Rick Barnes' NCAA Tournament history again aired out after Tennessee Sweet 16 loss: Reaction
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes' teams haven't had the breakout NCAA Tournament run since his 2003 Texas Longhorns went to the Final Four as a 1-seed.
Barnes' Tennessee teams have made five NCAA Tournaments in eight seasons. Those Vols teams have been knocked out five times, all to teams with a lesser seed. And Barnes' teams have never beaten a team with a better seed in the NCAA Tournament.
That includes Thursday's 62-55 loss to 9-seed Florida Atlantic in the Sweet 16 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
For the 4-seed Vols in 2022-23, a Sweet 16 appearance was likely a fair result especially given the late, season-ending injury to Zakai Zeigler.
INSTANT ANALYSIS: Tennessee basketball crumbles in Sweet 16 vs underdog FAU in season-ending loss
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That context was shared and understood by some in reaction to Tennessee's loss on Thursday. The Vols led 27-22 at the half, but a 15-2 FAU run midway through the second half tipped the game toward the Owls.
2. For Rick Barnes' team, it's another March disappointment in a long stream of them, but the Vols' offense simply wasn't capable of putting together a run to come back against a quality team. Missing Ziegler was huge but they will still have that W over Duke to remember.
— Rush the Court (@rushthecourt) March 24, 2023
I know this loss will go down as yet another knock against Rick Barnes, but Tennessee was never the same after Zakai Zeigler's injury. Impressed the Vols even made it this far without him.
— Ryan Black (@RyanABlack) March 24, 2023
But the Vols lost Thursday to a mid-major team with a worse seed, something that has happened too often in Barnes' tenure.
Typical Rick Barnes March disasterclass. Florida Atlantic is a really nice team but come on man.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 24, 2023
Rick Barnes pulling up to the second weekend of the tournament every year pic.twitter.com/kpIoxPAy99
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) March 24, 2023
Quick reminder that Rick Barnes has been to more NCAA Tournaments than Tom Izzo, and has 30 fewer wins.
— Adam Jacobi (@adam_jacobi) March 24, 2023
Officially Spring!
Rick Barnes saw his shadow today. @NextRoundLive— Jim Dunaway (@jimdunaway) March 24, 2023
.@Vol_Hoops -5.5. ❌
Rick Barnes is 16-28 (36%) ATS as a favorite in the NCAA Tournament. 👎🏼— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) March 24, 2023
Death, taxes, I’ve never bet on sports but I’ll always bet against Rick Barnes
— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) March 24, 2023
Rick Barnes’ NCAA Tournament appearances at Tennessee:
2017-2018: Second Round
2018-2019: Round of 16
2020-2021: First Round
2021-2022: Second Round
2022-2023: Round of 16 pic.twitter.com/LmkHKWpSUF— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) March 24, 2023
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rick Barnes scrutinized after Tennessee basketball Sweet 16 loss: Reaction