In the wake of the situation at Alabama regarding star basketball forward Brandon Miller, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes was asked about his handgun policy after the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday afternoon in Nashville.
The question stems from the ongoing controversy with Nate Oats, Brandon Miller, and the Alabama basketball team. According to ESPN, “Miller’s name surfaced in court testimony in the capital murder case of now-former teammate Darius Miles and another man in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris near campus.”
“A police officer testified that Miles texted Miller asking him to bring Miles’ gun in the early-morning hours of Jan. 15. Fellow freshman starter Jaden Bradley was also at the scene. Neither has missed a start or been accused of any crime. The university has described Miller as a cooperating witness, not a suspect.”
After five-seed Tennessee defeated 13-seed Ole Miss on Thursday afternoon in Nashville, Barnes was asked about Tennessee basketball’s gun policy.
Barnes kept his answer short, simple, and honest, saying it to the media with genuine purpose.
“[The] University [of Tennessee] has a Code of Conduct policy,” Barnes said on Thursday. “No weapons allowed on campus. But as a team, that is our rule, too, no one on the team. Two things (rules) that we have. One of them is that you can never, ever do anything domestically against a female. You can never carry a firearm as a team rule. But the university also has that policy in place.”
More from RTI: Tennessee Outlasts Ole Miss In SEC Tournament on Thursday
Rick Barnes was not asked a follow-up question on the topic for the remainder of the press conference.
Tennessee put together a solid game on Thursday afternoon as they eliminated Ole Miss from the SEC Tournament. The Vols will now turn their attention to Missouri, a team that beat Tennessee by a buzzer-beating three-pointer back in Knoxville in February. Tennessee and Missouri will tip off at 3:00/3:30 p.m. ET on Friday afternoon in Bridgestone Arena.
