WATCH: Rick Barnes Addresses Media After Kentucky Loss

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes spoke with reporters after the Volunteers dropped their first SEC contest against Kentucky.

Entering the week, Tennessee and Kentucky were on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Volunteers were riding momentum, ranking as the No. 5 team in college basketball, while the Wildcats were coming off two embarrassing losses.

It didn't matter on Saturday afternoon, as Kentucky outplayed the orange and white for forty minutes. While Tennessee made things interesting in the final two minutes, it didn't matter.

Missed opportunities headlined the disappointment. They missed several point-break layups, settled for a mediocre shot, or initiated unnecessary offensive action.

Head coach Rick Barnes spoke after the game and surmised as much. You can't miss that many opportunities and expect to control your own destiny in the closing minutes. Kentucky ensured they executed to win, and Tennessee didn't.

He was encouraged by the last two minutes. He noted the energy in the arena and that they feel like they can make plays at any time, despite the prior failures.

Ultimately, Tennessee exits disappointed but not dejected. They now have areas of concern to address and correct, critical for the time being touted as tops in the SEC a few days ago. High-level March madness teams don't let tough stretches dispel them, which is the expectation in Knoxville.

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