Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes met with the local media Friday ahead of the Vols trip to Nashville and rivalry matchup against Vanderbilt.
Barnes offered his condolences on the tragic passing of Wes Rucker, talked about what stands out about this Vanderbilt team and much more. Here’s everything Barnes said.
More From RTI: Rick Barnes Updates Tennessee Forward JP Estrella Injury Status Ahead Of Vanderbilt Game
On the passing of Tennessee sports writer Wes Rucker
“Before we get started, as you know we lost a colleague and friend yesterday in Wes Rucker. Just heartbreaking. It really is, just heartbreaking. Our hearts and prayers go out to Lauren, his son Hank and the one that is on the way. We just ask that God will place a holy hedge of protection around his family, his entire family. Wes was a wonderful person. Really a wonderful guy. Covered athletics here for, what, a quarter of a century. And such a part of the UT family and the sports family here in Knoxville. And we just ask at some point you say a prayer for Wes and his family. I know that, again, we’re going to miss him dearly. He loved what he did and he loved his family. I’m just thankful that God allowed him to be a part of my life for the last 11 years. And again, today at some point in time I just ask that you pray for his family.”
On what stands out about Vanderbilt
“Mark’s done a great job ever since he’s been at Vandy. I’ve watched him put together his first team, then his second team. He knows what he’s looking for. He’s got a system and he believes in it. I think one of the big things with this year’s team, I love the improvement of the players that return. His returning players have certainly gotten better. And he’s had to deal with injuries like most of us do at some point in time. And he’s done just a terrific job. He really has.
Got off to a great start, obviously, wining a preseason tournament and he carried it over into a league where he’s teams, like everybody, we go through the ups and downs. And I thought when they hit a little skid there, I thought it was the travel. It was a really wicked part of the schedule there. But he’s done a great job. He really has done a great job.”
On if there’s an update on Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella
“I haven’t heard yet. He was up (here), they were doing some stuff with him yesterday on the treadmill. And believe it will be a day-to-day thing from here on out, I would just guess.”
On talking to Tennessee transfer Jaylen Carey about manning his emotions while facing his old team
“Yeah, I think he will. We’ll certainly talk about it. I think this is the new world that we live in now. Guys are going to end up going back to schools where they left. I think it’s going to be the norm now. And I like to think that we all handle it in the right way, everybody that’s involved with it.”
On what they need from Carey right now
“Consistency. Just consistency. He really defensively, maybe had. And I don’t think maybe, probably played his best game defensively. He was really doing it. He missed some shots. I thought he let that affect him, and some free throws. But overall, he’s gotten much much better defensively. And again, I thought the last game, he showed that.”
On Ethan Burg and Amari Evans sharpening each other
“Well, again, you look down there, they’re there. They know we need them, and all of them. We’re gonna need Mo Abrams. We’re gonna need Troy. We’re gonna need them all, Clarence. But their mindset has been good in practice. Obviously, this time of year, we’re focused on a lot of things, but we’ve got to get it done in a short amount of time. But the intensity can’t fall off, and those guys have been good at trying to get the most out of each moment.”
On what it means to him for Dick Vitale to be announcing the game
“Yeah, I talked to Dick yesterday, and obviously, I love Dick. The fact he keeps going, it is really remarkable. And he still has this tremendous passion for the game of basketball. I mean, he loves it. He loves being around the students. He loves being around, obviously, the players. And I admire him. I do, for the fact that he just still has such great enthusiasm to want to get out and go do it.”
On what Amaree Abram needs to do to get back in the rotation
“I think just be ready. I mean, he’s going to have to do it in practice, obviously. I mean, he missed. Again, he got sick, missed some critical time, and he’s working his way back into it, but he’s just got to be ready. There will be a game when he’s going to get a shot, and he’s gonna have to be ready for it. It might be tomorrow.”
On how he feels NIL has shaped the Tennessee-Vanderbilt rivalry in all sports
“Well, I think it has. I mean, the fact the NIL’s become, well, the great equalizer. And so, if the support’s there from the administration, every game’s gonna be so competitive. And whether it’s us and Vandy, or us (and) South Carolina, or us (and) Missouri, it doesn’t matter. You just know that every time you go out, you’ve got to be at your best or close to it. If you take any of it for granted, you’re gonna get beat, because everybody’s trying to achieve the same thing and trying to, you know, be the best they can be of themselves, and we all are chasing that championship.”
On how is Vanderbilt point guard Tyler Tanner a different player this year than he was years ago
“I think Tyler’s improved so much. Obviously improved his shooting. He’s always been quick, athletic, great anticipation skills, but I think the biggest thing would be, he’s really improved his outside game.”
On what he liked about how Tennessee freshman Amari Evans played against Oklahoma
“Just that he played the role he played. You know, the fact he impacted winning, and he did it in a way that we needed him to, whether it’s defense, really trying to lock in defensively. Whether it’s getting to the glass, just doing his job, and that’s what it got down to, just doing his job.”
On Tennessee sophomore guard Bishop Boswell dealing with foul trouble against Oklahoma
“Well, he fouled. He’s gonna — we talked about that again yesterday with he and Ja’Kobi (Gillespie). They’ve got — and even DeWayne Brown — Bishop left his feet, the trip is an inadvertent act. I mean, it just happens, and the referee has to make that call. But we need Bishop to play aggressively, but without fouling. We need that as much as possible. But when you play as hard as he does, and guarding, oftentimes, the other team’s best player, they’re trying to screen, and he’s gonna fight to get through it. He’s gonna try to refuse to get screened, and so that happens. But the ones he’s got to eliminate are the ones when he leaves his feet. Those type ones like that are the ones that he’s got to stay disciplined.”
