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Rick Barnes on recent struggles heading into NCAAT: ‘Everybody starts over when you’re here’
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Rick Barnes’ Tennessee basketball squad has sorely missed point guard Zakai Zeigler over the past few weeks. The Vols are 2-2 in games without Zeigler, beating Arkansas and Ole Miss but losing to Auburn and Mizzou.
Simply put, Tennessee is a different team without Zeigler. Their ball pressure is not as relentless, they are without a solid 3-point shooter on a team that struggles to score and other teams are starting to pick up confidence from outside the arc. Zeigler, especially on the defensive end, was just that important.
Regardless, Tennessee has talent and possesses the ability to make a deep run, even though history is not on their side. Barnes pointed out Wednesday that, starting Thursday, Tennessee is 0-0 on the season. Everyone’s goal is to win 6 straight games once the ball is tipped in the first round, after all. He admits momentum entering the tournament is nice, but is not a prerequisite for success in the Big Dance.
Here’s his full thoughts on the topic:
#Vols coach Rick Barnes: Some teams have limped into this tournament and won it. They’ve lost in their conference tournaments by 15 and then won it. Everybody starts over when you’re here. You’d rather have momentum coming into it, but history shows you don’t have to have it.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 15, 2023
Rick Barnes and history…
You have to be able to see the irony of Rick Barnes bringing up history in his argument. Any team can indeed get hot at any time, just as St. Peters last season and South Carolina in 2017. Tennessee, however, seems to do nothing but go cold in March the past few seasons.
The Vols entered last year’s tournament red hot, but fell to Michigan in the 2nd round. The Vols have been to the tournament 4 times under Barnes and only reached the 2nd weekend once. This year will be Tennessee’s 5th NCAAT appearance under Barnes.
Tennessee tips off against Louisiana Thursday at 9:40 on CBS.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
