NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Vols did not try to hide their frustration after Friday’s SEC Tournament Quarterfinals loss. Instead, several of the Volunteers said the sting of the defeat is something they intend to remember as they shift their focus toward the NCAA Tournament.
The loss ended Tennessee’s run in the conference tournament, but players emphasized that the season itself is far from over.
“We just forget about it, but we’ve got to learn from what we did and how we can be better,” forward Nate Ament said after the game. “If we want to win games in March, I’ve got to be able to make shots for the team.”
Ament pointed to missed opportunities throughout the game as a key factor in the outcome.
Overall, Tennessee struggled to convert around the rim and at the free throw line, areas he said must improve before the NCAA Tournament begins.
“Make shots around the rim, me included. I missed so many shots around the rim,” Ament said. “Make free throws. We missed a ton of them as a team. Those are things we’ve got to clean up.”
The freshman went 1-13 from the field and didn’t find his first field goal until 5:57 in the second half.
Forward Jaylen Carey echoed that sentiment, pointing to composure in key moments as another area the team wants to improve.
Tennessee briefly held a multi-possession lead during the game but struggled to maintain control during crucial stretches.
“Just maturing this next week and getting better all around,” Carey said. “Being able to take care of the ball better and not panic when we had that six or seven point lead. Just calming down the game more.”
Carey also acknowledged the frustration of the loss, particularly given the stakes of postseason basketball.
“It hurts. It hurts more when it’s Vandy, for sure. But we gotta move on and get ready for March Madness.” Carey said. “It’s kind of like one-and-done now. It’s do or die. But we’ve just got to move on.”
Several players said head coach Rick Barnes delivered a similar message in the locker room after the game; to remember how the loss feels as motivation for the NCAA Tournament.
“He was basically telling us to remember this feeling,” Carey said. “If the season ended today, how would you feel? Let’s get ready for March Madness.”
Center Felix Okpara said the team understands the importance of responding quickly, especially with the national tournament approaching.
“It hurts a lot,” Okpara said. “But the season isn’t over. We’ve still got more games to play if we want to. We’ve just got to stay aggressive and stay locked in on the little details.”
Okpara also pointed to turnovers and fouls as areas Tennessee must clean up moving forward. Vanderbilt capitalized on several transition opportunities that stemmed from mistakes.
“They got a lot of points in transition from our turnovers,” Okpara said. “That’s what really sparked their run. We’ve just got to calm down with the turnovers and the fouls.”
Despite the disappointment, players emphasized that the focus now turns to preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
For Okpara, that means keeping the bigger picture in mind.
“Right now what’s going through my head is just playing for something bigger and seeing the whole picture of the season,” he said. “I just want to win every game I play now.”
Ament said the path forward is simple: learn from the loss and improve quickly.
“We have to get better if we want to win in March,” Ament said. “And I’ve got to be a lot better.”
Tennessee awaits Selection Sunday to learn where their NCAA Tournament will begin.
