Tennessee Basketball: 5 Things the Volunteers need for Christmas in 2018

By Adam Childs | Dec 20, 2018

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts during the second half of the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. A feud between Rick Barnes and Penny Hardaway

Let’s face it, it has been a long time since both Memphis and Tennessee were good in the same year. When the Tigers were enjoying success the Vols were down or vice versa. It still made for a good rivalry but it could be even better. The state of Tennessee deserves a good rivalry like some of the other states in the country. Yes, Vanderbilt can be thrown in their also, but the big matchup could be Memphis and Tennessee.

If the past couple of days are any indication, it looks like this could turn into a heated rivalry. In a fairly competitive game over the weekend the Volunteers beat the Tigers by ten points, but that was not the end of it. Hardaway would come out to say that some of the Volunteer players were coming over looking for fights. Barnes fought back saying that the Tigers players flopped all throughout the game looking for fouls.

Not to be outdone Hardaway fired back calling Barnes low-class. “If you just watch the film, I’m not making anything up,” Hardaway said at Tuesday’s news conference. “I don’t know who Rick Barnes thinks I am, but I’m not a dude that likes to just mess around about anything. I just call it like I see it. No matter how he’s trying to make things seem, and I think it’s kind of low-class how he’s trying to downgrade my guys for flopping and all that. Man, come on, give me a break.”

“I think it’s more something on the page of maybe the recruiting that we have to do in the state. Maybe he’s trying to get an upper hand on me or whatever,” Hardaway said. “I have no complaints about anything else. I just called it like I saw it, and the comments that he made about my team when it came to the flopping and all that — that’s low-class. I would never do that to another team. He can do whatever he wants to do, but we’ll see each other out on the road somewhere or in another game.”

Obviously, we do not want them to get in a real fight, but if this means a great rivalry is brewing, bring it on. Volunteer and Tiger fans have to be excited about the future of this series.

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