'It's ridiculous….that's soft, honestly' – Rick Barnes doesn't hold back after Tennessee Vols' loss to the Ole Miss Rebels
Tennessee Vols head coach Rick Barnes was none too happy on Wednesday night after his team's 78-76 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford. "We didn't deserve to win this basketball game," said Barnes to reporters after the loss. "When you make those kind of mental mistakes, you don't deserve to play against the […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Rick Barnes was none too happy on Wednesday night after his team's 78-76 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.
"We didn't deserve to win this basketball game," said Barnes to reporters after the loss. "When you make those kind of mental mistakes, you don't deserve to play against the team that is well-coached and played as hard as they played."
Barnes was particularly displeased with the six "and-one" opportunities that Tennessee gave up against Ole Miss (which included yet another foul by a Vols player on a three-point attempt).
"It's ridiculous," said Barnes when asked about the fouls. "We talk about having confrontation. We played like we were….that's soft, honestly. That's being soft. You're not really trying to go in and make plays on the ball. And guys sliding out of the way.
"There's gotta be a confrontation there. We've been a pretty good rim-protecting team this year, but we weren't tonight. You can't give up, I mean, I don't know how many and-ones. And we foul on a three-point shooter again, give up a four-point play there. We foul 75 feet from the basket, things like that. That's a recipe for losing. And that's what we did."
The and-one opportunities certainly had an impact on the outcome of the game. Outside of allowing the Rebels to grab 15 offensive rebounds, the fouls resulting in and-one opportunities were the primary reasons Tennessee left Oxford with a loss.
It's important to point out, though, that Ole Miss played with a lot of energy on Wednesday night. It was the Rebels' last home game of the season, and the last game in Oxford for forward Jaemyn Brakefield, who scored all 19 of his points in the second half.
Tennessee definitely could've played better, but sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team. It was just the Rebels' night.
Former Tennessee Vols player named by ESPN as a ‘player to watch’ in the Big 10 in 2025
Transferred from Tennessee after the 2024 season
