Rick Barnes wanted a timeout before Jahmai Mashack's buzzer-beater against Alabama

Rick Barnes motioned for Jahmai Mashack to hurry. As soon as Tennessee’s senior guard got across midcourt, Barnes turned to the official running down the floor and yelled timeout — and got ignored.

No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 Alabama were tied at 76. Mashack had just taken the inbound pass with 3.8 seconds left, a play that was designed to get the ball back to point guard Zakai Zeigler, who threw the ball in.

But when Alabama’s defense denied Zeigler, he went down the floor looking for the same timeout his coach was trying to call. When it wasn’t being granted, Zeigler turned toward the official and signaled for it with his hands.

Zeigler jumped up and down to no avail. Barnes threw his hands up in the air.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, Mashack stopped on a dime with 0.7 seconds left, pulled up for a long-range three and made a shot that no Tennessee Basketball fan will soon forget in the 79-76 thriller at Food City Center. 

The head coach never saw the shot go in. Neither did his senior point guard.

“I was calling time out,” Barnes said during his press conference after the win. “I didn’t see the play.” 

When did he know the shot went in?

“When the crowd went nuts,” Barnes said, drawing a laugh. 

Jahmai Mashack vs. Alabama: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 assists

It was Mashack who had tied the game at the foul line with 30.6 seconds left, capping an unthinkable four-point Tennessee possession just when it looked like Alabama had put the game away in the final minute.

Chaz Lanier started it with a baseline drive with the Vols down 76-72, making a shot and getting fouled. He missed the foul shot that followed, but Mashack drew a foul chasing the rebound and made both foul shots in the double bonus. 

Tennessee’s defense got a stop on the other end, but a tie-up with 3.8 seconds left gave the ball back to Alabama with the possession arrow pointing to the Crimson Tide. The Vols forced a five-second violation, though, to get the ball back and set up Mashack’s miracle. 

“I had a chance to call a timeout,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “Coaches can call timeouts on the underneath out-of-bounds play and at four (seconds), I should have called it. I thought we were getting it in and that’s on me.” 

Tennessee’s final play started with miscommunication before Zeigler even threw the ball into Mashack. As the players were going back onto the floor after the timeout, Barnes tried to yell to Mashack to get the ball up the court and call time.

But that’s not the message that was received.

“It was funny,” Mashack said, “I usually look over at coach to see like what he wants. So we get into our little, ladder drill and ladder play, and he’s mouthing something to me and I didn’t know what it was. 

“And so in my head, I said, ‘Oh, he wants me to shoot the ball, so I’m going to shoot the ball.  But he was really trying to say, if I catch it and I pass it up or I dribble it up, call time out.”

Good thing Mashack never looked over to see what Barnes was doing on the sideline as the he brought the ball up the floor. 

“Right when I got the ball and I seen ‘Z’ was denied,” Mashack said, “I’m like, yeah, I’m shooting this. I was just feeling good. I felt like I was going to hit the shot and that’s what happened.”

“I made one good coaching move today,” Barnes added, “I didn’t tell the referee I was going to call timeout. I normally tell them and they would probably have given it to me. But I’m screaming and, really, I did not see the shot.”

Rick Barnes: Jahmai Mashack has ‘been through it … knows what it’s about’

Mashack finished with 11 points in 34 minutes for Tennessee (24-5, 11-5 SEC). He added six rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two steals to go with one legendary shot. Lanier had 18 and Zeigler had 11.

“I’m happy for Jahmai,” Barnes said. “He’s been just incredible with everything. I mean, he exemplifies everything that you want in a player, a person, a great family.” 

He was everything Barnes wanted on the floor late in the game, too. And it paid off.

“To be frank, (the) coaches were asking if I want to go big,” Barnes said. “I said I want Shack on the court, I want him out there. Because he’s been through a lot. This time of year, he knows what it’s about.”