Head Coach John Pelphrey
"I have enjoyed the challenge and feel comfortable at the University of Arkansas. I am very pleased with how me and my family have adjusted to the move, although it was difficult at first. At Arkansas, there is a lot more media coverage and a lot more expected of me as a coach than my previous job. Recruiting periods run longer, so I had to adjust to that. From a work standpoint there was more, but I have been up to the challenge."
"Growing up, I would have never thought I'd be coaching here but opportunities like this don't come up everyday and I am very fortunate to be here. It is an honor and privilege to be coaching at Arkansas. I hope I can make the best of this opportunity."
"Aside from my father, Billy Donovan is the most influential person in my life. I learned from him at Kentucky and then on to Marshal. I was so happy to be able to learn from such a talented person. He taught me everything I know. He is certainly done a tremendous amount in my life, SEC and college basketball in general."
Forward Charles Thomas
"As a team we have high expectations and we know we are able to make it to the Final Four."
"As far as the coaching change, we came together as a team and decided that it was us against world."
Guard Patrick Beverley
"Yes, you will never catch someone by themselves. Coach (John) Pelphrey stressed teamwork. You can't buy team chemistry. It is something you have to work at. You have to have teamwork on and off the court to be successful."
On the chance to play on the Olympic team... "I got the chance to play for my country and make life long friends. It made me mentally tough and I took a leadership role, which I am happy to bring to Arkansas."
Head Coach Tom Collen
"It's my first year back at Arkansas. It's homecoming for me. I am excited about building the program back up to when I left - the Final Four level."
"This is another challenge for us, a challenge I relish. I think we can get to the Final Four and use the SEC as a venue to get us there, but it will be a challenge."
"You have to be prepared and mentally tough. You have to win a majority of those close games to get into the NCAA tournament. When you lose, it is easy to hang your head and hightail it in the other direction, but you can't do that."
"Those on the perimeter will have to step up. We are also going to have to rely on the players that were further down on the bench last year. We need some freshman to step in and be impact players."
"We need to capture the whole state. We need to be successful enough that the papers cover us. It's all about being successful, you can't hide that. Arkansas fans are loyal, but they want to see us win. Once we get them there, we have to make them feel good so they'll come back."
Forward Lauren Ervin
"Coach Collen is a great coach. His philosophy and coaching styles are phenomenal. He brings our defense to a whole new level. We have a lot of freedom in offense which is good considering last year where we stayed at the free throw line or below. We have a whole new offense and defense."
"During conference games we need to be consistent and play defense. Our defense last year was not up to par. We did well in preseason, but when we got to the SEC, their athletes were much better than what we were used to."
"I think our team is great. Out guards and post players work hard. I have confidence that they will step up."
FLORIDA GATORS
Head Coach Billy Donovan
"In 2006 when we lost (Anthony) Roberson, (Matt) Walsh and (David) Lee we knew what we were getting back. We had guys we knew could play, but maybe hadn't seen the minutes their freshman year. It is tough when you lose three pro's like we did that year, but we knew we still had a core, a nucleus of guys that had played roles the year before. This year is completely different. This is most like to me when I took the job at Marshall or when I took the job at Florida. We are at such an infant stage of the game right now. We have to teach them how they have to play and how they have to work. We knew what it took to win last year so there was a lot of trust between the players and the coaches. With those guys last year, they knew exactly what we expected of them. As coaches it was our job to mainly keep them fresh and ready to play. Our practices were so much different last year than they will be this year because of that. The sophomores this year really missed out on the work those guys put in to get to the level they were. This group is now starting at the ground level and they need to build a work ethic. This year, we have guys whose only frame of reference is high school and we have guys that can't even make it through practice. Fortunately they are great kids. They want to get better and they want to learn. This year I'm working on things that I don't think coaches should work on. I have to teach them how to play with heart and intensity."
"I look at expectations differently than most people. Some people look at expectations as results oriented. We can't talk about results right now because we need to learn the process we have to go through. As soon as we do that we will experience the results we are talking about."
