Rick Barnes on Tennessee Fans’ ‘Overrated’ Chants: ‘Don’t Demean What We Just Did’
AP Photo/Wade Payne
The better the opponent, the better the victory looks to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committee.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes understands that and wants his team’s fans to as well.
“Wherever I have been, when fans start doing that, I am like, ‘Stop,'” Barnes said while explaining why he signaled for fans to stop chanting “overrated” during the closing moments of Saturday’s 67-62 win over No. 3 Auburn, per Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Give us credit. Don’t demean what we just did. We just beat an outstanding basketball team.”
He continued: “You just had a great, quality win against a team that first of all is not (overrated). Your fans are acting like you beat nobody. Well, we did. We just beat a top-five team.”
The win was part of a wild day in college basketball when No. 23 Saint Mary’s defeated No. 1 Gonzaga, Colorado beat No. 2 Arizona, Michigan State won against No. 4 Purdue, No. 10 Baylor toppled No. 5 Kansas, No. 18 Arkansas outlasted No. 6 Kentucky and TCU handled No. 9 Texas Tech.
Santiago Vescovi led the way for the Volunteers with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.
They are now 7-1 in their last eight as they continue to play their way up the seed line with Selection Sunday approaching.
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