Rick Barnes knows the way to March, having accompanied 28 teams to three different postseason tournaments in his 32 years as a college basketball coach.
The regularly of these appearances hasn’t diminished his appreciation for the trips.
“You don’t ever take it for granted,” Tennessee’s coach said. “I have respect for anyone who’s playing basketball right now, going forward.”
The Vols (29-5) were tabbed as a No.
2 seed for the NCAA tournament and will open against Colgate (24-10) Friday in Columbus, Ohio, in a first-round game of the South Regional.
Despite his considerable experience, feeling at home and comfortable in this maddening month has been an acquired taste for Barnes.
“As a younger coach, I probably compounded the pressure by the way I approached it,” he said.
When asked later to elaborate on that thought, Barnes painted the picture of a coach who was inclined to draw the team circle a little too tight, someone who would “do things to keep people away from our team.”
In this case, the Vols are opening their locker room doors as one of seven teams taking part in “NCAA March Madness Confidential.” Production crews from Turner Sports and CBS have been embedded with these teams since selection Sunday to chronicle their tournament experience.
The cameras were evident at Tennessee’s press conference on Monday.
“It is not like (the players) are not used to having cameras around,” Barnes said, “But the fact is that you embrace it. It is something they have worked for and you have to enjoy it.”
Being more comfortable in March, though, doesn’t necessarily equate to a greater understanding of what will unfold during the next three weeks. Forward Grant Williams said that March has “a different vibe” that reverberates throughout the competition.
Barnes has experienced this vibe as it pertains to transitioning from a conference tournament to the NCAA tournament. As Texas’ coach, he recalled losing to Texas Tech in the then-No. 3 Longhorns’ opening game of the Big 12 tournament in 2003. In the handshake line, Barnes said that Tech coach Bobby Knight told him, “Now go win you a national championship. This is good for you.”
The Longhorns advanced to the Final Four, which has been Barnes’ lone visit so far.
While at Providence, on the other hand, Barnes’ Friars won the Big East Conference tournament in 1994. He said that the achievement was so overwhelming, however, that the team was spent for the NCAAs and lost in the first round.
Williams considers the range of possibilities to be part of what makes this time of year so special.
“You can never be too high or too low,” he said. “You have to keep that middle (ground).”
The Vols are transitioning from a disappointing 84-64 loss to Auburn on Sunday in the SEC tournament final. The outcome was jarring, considering a dramatic comeback less than 24 hours earlier had delivered a thrilling 82-78 victory over Kentucky.
The Vols’ playing date on Friday allows for an extra day of recovery. And Columbus should be a comfortable setting with a middle America look and feel.
Finally it’s the NCAA tournament. Enjoy it.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri who covered University of Tennessee athletics for the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1988-2019. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com