PHILADELPHIA — Tennessee basketball begins NCAA Tournament play Friday afternoon when they face the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks in the opening round of the tournament. The Vols are back in the tournament for an eighth straight year and is looking to make it back to the second weekend of the tournament for a fourth straight year.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media Thursday and discussed Miami’s impressive run so far this season, his thoughts on potential tournament expansion and much more. Here’s everything Barnes said.
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Opening statement
“Again, excited for our team to be here, our university and really, we all appreciate the work that our players put in to get us here and just hope that we can play really good basketball. Certainly, a great deal of respect for Miami of Ohio. Any team that wins 30-plus games, are extremely well coached, mentally tough, play great basketball. We know we have a challenge in front of us.”
On if playing a First Four team affects how they scout
“It does a little bit, obviously. Monday was a day that, the way we are on our cycle, was a workday, and obviously, we tried to do a little bit of both teams, and then today was the first day because the game was last night. Pretty much probably have about the same amount of time they do to get ready for the game, but there is a difference, as opposed to if you knew exactly who you were going to play on Sunday, you would have a couple of days to get ready, but it is what it is and time to go play some basketball.”
On preparing for a team that’s a national storyline like Miami is
“It’s a great story line, number one, and they’ve earned it. If you go through the season and do what they did. Certainly, I thought they were terrific last night. Everybody is going to talk about their three-point shooting, but there’s so much more than that. I understand, and there should be a buzz about them because they’re a really good basketball team and extremely well-coached, play hard, and that do everything you have to do to win that many basketball games. We have to do what’s got us here at a very high level. We certainly have great respect for them.
I think our team understands that we’re not one of those team that can just show up and beat anybody. We learned that this year. We lost some games that we felt like we should have won. We learned from that. But you do know that this time of year, that if you’re playing this time of year, you’re a really good basketball team.
Our guys, again, whether they have a lot of fans or not in the tournament, when you’re in a situation like this, the team that normally wears the darker uniforms, the house is going to cheer for them and all that. It will get decided on the court, and we’ll have to play again. We will have to have a great mindset and a great game, competitive mind or it won’t go our way.”
On his thoughts about tournament expansion
“There’s always going to be a bubble, I don’t care how much you expand it. People are going to say I should have whatever. I just don’t see us taking it more than three weeks. I don’t. I think that’s where it should be because right now, this is, I think, the best sporting event in the country. Every state can be part of it, and it stretches across our country, and it’s a great time of year.
They if I that expand it, I just hope it doesn’t go beyond really — I think it’s really hard to ask somebody to win a national championship and play more than six games. If they expand it, I think it has to continue with play-in games or something like that. That level with everything that goes on with this tournament.”
On if he’s caught up with Fran Dunphy or any others while in town
“I would like to. Fran and I, we started — we met each other back in the late 70s, early 80s. He was at American University and I was at George Mason. Back then, summer league was a big thing in the D.C. area. I can’t tell you how many times he and I stood shoulder to shoulder at the Jelleff League like or one of the summer leagues watching teams play. Terrific basketball coach, but obviously, one of the most incredible people you could ever meet. So I do hope I get a chance to see him.
I love Philly. I’ve always had great respect for this town, the basketball here. It’s a good place to be.”
