University of Tennessee Athletics
LSU-Tennessee Postgame Quotes
January 28, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2009
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"LSU was in a bit of foul trouble, we had the rhythm, down the stretch we got the ball where we wanted it, we got good looks, our best players are inside, and that is where we went, but we came up short.
"LSU is an experienced club; they have been there and done that a little bit. We do like for Scotty Hopson to shoot more. He gets in the lane, and the question is whether he should go on in or pass it off. Hopson gets stripped occasionally. But remember, Scotty is a young player, a freshman. On the plus-minus scale he actually came up positive for this game.
"Chris Johnson is a good shot-blocker, and Tasmin Mitchell is very physical. LSU did a good job on Tyler Smith, knowing how important he is to our game. We have been in position to win the last two games, but lost both of them. It seemed we could not get to the free-throw line.
"We put Josh Tabb at the point-guard position to start the game because I believe Bobby Maze can do more than he has been doing. Maze has worked extremely hard to improve defensively, but that concentration has taken away from our offensive game."
LSU Head Coach Trent Johnson: "Without question I think we did a really good job of keeping our poise, considering the fact that Tasmin Mitchell played the whole second half in foul trouble and as banged-up as we are. We beat a very good basketball team. This is the best win we have had all year long, no question. Poise and composure were important, especially when they made a run and it got really loud in this place.
"I was not concerned about fatigue, not at all, just from the standpoint that we have backed off in practice. Our nonconference schedule enabled us to have a lot of guys manage their minutes. We are getting contributions from our bench. This time of year, kids do not get fatigued.
"This whole team is getting better, and Chris Johnson is getting better. Johnson has played very good basketball.
"Mitchell has held his own against everybody all year long, and he has a lot of respect for Tyler Smith. Smith impacts winning unlike anybody else in our conference and probably in the nation. Mitchell has done a good job all year long of being consistent and playing within himself, so that does not surprise me."
Postgame Notes
- Emanuel Negedu scored a career-high 11 points. His previous career best was five vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 29) and Georgetown (Nov. 28).
- The Vols shot 80.8 percent (21-26) from the free-throw line, which was a season high mark. UT shot 80 percent (20-25) at Temple.
- UT's bench outscored LSU's bench 26-4 in the game. UT's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 17 of 19 games this season.
- Tennessee used its ninth different starting lineup of the season, substituting Josh Tabb for Bobby Maze at point guard.
- Tyler Smith played his first minutes of the season at the 3 position as the Vols reduced their rotation to nine men.
