Rick Barnes' critics and apologists collide after Tennessee basketball's flop | Toppmeyer

The Rick Barnes critics offered a familiar rebuke Saturday night, while the Barnes apologists rushed to defend the Tennessee basketball coach.

I understand the competing arguments.

For the Barnes critics, third-seeded Tennessee’s 76-68 loss to No. 11 Michigan in the NCAA Tournament’s second round became another March Madness bust by a Barnes-coached team in what has become an annual rite of spring.

Tennessee made its fourth NCAA appearance in Barnes’ seven seasons. The Vols have never advanced as far as their seeding suggested they should during that span.

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For the Barnes apologists, the anything-can-happen NCAA Tournament is not a reflection of the man or the coach, and one loss doesn’t erase Tennessee (27-8) winning the SEC Tournament for the first time since 1979. On Saturday, Tennessee couldn’t buy a bucket in pressure moments, despite getting repeated clean looks. In contrast, the bright lights brought out the best in Michigan stars Hunter Dickinson and Eli Brooks.

Barnes is what his record says he is: He’s a program-builder who has won markedly more games than he’s lost, wherever he’s coached. And he's a coach who's not very good on the biggest stage, which people remember most.

Tennessee picked a bad night to shoot poorly. Against Michigan, the Vols made 2 of 18 attempts from 3-point range, but excusing this exit as a byproduct of untimely misses is awfully forgiving.

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Tennessee didn’t generate enough free-throw opportunities, which could have helped offset its poor perimeter shooting. The Vols’ usually vaunted defense didn’t deliver enough stops, and Michigan nearly doubled up Tennessee in second-chance points despite missing fewer shots.

The Vols displayed a deer-in-headlights look in the final eight minutes, when no one wanted to shoot. The lack of poise and confidence came from a team with ample veterans. Simply, the Vols wilted under pressure.

Consider, Barnes’ teams have as many Sweet 16 appearances in the past 14 seasons as Saint Peter’s: one.

That statistic is unfair to Barnes' career body of work, and he reached a Final Four and two additional Elite Eights at Texas before his NCAA Tournament production cratered.

Barnes has built a bevy of support – players, his staff, and media like the guy – and his reputation benefits from consistent winning seasons at schools where the football coach faces more pressure than his hoops counterpart.

ANOTHER ONE:Tennessee basketball's Rick Barnes adds another loss to poor NCAA Tournament record

Barnes’ salary suggests he’s among the sport’s elite coaches. His NCAA Tournament performance says he isn’t.

Barnes shouldn’t apologize for his pay. He parlayed a job offer from UCLA in 2019 into a richer deal from UT. That’s business. But a bigger paycheck calls for more scrutiny of performance.

Barnes’ salary of $5.2 million this season ranked seventh nationally, and he bagged another $1 million in bonuses. Five coaches ahead of Barnes in pay – Bill Self, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski and Jay Wright – form a who’s who of the sport. The sixth, Chris Beard, has reached the national championship and an additional Elite Eight within the past five years.

Those six coaches ahead of Barnes in salary have a combined NCAA Tournament winning percentage of .726. Comparatively, Barnes is 25-26 in NCAA Tournament games, a .490 winning percentage.

As Barnes’ salary grew, his lone Final Four appearance at Texas became a fading object in the rearview mirror.

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Barnes is a veteran, likable coach who wins more games than he loses. He’s also the sport’s most overpriced coach when viewed through the lens of the NCAA Tournament.

The combination of those attributes produces a split of critics and apologists.

Barnes would quiet critics with another deep NCAA Tournament run, but his performance for more than a decade indicates that’s the one thing he cannot do.

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.