Coaching in the post season can be a real grind as you have a short period of time to prepare for very good opponents. Fran McCaffery and his staff have been putting in the hours since Sunday, first preparing for Cincinnati and now for Tennessee. McCaffery discusses the short turnarounds and what he has seen from the Vols leading up to the game on Sunday.

Q. Coach, how difficult is it to get enough sleep during a time like this with a short turnaround?

COACH MCCAFFERY: You're not going to get a lot of sleep, but you've got to get some because you've got to be fresh. You just jump from one game to the next. Obviously the assistant coach responsible for that team has been studying them for quite some time. So we just, we were up late last night, but got a little bit of sleep, back up this morning, had a meeting, breakfast. And then came over here and had a live practice which is good, get up and down, get a little sweat going. Have a few more meetings and then get ready to play.

Q. As you look at Tennessee, how much of a difference do you think Kyle Alexander makes for them when he's able to be on the floor and able to stay out of foul trouble?

COACH MCCAFFERY: They have great versatility. And obviously he provides something different with his length and his size. But they can also downshift and go small, and put some big-time weapons out there offensively. We look at matchups, in particular. I think that's maybe what you're also thinking about when you look at our big guys versus their big guys. Here's a 6'11" guy with length and the ability to defend our scoring post players. But, you know, it will be a constant situation where we're both pushing different buttons with different lineups and looking for different things.

Q. When you come off a half shooting 65 percent like you did in the second, having another game two days later on that short rest, does it make it easier to kind of ride the confidence for your shooters?

COACH MCCAFFERY: I hope so. We've had an interesting season in that respect. There's times when our offense has really been clicking. And there's times when we've been off. Last game we played before yesterday, we shot 1-for-16 from 3. And then yesterday we make 11. I look at our team and say, we've got good 3-point shooters. But I think you have to be able to establish that you can throw it inside and score; drive and kick; drive and finish; drive, get to the free throw line; throw it inside, get to the free throw line. Over the course of your entire body of work, you have to do all those things. To beat a team that's won 30 games, you better be able to do all those things or attempt to do all those things to beat them.

Q. Tennessee has allowed 15 3s each of the last two games. As a coach how do you balance taking advantage of that while also trying to avoid guys settling for too many shots?

COACH MCCAFFERY: I think that's something you probably deal with every game. Especially when you have multiple 3-point shooters like we do. At what point do you settle? At what point do you work the ball? And you're hoping every game that your guys truly understand the difference as it relates to time and score. What defense are they? I think Colgate's a team that probably shoots a lot of 3s anyway. So are we. But we also have won a number of games where we just hammer that thing inside. So we just hope that our guys make the proper decisions, and you want them to be confident.

Q. Jordan said that he feels like Tennessee is different stylistically than any team you've faced this year. Do you agree with that? And how have all the teams you've faced this year prepared you to face them?

COACH MCCAFFERY: Well, I think in the Big Ten every team has a great coach. Every team has really talented players, three or four of whom expect to play in the NBA. I would say the same for the SEC. So the difference, I think, when you look at Tennessee, they've got tremendous team speed. They're quick. But they also can throw the ball inside. They also have 3-point shooting. That's why they have the record that they have. But we feel like, when you look at Michigan State versus Maryland, versus Penn State, versus Nebraska, when you go right on through our league, what it does is prepare you for different styles. Some teams play man. Some teams mix it a little bit more. Some teams are a little more deliberate. Some teams play faster. The one thing about Tennessee is they can go either way. They can go fast -- you look at the Auburn game and, the championship game. And that was as up and down and athletic a game as I've seen in a long time. But they can also play half court. They've got a great coach. And they've got intelligent players that share the ball. I think it's one of the things that's impressed me the most about them, they have really good players with big reputations, but everybody seems to put winning above everything else and move the ball. And that's why they're still playing.

Q. I know this is an old story for people that follow you every day but for those of us who are new to Iowa, how do you deal with a player who is playing another varsity sport at the same time?

COACH MCCAFFERY: It's a little bit different because it's my son. And obviously you're hoping that he can maximize his opportunity. You would want the same for anybody else. Coach Heller and I have an agreement that we're going to work together and do what makes sense. So we had a window of time after the Big Ten Tournament ended where he could play in some games, which he did and did really well. And then we had it set up -- had we lost yesterday he'd be playing today in a doubleheader at Indiana. Is it too much? I don't think so. It's what he's always done. He's always gone from one sport to the other. He's thrilled to have the opportunity to play for our baseball team. Has tremendous respect for Coach Heller and his teammates. He grew up playing baseball with a good number of those guys; either played with them or against them. And I think as long as we can manage it, while at the same time managing the academic side of it, he's Academic All-Big Ten, so he's tailing that part of it, we'll keep doing it that way.

Q. Brings up one of the quandaries that parents have as their kids grow up. And so many times you'll have even high school coaches that want them to specialize. I think I know what your belief is on this after that answer. But what do you think non-son would do as he grows up and whether he can play two, three, four sports?

COACH MCCAFFERY: It's interesting, because you're so right. When you look at a lot -- a lot of high school coaches just won't allow it anymore. And when we came to Iowa we met with the folks at Iowa City West High School to make sure the coaches were willing to work together because we felt that this was something that he would want to do. And it's a place where they welcome that. And we appreciated that. And I honestly think it helps you tremendously to continuously be competing from one sport to the other. There's nothing like having to get in that batter's box and have to hit something coming 95 miles an hour. And I think by the same token, Connor's got to hit a big 3 yesterday and make an inbounds play to Luka Garza at the exact time for him to hit a 3; you're competing under pressure. I think it develops you in so many different ways. So I encourage it. I like two-sport athletes because you know what you're getting is a competitor.

Q. Big stage is a big stage.

COACH MCCAFFERY: Exactly right.

Q. You've kind of mentioned it a little bit, but between Tennessee and yourself, two of the best teams in terms of offensive efficiency in the nation, how comfortable are you getting into a shootout, so to speak, with the Vols tomorrow?

COACH MCCAFFERY: We're typically very comfortable getting into a shootout. Obviously, as any game goes on, adjustments are required. If you feel like you're losing a shootout at some point, I think you might have to slow it down. I think you have to be smart enough to recognize, all right, let's work the ball a little bit more. Let's maybe try to shoot a few less 3s and go inside a little bit more. Let's put it on the deck and see if we can get to the free-throw line a little bit more. Because we want to press. If you can get to the free-throw line, you can get into your press a little bit easier. So normally I would say if the game can be in the 90s we'd be happy about that. But sometimes you gotta be careful, especially when you're playing a team of this caliber.

Q. It's been 20 years since Iowa got to the Sweet 16. What would it mean for the program to get past this hurdle tomorrow?

COACH MCCAFFERY: It would be tremendous. We've come close. We all know how hard it is. I don't care where you are. It's very difficult to put it all together and get into the tournament, and then advance once you get here. So I think our players all recognize the situation we're in. And we would really love to have this experience for each other, but also for our fan base.