Rick Barnes gets another shot against his old program.
Rick Barnes is set for another attempt to land a spot in the Sweet 16, and he’ll have to punch that ticket against his former program tonight. No. 2 seed Tennessee will face No. 7 Texas on Saturday night, with the winner advancing to face the winner of No. 3 seed Creighton vs. No. 11 seed Oregon.
Tennessee rolled past Saint Mary’s on Thursday night. SEC player of the year Dalton Knecht led the Vols to an 83-49 win, scoring 23 points. Center Jonas Aidoo added 15, while Zakai Zeigler put up 11 points and ten assists. Texas got by Colorado State after a hot start, riding that early 27-11 advantage all the way to the final horn.
Tennessee is a 6.5 point favorite tonight, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
For Barnes, not only is it a matchup against his former employer, but it’s a matchup against a friend and longtime assistant in Rodney Terry.
“For some reason, when our number came up, I’m like will it be Clemson, or will it be Texas,” Rick Barnes said of the NCAA matching him up with his old school.
“I don’t know if they do that intentionally. I don’t know. But it’s always tough playing people that you know that know you — we know each other. There’s not going to be a lot of secrets now. We’ve been around each other, all of us. You look at his staff, there’s a lot of guys on that staff that have been a big part of my career. I’m just blessed that I was able to spend that time with them.”
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Texas in the NCAA Tournament
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: March Madness Live, Paramount Plus