Tennessee Coach Gets Brutally Honest After Loss to Ole Miss

The Ole Miss men’s basketball team pulled off a historic upset on Senior Night at the SJB Pavilion against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday. While head coach Chris Beard chose to soak up the scene in Oxford as Rebels fans stormed Craddock Court following the victory, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes did not share that sentiment. When speaking with the media after the game, he gave Ole Miss credit for their performance but also placed some blame on himself and his team.

“Give coach Beard and his staff credit. He had his guys more ready to play than we did,” said Barnes, per Brad Logan. “I thought they wanted the game more. (We) didn’t have the focus we needed.”

On January 14, the Rebels took down No. 4 Alabama on the road in Tuscaloosa, which means Wednesday marked the second game this season in which Chris Beard’s team upset a top-five team in the country. Consistency has been an issue for Ole Miss, but this team is clearly talented enough to compete with anyone in the country.