Tennessee HC Rick Barnes stands up for Miami (OH) after at-large scrutiny

Rick Barnes came to the Miami (OH) Redhawks’ defense after he led his Tennessee Volunteers to the victory in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday evening.

Miami enjoyed a season for the ages, going undefeated in the regular season. They went perfect in conference play, securing the MAC regular-season title. The Redhawks eventually earned an At-Large bid to the NCAA Tournament, taking down SMU to advance from the First Four to the Round of 64.

Barnes and the Volunteers made convincing work of the Redhawks, torching them in the first half before coasting to the 78-56 win. Despite this, Barnes made a clear statement regarding Miami’s legitimacy as a tournament squad after the game.

“Miami should have been the darlings, the talk of the tournament. You win 32 basketball games—I don’t care what league you play in, what anybody says. They would win some games in our league. Make no bones about it,” Barnes said.

"Miami should have been the darlings, the talk of the tournament. You win 32 basketball games—I don't care what league you play in, what anybody says. They would win some games in our league. Make no bones about it."

-Rick Barnes pic.twitter.com/5KQMFOzOya

— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) March 20, 2026

How Rick Barnes, Tennessee performed against Miami (OH)

It’s clear that Rick Barnes had major respect for the success Miami (OH) achieved this season. Nonetheless, Tennessee makes its way to the second round of March Madness.

Three players scored in double-digits for Tennessee in the win. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the way with a stat line of 29 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and three steals. He shot 11-of-21 from the field, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. JP Estrella came next with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Felix Okpara provided 12 points and five rebounds.

Tennessee improved to a 23-11 overall record on the season, having gone 11-7 in its SEC matchups. Their efforts allowed them to earn an At-Large bid to the NCAA Tournament, standing out as one of the best squads in the SEC.

The Volunteers will look forward to their next matchup, getting to the Round of 32. They take on the Virginia Cavaliers as the game will occur on March 22.

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