Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media on Monday afternoon before the Vols took the Thompson-Boling Arena court for practice. Barnes had a long press conference on Monday, mainly because he was answering questions regarding the day’s breaking news.
Vols’ forward Olivier Nkamhoua will require surgery for his ankle injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Barnes spoke about several topics relating to Nkamhoua’s injury after the announcement, from how the junior is taking things mentally to how the Vols are planning to respond on the court. With the way that Nkamhoua has been playing and leading the team in the last couple of weeks, his presence is certainly going to be missed.
While talking about potential replacements for Nkamhoua, Barnes specifically mentioned Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jonas Aidoo, and Jahmai Mashack as players that he will need to step up in the coming weeks. However, regardless of who has played more this season, Barnes is going to go with his best defensive option.
See Also from RTI: How Tennessee Basketball Will Replace Olivier Nkamhoua’s Production
In addition to Nkamhoua, Barnes also spoke about some of his other players, like Zakai Zeigler, John Fulkerson, and Kennedy Chandler.
Below is the full transcript from Barnes’ Monday press conference. A video version from Barnes can be found here.
Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes
On how to adjust to playing without Olivier Nkamhoua…
“It’s sad for all of us. He’s become such a huge part of our program and for this team. You could see the strides he was making every game. He was getting more comfortable about who he is as a player and what he needed to do for our team. With Olivier being out, it opens minutes that other guys can grab. Every guy is here because we recruited them to be here but whoever gets those minutes will be the defensive players. We could swing Josiah to that spot, but it’s going to be a great opportunity for some guys, and we’ll see who will be able to capture that and go for it.”
On if he’s coached any other team that featured two point guards like Zakai Zeigler and Kennedy Chandler…
“Our Texas Final Four team in 2003, and the 2019 Sweet Sixteen team had two great point guards, but they weren’t quite as dynamic as a duo that Kennedy and Zakai are. It’s fun watching those guys when they’re playing good basketball and when they’re playing off Josiah and Santi (Vescovi). I don’t know if we’ve had two with that magnitude. We could move Zakai into the starting lineup, although that doesn’t matter to him because he just wants to win the game. He’s been such a dynamic spark coming off the bench and it’s hard to take him off that role right now.”
On how Oliver Nkamhoua can be replaced…
“Between Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jonas Aidoo, and Jahmai Mashack we’ll decide who will give us the best chance to win basketball games and it will come down to who is the better defensive player. All three of them are freshmen, we think they all can score, but we need consistency on the defensive end, and whoever shows us that will get those minutes. They won’t get all those minutes because we can do some other things as well, but that is going to get guys on the court this time of year.”
On how Jonas Aidoo is progressing…
“Two weeks ago, he was getting to where we wanted him to be and is playing with more speed. He is the best rim protector on our team, and I see it every day in practice. I think he is grasping what it takes to play at this level night in and night out. He and Brandon are here because we think they have a great future ahead of them, but they need to expedite it right now. If they don’t take advantage of it, it’s on them because the time is right now.”
On if missing time in November set Jonas Aidoo back at all…
“When you miss that time early in the year, you’re coming from a different level to this level and understanding what goes into it physically and mentally. Once he was able to work through some of his physical problems, he has gotten better mentally as well. He can be a factor but it’s harder than he thought it would be. That’s true of every freshman.”
On if there is any correlation between Josiah-Jordan James playing well on offense and the team playing well on offense as a whole…
“I think there is some correlation. We love to shoot the ball the way we did the other night, every night out and I think we can do so. Every game will be a little different and Josiah has impacted so many games even when he isn’t shooting the ball great. Even when he wasn’t shooting the ball great, people respected him and never left him alone. What has helped him, and our other guys shoot the ball better is that we’re playing with speed. The ball isn’t sticking anywhere and it’s giving guys chances to get their feet set and shoot with rhythm. Ever since he’s been here, Josiah has impacted so many games with his defense but when he is playing well offensively, it takes us to another level.”
On John Fulkerson’s role moving forward…
“Well, again, I think John falls into that category too. There’s minutes to be had there. I do think John is playing with more speed himself. I think he now understands he has to do that. Between Uros (Plavsic), John, Jonas and Brandon, those guys all a chance to get more minutes. Like I’ve said many times, we’re going to go with the guys that give us the best chance to win. We hope they all get consistent and find a niche in their role. I do think Uros is in a good spot, I think John is. I think John has been doing some good things. We’re going to need some help out of those other guys.”