Guard Walter Hodge
"You can't replace those guys. We are just trying to become the best team we can become. We work hard every night so we can win some games."
"I'm just trying to help the young guys out. If they have some questions, I want them to ask me. I want to make them better every night."
On having coach Donovan return ... "I thought that the NBA would be great for him. It was his dream. But he showed that he loves us. That's why he came back."
Head Coach Amanda Butler
"First of all, go Gators! I'm really glad to be here, very excited. This is a new era for Florida Women's basketball."
"I think we'll be playing a faster style. The team has been responding well to the challenges thrown at them, playing much more aggressively - full court basketball, full court defense, a lot of running and attacking. We have great girls like Sha Brooks, Depree Bowden and Marshe Dotson who you will be seeing more of. They will be making more of an impact this season."
"It's no question that the men's success will help the women. Not only is their success motivating, but it is a reflection of Florida's leadership and administration. It's hard not to get fired up over seeing those two beautiful crystal trophies whenever you walk into the basketball complex."
"We want high expectations. Of course there is pressure at Florida, but it doesn't compare to the pressure we put on ourselves, that is much more intense. They expect championships, and we want to carry ourselves as champions in everything we do on and off the court - academically, in the community and just walking through campus."
Guard Depree Bowden
"There are a lot of differences in drills, practices and height. We have an intense defense, a lot of full court defense and pressing. I'm the only senior, so leadership has definitely been key. I've been trying to build the freshmen up, telling them to stay aggressive and stay consistent, especially in this league."
"We have great chemistry. We try to do fun things like go roller skating or go to the movies. We have a great coach, a former Gator, who brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy. The team has taken the change really well."
"We don't feel any pressure from the men. If anything, we want to get our team to the top where they are. They won two championships back-to-back, a great accomplishment, and we just want to try to replicate that success."
LSU TIGERS
Head Coach John Brady
"This year is different. In the past we have had guys like Stromile Swift, Jabari Smith, Jaime Lloreda, Brandon Bass, Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas. We have always been blessed with some power guys around the goal. That was how we chose to play. This year's team, although we have height and length, don't have much width. From an offensive standpoint we are going to be more of a perimeter influenced team, instead of an inside dominance team. Defensively, I think we are going to have to do some things to defend around the goal and rebound. I have always put a premium on defending and rebounding, but with this team we are probably going to change it a little bit. We will be a little bit more deceptive this year. We will mix it up on offense and defense. Our best shot maybe from 20 feet, as opposed to two feet."
On the new rule changes regarding the coach's box... "I use to think that concern, passion and emotion were good things for a coach to possess. They may still be, they just don't want you to show it. I am talking to (LSU SID) Kent Lowe about getting me a seat belt. They are going to strap me in."
Forward Tasmin Mitchell
"I worked a lot on my mid-range shot from inside the three-point line, which will hopefully help my three a little bit too. I also worked on my speed coming off the post and just trying to work on everything that I can defensively to improve."
Guard Garrett Temple
"With us being smaller, we'll be playing a lot more on the perimeter this year. We should be able to post-up our bigger guards and use our size a little bit to our advantage. Like Tasmin (Mitchell) said, we are excited about running and using our speed. Not having a big man in there gives us that chance and when we do slow it down, we should be able to stay a little more patient in our shots. I think we have enough talent to score in bunches and compete in the SEC."
"I've had great teaching and have been given great scouting reports on how to pinpoint their weaknesses. We play great team defense and those guys help me out coming off screens and when doubling someone. I think my strongest point is just being an intelligent defender."
Head Coach Van Chancellor
"I'm not taking over a good team. I'm taking over a great team. We have Sylvia Fowles in the post, Quianna Chaney on the wing and Erica White at the point. In my dream world I would want a better outside shooter. We're just not a very good shooting team, and we are going to have some bad nights shooting the ball. But we're very good defensively, and our players have put forth a great work effort."
