Tennessee, known for its strong defense, is being challenged by head coach Rick Barnes to adopt a “confrontation” mentality as they head into their regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 4 Volunteers (24-6, 11-6 SEC) are coming off a tough 78-76 loss to Ole Miss, where Jaemyn Brakefield scored all 19 of his points in the final 10:24, dominating in the paint. Barnes didn’t hold back in his criticism, calling the team’s performance “soft” and emphasizing the need for more aggressive play.
“We talk about having confrontation. We play like we were—that’s soft, honestly,” Barnes said. “That’s you not really trying to go in and make plays on the ball.”
Despite building an eight-point lead in the second half, Tennessee couldn’t hold on, allowing Ole Miss to take control. The Volunteers were outscored 46-20 in the paint and outrebounded 15-8 on the offensive glass, which Barnes said can “take the wind out of your sail.”
Although the loss likely dashed Tennessee’s hopes for a No. 1 national seed, a win against last-place South Carolina (12-18, 2-15) on Saturday would secure a double bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville.
On the offensive side, Jordan Gainey led the Vols with 19 points against Ole Miss, surpassing 1,500 career points. Chaz Lanier, the team’s leading scorer (17.7 ppg), hit three 3-pointers, bringing his season total to 102. He joins Chris Lofton and Santiago Vescovi as the only Volunteers to make 100+ threes in a single season.
Tennessee has dominated South Carolina in recent years, winning 11 of the last 13 matchups dating back to 2017-18. The Vols also hold a strong 31-10 all-time record at home against the Gamecocks.
For South Carolina, the season has been a struggle. The Gamecocks are locked into the SEC Tournament’s last spot after a 73-64 loss to Georgia on Tuesday. They’ll face the No. 9 seed in the first round on Wednesday, with a loss ending their season.
Against Georgia, South Carolina showed brief signs of life in the second half, cutting a 40-29 deficit to three points and later to two. However, they couldn’t complete the comeback. Head coach Lamont Paris acknowledged his team’s defensive improvement in the second half but noted their struggles to score consistently.
“Our recipe for winning typically doesn’t involve 40 points in a half,” Paris said. “We dug a hole that way, but I thought the guys did a good job fighting in the second half.”
Sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles has been a bright spot for the Gamecocks, averaging 28.7 points over the last three games. The hometown standout is putting up 17 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 58.9% from the field.
As Tennessee looks to bounce back and secure a strong postseason position, South Carolina aims to end its season on a high note in what has been a challenging year.
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