Tag: Rick Barnes

Everything Rick Barnes said previewing Vols’ 2023-24 basketball season

Everything Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said previewing the Vols’ 2023-24 basketball season.

Tennessee will open its 2023-24 season versus Tennessee Tech on Nov. 6.

Tipoff between the Vols and Golden Eagles is slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT in Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Tennessee will play two exhibition contests before opening regular-season play.

The Vols will play at Michigan State on Oct. 29. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT and will be televised by Big Ten Network.

Tennessee also hosts Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 31 in Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT and can be watched on SEC Network+.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with media on Tuesday. Everything Barnes said previewing the 2023-24 season is listed below.

Rick Barnes details Tennessee’s first preseason basketball scrimmage

Rick Barnes details Tennessee’s first preseason scrimmage.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with media Tuesday and discussed his team’s first preseason scrimmage, which took place Saturday.

The Vols played a 32-minute scrimmage and Barnes was pleased with the team’s outside shooting.

“Looking at our stat sheet, we made 20 out of 42 threes, with the two teams combined,” Barnes said. “We nave a lot of depth on the perimeter.”

Barnes also discussed Tennessee’s defense in the scrimmage.

“The defense was such that I probably could’ve taken a couple of threes, and I can’t do it anymore,” he said. “We have a long way to go defensively, but these guys want to be good and they want to work.”

Tennessee’s first preseason scrimmage was played with nine scholarship student-athletes.

“We played a 32-minute game and we only had nine guys available,” Barnes said. “We had to use a couple of walk-ons who are excited just to be part of our team.”

PHOTOS: Rick Barnes through the years

Tennessee extends Rick Barnes’ contract

Tennessee extends men’s basketball head coach Rick Barnes’ contract.

Tennessee announced on Tuesday an extension of men’s basketball head coach Rick Barnes’ contract through the 2027-28 season.

“We are thrilled to be able to extend Rick and continue to build on the tremendous men’s basketball program he has developed here on Rocky Top,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White said in a press release. “He has infused a fantastic culture within our team and our players have represented Tennessee in a first-class manner both on the court and in the classroom.

“Our fans have responded to help create an electric atmosphere on gamedays and I can’t wait to watch the Vols continue our quest for more championships under Rick’s leadership.”

The 2023-24 season will be the ninth for Tennessee under Barnes. Barnes compiled a 175–92 record for the Vols since 2015.

PHOTOS: Rick Barnes through the years

Vols to play Michigan State in charity exhibition game

Tennessee basketball to play Michigan State in charity exhibition game.

Tennessee will play Michigan State in a charity exhibition game to benefit Maui, Hawaii wildfire relief efforts.

The game will take place at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan on Oct. 29. All proceeds will be donated to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which provides financial resources to the relief efforts for those impacted by the Maui wildfires.

Further details and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

“First, I appreciate coach (Tom) Izzo and Michigan State for hosting this game, which will benefit a community that means so much to the world of college basketball,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “While we certainly need to continue to pray for the families in Maui who have been impacted, this benefit game will enable us to offer tangible support toward the restoration of Maui and its beautiful spirit.”

The Vols will play in Hawaii during the regular-season.

Tennessee is one of eight teams scheduled to play in the 2023 Maui Invitational. The event will be held Nov. 20-22 at Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Tennessee basketball to play North Carolina State

Tennessee basketball to play North Carolina State in 2023.

The 2023-24 basketball campaign will be Tennessee’s ninth under head coach Rick Barnes.

Tennessee will play North Carolina State on Dec. 16 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

“Our program has participated in several Hall of Fame events in recent years, and they have always been wonderful experiences for our team,” Barnes said in a press release. “We expect the same caliber of experience when we travel to San Antonio — a great city that knows and loves basketball — to test ourselves against a really talented and well-coached NC State program. Our associate head coach, Justin Gainey, is an NC State grad and was a great point guard for the Wolfpack under Herb Sendek, and growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, I’m very familiar with NC State’s rich basketball history.”

PHOTOS: Rick Barnes through the years

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Rick Barnes announces signing of Jordan Gainey

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes announces the signing of Jordan Gainey.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes announced the signing of transfer Jordan Gainey on Tuesday.

