Everything Rick Barnes Said Ahead of Round of 32 Showdown With 11-Seed Michigan

INDIANAPOLIS – The 3-seed Vols will take on 11-seed Michigan on Saturday in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the Round of 32 of the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

The Vols enter Saturday coming off a dominant Round of 64 win over Longwood in Indianapolis, while Michigan knocked off 6-seed Colorado State in a comeback.

Ahead of Tennessee's matchup with the Wolverines, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media to discuss his thoughts on the upcoming challenge.

Barnes' entire transcript from the Friday afternoon media availability is below.

Michigan might have DeVante' Jones back. Is there an opportunity to prepare for him?

Barnes: "Yes, we will make sure we are aware of their players from a personal standpoint and knowing that he could play."

Rick, do you think this team has adopted some of Zakai Zeigler's personality?

Barnes: "I do think so. I think from the time he arrived on campus, once he got settled in the way he endeared himself, you know as a teammate. I think the way the players look at him, see that he's fearless, he's got a very short memory whether he misses a shot or turns the ball over, even when I voice my opinion to him he has a great way of letting it run off his back and focus on the next play."

Coach, can you describe Josiah's maturation as a leader? He's probably been one of the most liked guys on the team but now it feels like he's cranked it up a notch and is willing to hold people accountable as opposed to somebody who picks them up.

Barnes: "When Josiah first got here he came in with a lot of expectations from our fans and he actually came in and because of our situation had to spend a lot of time playing the point position, trying to learn to play that position at this level because of where the program was at that time. You think about it a year later, Lamonte gets hurt and Santi comes in. The one thing he has always done is he has always been an incredible person, a tremendous worker. He has never, ever -- at times we thought he held too much in. We said, hey, you've got to -- he goes, everything is fine. It's always fine. We know he struggled at times with some of the injuries he had. Obviously he's tremendously respected by his teammates because he never complaints. They know how hard he's worked. What he has developed into and, again I've said it many times, I think he's just really getting started, finding himself as a player, and the fact that he's been able to start scoring at all three levels. What he does night in and night out defensively and rebounding wise speaks volumes about who he is as a team player."

Rick, you mentioned yesterday that the guards need to help the post players. What does that look like? What stands out to you about Hunter Dickinson?

Barnes: "Well, he knows where he wants to be on the floor. They do a really good job of moving him around to get him where they want him to be. When he gets over that right shoulder he's got great touch. He has proven he can make threes and pass the ball. So with that said it's going to take a team effort. When you look at Michigan, they are a very heavy 2-point team at a very, very high percentage. Then you look at them from a three point perspective they are a very, very good three point shooting team this they don't take a lot but when they do they hit a big percentage. They know he's part of that and that's key, he knows where he wants the ball and where he wants to be effective."

Rick, before the SEC Tournament you said to have success in tournament play you had to not only execute your roles that you have been doing, but you needed to elevate and play even better. Do you feel like you've done that? If so, in what areas?

Barnes: "Well I think in a lot of areas, because I don't think you can stay where you are. We need to be better tomorrow. We need to be better. We need to be better -- like I thought early last night Longwood did a terrific job of getting us into rotations we didn't want to be in, Michigan very heavy wall screening team, different areas of the court. So, again, I would like to think we can do better. We went to a defense where we were pretty much switching everything, won't be able to do that in this game because of the size they have there inside. The fact is the things that we keep talking about, it all comes to fundamentals. It will come back to that tomorrow for both teams, you know, can we execute what we need to do with our defense, can we rebound the basketball, can we take care of the basketball. All coaches you ask them before a game if you could pick one thing most of us will say, hey, we hope we can make some shots. We need to continue to get better in those fundamental aspects of the game."

What makes Michigan's lineup with both Hunter Dickinson and DeVante' on the court?

