Jan. 29, 2009
Audio: Listen to the entire teleconference at SECsports.com
Vanderbilt basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo fielded questions about their head-to-head matchup on Saturday with the national media during Thursday’s SEC Teleconference. Find out what each coach had to say about the matchup.
Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt head coach
Opening comments on matchup with Auburn:
We’re obviously a basketball team that is struggling. Despite our loss last night, I was encouraged on a number of fronts, and I remain encouraged about our basketball team. I think we maybe showed some signs last night of coming out of whatever it was we’ve been in, and hopefully we can continue to make those strides and play well enough to win at Auburn on Saturday.
We really respect the job that Jeff Lebo has done with his team. They look like they’re playing very well and playing very confidently. So, we’re going to have to be more than ready. But, we have to spend our time focusing on us, and hopefully we can be ready for what’s going to be a very difficult game.
What have been the issues defensively over the last four games?
Better teams. We’ve played teams with good offenses. It’s been different things. At Mississippi State, it was penetration. Against Tennessee, it was their inside guys. Against Florida, it was their 3-point shooting. Against South Carolina, it was the foul line. So, it’s just been different issues because of better teams.
How do you go about addressing some of that?
By continuing to work. We just have to continue to work and try to get better. We did a really good job for long stretches of time last night defensively, and then there were times when Devan Downey (USC guard) was just better than we were.
We’re getting better. We’re improving as a team, and that’s what we’ve got to keep our eye on. It’s not showing up in the victory column right now, but I feel like we’ve made some strides here the last few days.
Can you comment on the situation with Dennis Felton at Georgia?
I have not heard anything like that (that Felton had been fired at Georgia), and hope that it’s not true.
What makes Downey so effective?
Great ball control, great feel, great speed and quickness and a terrific ability to make shots in the lane over taller guys, off balance. He’s just a great shot maker. There’s a lot of different things there. He shoots it well enough that you have to guard him on the 3-point line, and then he’s has all of the hesitation and he’s extraordinarily fast and quick with the ball. He has great balance. He can change directions and spin and maintain his balance. He’s just a really, special offensive player.
How has Florida developed over the past two years?
I think defensively they’re a lot, lot better than they were a year ago. The night we played them they looked like they could shoot pretty well. Nick Calathes (Florida guard/forward) is a guy who, in a different way, he’s like Downey, who we played last night. He’s a guy who makes everybody better. Billy Donovan (Florida head coach) does a terrific job of putting the ball in his hands. They have great spacing in their offense, and Calathes just has the ability to almost always pick out the right guy to throw the ball to. He’s going to make some plays for himself. He’s going to make a lot of plays for other people.
Last year, it looked like they were a little more equal opportunity. This year they’ve put the ball in his hands, and that’s been a great decision because he’s a terrific player.
Jeff Lebo, Auburn head coach
Opening comments about matchup with Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is a very well coached team. They’ve been struggling with their shooting here as of late, but they probably have an injury to A.J. Ogilvy, who hasn’t been up to par in the last few games. We know we’re in for a very well coached basketball team that’s obviously looking for some positive things to happen to them.
How would you describe how your team is playing right now?
We’ve been playing pretty well. I think besides our last half offensively at home we’ve been playing pretty well. Our defense has probably been one of the most improved areas of our basketball team. I really like what we’re doing. I think our depth’s been a factor a little bit, and we’ve obviously been defending the 3-point line pretty well to date.