Rick Barnes shared his thoughts on the upcoming matchup with Kentucky prior to Tennessee’s departure for the Sweet 16. He acknowledged the challenges of facing Kentucky for the third time this season, noting that the Wildcats have already beaten them twice during the regular season.
Barnes expressed his respect for Kentucky’s first-year head coach, Mark Pope, and the team’s ability to control the pace in their previous meetings. He emphasized the importance of Tennessee making adjustments to achieve a different result this time around.
When asked about the team’s offense, Barnes mentioned that Tennessee had open looks against Kentucky in their previous games, but struggled to capitalize on those opportunities. He believes the team can shoot the ball better, but they need to execute their game plan more effectively.
In terms of specific strategies, Barnes highlighted the need for Tennessee to do a better job defensively, particularly in defending the perimeter and rebounding. He also emphasized the importance of moving the ball side to side to open up paint touches, rather than relying on launching threes early in the possession.