Barnes: "Well I think the versatility and the fact that they again they do have some shooters around those guys you can't just dare them to shoot the ball, you just can't. They run a really good offense. They're a multiple offensive team, the sets and different actions they like to run. They have things they like to do on the outer third of the court and some things they like to do in the middle part of the court. With the balance around them. I think the biggest thing is they know exactly what they're looking for and exactly how they want to play. I think they're an unselfish team. I don't think they would still be playing if they weren't."

Rick, you guys recruited Juwan Howard's son. What's the process like when you're recruiting a different coach's son, is this the first time you have had that in your experience senior?

Barnes: "Well, when we went at it -- I think a lot of people weren't recruiting Jett at the time because -- assuming that he would be with his dad, which he ended up being, but it so happened when we got involved it kept developing more. Got to know his family extremely well and Juwan was great with us and he didn't make the visit when they came down but getting to know his family, just a wonderful family. Absolutely beautiful family. But in the end we knew it would be very difficult but we thought it was worth trying to make it happen. We certainly don't regret the effort that we put into it."

Coach, about this team just finding -- seeming to define motivation in different ways. They had their goals in Tampa with the SEC Tournament but they get here and we hear Josiah and others talking about redemption and the way things ended in Indianapolis. What is it about this team finding motivation factors that lead them through the season?

Barnes: "It's been maturity. Josiah has been through a lot in his time. When you think about it when he came into the program we were in somewhat of a transition. Then COVID hit which I think was really difficult for everybody. There was a lot of uncertainty. I have to, again, a lot of the credit with this group really does have to go to Josiah and Santi and John Fulkerson in his own way. I can talk about DJ Bailey, Zakai coming in, Kennedy Chandler, they have all -- for whatever reason they really do like each other and they're competitive. If you watched us practice every day I think you would see that. I've told everyone probably the best thing that can happen to Kennedy was Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi. Every day. Those two guys are highly competitive, what you see them do on the court they do every day, every day. With that said it's been a big part of this team, pulling for each other, sticking together and wanting to win together."

Going back to Jett, Juwan said he was nervous he was going to lose that recruiting battle. On the flip side how confident were you that you might win it there at the end?

Barnes: "I learned a long time ago that blood is thicker than water. I'm tell you, he has a great family. At no point in time did we ever feel like we were being led on. We felt like there was a sincere interest. But I get it in the end, my last conversation with Jet was a sincere one and I get it, you know? I get it. If I had a son I would want him to play for me. I get it. I do. It's one of the great visits we had and because really a lot of the way -- their transparency, too, and we thought it would be difficult but like I said, we thought it was worth that chance."

You said yesterday that this team goes when Josiah goes. Obviously his versatility is going to be important in this game but how important is it that he can guard 1-4 with Michigan's size?

Barnes: "It is important and Josiah yesterday -- and, you know, we know when he gives us the versatility like that that we need, and we even worked hard having Jahmai Mashack ready if Josiah got into foul trouble because Jahmai can do some of those things, but. He has looked forward to this, and Josiah has been a great player, always put the team first, maybe to a fault. We all want everybody to put the team first but at some point in time you have to be selfish in the fact that you have to know exactly what that team needs you to do and you have to do it. There has been times where he was reluctant to shoot the ball. We've told him for a long time you've got to shoot it when you're open. You have to shoot the shot you do at practice and the we have told him that for a long time but now he knows, and like most guys, he started to figure it out a little more each day."

What are your thoughts on the job Juwan Howard is doing at Michigan? As a guy who had not been a head coach in college and dealing with bumps in the road this year?