On Mississippi State…
“Well first, Iverson Molinar is a candidate for SEC Player of the Year. I mean he’s phenomenal around the basket. You look at what he does around the rim, you have everything you can imagine a terrific guard would have. That’s the guy that’s getting game planned for every night and he still delivers. Ben (Howland) is a terrific coach. I think if you look at them, what I’ve watched on tape they are a terrific two-point team. He’s got guys, they’re going to pound that ball in there. They have guys that can play with their back to the basket, they’re going to put it in there. There’s no doubt they’re going to do that. Defensively, he’s always been extremely sound. On the defensive end, when you face his defense you are going to have to take care of the basketball and work to get shots because they’re going to do what they need to do to keep it out of the high-percentage area.”
On Kennedy Chandler’s response after Texas game…
“The best thing is what he’s doing on the defensive end. That alone has changed Kennedy. I would say this not just about him but any player, when you go in a game and you get lost in the defensive end, instinctively your offense will take care of itself. He has worked extremely hard since the Texas game. He is making a real conscientious effort to stay locked in defensively. He’s gotten so much better moving without the basketball. I think that’s instincts. I think that when he really loses himself on the defensive end, and I would say that about anybody. That’s where he’s gotten so much better.”
On Kennedy Chandler offensively…
“He’s playing with speed. He’s moving the ball, it’s not sticking in his hand. When he gets back to him I think he’s ready. He’s grown a lot since he’s been here. When he brings the speed with Santi and Zakai when they’re out there, Josiah-Jordan James, when we get the ball moving, whether it’s Victor Bailey, whether it’s Justin Powell, that ball gets moving it open up the court. It gives Kennedy a chance to attack so many different areas as opposed to where one team can load up on certain areas. The more he can get lost, catch it, and go back. He’s very effective that way.”
On Zakai Zeigler’s production…
“What you see, we saw that after one week. We knew that we had gotten very fortunate to have him. I’ve said it before, the way Santi started in the middle of the season was impressive. For a guy that started the way Santi had to. For Zakai to come in a week late from everybody, hadn’t spent the summer here. How quickly he made an impact not only on the court but with his teammates. Again, we knew we had something special. What he’s doing now, we’ve been watching him do since he got here.”
On how Olivier Nkamhoua is feeling after obtaining a season-ending injury…
“It’s tough on Olivier. He’s worked so hard, and his teammates respect him for so many different things. I was speaking with him last night, and he’s emotional about it. We talked about it and how in some way, it’s going to be a blessing in disguise. We’re not sure how it’s going to work out, but I think it’s going to help him in the long run. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen guys embrace it as opposed to just shutting it down. He won’t do that. He’ll continue to be a great teammate. He has been a great teammate for those young guys, and he’ll continue to do that. He wants to see this team win. The very first thing he said before the diagnosis was, ‘I can’t believe I don’t get to practice tomorrow.’ That’s his mindset. He is as unselfish as any player we’ve ever had. He’s got through a lot of ups and downs. He’s really started to find himself. I think he has a great future ahead of him. He’ll make this work somehow. He’ll make it work for the better.”
On how bad the timing is of Olivier Nkamhoua’s injury…
“It’s sports. It is what it is. When you’re involved in athletics, you have to be prepared and ready. That’s why we have a team, and that’s why we encourage all of the guys to never let go of the rope. Whether it’s Jonas, Brandon, Zakai, Jahmai, Quentin (Diboundje), you never know. When that happens, you have to be ready for it. We hate it for Olivier, and we hate it for our team. Now, there’s opportunity for other guys, and we’ll see if they can take advantage of it.”
On if Tennessee’s shooting percentage from two-point range against South Carolina is concerning…
“No. We’re not going to make all of our shots. I know people think we should, but we’re not. Teams have a lot to do with it. There aren’t many easy baskets around the rim. We’re just trying to win basketball games in any way we can. With this team, they’ll continue to work and get better playing together. We can live with that.”
Transcript provided by Tennessee Athletics.
