Rick Barnes on Tennessee's two losses to Kentucky: 'I don't think there's any secrets'

Rick Barnes doesn’t believe Kentucky is a bad matchup for Tennessee. Instead, the two losses to the rival Wildcats during the regular season were more about the Vols not handling their own business. 

“I don’t know that it’s a bad matchup,” Barnes said Monday night on ‘Vol Calls,’ “other than the fact they have just played better and done what they needed to do to win the game and we haven’t. 

“I don’t think there’s any secrets. They have shot the ball extremely well.”

And Tennessee did not. 

The Vols shot an unthinkable 11-for-45 from the 3-point line in the 78-73 loss to Kentucky at Food City Center on January 28.

At Rupp Arena two weeks later, Tennessee went 3-for-18 from the 3-point line in a 75-64 loss. Zakai Zeigler’s layup with 4:51 left gave Tennessee a 60-58 lead, but the Wildcats took the lead for good on a Koby Brea 3-pointer on the other end and closed the game on a 17-4 run. 

Kentucky shot 12-for-24 from the 3-point line in both wins and also shot 50.0% from the field in both games.

Sweet 16: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky, Friday, Indianapolis

Round 3 will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where No. 2 Tennessee (29-7) faces No. 3 Kentucky (24-11) on Friday (7:39 p.m. Eastern Time, TBS/TruTV) in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

“The first game here,” Barnes said, “they still have to make the shots whether we guard them or don’t, but early in the game here they got some looks you don’t want to let them get. They got the ball where the wanted and they made the shots. 

“You go back and watch them against Illinois, they did a great job turning them over and converting those into big baskets.” 

Kentucky scored 26 points off 14 Illinois turnovers in an 84-75 win in the second round on Sunday in Milwaukee. Tennessee beat UCLA 67-58 Saturday night despite 18 turnovers of its own, which the Bruins turned into 22 points. 

“We have to get better this week,” Barnes said. “You believe that. There’s still games to be played and you want to improve from one game to the next with not just what you are doing physically but what you are doing mentally and emotionally.

“All of that has to come to a fever pitch right now because you are down to two weeks left in the basketball season.”

Tennessee is 9-2 since the road loss at Kentucky on February 11, losing 78-76 at Ole Miss on March 5 and 86-77 to Florida in the SEC Tournament championship game. 

The Vols, up to No. 17 in KenPom.com‘s adjusted offensive efficiency, went 11-for-22 from the 3-point line against UCLA and were 10-for-28 against Wofford in the first round. 

Chaz Lanier, who went 3-for-17 from the 3-point line in the two losses to Kentucky, scored 49 points over the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and made 10 threes.

‘There’s nothing I can say other then they have beaten us twice’

“I think we are different,” Barnes said, “and we are playing better basketball right now, which is a good thing. You want to be playing your best right now.”

Barnes doesn’t expect Kentucky to look the same as the Wildcats did six weeks ago, either. 

“They have added some stuff,” he said. “They will add stuff for this game. We will have to be ready to adjust to some things we don’t know. They’re playing good basketball.”

Barnes knows because he saw it up close. Twice. 

“I think Mark Pope is a terrific coach,” Barnes said. “His offensive schemes are obviously terrific. He’s recruited great players to it. They have played great against us in the two games. 

“They have beaten us. There’s nothing I can say other then they have beaten us twice.”