bleedingTNorange
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Tennessee point guard Antonio Barton, who transferred from Memphis during the offseason, met with the media Thursday.
Story coming later on VolQuest and in The Daily Times. Until then, what he had to say:
****
On his final schools
My final schools were Maryland, Texas A&M and Tennessee.
On what stood out about Tennessee
The toughness of the coach and players. During the whole recruiting process, the players, they texted me everyday and we talked as if they knew me all their life. That just made me feel comfortable and warm.
On which players specifically reached out to him
Guys like Jordan [McRae], J-Rich [Josh Richardson], Derek Reese, Jerron Maymon, almost everybody.
On what those players were telling him
Just what to expect being here, how far we can go with me adding on to the team.
On a what stood out from those messages
Just when I finally let the media know that I was going to transfer, [Tennessee players] texted me right away saying that Ive got to come here, its a perfect opportunity and we can go very far.
On how hes been accepted since the transfer
They accepted me as if Id been here since freshman [year]. Those guys, we come in, we compete everyday, off the court we sit around have fun, go out to eat, everything.
On if Memphis wins over Tennessee ever come up in the conversation
I didnt think so. What happens on the court stays on the court. Off the court I dont hate anybody, it was no bad blood against those guys. But on the court it was business.
On how often he reminds his Tennessee teammates of Memphis wins over the Vols
They bring it up more than me. Well sit in the locker room after workouts and just talk about old games and stuff like that, how many overtimes weve went to. They bring it up more than I do.
On the talent this Tennessee team has
We have a lot of talent. The newcomers, the guys that are returning, we have talent in all areas. From the guards down low, even guys coming off the bench. We have the team.
On the expectations of being a good team
Were just going to take it one day at a time and build up to March.
On playing at Thompson-Boling Arena, if that was a factor in his decision and what he remembers about those games
My freshman year we didnt have such a good year here, it was one of the worst losses I took in my college career. Just coming in, it was a packed environment, I loved the environment, the support, the fans. Thats something I just want to play in front of.
On if it feels weird wearing Tennessee orange after a career at Memphis
Still a little weird to go from blue to orange, the big rivalry. But Im getting used to it.
On the reaction from Memphis coach Josh Pastnor, his Memphis teammates and Memphis fans after hearing he was transferring to Tennessee
Everybody was shocked. Some people had their negative, some people had their positives. You cant listen to a lot of people. I just accepted it. You cant please everybody in life.
On how his brother, Will Barton, responded to the news of his transfer
He was happy. He was one of the biggest supporters, told me to come here. He said it was going to be a positive fit for me and I could do a lot of positive things here. So he was one of my biggest fans of coming here.
On the differences on and off the court between Tennessee and Memphis
Memphis is a small campus, and here is huge. I do a lot of walking to my classes. It took me a while, Im still not used to it, but Im getting there.
The training is a lot different. Coming from Memphis we didnt do a lot of weights, a lot of cardio and stuff, military training. So coming here, to actually be able to do weights again, that transitions a lot.
On why he decided to leave Memphis
Me being able to graduate in three years and have the opportunity to go somewhere else and play right away without sitting out. It was just something I wanted to do and have a fresh start.
On how he feels like he fits in with the Tennessee team
They just wanted me to come in and be that floor general, be the coach on the floor without actually having coach on the floor. Thats what they expect.
On going from a basketball school in Memphis to a football school in Tennessee
Totally different. I went to the first game and I felt like I was actually playing. We sat close and, just the tailgating and everything, something Im not very used to.
On how many football games he went to at Memphis
I can count on my hand, Id say about three or four. I always went to the first game of the season.
On if he knew the players on Tennessees roster well before deciding to transfer
We talked. Some guys I met at camps and stuff like that, but we didnt have that relationship, relationship. Over the summer we built a strong relationship, even though I wasnt here the entire summer. We talked, they told me how the summers workouts were going, how the newcomers were coming along well.
On if he can provide consistency at the point guard position
Ive always been consistent in my college career. But Im just going to come out and compete and play my game, not do anything out of my ordinary.
On how he would describe his game
Im just tough on both ends of the court, both offensively and defensively. I make a lot of guys better around me.
On where his toughness comes from
My homecoming. My background, the life that I grew up with. I had to be tough on and off the court.
On the talent on this roster factoring into his decision
That was a big key in me coming here. Me transferring, I didnt want to go anywhere where Id score all the points and we wouldnt win. I wanted to come somewhere and compete and being a contender for a national championship.
On if he was surprised by Tennessees talent level
Not at all. Ive watched these guys grow over the years, Ive played against them. I knew what I was walking into.
On if this team has the talent to play for a national championship
We have the talent, its just up to us to come in and work and get better as a team everyday.
On if he has a lot to prove to himself
Ive been playing with a chip on my shoulder all my life. Guys saying I was a throw in coming into Memphis with my brother. I dont let it get me down, I just use it as motivation.
On being such a sought-after transfer after Tennessee three years after being considered a throw-in at Memphis with his brother
Its just something I knew I was capable of all my life. I just was always a blue collar guy, didnt get the most publicity, but I earned everything that I got.