"It has been a major adjustment. I didn't realize how sophisticated recruiting has become. When you get a commitment it affects you getting another commitment. Since I've been here, I've recruited as hard as I've ever recruited in coaching thus far, and I'm enjoying it. LSU is a great place to recruit for."
"Our relationship between players to coaches is excellent and vice versa. When we come to basketball practice, it's time to rock n' roll. I don't think people can expect us to have a great practice if I come in griping from being on a plane all night, so I come in positive and ready to go. I'm in this for the long haul."
Guard Quianna Chaney
"This season we're just going to try to get back to the Final Four again. We know we have a better chance of getting better this year. Our confidence was a big problem last year, but it won't be a problem this year. We've adjusted really well with the changes and we're ready."
"Coach (Van) Chancellor said he wasn't going to change our style of play from last year. We were one of the best defensive teams in the country last season, and his focus since he got here has been on our offense."
Forward Sylvia Fowles
"Coach (Van) Chancellor brings energy everyday to practice. Anyone who knows him knows that Van is a character. With him, if you don't understand something or you do something wrong, he's going to tell you. Last season we just went to practice, did what we had to do and go out. Now we're more into learning and correcting."
AUBURN TIGERS
Head Coach Jeff Lebo
"I think that there are higher expectations this year than any year that I have been at Auburn. We have a lot of players coming back from a team that was essentially 20 to 30 seconds away from a SEC West title at Ole Miss last year. We tasted some success last year, beating five teams in the top 25 and it is important for our players to taste success like that. This is the first year since I have been here that we have actually talked about having a goal of playing in the postseason. We have experienced guys and we added a guy in Boubacar Sylla who finally gives us some size at 7-1 and 225 pounds. Now we have in place some work habits that we need to improve if we really want to play in the postseason. Our basketball needs to double, I think."
"We are getting to the point where I have my players in place. We would like to have some more. We need to get someone who can consistently shoot the ball from the perimeter. I sit here this year with a completely different attitude than I had a couple of years ago. My phone was ringing off the hook for three years with people wanting to play us, now I don't get near as many calls."
Guard Frank Tolbert
"We want to come in and win more games this season and compete every night we step onto the floor."
"The guys returning have already meshed we just need to carry our freshman along with us."
Guard Quantez Robertson
"We expect a lot from our team with everyone returning and hopefully earning our way to the NCAA tournament."
"It is always a challenge when you are the underdog, so you have to play your best night in and night out."
"Things have gotten easier as the season progresses. We have learned if we listen to Coach (Jeff) Lebo and respond to what he says, good things come out of it."
Head Coach Nell Fortner
"I am looking forward to this year. Our junior class is one of our most experienced bunch. We're excited to have experience back on the floor. It's a tough conference to compete in, so you have to have that experience."
"DeWanna (Bonner) does a good job in leading by example. She has always had a great work ethic, and it's getting better. She's also stepped up vocally. It's not natural for her, but we have asked her to do it and I think she is doing a nice job in taking on that role."
"I hope to see us compete harder and get opportunities to win at the end of the game. We've come close with opportunities at the end of the ball game, but haven't been able to finish some of them out."
"In this league, you have to learn to win. You have to play out for forty minutes. It's not over until the game is over."
Guard DeWanna Bonner
"This season I expect our team to be very quick and a lot more physical. We all know each other real well, and we have good team chemistry."
"I know Coach Fortner expects me to be more of a leader this season, and I have been working very hard on being a more vocal leader. I work on it everyday in practice. Like I said, we have good team chemistry because most of us have been playing together for three years on this team. We will win games this season."
"Not to take anything away from the other teams in the SEC, because they are all very good, but we're going to reach that level of competition quickly. We've been working hard to get up there, and I think we've arrived this year."
"We lost a lot of close games in the end last season. To help with that, we've had a lot of drills like that in practice where we have to push through in the end. We will definitely improve in that this year."
