KNOXVILLE — What is it about these first-year Southeastern Conference men’s basketball coaches the past few seasons?

The University of Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl took the league by storm in the 2005-06 season, winning 22 games, an SEC Eastern Division championship and landing a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Andy Kennedy nearly got Ole Miss in the NCAA tournament in 2006-07, winning 21 games and advancing to the second round of the postseason NIT. The Rebels were on the verge of bigger things this season until three season-ending backcourt injuries, but they’ve still upset Tennessee and Kentucky at home.

Last season, John Pelphrey led Arkansas to 23 wins, an appearance in the SEC tournament championship game and a spot in the NCAA tournament.

The trend has continued this season, with Trent Johnson leading LSU to an SEC championship and Darrin Horn leading South Carolina to a first-place tie with Tennessee in the East with two games left in the regular season — including the Volunteers visit to Columbia on Thursday night.

Here is the transcript of a Monday conversation with Horn, the fiery young coach who led alma mater Western Kentucky to the 2008 Sweet Sixteen before taking over the Gamecocks.

Darrin Horn

OPENING STATEMENT:

HORN: “I think Tennessee is a team that most people probably agree that top to bottom, as far as talent, is as good as there is in our league. There’s a reason they were picked at the top of our division to start the year, and I think they showed in their performance (Saturday at Florida). The East Division title still runs through there, without question, and this is a game we know will be really tough.”

Q: What did you and your players learn from your loss at UT earlier this season?

HORN: “I don’t think we learned anything that we didn’t know about them. They’re extremely talented. They’re very deep. They’re capable of great runs, especially when they’re shooting the ball well, which they’ve shown in a few games recently. I just think they played better than we did to start, and the last 15 minutes or so, we played a little bit better and made it somewhat of a game down the stretch. But we really just dug ourselves too deep of a hole against a team that talented, especially on the road.”

Q: Do you think your point guard, junior Devan Downey, is a strong candidate for SEC player of the year?

HORN: “I don’t think there’s any question that he is. I think anybody who says he’s not hasn’t watched a lot of basketball in the SEC this year.”

Q: What have senior guards Branden Conrad and Zam Fredrick meant to you and the team during this season’s transition?

HORN: “They’re two young men that have meant so much to our program, simply because with a coaching change, you’re talking about two guys that have played for three college coaches, because they were transfers from another school. From day 1, they’ve bought into what we want to do, and they’ve responded well and shown so much leadership throughout the year, and they’ve been such a big part of what we’re trying to do. Even Brandon, after his injury, just his presence has been important to our team.”

Q: Do you think your team is playing for NCAA tournament seeding, or still playing for a chance to simply get in the tournament?

HORN: “I think we’re playing to beat Tennessee. Those are things that are completely beyond our control, and I have no idea what the thoughts are of the committee or anybody else. All we can do is come out and try to play really well Thursday against a Tennessee team that we all know is outstanding. I think if you can do that, and you can find a way to win, then all that other stuff will take care of itself. That’s, at the end of the day, the only thing we can control, anyway. We have no idea of knowing where those things are right now. I just think we’ve got to .. get better and get ready for Tennessee.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the popular national perception that the SEC is down this season?

HORN: “In terms of tournament appearance, those are things that are beyond our control. But I think the perception — and I think (Florida coach) Billy (Donovan) touched on it — was probably created from the start of the year, when outside of Tennessee getting some attention early, there really wasn’t anybody else that was looked upon as a nationally prominent team. And then I think maybe a lack of really stellar non-conference wins as a league total probably contributed to what was already a preconceived notion that maybe the league wasn’t as good.

“I don’t know if I’m the best one to comment on it, because it’s my first year in the league, but I think that the league is good, and that it is worthy of multiple bids. When you look at the quality of the teams, maybe the best way I can say it is, if I’m an opposing coach, I don’t want to see Florida in the NCAA tournament bracket and have to coach against Billy Donovan and deal with Nick Calathes and their skilled players. I don’t want to see Tennessee come up in the bracket, and have to deal with their athleticism and style of play. And you can say that about several teams in our league.

“I think it is what it is at this point, and all any team can do is to try to finish well here in the last couple of games.”

Q: Is the NCAA tournament bubble talk a distraction for coaches to deal with?

HORN: “I think there are a lot of things that are distractions. I’ve said all year, especially taking over a program that hasn’t won and is now being considered for some of that talk, that we have a lot of distractions to deal with (for) our young people. And sometimes that’s as important, if not more important, than the actually basketball thing. That can be anything from a tough academic week, to personal issues with family, to outside talk from fans on a lot of things. I think those are things that you’re always dealing with, and I think it changes.

“There was a time when everybody told our guys we weren’t going to be any good, and we couldn’t play our style of play and all of those things. And then you win a few and have a couple of big wins, and everyone’s telling you how great you are. Those are two different spectrums for young people to have to deal with, especially if they haven’t experienced it before. I think any of those things can become distractions. I wouldn’t say that’s a major one as much as it’s just one that has to be dealt with.”

Read Wednesday’s Times Free Press for more UT coverage, and e-mail Wes Rucker at wrucker@timesfreepress.com.