What Rick Barnes said after No. 5 Tennessee's rally to beat Vanderbilt

Everything Rick Barnes said after No. 5 Tennessee rallied from down 16 points to beat Vanderbilt 81-76 Saturday afternoon at Food City Center:

What went wrong for Tennessee in the first half

“Well, I’m not taking anything away from Vanderbilt because Mark (Byington) has done a great job with his team, but we were awful. I can’t remember how many times I heard our guys on the bench yelling, ‘We’ve gone over that. We’ve gone over that.’ I can’t explain it. I wish I could. We weren’t good. I thought they got settled in and, I mean, they’re a really good basketball team. You go back, they’re competitive in every game. They were right there. I think they’re an NCAA (Tournament) team, as well coached as any team we’ve played all year.

“But the second half just proves to you that how important a mindset is, because that’s what the message was at halftime. We better change our mindset right here, right now in terms of everything we’re wanting to do. Playing more aggressive, playing quicker, doing things that we talk about. And we didn’t play with any pace in the first half. Then you combine the fact that there’s just way too many defensive breakdowns and they just owned the paint the first half. And we were able to get control of it in the second half, out-rebound them by 10 in the second half. So the script kind of flipped in terms of being more aggressive. 

“Really proud of Felix (Okpara). I thought Felix was terrific all day. Loved Chaz (Lanier). Really moved without the ball, and then got downhill a couple times. 

As bad as ‘Z’ (Zakai Zeigler) was the first half, he was the difference in the game in the second half. I mean, he came out and did what we needed to do and closed the game. And I thought Jahmai Mashack, when we went with the small lineup, his energy lifted everybody. Igor (Milicic) had a tough day, that comes with not practicing. He hadn’t practiced this week, and did a walk through. He was involved in most of those early breakdowns. And I’ll give the benefit of the doubt because he didn’t practice at all this week. They do some difficult things when you got to be on edge. You got to react to what they do. They do a great job flipping the screen up there, getting us twisted up a little bit. But just a better mental effort the second half.”

What adjustments need to be made for Tennessee to have faster starts 

“That’s a great question because we haven’t been good. As good as our defense is to start the game, we start the game with two turnovers tonight. We’ve talked about it a lot, but I wish I knew the answer, to be honest. As much as we talked about it, and trying to put guys in the right spots to do it, but tonight we came out and we weren’t very good offensively to start. But that’s not why we got down. We really got down tonight because of our defense. And then you go back to every game that we’ve lost, it’s been because of our defense overall. Even though the nights I could tell you we’ve had high quality shots (and) we didn’t make them. But we go back to the last game against Kentucky, last four minutes, it was defensive breakdowns and a couple things offensively that we didn’t take advantage of from a scouting report. 

“And I’m going to give a little bit of it to the fact that, and I talked to the team about it, Igor D-Stone (Darlinstone Dubar), Chaz, a lot of those guys haven’t been at this level at this time of year and understand how important every single possession is. And that’s what, again, we keep harping on it, talking about it. But it really is true. So our preparation, I thought we had good prep, but it didn’t show up the first half. And I like the fact that we came back the way we did, but a lot of it had to do again, second half we played with the kind of speed that we need to play with as opposed to a slow, methodical game. Again, (Vanderbilt) got in everything they wanted in the first half.” 

His tone and message to Tennessee players during halftime 

“Well, I thought Jahmai was good at halftime, because the coaches had gone in and talked about defense. I normally go in and talk about things and talk about some offensive stuff. I talked about a mindset. I said this time of year you either wilt or you grow. I said, which one are you going to do? You’re going to be in games like this the rest of the year. And we’re disappointed where we are, because our goal every year is to try to contend for an SEC Championship. We know that’s gone. A regular-season championship, that’s gone. But it’s a mindset. And there’s a lot of teams heading into February that would love to be where we are. There’s a lot of teams that probably are already taking inventory. And then there’s those teams that really want to make a run at a national championship. And if we’re going to be one of those teams, it goes back to what I’ve talked about, a mindset of getting better and being able to look at each other and talk. 

