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Tennessee basketball: Rick Barnes crumbles in another big game this season

By Billy Williford

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts to a play against the Iowa Hawkeyes during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts to a play against the Iowa Hawkeyes during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Tennessee basketball season is over, and it ended with a lot of questions about Rick Barnes’ in-game coaching. He’s an outstanding coach, but his in-game coaching is horrendous.

There is a burning frog in my throat that I can’t clear. There is a stingy poke in my heart that won’t stop. And, there is a tear in my eye that I’m trying to hold back as I sit here watching the video @Vol_Hoops put on Twitter of the locker room speech Rick Barnes gave after the 99-94 loss to Purdue.

That’s everything you want as a sports fan. You don’t want the painful hurt losing causes. But, this was a team filled with amazing young men that gave their all to the team you call “yours.”

And, while Rick Barnes has been phenomenal for the Tennessee basketball program and the development of most of the players, his in-game coaching in big games is a reason the Vols aren’t moving to the Elite Eight.

Again, I love Barnes and what he stands for as a person. I also can’t ignore what he has done with the program and the players involved. However, we’ve seen him crumble all season and truthfully his whole career; he is a great coach but a big game bust. I didn’t want to believe it but just ask Texas fans, they will tell you.

Should Barnes take all the blame? Absolutely not.

However, there are a few situations that could have been different with better coaching. Let’s begin with the first half.

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