OLE MISS REBELS
Head Coach Andy Kennedy
"With a lot of players, it's typical to see the biggest improvements between the first and second years. We're expecting big things from some of the returning young guys on this team. We do have our security blanket in Brian Smith, the lone upper classman on our team, who just continues to come up with big plays at key times. There's not a whole lot of games and joking with these guys. They're serious and ready to make that next step."
On the stricter technical foul rule... "I think, as a whole, all coaches have respect for officials, so I don't think it will be an issue at all. I think veteran officials will handle it however they think they should and will do a good job. As long as what we're saying isn't directed at one guy, it won't be as hot a topic as everyone thinks it's going to be."
On sneaking up on the competition... "I'm not sure you really sneak up on anyone once you get into league play because everyone is so good. There are no off nights in this league. It's a true testament to the depth and talent of the SEC when 1-12 are going to be difficult. You need to bring you're A-game each night. Hopefully when we get into that situation our team will handle it well."
Center Dwayne Curtis
"This year has been intense as usual. (Coach Andy Kennedy) knows what it will take to push the freshmen so we can be successful."
Guard Brian Smith
"The veteran players will help carry the load for newcomers. We are going to try to carry over from last year and bring that work ethic into his second year."
"We are going to press a lot more and we have the talent to do that with our newcomers."
Head Coach Renee Lader
"Pat Summitt is absolutely incredible. She has earned everything she has accomplished. She has certainly made it tough in this conference, but if you come in with great players you can compete against anyone."
"It will be much of the same this year by playing hard, competitively and with every fiber of our being. We've had to recruit hard to replace those lost, but we will be a fun team. Though we are undersized, I think we can make it in the big league."
Guard Alliesha Easley
"I expect us to play the same way we did last year. We will play in-your-face defense, and we will run the ball a lot. We will be more aggressive than last year, though. We definitely need to be more aggressive than last year. Our team lost three seniors from last season, and we're definitely going to have to play harder to do well."
"Having a new head coach this season isn't much of a change. Coach Lader was an assistant coach last year, and she was actually the guard coach so she worked a lot with me. She is a great coach, and a very energetic coach. It will be interesting to see her take on the role of a head coach."
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Head Coach Bruce Pearl
"We are excited about getting started. We are practicing right now, so at the moment swe are not very good. We feel like we have a chance this year to do what we have been doing. In our first year we finished second in the league and won the SEC East. Last year we had the second best record in the league and got to the Sweet 16.I don't think you could have expected either one of those teams to do what they did. This year, you should expect our team to accomplish those things."
On working with women's coach Pat Summit... "How would you like to go to work everyday and be the second best basketball coach in your own office? As far as begging borrowing and stealing, I would be a fool not to watch her practice, pick her brain, ask her questions and to try and take some knowledge from the best who has ever coached this game."
Guard Chris Lofton
"It feels great to finally be a senior. It's gone by so fast. For me to be a senior is a great accomplishment. I feel like I'm a veteran. I'm getting old. I'm just ready to get the season started."
"Hopefully I'll be able to play better defense. I worked a lot in the off season on defensive things, and I worked hard on ball handling. I just hope to have a better overall game this year.
Guard Jordan Howell
On Lofton ... "He's great. I saw him come in four years ago and watched him in practice. I thought 'There's no way a guy will be able to shoot like this in the college game. He's too short and he's not quick enough.' Then I saw score him 20 against North Carolina during the season they won the National Championship. I knew he was for real then."
On how Lofton rubs off on the rest of the team ... "Everybody is trying to compete with him. You really can't though. What he has done has made him the best player in the country, in our eyes."
Head Coach Pat Summitt
"I'm excited about the year. When our veterans came off of a national championship, they went back to work, they made that commitment to become better. I'm excited about this freshmen class. We'll be an improved team and that's definitely a plus for our veterans."
"There's always pressure at Tennessee, but we put the high expectations on ourselves. Finally winning a national championship after a nine year drought was a great accomplishment. We played some of our best basketball in the postseason. And certainly going undefeated in the SEC is more of an accomplishment giving the competitive level of this league."
