‘That was my fault’ — Rick Barnes admits to crucial late-game mistake in Tennessee’s loss to Kentucky

Tennessee suffered another second half collapse with plenty of culprits to go around, including the head coach himself.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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The Tennessee Volunteers did it again, blowing a second straight big lead to the Kentucky Wildcats, this time, 74-71, in Lexington after holding a commanding 47-33 halftime lead.

The Wildcats were the far more physical team in the second half, holding the edge in the paint on the offensive end and limiting Tennessee’s opportunities near the basket on the defensive end.

That said, one Tennessee starter had a particularly effective game down low. Forward DeWayne Brown II had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Vols.

However, with Tennessee needing one rebound for a potential game-winning shot with eight seconds left, he wasn’t on the floor. And Rick Barnes’ decision not to have him out there proved ruinous and is one the Vols’ head coach put on himself after the game.

Rick Barnes blames himself for not having Tennessee F DeWayne Brown II in the game during the final seconds

“That was my fault,” Barnes said after the game. “Again, that was my fault. I should have had DeWayne in there. I should have had him in there for that rebound, so I’ll take that one.”

With 8.6 seconds left and Kentucky up 72-71, sharpshooter Collin Chandler, an 86% free throw shooter, went to the free-throw line. Surprisingly, he missed the front end of the one-and-one.

However, that fleeting bit of life that he gave Tennessee was snuffed out quickly by Kentucky, who gathered the rebound and pushed it to the perimeter to force Tennessee to foul with just 3.7 seconds left. Mouhamed Dioubate got the edge on Amari Evans and skied for the crucial rebound.

Of course, the Wildcats’ Denzel Aberdeen knocked down both free throws, and Tennessee’s half-court heave rattled in and out to deliver an even more painful final moment to Vol fans in another collapse against Kentucky this season. The Vols also blew a 17-point lead back in January, losing 80-78 in Thompson-Boling Arena.

We’ll see if the Vols can pull off a postseason win over the Wildcats, as they did in 2024-25 after getting swept in the regular season. Otherwise, Vol fans will have a long offseason with a bad taste in their mouths after another bitter loss to their border rival.

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