Rick Barnes turning the page from Alabama to Ole Miss: 'We have to get unhappy real quick'

Rick Barnes couldn’t have been happier for Jahmai Mashack Saturday night. That player hitting that shot in that moment.

A 35-foot buzzer-beater to hand Tennessee a 79-76 win over Alabama in a thriller in front of an over-capacity crowd at Food City Center. Two rivals, two teams ranked in the top six, two teams with their eyes on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament that is still up for grabs as the calendar turns to March. 

“He’s been just incredible with everything,” Barnes said of Mashack after the game. “I mean, he exemplifies everything that you want in a player, a person, a great family.” 

Up Next: No. 4 Tennessee at Ole Miss, Wednesday

But Barnes knows Tennessee (24-5, 11-5 SEC) has to move on from the shot and move on quickly before going to Ole Miss (20-9, 9-7) on Wednesday (9 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN2).

More specifically, Barnes said Monday night, the Vols can’t go to Oxford as a happy basketball team.

“I told them today you like to play against a happy team and we are happy,” Barnes said during his weekly appearance on ‘Vol Calls.’ “We have to get unhappy real quick because the fact is this week is a big week to close out the regular season. 

“You want to do that on a good note knowing you have Ole Miss in Oxford and then Saturday, South Carolina. They have had two good wins and they have been in so many games.”

Tennessee needs one win this week to clinch a top-four finish in the SEC Standings — the Vols could still finish as high as second place — and get a double-bye in the SEC Tournament. 

The Vols could further their resume as a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 week. 

Ole Miss is coming off a dramatic win of its own, hitting a three in the closing seconds to beat Oklahoma 87-84 Saturday in Oxford. 

The Rebels snapped a three-game losing streak — Mississippi State at home, at Vanderbilt and at Auburn — in the process. They won 74-64 at Alabama on January 14, then lost four of their next five. They’re 4-3 over seven games since February 4. 

“They lead the league in fewest turnovers,” Barnes said of Ole Miss, “which is the sign of a well coached team. I have known Chris Beard for a long time. I have the utmost rest for him, the way he runs his program and the way he coaches the game. I’m really impressed with their team.”

Tennessee had 12 turnovers against Alabama — the ninth game this season with at least 12 turnovers and the 21st with 10 or more — giving the Crimson Tide 19 points off of turnovers. 

Ole Miss leads the SEC in turnover margin at 5.59, while Tennessee is eighth at 1.58.

“Everywhere Coach Beard has been he’s been successful,” Barnes said. “I have so much respect for him. I need to sit down with him and figure out how to get my guys to value the ball like that.”

‘We just have to be better offensively even though we found a way to get it done’

Tennessee found all the value it needed in the final 30.3 second against Alabama.

The Vols got a four-point possession — a Chaz Lanier field goal and two Mashack free throws — to tie the game, then won it on Mashack’s long three at the horn. Lanier’s bucket snapped a streak of six straight misses over the previous five minutes.

“We weren’t very good offensively in the last two to three minutes,” Barnes said. “We made too many mistakes.” 

But his team found a way, despite those mistakes.

“What I learned is that we are capable,” Barnes said, “but we have to be better offensively where we turned the ball over a couple of times with 10 seconds to go on the (shot) clock. You can’t do that. We just have to be better offensively even though we found a way to get it done.”