Everything Rick Barnes said before No. 8 Tennessee's game against No. 5 Florida

What head coach Rick Barnes said before Friday afternoon’s practice, discussing the missed shots in the 78-73 loss to No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday and Saturday’s game between No. 8 Tennessee and No. 5 Florida:

The vibe of this Tennessee Basketball team after the last two losses

“No, our guys, they have done what we’ve asked them to do. We do everything, we have a way we do things, win, lose or draw, whatever it may be. We have a process that we go through and we expect to continue to get better. We’re just now getting ready to head into February and our goal has and always will be to be the best team we can be at the end of the year. And along the way, you obviously want to win basketball games. And we’ve been, like I said, we’ve lost what, four games? I think every games we’ve lost to a team that’s been ranked at some point in time. 

“So we’re not entitled to win any games if we’re not going to do everything every night to win those games. And that’s because it’s such a fine line. And we can go back to our losses, and again not to take away anything from the people that beat us, but we can take away from it that we didn’t do what we were supposed to do to put ourselves in a position to win those games. And so it’s all about getting better, not just as a team, but as individuals and as coaches. But we’ve still a long way to go.” 

What has to change for Tennessee on Saturday against Florida in comparison to the loss in Gainesville on January 7

“You know, things from game to game don’t change as much as probably people think they do. I mean, matchups, the way you’re played and all that. But in terms of winning basketball games, you have to take care of the fundamentals. You’ve got to rebound the ball, you’ve got to take care of the ball, you hope you make shots. I mean, that’s something that if you asked every coach before the game, if you could have one thing tonight, they’ll say let’s make a lot of shots. And you guys been around the game know that doesn’t always happen. But you got to be able to find a way to stay in games when you’re not making shots and hope at some point in time you make enough to help you win them. 

“And our game plans are almost, we don’t ever want to let people get out and get easy baskets. So that’s transition, defense, rebounding, taking care of the ball. If you do that, and hopefully play defense where we’re capable of, it gives us a chance at the end to maybe win.”

How badly this Tennessee team needs to see some shots go in early in Saturday’s game

“That’s anybody, obviously, when you miss as many as we did. We had 33 uncontested shots the other night and didn’t make them. And that’s the game. But it’s a whole new game. And there was times in the year where we made those shots and we have confidence that we can take them. But it’s just knowing again, when and where and with the rhythm that we practiced with.”

What adjustments can be made when opposing defenses sag off of the 3-point line and dare Tennessee to shoot 

“It’s tough. Because I mean it’s hard to pass the ball in there. It’s hard to pass it in there when they’re back there. It’s tough. I mean, the remedy to all of it is obviously making shots. But if you’re not doing that, you need to move the defense to try to create driving lanes. You need to create rebounding lanes, all that. But it can be demoralizing. Which again, I thought at the end of the game, one possession, it took us four attempts to get one. 

“But it is part of it. Teams go through it. We’re not the only team that has gone through nights when they don’t shoot the ball. But as long as we can learn from it, and your question is a good one, because what do you do? And the fact is, what you don’t want to happen is everybody that gets the ball thinks, I’ve got to try to take a shot. You’d like guys to touch the ball and get some movement and try to make the defense see something different. But you’ve got to move the defense.”

What he liked about what Darlinstone Dubar gave Tennessee against Kentucky 

“I like the fact that he’s really trying to focus defensively and he’s trying to rebound the ball. I like the fact that he put it on the floor and made an aggressive move to the basket as opposed to just standing, thinking I gotta make a three, or score to stay in the game. There’s not a guy on this team that has to score to stay in the game if he’s doing the other things to help us win basketball games. I want guys that want to impact the game. We want guys that want to impact the game when shots aren’t going in. And we’ve been right there in all of our losses with the exception of one. We just gotta keep doing what we’re doing and hope at the end, we find a way to, in the last minute, to come out on top.”

What led to Dubar being on the floor more against Kentucky, it seeming like he was more aggressive

“We’ve talked about it all year, to be honest with you. That’s what we wanna see. I think sometimes, I can’t tell you when guys switch might come on or whatever it may be. The question is, can we keep it? Can you take it to another level? And that’s not just him, it’s everybody. 

“You know, the thing that was disappointing, I thought we played and competed so hard at Auburn, and then come back and have some of the lapses we had on defense were disappointing. And those are the things that, you asked the question why, and the only answer you got is the focus leading up to it wasn’t the same even though, like I said, we’ve got a system we’re going through today. But if you’re not into it mentally, if you’re going through the motions mentally, which is hard to tell sometimes as a coach, you’re not gonna get good results.”

If this Tennessee team is too reliant on hitting 3-pointers

“No, you guys have seen us play. I mean, we got to, you look at numbers, we’re pretty balanced with a lot of different things. But again, when you’re not shooting (well) teams packing in there, you want throw it in there knowing that possibly your post guys won’t even have the room to operate there. We lose a game. And, again, I’ll say it, and I said it the other night— we’ve lost four games, so you guys act like we’re going to panic. We got a lot of basketball left and none of them are gonna be easy. We could lose a lot more. I’ve said before, I mean everybody, I can’t tell how many people sent me you know trying to be nice to me, saying, Hey, you know, a couple years, what two years ago, Connecticut lost five in row and won the national championship. It’s a long way to go. That’s how we look at it. It’s about getting better and our goals haven’t changed and we’ll continue to work it trying to get better.”

Wanting Cade Phillips to get more touches, his jump shot

“You hope. That’s what you hope? I mean, we want to see Felix, him, Igor, D-Stone, those guys. I mean, the other night, our front line—  our guards missed a lot of shots the other night. And, and what we’d like to see is for everybody to put it together at the same time. That’s what you’re hoping to get.”

Cade Phillips already being involved that way

“Well, he did. I mean he’s got to get the ball. Like he made a nice— it all goes back to, I keep using the term, you got to know where your space is on the court. You got to get there. And when you get it, you got to know what you’re gonna do with it. It’s that simple.”

Enjoying the teaching aspect of coaching, if seasons are more enjoyable when there’s more teaching moments

“I don’t think it’s, I mean, every year you go through these, the ups (and downs). Everybody does. I mean, I learned a long time ago. When you start thinking about our team, the concerns we have. All I know is every team’s got concerns. That I know. And so that’s why we worry about ourselves, what we need to do. And I think in terms of— I don’t think in terms of last year or this year. My whole deal is today is here. That’s all I got. And I hope our guys come in focused to do what our system calls for us to do today. They did it yesterday and I expect them to come in today to do it, and we’ll go Saturday and see if we can do what we’ve talked about.”

If Zakai Zeigler was full go for Tennessee’s Thursday practice

“No, he didn’t practice yesterday, but I just walked in the building. I don’t know. I haven’t heard yet where he is, but my gut feeling is, knowing him, that he’ll be ready to play.”

How Tennessee’s guards can help the post players rebound against a team like Florida

“Nothing changes every game. I’m telling you. They have a job to do, to get to the areas on the court when the shot goes up on offense. On defense, we expect everybody to block out and do their job. And if it means to go rebound outta your area, you’ve gotta go rebound out of your area.”

If he’s concerned about Zakai Zeigler not practicing

“No, not at all. Not one bit.”

What Tennessee freshman guard Bishop Boswell needs to do to receive more minutes

“Like he did the other night. Played really hard. I thought he was a real bright spot. I thought he went in and his effort was what we needed and if he’ll continue to do that and take care of the ball, he’ll get more minutes.”

How the attitude of the team has been since the loss to Kentucky

“These guys are terrific. I’ve never seen this group with a bad attitude.”