On the demand Rick Barnes places on point guards:
“Coach is definitely tough but he just wants to get the best out of you. I’ve heard Bone say it plenty of times, he’s tough but he just wants the best out of you. He’s going to get it, he is great at pulling the best out of you when he needs it. Sitting out really helped me get it under my belt and learn what he wants and when he wants you to put your foot on the gas and take it off. Facilitate and not facilitate and do stuff like that.”
On if there was surprise at how quickly the program took off under Coach Barnes:
“I wasn’t surprised at all to see those guys in the Sweet 16 and doing well, because Coach Barnes is obviously a great coach and knows what he is doing. How it all came back around full circle was definitely incredible, I didn’t think I would be here. It definitely happened fast, but I’m really blessed to be in the position I am.”
On how the relationship with Barnes developed:
“I didn’t go to any camps, but I was always around campus. I saw Barnes a lot and always wanted to watch the games and see what was going on with Texas because my mom was a coach and I wanted to be a part of that culture, that Texas culture and obviously Barnes was a part of that, so keeping in touch with them was big.
On how much he learned about the Tennessee basketball program last year going through practice:
“We go 100 every day. You can’t take days off, you take days off and you’ll be behind. That’s just the facts. You’ve got to come every single day ready to go and you can’t take any days off and go 100 percent every time you can.