'I don't think they listen': Rick Barnes doesn't have a message for NCAA Tournament selection committee

NASHVILLE — Rick Barnes was asked Saturday afternoon, after Tennessee’s statement-making 70-65 win over Auburn in the SEC Tournament semifinals, if he had a message he wanted to send to the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

All he could was smile and play it off. No need to stake your claim to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if you don’t believe the selection committee would hear it. 

“I don’t think they’re listening, you know?” Barnes said. “I think they’re sequestered somewhere.”

Tennessee (27-6) entered Saturday’s game against Auburn (27-5) widely projected by ESPN as the second team on the No. 2-seed line for the NCAA Tournament, behind Alabama, the top No. 2 seed, and Florida, the final No. 1 seed.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi reported in his Bracketology update Saturday morning that the winner between Alabama and Florida would get the final No. 1 seed.

Up Next: Tennessee vs. Alabama or Florida in SEC Tournament championship game

The Vols will face Florida (29-4) in Sunday’s SEC Tournament championship game at Bridgestone Arena, scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN. The Gators beat Alabama 104-82 in Saturday’s second semifinal game.

The NCAA Tournament’s 68-team bracket will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS. 

“I think we let our body of work speak for (itself),” Barnes said. “… I think it’s obvious that Auburn and Florida have played themselves into a No. 1 seed, which they should (be).

“Again,” Barnes added, “I don’t think they listen. I do trust them. I think where we are in today’s game, they’re going to do the best job they can to get it right for everybody and be fair. 

“But again, I don’t think they listen, so they’re going to do what they think they need to do.”

Auburn is projected to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the Tigers have now lost three of four. They trailed Tennessee for 27 minutes on Saturday and were down as many as 12 points in the second half. 

“I feel like we made a statement,” Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler said after scoring a team-high 20 points, “but at the end of the day, whether (we’re) a No. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 seed, whatever it is, we’re still going to have to get out there and lace up our shoes up, whoever we’re playing against.”

Three years ago, when Tennessee beat Mississippi State, Kentucky and Texas A&M on the way to the 2022 SEC Tournament championship in Tampa, the Vols didn’t budge in the eyes of the selection committee.

They entered the bracket projected as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and that’s where they landed on Selection Sunday. 

“It’s in the hands of the committee and whatever they decide,” Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey said. “And then we just got to roll with it. I’d like to think that the (SEC) Tournament matters, but I’ve seen in some instances where they don’t really change it. So we’ll see.”

Vols playing in fourth SEC Tournament championship game under Rick Barnes

Alabama’s 22-point loss Saturday against Florida could help Tennessee stay closer to home for the first weekend of the tournament, regardless of a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Moving ahead of the Crimson Tide on the overall seed list could help the Vols land in Lexington.

Lunardi in recent updates has projected Tennessee to play in Cleveland for the first round, with Alabama in Lexington.

The Vols had bigger concerns Saturday night, though. Instead of thinking about the NCAA Tournament, their minds were on playing for another SEC championship. 

“For our guys,” Gainey said, “it’s just all about just getting better every day and whether we’re a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed, it’s still going to be a tough path to get to where we want to get to. We try not to get too caught up in the seeding on everything and just, you know, let’s win the next game.”

It’s Tennessee’s fourth trip to the SEC Tournament in the last seven tries, with the Vols looking to win their fourth conference title — regular-season championships in 2017-18 and last season and the tournament title in 2022 — under Barnes.

“I’m just worried about taking care of business tomorrow,” Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier said, “and everything will fall into place. We’re just worried about the next game.”