Rick Barnes looks ahead at Tennessee's difficult stretch to end the regular season

Few stretches of games at this time of year are every truly easy. However, over their final four games, No. 4 Tennessee will face a gauntlet in a quartet of ranked teams, including three who are racing with the Volunteers for the No. 1 seed in the SEC.

Rick Barnes spoke about his team’s home stretch of the season during a media availability on Tuesday. He said that it’s a tall task in terms of their conference schedule. It’s also one that comes with a sense of urgency considering the SEC Tournament is just two weeks away.

“I think, this time of year, everybody realizes that the regular season is coming to an end,” said Barnes.

“You look at, I think, the way the conference has set up schedules? They’re really looking to get the teams, in terms of preseason projections, playing this time of year to try to help them stay where they’re supposed to be and stay there but, also, maybe enhance where they can move forward,” Barnes said.

Tennessee will start those last games of the season versus Auburn on Wednesday. They’ll then go on pair of road trips to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama and to Columbia to play South Carolina. Those are all before a season-finale on Rocky Top against Kentucky.

All four opponents are currently in the Top-20 nationally in the latest AP Poll. The Tide, Tigers, and Gamecocks are also all within one game of the Volunteers in the league standings. The Wildcats are right there as well at two games back.

Most teams wouldn’t know what to do with a run of competition like that. Still, since it’s the hand they’ve been dealt, all Barnes knows to do is take it head on and prepare his team so they can be at their best over the last two weeks.

“I remember, through the years, being in a position where the schedule we had? You knew you had to win if you wanted to get into the postseason tournament,” said Barnes. “In terms of being where we are with this? I think it’s one of the great things we embrace and understand it can really help you moving forward if you have the right mindset with it because you’ve got great respect for your opponents coming in, the ones you’ve got to go play.”

“There’s really no other way to look at it other than this is what we have and we’ve got to be ready knowing that everybody we’re playing is just as good as we are and could be better if we’re not ready to play,” said Barnes.

At 21-6, this stretch, plus their play in Nashville afterward, could make or break Tennessee’s shot at a No. 1 seed in March Madness. That’s why Barnes is nothing more than exhilarated for what these final games could hold for his Vols.

“It’s here. It’ll go by quicker than we all can imagine,” said Barnes.

“This time of year? If you’re not excited, there’s something wrong,” Barnes said.