After Tennessee fails to appear in the SEC Tournament, Rick Barnes expresses worry.
With their 73-56 victory over Tennessee in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, Mississippi State plays spoiler.
The SEC Tournament was not much of an experience for Tennessee basketball with their crushing defeat at the hands of Mississippi State. The Vols’ 73-56 defeat was both shocking and reminiscent of their season-opening setback to the Bulldogs.
Tennessee’s vulnerabilities were revealed by Mississippi State for the second time this season. It happens ahead of the NCAA Tournament this time. This Simpsons GIF perfectly captures the essence of the Vols’ stay in Nashville.
Before the Kentucky game, it appeared as though the Vols had everything in front of them. The Vols had defeated Kentucky on Senior Day and are now losing to Mississippi State after winning three straight games against rated opponents.
Though he is a fantastic coach, Rick Barnes is notorious for letting his weaknesses show around March. He has experienced great teams finishing their season early due to inability to perform at their peak in March.
It usually boils down to whether team hopes to win more games in March. The teams that are more physical, more desperate, and tougher in any particular game are capable of defeating the top teams in the nation. Barnes’s Volumes.
Let’s just sit here and think about how we feel right now, I told them,” Barnes remarked. “Let’s just sit here and speak about how you’re feeling right now. It’s over if you start feeling this way again. I want you to remember what you did right now. You want to give it your all during this time of year. You have to realize that this is the hardest time of year to win. There has to be a sense of desperation that every possession counts if your team is to be able to play for three days and win a conference tournament, or for six days and win a national title.”
Barnes further admitted that his Vols did.
However, that was not the mindset we played with today. I haven’t seen that team in the first twenty minutes of the season, not even during practice. As I watch it, I think to myself, “Man, maybe we should get this out of our system.” It’s the first one like this that we haven’t responded better to,” Barnes said.
