University of Tennessee Athletics
Buzz Peterson Weekly Press Conference
February 09, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2004
Comments from Tennessee head coach Buzz Peterson from Monday's weekly press luncheon prior to Wednesday's game against Arkansas (8 p.m.-EST).
BUZZ PRESS LUNCHEON | 
VIDEO
TENNESSEE VS. ARKANSAS PREVIEW
1. In what ways can the Vols receive a positive lesson from the heavy concentration of ranked opponents on their 2004 schedule?
A - "We've faced some very good teams, and we can't get discouraged. Seeing how other ranked teams play should help us get better ourselves. We have a young ball club, and we need to keep our heads up."
2. Describe the progress being made by the Vols' two front-line newcomers, Major Wingate and Jemere Hendrix.
A - "Major has surprised us on the defensive end. It's amazing how quickly he picked things up. He's going to build strong walls to keep opponents out. Offensively, he needs to try to do more scoring. Jemere is always going to hustle. He's good at picking up rebounds and scoring. Both Wingate and Hendrix have loads of promise."
3. When will leading scorer Scooter McFadgon likely regain full use of his shooting hand?
A - "We don't know. He needs three or four weeks to get it well, but we can't afford that right now. Sometimes we hold him out of practice and let him work on his cardiovascular. He hates that device that protects his hand, but he needs that for protection."
4. Describe the team Arkansas Coach Stan Heath will bring to Thompson-Boling Arena for a game with the Vols Wednesday night.
A - "They're a young team that has struggled on the road. They're an athletic group, with football quarterback Mike Jones playing a lot of minutes. Jonathon Modica is an outstanding scorer."
On Arkansas
" I look at the Arkansas team and they have a young roster. Ronnie Brewer has had a good year. Vincent Hunter we recruited and Jones is the one that really amazes me as a two-sport athlete in the way he plays on the field and on the court. He's a very intelligent basketball player.
"They've played a lot of zone (defense) with this young team. Stan (Heath) is like I am--trying to search for that road victory and build some consistency there. They're a young ball club, but right now, it's more about us trying to improve and getting our defense better.
On Remainder of Season
" Making the most out of the second half of conference season will be our theme. If you look at the stats (SEC standings), there a lot of teams with three wins.
"It's a week that we're stepping out of the East and going against the West, but it's good to be back in conference play. Hopefully, we can get on a run and improve on the defensive end.
On Defensive Play
" What's puzzled or bothered me more than anything else, is our mindset on the defensive end. Our guys know that in order to become a good defensive team, my philosophy has always been that you have to be physical and you have to communicate.
We have to pick our defense up. I've thought about playing more zone with this bunch. Where it gets frustrating as a coach is to see a lot of the wings we play have big nights on us. We've got to do a better job on defensive end.
I thought we could be a pretty good defensive team, but here of late it has bothered me a lot. At today's practice, I don't know if we will do any offense at all. Most of today and tomorrow, and maybe the rest of the year, will be a lot of attention on the defensive end at practice.
