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  • Donnie Tyndall: UK talent is "off the chart"

    By JOE HAFLEY



    CHARLOTTE — During a recent luncheon speaking engagement, Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall said he was asked if he thought Kentucky would win the Southeastern Conference championship.

    “I said their first five is picked to win league and the second five is picked to win second,” said Tyndall during the Southeastern Conference Media Days here. “Obviously they are very talented and coach (John) Calipari is one of the best coaches in the country.

    “Their talent level is certainly off the chart. l watched some of their games while they were in the Bahamas this summer. They looked incredibly long and athletic. They are fast, they have shooters. I don’t see one area that there is a weakness. So certainly they will be a national championship contender once again.”

    Tyndall was the head coach at Morehead State University before going to Southern Mississippi and now Tennessee. He watched the UK-Tennessee rivalry when he was at Morehead.

    “There is history there, no doubt about it. There have been some great games over the years,” he said. “Our fans are disappointed they only had the chance to play Kentucky one last and I believe only once this year. Until we get some players, I am OK with only playing just once.

    “But with that being said, I think in the near future we will get this think back to where both teams are competing at a high, high level. I grew up on Kentucky basketball when I was (playing) at Morehead State and coach (Rick) Pitino was at Kentucky and had it rolling. Then while am at Morehead (as a coach) we played Kentucky a couple of times.

    “Now coach Calipari has got it rolling again. It always going to be big game for Tennessee and our fans and myself. I think it is the same way for Kentucky fans as well.”

    Tyndall laughed and said he had not been fitted for an orange jacket that former Tennessee coaches Ray Mears and Bruce Pearl often wore when the Vols played Kentucky.

    “I’ve got to make some decisions because orange blazer does not make me look as good as I had hoped. I will wear it for the Vanderbilt game without question, and then we will play it by ear on the Kentucky game,” he said.

    Mears also used to have a player ride a unicycle in pregame warmups. Tyndall won’t do that.

    “I would be worried I would fall and pop an Achilles or hurt myself,” he said.

    He says his transition to Tennessee has been a whirlwind.

    “You get the job and you only have four returning players, so you can imagine signing eight players at this level in about a 4-5 week window,” he said. “It was pretty strenuous and nerve racking. On the flip side we got the job accomplished and then you go right into your camps in June and recruiting in July and then get married first week in august.

    “It has been exciting and people of Knoxville have been incredible. I have a great administration with the chancellor and (athletics director) Dave Hart have been great. We put together a great staff. It has been good.”

    Pearl, the new coach at Auburn who was forced to resign at Tennessee for NCAA and then worked for ESPN, was at Media Days as the same time as Tyndall.

    “I have known coach Pearl for a long time. In fact, one of my old assistant coaches worked with him at Wisconsin-Milwaukee,” Tyndall said. “I know this, he is an outstanding coach and a very good person. He did incredible things at Tennessee.

    “Many of the things he accomplished while at Tennessee we sell now in recruiting. I don’t think Auburn could have hired a better guy to revive their program. I think he will do a fantastic job and make Auburn one of the top two or three teams in our league in a real hurry.”

    Tyndall said people in Tennessee “were excited” to have Pearl back in the league.

    “They were excited he is getting another opportunity. Don’t know if excited we have to play against him, but for the most part people seem to be genuinely happy that he landed on his feet and is at a great school,” Tyndall said.
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