After giving the Texas Longhorns their third consecutive loss this season, the Tennessee Volunteers are exactly where the fans want them to be. Although they have redeemed themselves after the Florida loss, there was something that had Rick Barnes disappointed with one of their best players. Let’s get into everything that followed Tennessee’s redemption game.

Barnes had to bench Chaz Lanier after he peeled off a screen and hurled an errant pass into the bench area. Barnes later even said that the reasoning behind his decision was that Lanier failed to do what he is “paid to do”. Analysts weighed in on this remark later on the Field of 68 After Dark podcast. Analyst Rob Dauster said, “I got no problem with what he said”, showing his support for Barnes.

“There’s a fifth year guy. He’s getting paid a lot of money,” added Dauster to reiterate that Lanier should be held accountable. The Volunteers guard still managed to get 10 points out of his 30 minutes game. “It’s the second time of the week that he didn’t look like the guy that he was for the first six weeks of the season,” said analyst John Fanta. Lanier is one of the few players that are giving their teams about 20 points a game, but he hasn’t come close to it in the last two games.

“I don’t think Tennessee can be what they need to be.. Without Chaz Lanier being the level that he was for the first two months of the season,” added Fanta. After the loss against Gators, fans want Lanier to rise up and take the weight off players like Zakai Zeigler. Tennessee can be looking a way more difficult season than they expected without Lanier playing at the maximum potential.

However, the Volunteers seem to be back on track for now. Fans can arguably call the loss against the Gators a fluke in their series of wins this season if everything goes upwards henceforth. But what exactly is causing Barnes to lose it over Chaz Lanier?

Rick Barnes called out Chaz Lanier for an on-court blunder

“I took him out the first play of the second half because he didn’t shoot the ball,” Rick Barnes said. The coach has high expectations of his guard and is ready to call him out when needed. “That play is designed for that shot. I told him, ‘If you’re not going to do what you’re getting paid to do, then you’re going to sit over here’.” added Barnes after the game.

In the second half, Lanier curled around on an Igor Milicic Jr. screen and received a pass from Zakai Zeigler. Chaz Lanier jumped, but he gave the ball to Jahmai Mashack instead of shooting, which led to the Volunteers’ 11th turnover. And Barnes could not see his highest scorer missing shots like that.

Lanier ended at 10 points for a second consecutive game, tied for his second-lowest scoring of the season. Although on good days, Lanier gives an output of 25 points or above to the scoreboard. Fans can only wish that he can once again spark the high-scoring talent that lies within him.

For now, we can keep our fingers crossed for his comeback against the Georgia Bulldogs this Wednesday.