Tennessee beat Virginia on Sunday night to make the Sweet 16 once again. It was a gritty, hard-fought game that embodies the Vols program: Toughness.
Rick Barnes' boldest offseason additions paid off at the perfect time
After the huge Round of 32 win over Virginia, Rick Barnes had the perfect quote to describe the style of basketball his team plays with. Barnes said:
"I wish there was no three-point line and everything was played 15-feet and in. I would be a football coach, we would run the single-wing or whatever. We would be running it three yards in a cloud of dust"
I mean, that is just awesome. One of my personal favorite quotes is when Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said that he used to ask Nick Saban for football pads to use in practice. Barnes talking about no three-point line and playing like it’s a football game reminds me of that.Â
This isn't the first time the Vols have been compared to a football team
Earlier this year, Steven Pearl of Auburn said that Tennessee forwards Jaylen Carey and Dewayne Brown II are built like SEC defensive ends. Maybe Josh Heupel should recruit them to play on the football team and maybe Barnes can fill in as an analyst or something.
Back to the game, The Vols were surprisingly very good today from beyond the arc. They shot 8-19 (42%) and they defended the like exceptionally well, as Virginia only shot 12-35 from deep (34%). Ja’Kobi Gillespie was 3-5 from deep and his shooting guard Bishop Boswell was 4-9 from deep, both hitting some massive shots for Tennessee.Â
The overall point of the quote is just fantastic though. This Tennessee team is tough as nails and they are no doubt the toughest team in the nation. They have had their moments like every team, but you can tell that they have a great bond with Barnes and he loves these guys.Â
Based on this quote, though, Vols fans are now assured of what we already knew. Barnes recruits tough, physical, and strong basketball players. If you're soft, you will not fit in well in Knoxville.