Rick Barnes not focusing on conversations with seniors regarding future

Five Tennessee players will be honored as a part of the Vols’ senior night festivities on Tuesday against Arkansas. If you ask Rick Barnes, the pregame ceremony is an afterthought for his players with the postseason looming.

“I think what those guys want to do right now is win,” Barnes said Monday. “They understand this time of year because they’ve been through it more than anybody, these next couple weeks, how important they are and how it’s such a fine line between winning and losing, but I don’t think their thoughts are anywhere besides trying to make this basketball team the best it can be with what we have left.”

Josiah-Jordan James, Tyreke Key, Olivier Nkamhoua, Uros Plavsic and Santiago Vescovi will all take part in the fun, but all are expected to turn right around and be on their A-game in time for the opening tip.

There isn’t much more room for improvement for Tennessee when it comes to the NET rankings. The Vols rank No. 3 in the current ratings behind Houston and Alabama, but are rated at the three-seed line, according to ESPN’s Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi’s latest projections at No. 10 overall.

The Vols can potentially move up to the two-line with wins over the Razorbacks and Auburn Tigers to round out the regular season. Add in a deep SEC Tournament run, and it would be hard to argue anything less than a two-seed for Tennessee.

Still, senior night is one you always want to emerge victorious, not just for your NCAA Tournament resume, but for the senior’s sake as well. It will be the last time these five players — and this group as a whole — will perform in front of an audience inside Thompson-Boling Arena. They’ll be looking to make the most of it.

Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET live on ESPN2. Tennessee has opened as seven-point favorites.