Vols looking to eliminate mental errors ahead of matchup with Vanderbilt
The aura surrounding Tennessee's matchup with Vanderbilt on Tuesday is becoming all-too-familiar.
Coming off of a bitter loss to South Carolina in Columbia on Saturday, the Vols returned to Knoxville on Sunday with one goal in mind: eliminating their self-inflicted wounds.
On more than one occasion, those have come back to haunt Tennessee and that was the case once again this weekend.
The Vols committed 20 turnovers against the Gamecocks, many of which were unforced down the stretch.
"That was the most disappointing thing, where it was just careless mistakes that we talked about," Barnes said. "And twice we turned it over where we knew we were going to lob the ball, and we got a lob dunk and then Josiah came out in the timeout, and why he did it we don't know because that wasn't even the play we had on."
That was the primary source of frustration for Barnes.
Tennessee did not shoot the ball particularly well, especially from 3-point range, but still found itself with a chance to steal a must-win game on the road. Instead, UT fumbled away its chances at the end, literally.
It was a reality that was hard to swallow for the veteran coach.
"Those are the things that are the most frustrating," Barnes said. "The 20 turnovers, a lot of them were just us, and that's not to take anything away from South Carolina, but when you're not being guarded on the perimeter and you travel with no pressure, that's just being careless with the ball."
With a desperate Vanderbilt team coming into Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday, the Vols' road isn't getting any easier.
Despite having lost three consecutive conference games, the Commodores upset LSU in Nashville on Feb. 5 and have shown promise in the backcourt with emerging guards Saban Lee and Scotty Pippen, Jr.
While Tennessee boasts a better overall and conference record, Barnes and his staff have had their eye on what's been going on just hours away, praising Vanderbilt's effort and intensity.
"I think that's a sign of terrific coaching and players that want to be coached. They have made it hard on everybody they have played," Barnes said. "They obviously beat LSU when they were undefeated and number one in the league. They had Kentucky down at halftime, they're close like everyone."
Vanderbilt has not won in Knoxville since the 2016-17 season, Barnes' second with the program.
Since then, Tennessee has won a SEC regular season title and was one of the country's top five teams throughout the season a year ago. The Vols also produced NBA Draft selections in Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone.
While undrafted, Kyle Alexander would later on sign a two-way contract with the Miami Heat.
The Commodores, meanwhile, have struggled to find a way out of the doldrums that they currently reside in, with several disappointing seasons attached to the past half-decade.
Tennessee isn't expecting Vanderbilt to just lay down, however, and plan to be ready for every challenge thrown at them come time for tip-off.
"They have the ability and they have proved...that they have played everybody tough," Barnes said. "I guarantee when they sit down and watch tape, just like we do, they show the what ifs and things they can certainly fix. I'm sure that's what he and his staff are trying to do."
