Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes doesn’t believe his team struggles against Kentucky because of a poor matchup. Instead, he attributes the Volunteers’ two regular-season losses to the Wildcats to their own shortcomings.
“I wouldn’t call it a bad matchup,” Barnes said Monday night on Vol Calls. “The reality is, they simply executed better, did what was necessary to win, and we didn’t.”
Barnes emphasized that there was no mystery behind the results. “They’ve shot the ball extremely well,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Tennessee struggled with its shooting. The Vols made just 11 of 45 three-point attempts in their 78-73 loss to Kentucky at Food City Center on January 28. Two weeks later, at Rupp Arena, they managed only 3 of 18 from beyond the arc in a 75-64 defeat.
Late in that second game, Zakai Zeigler’s layup gave Tennessee a 60-58 lead with 4:51 remaining. However, Kentucky responded immediately with a Koby Brea three-pointer and went on a 17-4 run to close out the game.
In both victories, the Wildcats connected on 12 of 24 three-point attempts and shot 50% from the field overall.
Sweet 16 Showdown: Tennessee vs. Kentucky
The rivals will meet again in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 on Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. No. 2 Tennessee (29-7) will take on No. 3 Kentucky (24-11) at 7:39 p.m. ET, with the game airing on TBS and TruTV.
Reflecting on the previous matchups, Barnes acknowledged Kentucky’s efficiency. “In the first game here, they got the shots they wanted, whether we defended them well or not. They capitalized on those opportunities,” he said.
Kentucky’s strong play continued in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, where they forced 14 Illinois turnovers and converted them into 26 points during an 84-75 victory. Tennessee, on the other hand, overcame 18 turnovers in a 67-58 win over UCLA, though those mistakes led to 22 points for the Bruins.
Barnes stressed the importance of growth. “We have to improve this week,” he said. “There are still games ahead, and we need to get better not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.”
Since their February 11 loss at Kentucky, the Vols have gone 9-2, with their only defeats coming against Ole Miss on March 5 (78-76) and Florida in the SEC Tournament final (86-77). Offensively, they’ve been more efficient, ranking 17th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency. They hit 11 of 22 three-pointers against UCLA and 10 of 28 in their first-round win over Wofford.
Chaz Lanier, who struggled against Kentucky earlier (3-for-17 from three), has stepped up in the tournament, scoring 49 points in two games and making 10 threes.
‘We Are Playing Better Basketball Now’
Barnes believes Tennessee has improved significantly since those losses. “We’re a different team now, playing better basketball, which is exactly what you want at this stage,” he said.
He also expects Kentucky to have evolved. “They’ve added things to their game, and they’ll probably introduce new wrinkles for this matchup. We have to be prepared to adjust.”
Barnes respects what he has seen from Kentucky, calling Mark Pope a “terrific coach” with an excellent offensive system. “He’s recruited well, and they’ve executed at a high level against us twice.”
Ultimately, Barnes kept it simple: “They’ve beaten us. There’s nothing else to say.”