Barnes: "I look at Juwan like I really look at Jerry Stackhouse, two great basketball coaches that played their dues. They paid their dues in this game working certainly in the NBA and if you look at both of them, they have some of that background that you would expect them to have. Just terrific coaches. When I watch Juwan's team now really up close for the first time, you're impressed. They've got really good schemes and I think, again, the best way I can tell you is the best thing a coach can do is put his guys in the best possible position that he can be successful and he has done that. Certainly I'm impressed watching them, more so over the last couple of days, going on a day now, but I know his background. I know it wasn't like he just -- he's been around the game a long time. I think he was in Miami for a long time and when you come out of that organization sitting on that bench with those guys and working as hard as they had. He was ready. Just like I feel Mike Schwartz, who is leaving us. He's ready and certainly Jerry Stackhouse and Juwan have been ready for a long time certainly with the opportunities they've gotten."

Both these teams have a lot of freshmen and freshmen who play big minutes. How do you coach-up freshmen and get them ready to play? Are there similarities knowing that coaching has to be individually too?

Barnes: "To be quite frank, when I go on the court I don't look at class, and I coach 'em all the same, and I think they would tell you that's pretty hard and demanding, and I expect great things from them, whether they're freshmen, sophomores, juniors. We're going to coach 'em hard and create as many live game situations as we can, and I do think practice has to be difficult. I think you've got to stress players in practice to get them to understand what they're getting ready to go up against when they go out on the court and get ready to go out on the road, whatever it may be. So when freshmen come in, I think I've gotten more patient. At one time I wasn't very patient, but players will probably tell you I'm not now. The fact is we're going to coach 'em all hard, all of 'em, regardless of their class."

The freshmen that haven't played a ton. How important is the example that VJ set this year when his role changed, to keep finding a different way to contribute?

Barnes: "I think it's really important. As a coaching staff we go into a game with a game plan but we don't know how it's going to play out. We can have the best laid plan tomorrow thinking if it all goes right we stay out of foul trouble, we're making shots, whatever it may be. But if it's not, you have to start with the adjustments in the game. Telling guys that for weeks on end, hey, you've got to be ready, and then they don't play. They don't play. I think VJ is a perfect example of a guy that every game has been ready. He's gone games where he hasn't played and he's come in -- he really helped us at Missouri. He helped us a great deal last night. Helped us in the Kentucky game. He went over 4 and a half minutes where the clock didn't stop and actually took himself out of the game. I do think it's a great example, because we say the same thing to Jahmai, Quentin, we tell all those guys they have to be ready, because we don't know. For the fact that those guys have -- for the most part VJ certainly has been, and Jahmai, as a freshmen, I think it's been difficult for him at times, but he has stayed with it. They all have. That's something. That we're really happy to have a guy like VJ that shows them how to do that."

Coach, your players might have watched the Kentucky game last night. Is that a wake-up call to some of your younger guys, knowing this thing could be over in a snap of a finger?

Barnes: "I would like to think through the years as they watch this tournament they know that. At this point now you get to this starting now, Michigan has played as tough of a schedule as anybody and coming out of a league that has nine teams in the NCAA Tournament. I think our players all year long have respected our opponents, I do, I really do. We talk about -- we start talking in November that this is an NCAA game. If you don't think so, wait until March when that Selection Show comes on. It's important. We try to build that into them realizing that everybody can play. We watch in our league now, we have some guys that have transferred into our league from lower level schools that have made all-conference teams. We tell 'em everybody can play, doesn't matter what's on their jersey. There's a lot of guys that you guys don't know that are at places that can play. I respect our team for understanding that, and I thought that was one reason yesterday -- I think the best compliment you can give an opponent is you come out and try to play your best basketball. I know yesterday that was a compliment that we gave Longwood. We knew we had to play well to beat them and we did play well."

Tennessee and Michigan wil tip-off at 5:15 p.m. ET on Saturday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Vols look to make their second Sweet Sixteen appearance in the Rick Barnes era.

Did you know Volunteer Country on SI does Podcasts? Check out the staff's latest breakdowns here.

Volunteer Country on SI is also on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Check out any of the links to ensure you do not miss any of the coverage of your favorite Tennessee teams!

You can follow the staff, Matt, Jake, Dale and Jack on Twitter by clicking any of their names.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Vols targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google