Eh...this is on the team. You could sense where it was going as they slowly tightened up as the second half continued. Reminded me of the Atlanta-NE SB a few years back. Had a huge lead but could sense bama was in it. Team should have taken control in 2nd half and did not.
Having said that, bama is really, really good, and it's no disgrace to lose to them.
Best of all...the next tourney counts a lot more than this one.
I think Barnes is a pretty good coach overall. But a big reason he will forever have a reputation for not being able to win in big games is the way his teams tighten up in key moments like that. How many times since he's been here have we seen Tennessee go into a shell and lose a big game after playing well early? I think it's psychological. He is literally afraid to lose so badly that it hurts the team.
