The Tennessee Volunteers basketball squad got absolutely flattened, 103-64, by No. 2 Duke in their final exhibition game on Oct. 20 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and coach Rick Barnes is not holding back. He was “really disappointed” after watching his No. 9 Vols get pushed around for the second time this preseason, having also taken a loss to Xavier. Barnes even apologized to Duke coach Jon Scheyer, saying he was sorry they “didn’t give him a better challenge tonight.” Ouch.
No Fight, No Effort: Barnes Is LIVID
Look, Barnes’s teams are known for strong rebounding and tough defense, right? But he’s flat out saying this team “doesn’t have the look of an elite team right now.” It’s a long way from even looking like *his* style of team. He laid out a laundry list of complaints: they didn’t defend the way they needed to, and they didn’t attack with the “force that we needed to” on offense. It sounds like a total gut-check moment for the Vols.
Barnes’s frustration peaked in the second half when he saw his freshmen, Marquis Clark, Manny Green, and Chris Washington Jr., “flying around” on defense. Guess who *wasn’t* bringing that same energy? The starters. Yeah, the guys Barnes expects to rely on are apparently phoning it in, and that’s not going to fly for a team with high hopes.
Transfer Portal Flop? Numbers Are Ugly
You know how much hype there was around Tennessee’s offseason roster rebuild, especially with the transfer class? Well, Barnes is pretty blunt: the Vols aren’t getting “nearly enough” from those guys through 80 minutes of preseason basketball. And the stats back him up.
Juke Harris has a measly two rebounds in 51 minutes played. Jalen Haralson has nine rebounds, which isn’t terrible, but he also racked up nine fouls in just 34 minutes. Then you’ve got senior transfer centers Miles Rubin and Christian Fermin, who have combined for just 10 rebounds. Combined! Barnes says the team isn’t doing the fundamental “toughness” stuff: getting shots at the rim (and making them), rebounding, or playing tough one-on-one defense. He wants to see a stronger “competitive spirit” from these guys. He even said he’s “not even sure how much the technique really matters” when it comes to rebounding, implying it’s pure determination and guts they’re missing.
Injuries Aren’t The Excuse Rick Barnes Is Buying
Sure, Duke coach Jon Scheyer mentioned that Tennessee wasn’t at full strength. Tyler Lundblade, their best shooter, is still out recovering from back surgery. Starting point guard Terrence Hill Jr. went down with an ankle injury less than five minutes into the game. And Vanderbilt transfer Jalen Washington is ineligible due to a lawsuit against the NCAA. That’s a lot of firepower missing.
But Barnes isn’t letting his squad off the hook. He acknowledged the incomplete roster but immediately shut down any excuses: “But that’s not what happened here.” It’s about effort and understanding the game at this level, not who’s on the bench. Forward Braeden Lue echoed the coach’s sentiment perfectly, saying, “We’ve got to be tougher.” He even dropped a heavy truth bomb: “A lot of the past Tennessee teams, they say they would lose a game, but they wouldn’t lose the fight. I feel like these last two games, we’ve lost the fight. We need to be tougher all around.”
This team has two weeks to figure it out before the regular season kicks off. They’ll open against Wofford at Food City Center on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Barnes thinks it’s all fixable, but they better find that competitive spirit, and fast. The regular season is coming, and there’s no more time for excuses.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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