Story coming later on VolQuest and in The Daily Times. Until then, what he had to say:
****
On his final schools
My final schools were Maryland, Texas A&M and Tennessee.
On what stood out about Tennessee
The toughness of the coach and players. During the whole recruiting process, the players, they texted me everyday and we talked as if they knew me all their life. That just made me feel comfortable and warm.
On which players specifically reached out to him
Guys like Jordan [McRae], J-Rich [Josh Richardson], Derek Reese, Jerron Maymon, almost everybody.
On what those players were telling him
Just what to expect being here, how far we can go with me adding on to the team.
On a what stood out from those messages
Just when I finally let the media know that I was going to transfer, [Tennessee players] texted me right away saying that Ive got to come here, its a perfect opportunity and we can go very far.
On how hes been accepted since the transfer
They accepted me as if Id been here since freshman [year]. Those guys, we come in, we compete everyday, off the court we sit around have fun, go out to eat, everything.
On if Memphis wins over Tennessee ever come up in the conversation
I didnt think so. What happens on the court stays on the court. Off the court I dont hate anybody, it was no bad blood against those guys. But on the court it was business.
On how often he reminds his Tennessee teammates of Memphis wins over the Vols
They bring it up more than me. Well sit in the locker room after workouts and just talk about old games and stuff like that, how many overtimes weve went to. They bring it up more than I do.
On the talent this Tennessee team has
We have a lot of talent. The newcomers, the guys that are returning, we have talent in all areas. From the guards down low, even guys coming off the bench. We have the team.
On the expectations of being a good team
Were just going to take it one day at a time and build up to March.
On playing at Thompson-Boling Arena, if that was a factor in his decision and what he remembers about those games
My freshman year we didnt have such a good year here, it was one of the worst losses I took in my college career. Just coming in, it was a packed environment, I loved the environment, the support, the fans. Thats something I just want to play in front of.
On if it feels weird wearing Tennessee orange after a career at Memphis
Still a little weird to go from blue to orange, the big rivalry. But Im getting used to it.
On the reaction from Memphis coach Josh Pastnor, his Memphis teammates and Memphis fans after hearing he was transferring to Tennessee
Everybody was shocked. Some people had their negative, some people had their positives. You cant listen to a lot of people. I just accepted it. You cant please everybody in life.
On how his brother, Will Barton, responded to the news of his transfer
He was happy. He was one of the biggest supporters, told me to come here. He said it was going to be a positive fit for me and I could do a lot of positive things here. So he was one of my biggest fans of coming here.
On the differences on and off the court between Tennessee and Memphis
Memphis is a small campus, and here is huge. I do a lot of walking to my classes. It took me a while, Im still not used to it, but Im getting there.
The training is a lot different. Coming from Memphis we didnt do a lot of weights, a lot of cardio and stuff, military training. So coming here, to actually be able to do weights again, that transitions a lot.
On why he decided to leave Memphis
Me being able to graduate in three years and have the opportunity to go somewhere else and play right away without sitting out. It was just something I wanted to do and have a fresh start.
On how he feels like he fits in with the Tennessee team
They just wanted me to come in and be that floor general, be the coach on the floor without actually having coach on the floor. Thats what they expect.
On going from a basketball school in Memphis to a football school in Tennessee
Totally different. I went to the first game and I felt like I was actually playing. We sat close and, just the tailgating and everything, something Im not very used to.
On how many football games he went to at Memphis
I can count on my hand, Id say about three or four. I always went to the first game of the season.
On if he knew the players on Tennessees roster well before deciding to transfer
We talked. Some guys I met at camps and stuff like that, but we didnt have that relationship, relationship. Over the summer we built a strong relationship, even though I wasnt here the entire summer. We talked, they told me how the summers workouts were going, how the newcomers were coming along well.
On if he can provide consistency at the point guard position
Ive always been consistent in my college career. But Im just going to come out and compete and play my game, not do anything out of my ordinary.
On how he would describe his game
Im just tough on both ends of the court, both offensively and defensively. I make a lot of guys better around me.
On where his toughness comes from
My homecoming. My background, the life that I grew up with. I had to be tough on and off the court.
On the talent on this roster factoring into his decision
That was a big key in me coming here. Me transferring, I didnt want to go anywhere where Id score all the points and we wouldnt win. I wanted to come somewhere and compete and being a contender for a national championship.
On if he was surprised by Tennessees talent level
Not at all. Ive watched these guys grow over the years, Ive played against them. I knew what I was walking into.
On if this team has the talent to play for a national championship
We have the talent, its just up to us to come in and work and get better as a team everyday.
On if he has a lot to prove to himself
Ive been playing with a chip on my shoulder all my life. Guys saying I was a throw in coming into Memphis with my brother. I dont let it get me down, I just use it as motivation.
On being such a sought-after transfer after Tennessee three years after being considered a throw-in at Memphis with his brother
Its just something I knew I was capable of all my life. I just was always a blue collar guy, didnt get the most publicity, but I earned everything that I got.
