Barnes Says He And Zakai Zeigler Talk With Their Eyes

Image: knoxnews.com

By Cody McClure

Rick Barnes met with the media today ahead of Tennessee’s trip to College Station.

The Vols have a chance to make a big statement this weekend in their quest for a No. 1 seed.

It will take a huge effort to beat the Aggies on the road, as A&M is also potentially vying to enter the No. 1 seed conversation.

So what has Tennessee been focused on this week?

“The biggest [focus] for us was trying to get guys healthy. We had to change our schedule the way we originally put it in, because we just had guys that, some injuries that, to be quite honest, I’m not sure they’ll get 100% better because of where they are,” Barnes said. “So we’ve tried to manage that more this week than anything else. And we’ve got a lot of different things that we do, but core things that we always talk about is our defense, our rebounding, taking care of the ball, that that won’t change.”

The midweek break came at a good time.

“Because of where we had guys that were hurt a little bit, and that’s what I think all coaches when that midweek comes, you hope that it’s at a time when — you’d like to give them rest obviously, but for us, with the injuries that we had, the ones that, whether it’s a calf strain, a big toe, those things that are hard to get right. A week won’t do it, but it helps and I think, hopefully it’s helped us as we get back into it now.”

Barnes also spoke today about Zakai Zeigler’s importance and mentioned how he and Zeigler communicate in a unique way.

“He and I do a great deal of talking with our eyes. He knows me and he knows the look I give him. I understand him. I mean, I know his body language so well and I think he knows my body language because his comment to me, ‘I got you, I got you.’ Sometimes I don’t say anything. I don’t. I just look at him and he says, ‘I got you.’

Barnes said Zeigler is one of those guys who “if he got one of his teammates to follow him over the cliff, they would follow him because he’s got that kind of respect because of what he does every single day.”

Great quotes from Barnes.