Tennessee Basketball’s 2025-2026 season came to an end on Sunday night as the Vols fell to 1-seed Michigan in the Elite Eight of the Midwest Region. Tennessee battled hard for the first eight minutes of the game, but a 21-0 run from the Wolverines proved to be a backbreaking stretch that the Vols couldn’t recover from.
While portal departures are still to be determined, this was the last game in a Tennessee uniform for four senior players: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara, Amaree Abram, and Grant Hurt. Tennessee’s senior class helped lead the Vols to a 25-12 record this season.
Tennessee’s social media team captured Rick Barnes’ message to the team after the game in the locker room. Barnes walked his team through the harsh reality of defeat, but ended his message by empowering them to return to work with a motivated mindset.
“It’s part of life. You’ve got your ups and your downs with it,” Barnes said. “But the key is, you’ve got to come back. And we will. We’ll find a way to do that. I love you guys.”
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Watch Rick Barnes’ postgame message to the Volunteers in the locker room below:
(Note: Here’s the link to watch on X/Twitter)
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