The Tennessee Volunteers did what they do last weekend in Philadelphia — impose their physical will on their opponents.

They ended the feel-good story of Miami (OH) by reminding everyone just how tough things are in the SEC with a decisive 78-56 win. They dug their heels in and held down a very good Virginia team when they needed on the defensive end in a 79-72 win that sent the Vols back to their fourth straight Sweet Sixteen.

After the game, Barnes was asked about winning while only shooting 19 three pointers for the game. Barnes used that question as an opportunity to talk about the physical, close-to-the-basket nature he likes to play the game, and he went off script to talk about what he’d be like as a football coach.

Rick Barnes said after Tennessee’s win over Virginia that he’d be a ‘single wing’ football coach

“How do I look after all these years? I’ll tell you this, deep down inside, I wish there was no three-point line, and everything was played at 15 feet of net. I would be a football coach. We would run the single wing or whatever. We would be running three yards in a cloud of dust. I’m not a — I don’t mind shooting threes with the right guy shooting it, but I believe playing inside out. I still believe there’s a great value on putting teams in foul trouble, trying to get to people’s benches by doing that.

“But I grew up in an era, wasn’t a very good player, but literally, you know this, everything was 15 feet and in. That’s what it was. I still believe in it and still believe in hard screening, hard cutting. Sometimes, we probably pick and roll more than I would like. We do it some and sometimes I’m good at it. I like it when I look down and see that we’ve got 20 assists. I like that. On 26 made baskets. I like to see us sharing the ball and I love teams that are balanced. When we have a guy that can go, you have seen us do it through the years with a bunch of guys. We play their strengths, but we love balance. We really do. We love balance.”

Tennessee has certainly had their moments beyond the three-point line, and they needed them on Sunday against the Cavaliers. Bishop Boswell came up big, knocking down four of them. Ja’Kobi Gillespie hit a thirty-foot prayer to put Tennessee up 60-51 in the second half.

But as usual, it was Tennessee’s work around the rim that made the difference late in the game. J.P. Estrella had a big baseline turnaround jumper to give Tennessee a 70-68 lead. Then, up 72-71, Felix Okpara was tight on UVA star Dallin Hall and forced a missed shot, corralling in the rebound as well. Tennessee would clamp down on the defensive end and escape.

Physical play. Hard screens. Two points at a time. It really is the three yards and a cloud of dust that Barnes jokingly alluded to. That’s been a Barnes staple, and it’s worked to help Tennessee crank out their most successful stretch in school history.

Somewhere, General Robert Neyland is likely smiling down in approval.

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