By Jimmy Hyams

When Texas parted ways with Rick Barnes three years ago, many felt Barnes had lost his fastball.

He didn’t have the same spark, the same energy, the same fire in his belly needed to win at a high level in college basketball, critics said.

After Tennessee had a losing record in Barnes’ first season and went 16-16 in year two, the “I told you so’’ crowd reared its head.

But no more.

Although Tennessee’s season ended with an upset loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to a No. 11 seed, Barnes did a spectacular job this season. A collection of three stars shared the SEC regular-season title – only the seventh title since World War II UT managed that feat. The Vols won 26 games (only three other UT teams in history can say that).

Barnes was named SEC coach of the Year. He is one of four finalists for the Naismith national coach of the year.

Tennessee associate head coach Rob Lanier is not surprised by the success enjoyed this season by Tennessee and Barnes.

Lanier was with Barnes at Texas when the Longhorns fired their long-time coach.

“Sometimes when someone is there for a long time,’’ Lanier said, “the appreciation people have for them starts to wane. They don’t realize what they got. It’s human nature.’’

It didn’t take Barnes long to find another UT – the University of Tennessee.

Texas’ mistake was Tennessee’s gain.

Barnes not only had an outstanding team this season, it could be better next season. All but one player is expected to return with the lone loss being grad transfer James Daniel. There’s no reason – on paper – that UT shouldn’t be among the favorites to win the SEC again.

And that is particularly pleasing to Lanier, who has an incredibly close relationship with his boss.

“The fit for Rick Barnes and Tennessee is as good as it gets,’’ Lanier said. “And he deserves that.’’

Tennessee returns all five starters next season, and the SEC co-Sixth Man of the Year in Lamonte Turner. UT is recruiting two point guards to try to fortify next year’s roster.

But with Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone and Kyle Alexander and Jordan Bowden and Turner, few teams in the SEC will have more proven players than Tennessee.

That means Tennessee will be the hunted, not the huntee. How the Vols handle those expectations could go a long way in determining what kind of season UT has. How UT responds in the offseason to that success could also be a contributing factor.

Entering this season, I picked Tennessee to be an NCAA tournament team and win 20 games (counting the SEC Tournament).

Next year, I would expect UT to make the NCAA field again, win about 22 games before the NCAA tournament selections are announced, and be ranked among the top 15.

That’s the foundation Barnes has laid.

And, as Lanier said, the fit of Barnes at Tennessee is as good as it gets.

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