Tennessee's Rick Barnes reviews Kentucky win, looks ahead to the keys in February

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes was a guest on The Nation radio show Sunday evening with Austin Price and Jayson Swain. Barnes reviewed his team’s win over Kentucky from Josiah-Jordan James busting out of a slump, to the intensity of Tobe Awaka.

Barnes also discussed what’s key for his team moving forward as the return to SEC action Wednesday night in hosting LSU.

Q: Big win last night at Rupp Arena. You have been saying Josiah (Jordan James) is going to have this moment. You said he has been making these shots in practice just like you said with Jordan Gainey and Josiah came up big Saturday night.

Barnes: We needed it. You know what. Those guys just do what they do. I love the fact each of those guys have their routine they go through and they never waiver from it. I’ve been in the game for a long time and guys go through some of those slumps, but the key is that the person who is in it realizes that they can’t make the next one if they don’t shoot the next one. Also, they take pressure off themselves but not thinking they only have to make shots. Both of those guys are doing that. If it’s there I’m going to take it and if it’s not then I’m going to impact the game some other way.” 

Q: When you look at Zakai Zeigler you said back in December you thought he was basically back and as close as you could be to 100% coming off the injury. He was phenomenal at Kentucky. Was there a moment in practice or in a game where he did something where you were like he’s back? 

Barnes: No, you go back to the very beginning when he was working his way back and he was frustrated because I think he thought he was going to be able to pick up right where he left off. You can’t be away from the game of that many months where you are not in competitive situations. I tell you where we really felt the turn was the second half of North Carolina game. We felt like he was getting back to where that’s who he was. And like anybody, he would tell you he has had some tough moments this year too. I thought he really responded well after the loss to South Carolina. We talked about what we needed not just production wise but also from a leadership standpoint as well. His DNA is what has been his strength. We didn’t want him to ever get away from that in any way shape or form and at Kentucky he was absolutely terrific.” 

Q: What was your message to the team when you have a situation like you had where a couple of guys got technicals? Sometimes one team can lose all the momentum and other times a team can gain all the momentum. What’s your message in situations like that? 

Barnes: With what happened there really wasn’t very much to it. The guy ask me after the game if I had ever seen Tobe like that and we have. He’s the one bear you don’t want to poke. I thought the way he responded our guys, you know we talked about him being so much more in terms of presence. In practice I don’t think he’s ever gone to that extreme where he really responded the way he did. I will be honest with you, knowing what we know about him, you understand that’s a bear you don’t want to poke. I saw it in his eyes. I gave him a high five and told him I liked it not because I want to see him, and again there wasn’t really much to it when you look at it. What happened happened, but I want him to play with that kind of passion and kind of physicality doing what he does.

Q: How important are the teammates for the player who is going through a slump. Austin mentioned Josiah-Jordan James, Gainey earlier and it looks like they have fought out of that slump, but how important are the teammates during that process? 

Barnes: It’s really important. You could tell when Jordan was going through it and Josiah, we have seen them make those shots so many times and I have often said if you aren’t making shots in practice you don’t normally make them in games. Both of those guys went through some time in practice where they had good looks at it and wasn’t going in. But their teammates kept telling them you have to shoot it. That oftentimes puts even more pressure on them. What we tell them is impact the game. If you are open, you have to take your shot. You don’t have to go search shots yourself. They are going to find you, but don’t let that be what defines you. I can’t tell you how many games Josiah and Santiago (Vescovi) and Jahmai Mashack have impacted winning and haven’t scored. We told Jordan the same thing because you could tell there were times he was looking and itchy wanting to shoot. Josiah maybe the same and we know from being around them every day their balance is off or something is off. When they get away from thinking they have to make a shot to be effective, I think that’s when it clicks for them.

Q: The last few weeks, you have had some younger guys step up. J.P Estrella has stepped up. Saturday night Cam Carr gave you three fantastic minutes. You have an older team, but talk about some of those younger guys that have started to show some flashes here and there that gives you hope they are really going to have a chance to take that next step?

Barnes: We knew with these young guys because they are coming into a team with older guys that they would embrace knowing what they had to do to get better. The first think you have to do is realize that you have got to get better. We tell somebody you have to be a better defensive player, but in their minds they think they already are a good defensive player then it’s going to take them longer. It’s when they realize especially when they are young that they have to get better. That’s what’s happening with all of those guys. They know now what we think their defense is compared to what they think it will be. Both of those guys have gotten better. JP has gotten better with his ball screen coverage. Cam is starting to understand you guard your man but you have to be able to get to the gaps the right way. You have to be able to help your teammate. It all stands from being able to play when you are tired. We are asking them to play harder than they have ever played.” 

Q: Next week you have another mid week game at home as you host LSU then you go on the road again to Texas A&M. What’s the lesson that you think this team learned from last week to carry over to this week? 

Barnes: You think back as we do and we scrub out everything about this that or whatever. We were playing pretty good basketball and we had that open date. We came back and played against two teams that were more of a low possession team. They walked the ball up the court and try to get the shot clock under twenty before they start looking to really try and get into something. I didn’t think we were great…again our guys always play hard. It’s the mental mindset that you are searching for. Last night you saw we were a group of guys that were locked in. The older guys get it. Dalton (Knecht) didn’t particularly have a great game on either end really when you look at it. But the older guys were prepared. They knew they had to be out of their respect for Kentucky and the program that they have. They absolutely respected South Carolina, but we just weren’t as sharp mentally as we needed to be. That’s what you take from it. If we aren’t on top of it don’t think there’s not a team in this league or in the country that can’t beat you. There’s such a fine line. I thought our maturity with our older guys really showed up last night in a big way for us.

Q: Lastly, LSU is your next opponent. What impresses you about the Tigers and what will you guys have to do well to go get a win at home?

Barnes: Every game transition defense is so important and we really did a good job against Kentucky because they are so fast up and down the floor. At the end of the game they were obviously having to go quicker and quicker. We will talk to about some of that. It will get down to the fundamentals like rebounding. It’s about the scouting report. Knowing the personnel we are playing and how we need to play them. Going into the game Paul Finnebaum asked me if I thought we were a Final Four team. I said not today. I don’t there are any Final Four teams today. I think the month of February and March if you are not getting better you can’t think about ever being a Final Four team. You have to get better this time of year. That has to be our approach every time we go out in practice and in games.