“We as coaches, we keep doing that with these guys, trying to put them in a position. I talked to Jahmai Mashack last night, we were on the phone together and I told him, I said what I want you to do, I want you to find your set place in the corner and I want you to shoot corner threes when you’re open. And he did it today and made two of them. And I said, if you’ll just do that — and all these other areas you where he likes to drive the ball — and you’ll just make up your mind, you’re going to get yourself there. When we went to the naked-side ball screen, he did a lot of good things on the backside screening there, where he was trying to get the shooter open there. But he, as much as anyone at half time, said this is not who we are, why are we doing this? And I asked where’s our mindset? But the fact is, the second half, the guys that we expected to do it last game didn’t do it, but tonight Shack and ‘Z’ did it. And Felix. And I thought Chaz, in some ways, was as good as he’s been all year because the things that we talked about yesterday, I really thought he tried to implement them.”

On what Zakai Zeigler did best in the second half, where it stacks up in his performances

“I thought he got back to playing with a real chip on his shoulder. That’s what I thought. I thought he got back and his competitive spirit really showed up. That’s what I thought. Because the first half he was getting driven by and things that he doesn’t normally do. I thought that was it. I thought the guy that we’ve always known, that’s who he was in the second half knowing that everyone, I mean people game plan for him, but he was just determined, strong with the ball. 

Got mad at me probably because I said some things to him I don’t normally say to challenge him a little bit. And I thought he responded well because I’ve seen him do it. But I thought that that’s who he is and that’s who he needs to be.”

On what he said to him

“Respect. I said, ‘who’s getting respect right now and who’s getting disrespected?’ I said, come on man, you can’t, the things he was allowed to happen out there that he wasn’t doing. And again, I have such a high standard for him and he’s probably got an even higher one for himself. I thought the minutes, he sat there. I think he’s best when he plays angry and with a chip on it (his shoulder). That’s when he’s been his best because he’s always been a fighter his whole life. And he’s no different than anybody else. I’ve said it to you guys many times. When guys get comfortable, thinking every game is going to be the same, he’s going to be the same because it’s not. And I like it. I like it when he got that look on his face of, when I think of him, I could see it in his eyes. And he was terrific in the second half.”

On Tennessee closing the game well, him being proud of the team

“I am really because again, the guys, we expect to close games out and be smart for us. They did it. I mean, you go back, you really had three guys that have been here that had been in these type games. And like I said, Felix was really good. I asked him after the game, I said, I what that dude did to you get you fired up? I wish you’d tell him because I mean I thought he played with a real sense of purpose and passion all day long. But I am. Those guys that again, the mistakes we made the other day, we didn’t make today and we couldn’t afford to because we would have lost again if we would have.”

On what Chaz Lanier did that they talked about in practice

“Driving hard to the basket, not just selling for (jumpers), and he rubbed off his cuts. He gets grabbed more, he and Jordan get grabbed as much as anybody in the country coming off screens. Which I have a problem with. I mean, because I believe in the freedom of movement and they get, I mean all you got to do is look at their shirt tails. They’re out all the time and by rule they’re supposed to keep them in but they get tired of putting them in but I thought he did work hard. I thought he made a couple real hard drives down the lane, finished them and I thought defensively he worked hard.”

On what makes Zakai Zeigler so good in a high ball screen

“Well today I thought he was locked in. I thought he was seeing it all. Start of the game, they were giving us the throwback. We didn’t see that one early. That’s what we should have done. But the more he’s in it and the more he can, the empty side ball screen got us back in the game because we were getting there quick, getting into it and got us get down quick and score and because we play the way we want to play, we normally put guys in long possessions. We didn’t want to be in real old possessions on the offensive end when you were down 16, 18, whatever we were. 

But I thought his vision was great today. I thought he saw it. I did. I thought he really saw it well and I thought he also did a good job get fouled. But he also did a good job making some layups.”

