Everything Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said Following Loss At Missouri

Tennessee basketball’s four-game losing streak came to a close on Tuesday night as the Vols fell at Missouri 73-69 in Columbia. The Vols jumped out to a double-digit lead early but could not sustain that level in the road loss.

Following the game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes discussed the Vols’ constant turnovers, second half defensive issues and much more. Here’s everything Barnes said.

More From RTI: Three Quick Takeaways As Tennessee Basketball Falls At Missouri

Postgame Presser

Opening Statement

“(Missouri) deserved to win the game. (T.O. Barrett) went down and got what he wanted. We were trying to get someone over there to try to help our guards a little bit, but we just never could get into that rotation. And give them credit, they found a spot they wanted to attack and they attacked it and they deserved to win the game.

“You can’t turn the ball over 15 times like we did and expect to win a game. And we were there within a possession late in the game, but the way we played, we really didn’t deserve to win it. And give (Missouri) credit for that.” 

On Tennessee’s seven turnovers in the first half helping Missouri hang around

“Yeah. And we go to our bench and I think everybody who played in the game tonight had a turnover. Seemed like it to me, other than the post guys didn’t … I think every guard in the game had a turnover. And that’s a problem. And I thought when we got up, I didn’t like the way we started the game, really. I think we started with three straight threes and that’s not what we wanted to do. And even though they were open shots, sometimes they’re open by design, and that’s not what we were looking for. And even though we stretched it out because our defense was good, and then we got some points from that, but then some of the passes that we made on those turnovers, you just can’t make. (Missouri is) too well coached, too good of a team. They’re going to take advantage of it.”

On how to get back to valuing every possession against Alabama

“Great question. You know, it’s been a problem all year. It’s probably kept us from really being a contender for the championship, regular season, is the turnovers. I mean, there was a time there, I think we averaged, what 12? I mean, 14, 15? It was ridiculous, and that’s what it looked like tonight. This is what we looked like a couple months ago, a month and a half ago, or whatever. It’s frustrating because some of them they force and then I can say this too with the turnovers, some of our shot selection wasn’t good either, and, obviously I’m frustrated with our guys because I know we’re better than we played. But I love these guys. But to answer your question, this one’s over and done with, and we got to get ready because the next three for all of us in the league are critical games, for everybody. The next three games decide a lot of things for every team in the league.”

On if they were settling for certain looks or if Missouri was forcing them

“No, I mean we knew they were going to go to drop coverage. I mean, we had great success with the middle pick and roll, then Ja’Kobi came off a couple times— came off where he— they’re not going to let us keep doing the same thing every time. He needed to pull up, hesitate. Early in the first half, he was coming off, ‘Should I shoot a three? Should I not?’  And by the end, they’re gonna recover with their coverage they were in. But, again, when you think about it, we gave away fifteen opportunities. Any way you wanna look at it, we gave (away a) chance to score forty-five points, and we get nothing. So, give Missouri credit. Dennis (Gates) does a good job with his group, and they capitalized on it.”

On the difficulties of defending Missouri

“Again, I mean, we’ve played (on) our schedule this year, played against teams the same way. Florida can do the same thing, you know, we played Houston, we played teams that do it — Kansas — they all can hurt you inside. But again, I thought tonight they found what they got going, what they wanted, they went to it, and we didn’t stop it. And again, it’s a great job for their coaching staff. They found where they wanted to attack, and they kept attacking it.”

Vol Network

On Tennessee’s 15 turnovers

“Went to the bench, everybody came in, turned the ball over, and I think at halftime, we’d given them 10 points off turnovers, and then let them get, you know, get some momentum and get some confidence.

“And then their two top players (T.O. Barrett and Mark Mitchell) just bullied us at the end. You know, they got what they wanted at the rim. Both of went way up, well over their average. So we didn’t do the job there either.

“But offensively, we’ve said it all year long, that’s going to dictate what happens on the other end. And again, just everybody, just 15 turnovers in there, some of them were just ridiculous.”

On its first 14 points of the second half coming from the post

“Well then the guards go away from it, and that’s what I just went over with the shooting percentages and the post guys. We just, again, they need to touch it more, and again, they are, you know, (a) good shot-blocking team in there, but just too many bad reads at times. But again, it’s just the turnovers. I mean, 15 turnovers — I don’t know how many points they ended up getting with it (23), but, you know, we thought we had understood that, but again, we go to the bench, the ones that we turned over are just unbelievable, when you look at it. When I was watching it at halftime, I just was — well, I saw it again from live. And just frustrating, Mike, you know? And again, we lose, really, by a possession. And just, you know, we just didn’t play good enough basketball to win.”

On still having a chance to win at the end despite not playing well

“Well, we did, but again, we’re not playing horseshoes now, you know? It’s just frustrating, because I know we’re better than that, but we again, just for whatever reason, we didn’t have the same intensity. I didn’t think our guard play was good enough — they won the game. They did what they had to do and we didn’t.”

On if he feels Tennessee missed a chance in the first half to break open the game more:

“Absolutely, turnovers. I mean, you know, a couple of those turnovers, I don’t know what guys were thinking. Trying to — you got open shots, and we didn’t want to settle early. I think we started the game with three straight threes, and, you know, it’s fool’s gold, and we missed two of them. Just, I didn’t think we were locked in. I just didn’t. Anything we want to do, we always talk about we’re going to dictate the game with our offense. We didn’t do that.”

On Missouri’s T.O. Barrett driving to the rim all night, scoring 28 points 

“Once he started doing it, we were going to go double and try to get Felix over there or someone to go double at him. But again, he just manhandled us down there. And he was probably the difference in the game for them, because he had a big night. But two other players had, what, probably over half their points, I would assume. But the turnovers. It goes back, you can’t turn the ball over the way we did it, and compound that with some bad shot selection. It just wasn’t a good night for us.”

On Missouri and Vanderbilt not letting Nate Ament get going in the last two games 

“He’s going to have to get himself going. He’s got to be the one to fight to get open. He know how he’s been playing. It’s March. They’re not doing anything different he hasn’t seen. It’s going to be on him. He’s going to have to work hard enough that if he’s going to have to fight through contact and hope that he’ll get some calls with freedom of movement. But if he doesn’t fight it, he’s not going to get those calls.”

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