It was a tough Sunday for Rick Barnes and his Volunteers after Tennessee fell to No. 1 Purdue in the Elite 8.
UT missed out on a chance to reach the Final Four after they were defeated 72-66 but Barnes couldn’t have been more proud of his team for how they fought.
“There’s no doubt in my mind I think we could win a national championship,” the coach said, via Pat Forde. “I still think that. We ran up against a team that has a chance to play on Monday.”
During his postgame presser Barnes spoke on how much he’ll miss this 2024 Tennessee roster. Admitting that’s the worst part of the season coming to an abrupt end like this.
I can’t tell you how much and how special this team was for us as a coaching staff to coach. … That’s the tough part of where we are right now. Just a blessing of having a chance to be with a group of guys. They set out to win a national championship, play on Monday. … Again, I wish I could change the outcome for them, but the fact that God has blessed me with the time I’ve had with these guys, it’s something I wish every coach can enjoy.
The Vols finish the season 27-9 with the best record in the SEC. We’ll see UT is able to bounce back next year with some new faces in the program.