On if he’s ever been a part of a conference this good

“No. It really is the parity. And you know what, I don’t know if we’ve got quote unquote a lot of NBA players. I just know I’ve never seen a league with the depth that each team can play with. And the quality of that. And I think, obviously, when I look at it, terrific coaches. We haven’t played against a team this year that hasn’t played really hard and competed at a high level? Once you’ve got in the league play, you expect every game to go down this way regardless of what anybody else thinks. Whether you’re home or on the road. You’d like to think if you play your best, you’re going to win. But it’s just, it’s really, and I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere. I think it’s going to be good for a long time. Not to rehash it, but 10 years ago we were one of the worst leagues in the country. And you look at the commitment that’s been made from everybody from the universities by facilities. And I think most everybody is there, not everybody, I don’t think, it there yet but they’re getting there. Officiating and when you look at it, you’re never going to be totally pleased. I mean, I’m sure after every game that people are going to complain about some officiating. But I think we’ve got the best officials. I do and I really do.

“I think that what Mike Eads and Garth Glissman are trying to do. Are (the officials) perfect? No. I wasn’t perfect today, either. I got upset. And I respect the fact that the communication was good today. Even though that we can beg to (differ), because I still think I’m right, the way they looked at it. And then (there is) nothing they can tell me that will change my mind because I know what I saw. But I get the replay behind my head, so I get to go look at it and confirm what I see, you know? But again, (the SEC is) a great league and it’s going to get better. I just hope our league is really rewarded the way it should (be) at the end of the year. But we got a lot of basketball left to play. There’s a lot left to go. I’d like to see us, our league if there’s 12, 13, whatever, teams that are NCAA worthy, I think they should be there. If they’ve got overall, quality wins they should be there because this has been a historic season for this league and we should be rewarded for it.”

If there are more fouls in the second half of college basketball games this season and if he sees a reason why that could be

“It’s always a difficult game to officiate when shots aren’t going in. But when one team is scoring, the team’s not, but today you had two teams that drove the ball really, really hard. Both teams were really trying to get fouled. Both teams were in pretty much in ball screens a lot. My only thing about fouls is I think there’s certain things that have to be called every single time. And the big part of that, I think, is freedom of movement. But I think it’s like that NFL rule, that pass interference rule, where they get it where they get fouled. And the reason that’s such a bad rule is every referee gets to call it the way they see it. And what I love about the NBA officiating, there are certain things that are a foul on the first play for the last play, in the first game or the last game. That’s where I think we got to get to overall, as opposed letting — like I had an official one night say to me, well if he hadn’t scored a basket, I would’ve called the foul. I said, well, what’s wrong with the old fashioned three-point play? You know? And that I don’t understand because I believe you just officiate the rules of the game. 

“And again, I don’t think anybody does it better than our league. I don’t. I don’t think there’s a harder league to officiate than this league right now because of the parity and talent. But today’s game obviously was, I think we knew we had to come out and get aggressive and try to get the foul line, try to score some clock off not running, those type things. (Vanderbillt does) a great job of attacking the lane. And you look at it, it was kind of a tale two halves, where they got the first half, I think they got eight in the second half from driving. And then first half, second half, I think we got 20 or 24 points. And it’s hard. It’s hard. And again, I do think the officials are working hard to try to be consistent. What they call there, they call on the other end. And that’s all I think coaches look for. But you can disagree on 3-point shooting, I mean, I can talk about that play. And I respect Owen (Shortt) so much. I think he is going to be a great official. He is. I mean he’s a Final Four guy. But we see it different sometimes. But I know those guys work their butts on, I know. And they know they’re getting evaluated. They’re trying. 

“And just like coaches are trying to win every game, we’re fighting clawing, because as much as we’re trying to do things the right way, that other team’s really trying to mess you up and those referees are trying to officiate the fight and it’s hard. It’s a hard, hard job. But overall you’ve got to believe in the end it evens out and that’s what you hope, anyway.”

Felix Okpara’s perimeter defense improving for Tennessee this season

“From where he started at the beginning of year, because last year at Ohio State his coverage was mostly drop coverage, staying back. And he’s come so far with that, because we like to get up and be a little bit more aggressive on the ball. But he has grown so many ways. And I still like for us to get him the ball more. I thought his little jump hook there is what we need from him. But he was really locked in today, but he’s gotten so much better. He should have switched one time tonight and he didn’t and he hit a three off of it. That’s when we took  him out for just a quick second because we thought he might be a little fatigued. He’s not executing because he doesn’t want to. And most of the time with guys like that, it’s normally fatigue.”