What Rick Barnes said after Tennessee's blowout win over West Virginia
The Tennessee Volunteers got off to a bit of a slow start against West Virginia on Saturday, trailing the Mountaineers early. However, by halftime, the Vols had built up a 10-point lead and never looked back.
Eventually, the No. 1 team in the country cruised to an easy 83-66 victory, extending their winning streak to an impressive 14 games.
After a couple of close calls against Alabama and Vanderbilt the past two games, an easy victory is exactly what coach Rick Barnes and the Vols needed.
Following the game, Barnes shared his thoughts on the way his team played. Here’s what he had to say in his postgame press conference:
On what this win means for upcoming games:
#Vols coach Rick Barnes: West Virginia is great preparation for South Carolina. We’re gonna see another team this physical Tuesday.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 26, 2019
On starting Lamonte Turner, who scored a game-high 23 points:
Rick Barnes says "we'll see" when asked about continuing to start Lamonte Turner. Wanted another ball-handler in the game to go against West Virginia's press. Didn't want Yves Pons or Admiral Schofield to feel pressured.
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) January 26, 2019
On slow start to the first half:
Rick Barnes on the start of the first half: "We were playing really hard, just not playing smart."
Mentions Tennessee has to move the ball side-to-side to get the offense going.
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) January 26, 2019
On being No. 1 in the country:
Rick Barnes on how UT responded to No. 1: “They’ve earned it but they can’t forget what got them where they are."
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) January 27, 2019
On Admiral Schofield’s recent struggles:
Rick Barnes on Admiral Schofield: "He has to understand that he's a better player than just making shots."
Said Admiral can't get in his head that if he isn't making shot, he's not going to change the game.
— @GrantRamey (@GrantRamey) January 26, 2019
