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The preseason SEC media poll picked Rick Barnes’ Tennessee Volunteers to win the conference. The Vols are the overall preseason favorite in the SEC for the first time since 2020-21.
How did Barnes react? He didn’t even know about it until some fans congratulated him.
“Yesterday I had three or four people around Knoxville come up and congratulate me. I honestly didn’t know what they were talking about till somebody told me.”
In typical Rick Barnes fashion, the coach said he didn’t have much of a reaction to the news.
“I don’t know that I had much of a reaction, to be quite honest,” explained Barnes. “I think it’s a compliment, obviously. Certainly, it’s a compliment to our players, our program. It’s fun. I think it’s a fun time of year.”
Barnes hopes to get his team back to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24. The Vols reached the Sweet Sixteen last season before falling to the Florida Atlantic Owls. Barnes knows that the preseason hype means nothing if the team doesn’t win games.
“I think those polls are obviously for the media and the fan bases to do that. You got to go win games. Again, you embrace it. I mean, I hope we’re that good. I really do. I really do hope we’re that good and better,” Barnes said. “We’ll always be more concerned with what we do day to day in practice, getting ready for each game.”
The Vols are also ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll, coming in at No. 9. The team will kick off the 2023-24 season on Nov. 6 against Tennessee Tech.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