Gainey committed to the Vols on April 18.

He transferred from USC Upstate with two years of eligibility remaining and is the son of Tennessee’s associate head coach Justin Gainey.

“We obviously know and love Jordan’s family, but his ability as a player stands on its own merit,” Barnes said in a press release. “He plays with a high basketball IQ and is a guy who makes his teammates better. We love his offensive versatility and his ability to shoot and score the ball in a variety of ways. In addition to giving us another shot-maker, he also competes on the defensive end and led (the Big South) in steals last year.”

PHOTOS: Rick Barnes through the years

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Texas head coach Rodney Terry claims a big role in roster construction

“I recruited three starters on this roster. Don’t get it twisted.”

Texas head coach Rodney Terry proved he can coach this season. His track record of recruiting stands up to scrutiny. Now, he is tasked with rebuilding a team through the transfer portal. Terry believes he can make it happen.

In an interview in Houston over Final Four weekend, Terry aimed to set the record straight on his involvement in building the Texas roster.

Chris (Beard) was a great coach. But he didn’t put this roster together by himself. We did. I’m not one to pat myself on the back, but I recruited three starters on this roster, don’t get it twisted.

Terry wasn’t in any way trying to discredit Beard as a head coach. He drove his point home by stating that recruiting is a team effort. Moving forward it will still be a team effort. Albeit, he pushed back against the notion that he cannot recruit the portal.

Despite his track record, he’ll face the new test of recruiting players to his program, not a program led by Rick Barnes or Chris Beard. If his confidence in his ability of building the program is any indication, Texas is in good hands.

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Rick Barnes previews NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game versus FAU

Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes previews the Vols’ NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game versus FAU.

No. 4 seed Tennessee (25-10) will play No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Tipoff between the Vols and Owls is slated for 9 p.m. EDT from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.

TBS will televise the Sweet 16 matchup. Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (reporter) will be on the call.

Tennessee enters Thursday’s contest after defeating No. 13 seed Louisiana, 58-55, in the first-round and Duke, 65-52, in the second-round.

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Louisiana in 2023 NCAA Tournament

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Duke in 2023 NCAA Tournament

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with media Monday and previewed the Sweet 16 matchup. Barnes’ media availability can be watched below.

Rick Barnes recaps Vols’ NCAA Tournament win versus Duke

Rick Barnes recaps the Vols’ NCAA Tournament win versus Duke.

No. 4 seed Tennessee (24-10, 11-7 SEC) defeated No. 5 seed Duke (27-8, 14-6 ACC), 65-52, Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

The Vols advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes recapped the Vols’ win after the game.

“We’re really proud of our team, obviously,” Barnes said. “I thought their preparation and coming here this week, regardless of what people on the outside might have thought, I know these guys have an extreme amount of pride and belief in each other, and they’ve worked hard to get themselves here, and they wanted to really come here and win this two-game tournament.

“Really proud of them, and we obviously beat an outstanding team in Duke, and could sit here all day and rave about Jon Scheyer and what he’s done with that program this year. Olivier Nkamhoua played great basketball today, certainly Santi (Vescovi) does, what he does every night. Just a total team effort, and just really proud of our guys for what we’ve gone through the last month. I’ll tell you what, no team deserves more than what’s happened — what these guys have gone out and earned this week, and I’m just so proud. As a coaching staff we’re proud of them, and looking forward to getting going next week.”

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Duke in NCAA Tournament

Rick Barnes previews NCAA Tournament matchup versus Duke

Rick Barnes discusses Tennessee’s second round NCAA Tournament matchup versus Duke.

No. 4 seed Tennessee (24-10, 11-7 SEC) will play No. 5 seed Duke (27-8, 14-6 ACC) Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee defeated No. 13 seed Louisiana, 58-55, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Duke advanced after defeating No. 12 seed Oral Roberts, 74-51, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Louisiana in 2023 NCAA Tournament

2023 NCAA Tournament: Tennessee-Duke basketball all-time series

Ahead of the Tennessee-Duke matchup, Vols’ head coach Rick Barnes met with media.

Barnes discussed the Vols’ second-round matchup versus Duke in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Barnes’ media availability is listed below.

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