Forward Nicky Anosike
"We win either the SEC championship or the National championship. We need to put it together and win both."
"It is not hard to stay hungry. The fans at Tennessee want a championship every year. That makes us want it. We want to do it for them. They make us hungry."
"It's harder for the freshmen this year because they are coming onto a team with a championship. There is a lot of pressure but we try to emphasize one game at a time. We need to get ready little by little."
Guard Alexis Hornbuckle
On leadership... "We don't have a choice. We have to step out on the court every day and lead by example and lead vocally. We want them to learn as much as possible - you'll get better as you go."
"The same expectations remain. We need to win the National championship again. It's not going to get easier."
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive
"It's my pleasure to come up here and welcome each and every one of you to our basketball media day. We are delighted to have you here. We look forward to talking to you guys about basketball for the next couple of days as we continue our celebration of the SEC 75th anniversary. In 1933, on Friday, March 24th in Atlanta, was where the first SEC men's basketball tournament was held. It represents the very first championship event in the history of the SEC. 75 years later here we are and continuing on better than ever."
"This year all of our student-athletes will wear the commemorative 75th anniversary patch in honor of our anniversary and the first basketball tournament. If you have been following our 'Stories of Character,' out of the 75 stories of character, 15 of those are from the sport of basketball. Eight women and seven men are representing the sport of basketball."
"In addition to welcoming the media, we have seven new coaches in the conference this year: John Pelphrey and Tom Collen at Arkansas, Amanda Butler at Florida, Van Chancellor at LSU, Renee Ladner at Ole Miss, Billy Gillispie and Matthew Mitchell at Kentucky. This represents the most turnover in coaches that we have experienced since 1990. In 1990 we had eight new coaches, but there were 10 institutions as opposed to 12."
"We are still in the afterglow of a tremendous men's basketball season. When you win the national championship for two consecutive years, and having Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16, it was a great year for us. For those of you who were at our football media days, I said this was a great time to be the commissioner of the SEC. We won three major national championships, in football, men's and women's basketball, and were the first conference to ever do that. In addition, we won five other national championships among the 20 sports we sponsor. When you win a national a championship in more than a third of the sports you sponsor, it is a good time to be the commissioner of the SEC."
"On the men's side, only the SEC and the Big East have won both the men's and women's basketball championship in the same year. The SEC has done it three times, in 1996, 1998 and 2007. The Big East has done it twice, in 2003 and 2004. Last year, we had an 11-4 record in the NCAA Tournament and the SEC ranks first among all conferences in wins over the past two seasons with 24. At least half of our men's side advanced to the postseason for the 29th consecutive year. Every team in the SEC has made at least one NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years of the big dance. That demonstrates the great balance we have in the conference."
"Looking ahead to this season, we have 43 starters from last year's teams on the men's side. We have seven difference teams ranked in the preseason as we look to continue to get multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament. Over the last five years, between 2003 and 2007, we have had six teams selected three times and five teams selected twice. Finishing out the year our tournament is going to be played in Atlanta during March 13-16."
"On the women's side, the SEC has won seven NCAA titles, had 10 runner-up finishes and a nation leading 32 Final Four appearances. That is 18 more Final Four appearances than the next closest league. The SEC has not been in the Final Four only twice, which is an accomplishment unmatched by any other league. This past season, marked the third time in the past four years that both LSU and Tennessee have made it to the Final Four. Our women's basketball players have been honored in extraordinary ways over the last several years. We have had three Honda-Broderick Cup award winners, six Naismith Player of the Year winners, four State Farm Wade Trophy winners, 5 AP Player of the Year winners, 8 NCAA post-graduate scholarship winners along with 18 Academic All-Americans. Looking ahead, we return 42 starters of 60. Seven of the top scorers and rebounders return from last season. Five teams, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, are ranked in the preseason. We have four preseason All-Americans: Candance Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle of Tennessee, Sylvia Fowles of LSU and Tasha Humphrey of Georgia. Our women's tournament will be played March 6th-9th at the Sommet Center in Nashville. "
"When we first came in 2002, we talked about a lot of different things we wanted to accomplish in the SEC. One priority was to elevate the national visibility and appreciation of basketball in the Southeastern Conference. The fact that we are the national champions in both men's and women's basketball is tangible evidence that we are well on our way to achieving that goal."
