CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rumor has it Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes once worked at Texas.
As soon as the Volunteers completed Thursday night’s 83-49 dismantling of Saint Peter’s in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, they had to field questions concerning Saturday’s round of 32 pairing with the Longhorns. Barnes won his 200th game with Tennessee at the expense of the Peacocks, but the fact he’s the winningest coach in Texas history and led the Longhorns to 16 NCAA tournament trips in 17 seasons became the instant point of discussion.
“I’ve been gone nine years, and I’m a Tennessee Volunteer,” Barnes said. “The time I had there was special, and there are really a lot of people there that touched my life, but I thank the good Lord for — coming to Tennessee was a blessing.
“Maybe I didn’t know it at the time, but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to be in a position where my career will end.”
The showdown inside the Spectrum Center between Midwest Region No. 2 seed Tennessee (25-8) and No. 7 seed Texas (21-12) is scheduled for 8 p.m. on CBS, so it’s as prime time as it gets.