Tennessee Turns Attention to SEC Tournament

The Vols spent over a month as the nation’s top ranked basketball team.
But Tennessee couldn’t quite manage some tough road trips to close out the regular season. Now they’re ranked 8th going into the SEC tournament this weekend in Nashville.

Tennessee led the way for most of the year atop the SEC standings, but they missed out on the league title with their season ending loss to Auburn.
Said head coach Rick Barnes:”We didn’t do the things we needed to do to win at the end. Not to take anything away from Auburn because they did a good job on what they needed to do. And the fact is that we are disappointed is a good thing for our program. We had a chance to be apart of back-to-back championship regular seasons, but it’s hard to do that.”
Now the Vols turn their attention to the SEC tournament where they earned a three seed.
Said Barnes:”But the mental side of it is what you are most focused on right now. That guys will stay locked in mentally. There’s a lot going on this time of year with a lot of outside chatter and noise. You just hope they can eliminate all of that and stay focused on the task at hand. Conference tournaments to me are the beginning of NCAA play because there’s a bid at stake in all of those conferences.”
Reporter:”Rick, you guys and Kentucky have been in the conversation for a number one seed kind of coming down the stretch here. How important for the league would it be to get to Sunday. Selection Sunday and still be in that conversation?”
Said Barnes:”I think you can talk to both of us about it. I mean why not? I hear where they tell me they talk other teams might get three. This league has been unbelievable. I’m not sure Kentucky has gotten the respect they’ve deserved all year. I’d be disappointed if somebody in our league doesn’t come out with a number one seed.”