Rick Barnes was hoping to lead Tennessee to a No. 1 seed and deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, a humiliating loss puts a 1-seed at jeopardy entering the weekend.

During Friday’s SEC Tournament 2024 quarterfinals, the Vols put together a thoroughly demoralizing and disastrous performance against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs led 38-19 at halftime and had pulled far away by the time the whistle blew on a 73-56 win.

The Vols once again shot horrifically from 3-point range in defeat, finishing the loss 8-for-33 (24%) from deep to go with 14 turnovers. Zakai Zeigler led the Vols with 20 points, and there was no miracle performance from Dalton Knecht to rescue Tennessee.

Knecht finished the game with 14 points on 4-for-17 shooting and 2-for-9 from 3-point range. Now, the regular-season champs in the SEC will wait to find out their fate from the selection committee. Fans can track all the postseason odds and the latest trends with SDS’s sports betting in Tennessee links.

Are Barnes and the Vols in trouble?

Tennessee now enters the NCAA Tournament on back-to-back losses after also falling to Kentucky in the regular-season finale at home. Suddenly, a once hot team and trending pick for the Final Four is in a rough patch at the worst possible time.

With Tennessee looking awful, many were quick to bring up Barnes’ lack of success in March. In 5 NCAA Tournament appearances with Barnes, the Vols have never advanced to the Final Four and have only made it to a pair of Sweet 16s.

Is Friday’s humiliation a harbinger of what’s to come in the Big Dance? We’ll soon find out. For now, Barnes is once again the scorn of the college basketball world.

Check it out:

Rick Barnes every March: pic.twitter.com/gHV41fU6y0

— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) March 15, 2024

Tournament Rick Barnes is here!!!!!

— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) March 15, 2024

Rick Barnes deciding to underachieve every March pic.twitter.com/QhGmn6R8Tn

— Andrew (@aterry65) March 15, 2024

Rick Barnes gives up a massive upset in the month of March.
[scheduled tweet] https://t.co/fGYWBLDa1y

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) March 15, 2024

Rick Barnes in March. It just means more. pic.twitter.com/NElLye9ja3

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 15, 2024

Rick Barnes against the spread by month since 2005 via @Bet_Labs…

Another tough loss in March. pic.twitter.com/zaZJUV3p6P

— Evan Abrams (@EvanHAbrams) March 15, 2024

Tennessee is shooting 2-for-17 from 3? Cue the bad March jokes about Rick Barnes.

— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) March 15, 2024

Tennessee making sure Rick Barnes doesn’t have the pressure of a #1 seed. pic.twitter.com/Ip06Ce2kmj

— Jeffrey Parson (@JeffreyParson) March 15, 2024

A Rick Barnes choke? It must be March

— Hannah? (@hannahhgrace11) March 15, 2024

Name the biggest rivalry in sports.

I’ll start:

Rick Barnes vs. March

— Chañce (@ChanceDawg19) March 15, 2024

Rick Barnes in March (SEC tourney doesn’t matter) pic.twitter.com/R07JXzF21u

— Jack (not a burner) (@_jackmcpherson) March 15, 2024

"It's going to be different for Rick Barnes this March, you see he has one of the five best players in the country this time and they have all these Q1 wins and—" pic.twitter.com/zDRgwEG7lT

— Rock Chalk Blog (@RockChalkBlog) March 15, 2024

Well…….it’s that time of year for Rick Barnes. ??‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/5nPsC6SSmW

— Darren McFarland (@dmac_nashsports) March 15, 2024

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.