Extending its winning streak to three games, Tennessee defeated Auburn 77-69 on Saturday night.
But that didn’t stop Rick Barnes from making a shocking accusation about his players’ motivation — albeit in a joking manner.
During his postgame press conference, the Volunteers’ head coach made note of his team’s occasional carelessness with the ball following a game in which it committed 15 turnovers. And that ultimately led to Barnes sarcastically questioning whether his players are wagering on games, before quickly backtracking.
“At the end of the game, some of the passes that we throw — I don’t know what to say other than sometimes I wonder if my guys are betting on games,” Barnes told reporters. “I shouldn’t say that. Erase that.”
Too late.
Barnes attempted to finish his answer but realized that he had just stepped in it.
“I apologize,” the 71-year-old said of the comment as the reporters in the room laughed. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
While Barnes was obviously joking, there’s also a reason why he was quick to reverse course. After all, it was just two weeks ago that a major sports betting scandal hit college basketball, implicating 39 players across 17 universities.
Although Tennessee isn’t one of the programs linked to this particular scandal, sensitivity regarding sports betting is at an all-time high, not just in college basketball, but all of sports. So while it may have been crystal clear that Barnes wasn’t being serious to anyone who saw the clip, the reality is that he was joking about a subject that most believe isn’t currently a laughing matter.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.