Rick Barnes makes stunning comment about Tennessee players betting on games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Rick Barnes knew immediately he had crossed a line.
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The longtime Tennessee coach was dissecting late-game mistakes after the Vols’ 77-69 win over Auburn when an offhand joke about turnovers landed with an audible thud.
“We’ve got to just get more consistent,” said Barnes. “And we just got to stop doing, at the end of the game, some of the passes that we throw. I mean, I don’t know what to say other than sometimes I wonder if guys are betting on games.”
Barnes paused, shook his head and asked for a do-over. “I shouldn’t say that,” he said. “Erase that.”
The comment briefly overshadowed an otherwise solid night for Tennessee (15-6, 5-3 SEC), who led by as many as 16 in the first half before allowing Auburn to trim the margin late. The Vols committed two turnovers in the final two minutes, helping Auburn Tigers (14-8, 5-4) close within six.
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Barnes did not hold back about the issue with his team. Tennessee fouled three times on 3-point attempts, leading to two four-point plays, and continued a recent trend of late-game lapses.
He later circled back to his remark, apologizing again while stressing accountability. “The fact is, we’ve got to get smarter,” Barnes said. “And they know it.”
Tennessee’s defensive pace has bled into its offense at the worst times. “We’re not able to gear it down like we need to on offense,” he said. “That’s got to change.”
The Vols face Ole Miss at home on Tuesday night.
