Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers reinvented themselves with the addition of Dalton Knecht, and that change of course resulted in an outright regular-season SEC title. However, even the SEC’s leading scorer and Player of the Year couldn’t exercise Barnes’s postseason demons.
Tennessee went to Nashville as the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament but after a 73-56 drubbing from Mississippi State, the Vols are heading back to Knoxville with their hopes of ending up as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament almost certainly dashed.
Against the Bulldogs, Tennessee shot just 19-62 from the field and 8-33 from the three-point line. Even with Zakai Zeigler’s 20 points and 14 offensive rebounds as a team, Barnes’s group struggled to find efficient offense all afternoon. Knecht finished with just 14 points on 4-17 shooting.
Though many were not surprised, after years of Rick Barnes’s postseason shortcomings, Tennessee fans weren’t pleased with the early tournament exit.
Losing that game is the best thing, for the fans… expectations are low, won’t be surprised when we get annihilated by a Jesuit university.
— Rural Vol (@VolsFanNumber1) March 15, 2024
Fans also aren’t nearly as excited about the NCAA Tournament as they were heading into this week when Tennessee was clearly in contention for a No. 1 seed. Now, unless North Carolina also gets upset in the ACC tournament, Tennessee will be on the two-line. Some fans aren’t confident Barnes can even get them to the Round of 32.
Fully convinced Tennessee is gonna lose to their 15 seed in round one. Rick Barnes could have the 96 Chicago Bulls and still manage to miss the sweet 16. I hate this school's post season luck
— Jolene Orenji🧡🤍(ENVTUBER) (@nepsubs) March 15, 2024
Some fans are even ready to move on from Barnes, who has built a consistent winner at UT.
I’ve been saying it for years and people thought I was crazy. Rick Barnes needs to be fired
— Abe Froman (@gdtrfbmillion) March 15, 2024
Some Vols fans are coping by rooting for the Bulldogs to take the tournament title after their dominant performance.
Well, that’s wasn’t fun. Now who do we cheer for? Not Auburn. Not KenSUCKy. Might as well cheer for Miss State. They came to play! Classy fans behind us! But as always, Go Vols!
— Haley Mynatt (@HaleyMynatt) March 15, 2024
Y'all are on here clowning the people who are criticizing Rick Barnes,but if he doesn't at least get us to the Elite 8, fire him. If he can't make a run with this team he needs to go,idc how good he is and what he's done,he is the Doc Rivers of College Basketball.
— Cy (@Cytracx) March 15, 2024
Things have changed quickly after one of the best regular seasons in school history.