ones that take your breath away and take the wind from an opponent’s sails.

I sweat sweet. It’s pretty. My son (Michael) sweats stinky, but I don’t.

I wanted them to learn to not take any possessions off, just trying to be as intense as we can. We try to play eight or nine people, keep people fresh so we can be...

It was a real gut check for both teams. Both teams were physically exhausted at the end of that game.

We’re tied with LSU. You just don’t know when you’ll get this close again, and you want to take advantage of it.

I’m very pleased that we will be playing all over the Volunteer State, in Memphis, Nashville and here in Knoxville,

If you asked me, I would have thought that would have been a motivator for Florida to wake up tomorrow as the No. 1 team in the country.

I would never run the score up on anybody, but I will coach for 40 minutes. I took the press off because I have too much respect for Auburn and (Lebo) to keep it going.

Half of them were very well-defended and contested. Those are the ones that just sort of take your breath away and take the wind out of the opponents’ sails. That’s what makes him so special.

It seems the more tired Chris Lofton got, the better he shot.

Who else would make the play to win the game? It was obviously a gamble, but it was one that paid off.

I can’t have offensive possessions where we get a couple of ‘Huh?’ shots from Major and a couple of ‘Huh?’ shots from Andre. I call them ‘Huh?’ when they take them and you go, ‘Huh?’...

I don’t know exactly what the rule is, but I thought that the ball went off of the backboard, and then it bounced, and then it scrambled around. I’m thinking, ‘What was it, point nine...

Obviously, the (SEC) Tournament means more to the teams that have a chance to play their way into the (NCAA) Tournament. But I like tournament play. It creates excitement, but the big picture is the...

I don’t want to see that tape. I think I looked bad. I tried to catch him, and he blew me over. I didn’t wrap up. It would have been a terrible tackle. Chavis would...

That was a game of two completely different halves. I was thrilled with the way we played in the first half. I was very disappointed by the second half. Give Auburn credit – they have...

South Carolina is one of the few teams in the SEC that we can kind of match up with, size-wise. With Andre starting now we have a stronger inside presence with him and Major Wingate...

I think back in the fall if you’d given me an opportunity to come into this Monday morning press conference as SEC East champions having just lost to Arkansas on Saturday and asked if I’d...

There are some similarities. Our pressure is not nearly as aggressive or would dictate a game like Coach Richardson’s did, but we were always very fond of (longtime Iowa coach) Tom Davis, and I was...

I played C.J. Watson too many minutes, and also Chris Lofton and Andre Patterson. I did not keep them fresh enough to make plays down the stretch. We did not turn Arkansas over a lot....

I don’t remember the last few days. I don’t remember traveling to Lexington. I don’t even remember traveling home. I remember the game. … That is the best we’ve played.

People that have been around Tennessee basketball said it was one of the best environments they have ever seen. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support.

We took a chance and we put Major Wingate in the game. With 18 seconds left, on the road, I didn’t want overtime. We put him on the ball because we hadn’t stopped Florida late....

I’ve enjoyed watching that team as much as any team I’ve watched in a long time.

Lofton was the man. He had that look in him that the whole country saw who were watching on television. Everybody saw it.

Defense and rebounding win championships. We can beat people lots of different ways, but … it’s difficult when you’re not getting any stops.

I think it’s very wide-open. I think LSU is obviously the team to beat as SEC (regular-season) champion. I think Florida comes in playing extremely well, as does Arkansas.

We’ve tried to do a lot of things this year to embrace the history of Tennessee basketball.

We’ve lost to those teams within the last two weeks and to have those teams supposedly on the bubble, now I don’t think they’re on the bubble anymore. I think they’re both in. Comfortably in.

I am disappointed we did not get to the free throw line more. We must play better to get respect.

March Madness has begun and we are very pleased to have won and advanced. I know this would have been hard for you (the media) to have not characterized it as an upset if we...

It will help a great deal. South Carolina had us scouted to the nines.

This is a real good night for the Southeastern Conference basketball. This is a shot that will be heard around the country. You look around the SEC and see it is so competitive. When a...

We’re not playing our best basketball right now and haven’t been. I think that for the first time the confidence has to be shook a little bit.

It creates a little tempo for us. It allows you to be aggressive.

At least this buys us some time where people are not going to say it’s just a football conference.

My wife normally packs my suits, and the next time we go to Florida or a place that’s pretty hot and humid we’ll wear a darker suit for sure. It doesn’t bother me at all....

He is a big lad. He’s such an effective passer and is poised and is a real tough cover. You sort of scratch where it itches. If people show him a lot of attention, then...

Georgia is pretty darn athletic. Their guards are terrific. When both teams are fresh, you have to give the advantage to Georgia. … They were much quicker, much more athletic.

It was off the charts. Terrific. People that have been around Tennessee basketball said that it was one of the best environments they’ve ever seen, which is wonderful to hear in our first year.

We’ll be back. This Tennessee basketball team will go down as one of the all-time best, and this was the group that got it started.

I’m not upset with what happened at all. But we have to understand, we have to act like we’ve been there before. It’s not often you beat the No. 2 team in the country …...

If there was an award for Player of the Week in the country, I can’t imagine a player getting it over Chris.