On Saturday it was a hard fought matchup between two of the top teams in the SEC. After building an early first-half lead, the Auburn Tigers were unable to fend off the Tennessee Vols in hostile territory. As is the case in most venues, the fans were very into the game and let the Tigers hear it with their overrated chant.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes wasn’t a fan of the ‘overrated’ chant from the fanbase directed at Auburn.
“Wherever I have been, when fans start doing that, I am like, ‘Stop,'” Barnes said. “Give us credit. Don’t demean what we just did. We just beat an outstanding basketball team.”
Going into the game Auburn was ranked No. 3 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll while Tennessee was the No. 17. The win gave the Vols their 20th win on the season. Still, Barnes believes Auburn is a really good top-five team despite losing three of their last six games.
“You just had a great, quality win against a team that first of all is not (overrated),” Barnes said. “Your fans are acting like you beat nobody. Well, we did. We just beat a top-five team. One, they are not overrated. Two, to me, it diminishes that you just won a great game against an outstanding basketball team.”
Wherever Barnes has coached during his head coaching career, which started in 1987 at George Mason, he hasn’t been a fan of the chant.
“I have thought that my entire career,” Barnes said. “I have never enjoyed it when fans do that. Our guys work too hard and won a game against an outstanding team today.”
[vertical-gallery id=42644]