Supervisor of Officials Gerald Boudreaux
"I'm glad to be here this morning to address some of the officiating issues. I would like to start off by saying that there has been a lot of discussion about things that relate to officiating. The commissioner and I met last week to identify with our officials to discuss two key things, accountability and integrity. When you listen to the numbers that the commissioner just read on the success of SEC institutions, it is a prerequisite that we have the officiating program at the same level of competition for the players. We continue to look at accountability and integrity with our officials.
"We conducted camps this summer where some members of our staff were not only talking to first and second year (officials), but also those who had officiated for some time. We had a clinic last week. There are a number of online issues we are dealing with such as testing of the officials. I can give you some more details as we talk over the next few days. I want to stress against the impact that the officiating program has on the SEC."
"There have not been any new rules. The coach's box is something that I will talk about in a second, but the three point line on the men's side has been approved by the committee and will go into effect next season. There will be some experimental games with it this year, but it will not become a rule until next year. The other points of emphasis are not anything new. The basketball committee has decided that there is need to clean up rough post-play throughout the country and that is the number one point of emphasis. The second point of emphasis is informing officials. Although it has improved, overall we feel we still need to emphasize the possible advantage of the game not being properly officiated. Illegal screens and contact are our third point of emphasis. We do realize that basketball is a contact sport and there are rules that players have to abide by and the job of officials is to identify and be consistent in the application of those rules. The fourth area is the charge and block situation and some feel that is one of the toughest areas to call in the game. Rough post-play, illegal contact, and the block charge, especially in the paint where there have been no calls, is an area that needs to continue to be cleaned up."
"Let me take a few minutes to talk about the coach's box. The box has never left. There were exceptions to how it was interpreted across the country. The commissioners and coaches association, and all stakeholders in college basketball decided to do a better job of enforcing the coach's box. It is quite simple as I see it, as a matter of interpretation."
"If the coach is in his box and coaching the team everything is fine. If he is berating officials or there is profanity coming out of his or her mouth, then that deserves discipline, in most cases a technical foul. Coaches that leave the box and are coaching their team will be warned. That is when they are doing the right things."
"If a coach is out of the box and doing the wrong things, which are listed in the rule book, it is an automatic technical foul. There are some situations where the coach can leave the box by rule. For example, if there is a scoring or timing error, the coach can go to the table to identify the mistake. The coach can also leave the box if there is a fight that breaks out on the floor. The coach is allowed to come onto the floor and assist the situation by trying to bring peace and tranquility to the situation. The third situation is if at any time the scoreboard is wrong and he wants to point that out to someone, he or she can be out of the box. Those are the only times legally that the coach can be out of the box. Only a small percentage of coaches actually stray from the box. It is not to be deterrence to the game or embarrass anyone; we need application of the rule, which is a major point of emphasis for this year. The coaches and commissioners want it enforced and for the officials it is not an option."
"There will not always be a warning depending on the situation. A big part of the SEC and integrity of the game is at stake when there is inconsistent application of the coaching box. As I said, the majority of the coaches adhere to the coaching box, only a small percentage do not. All the stakeholder would like it cleaned up, and the now the ball is I the court of the officials to handle it."
"We haven't formalized it to the point that it will be announced. The crew will know that the coach has been warned. We will not make a public announcement or tell the opposing coach. We want to improve the coach and officials relationship. We want them to communicate and have a dialogue. However a warning is not a prerequisite."
"There will still be some no calls on charge blocking, especially if the guys don't see the whole play. There will be some situations that the officials don't catch some things because they happen so fast. I will unequivocally say that sometimes there will be no call and sometimes they come when it is that tough of a call and play can be continued."