KNOXVILLE – It was probably easy for the Tennessee men’s basketball team to turn the page after Saturday’s loss to Georgia.
Between the familiar frustration of losing a fifth game they led by at least 13 points and the quick turnaround for another shot at Kentucky tonight, the Volunteers had to be ready to move on and prepare for their next game.
With wins after both losses preceding Saturday’s defeat, the Vols have shown bounce-back ability, but in neither of those cases were they tasked with beating a team as talented as the 13th-ranked Wildcats or winning at an arena where Tennessee has won four times in four decades.
“We talked with the team about it yesterday,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Monday. “When we won in here (against Kentucky) last time, we were coming off a good win against Mississippi State here, and we were at home. Now we’re coming off a tough loss and we’re on the road. Our mindset’s really important, how we’re going to be able to get on to the next one.
“That’s why I’ve told our players, right now win or lose you’ve got to let them go this time of year. You’ve got to get ready for the next game, and I hope that we do that. We’ll get back at it today and see where we are and what we have to do. I think our players know full well what we have to do to compete at the level we need to compete at in Lexington.