Rick Barnes, former Texas, now Tennessee coach, makes his case for Texas in NCAA Bracket
As the final horn sounded on Tennessee's 83-72 win over Texas in the SEC Tournament on Friday, Vols head coach Rick Barnes and Longhorns coach Rodney Terry met at mid-court for a handshake that turned into a brief embrace. To the casual observer, it looked like any other postgame exchange.
But for Barnes, who was fired from Texas nearly a decade ago, the moment carried extra weight. His Volunteers may have delivered the final blow to his close friend's tournament hopes.
"Really, you feel like you're playing against your family," Barnes said. "And it's tough."
Despite eliminating Texas from the conference tournament, Barnes made a strong case for the Longhorns as an NCAA Tournament team.
“There’s no doubt. Texas is an NCAA team,” Barnes said. “There’s no doubt in my mind they did enough. I think they’ve done more than enough. I think we should have 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament.”
With Selection Sunday looming, Texas will have to wait and see if the committee agrees. ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi shared this about Texas ahead of Selection Sunday. “If I’m Texas, I’m worried about a lousy non-conference schedule, a bunch of terrific wins, but ultimately — and probably — too many losses. 15 losses for the Longhorns, and that has generally been the danger zone for the committee over the years.”
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Rick Barnes shares his thoughts on Texas in the NCAA Tourney
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