What Rick Barnes said after Tennessee’s big home victory over Kentucky
By Adam Spencer
Published:
A couple of weeks ago, the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers went to Lexington and got embarrassed by the Kentucky Wildcats.
On Saturday, Rick Barnes’s squad returned the favor in Knoxville, picking up a 71-52 win over the Wildcats behind outstanding performances from Jordan Bone and Grant Williams.
For a team that had lost two road games against Kentucky and LSU in recent weeks, defending the home court on Saturday against the No. 4 Wildcats was important.
After the game, Barnes didn’t have much of a voice, but he did have plenty of praise for his team. Here’s what he said in his postgame press conference:
On Kentucky not having big man Reid Travis:
Barnes on Reid Travis' absence: "I thought he was a big factor in the first game. His defense and physicality. There's no doubt Reid Travis' presence gives them a different physicality."
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) March 2, 2019
On a strong defensive performance:
#Vols coach Rick Barnes: This might have been the best defense we’ve played all year.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) March 2, 2019
On the atmosphere in Knoxville:
Barnes starts out by saying the crowd at TBA was "tremendous"
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 2, 2019
On losing his voice:
Rick Barnes said he's not sick, but he's lost most of his voice. "The referees probably appreciated it today."
— David Ubben (@davidubben) March 2, 2019
The Vols are now tied atop the SEC standings with LSU, with both teams having a 14-2 SEC record. Two games remain in the regular season.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
