The buzz of March Madness is already in the air. The post Clock Is Ticking for Tennessee as National Analyst Corners Rick Barnes Over Approaching March Madness Dilemma appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Of the 45 3-point attempts No. 8 Tennessee had Tuesday night against No. 12 Kentucky — the second most in program history — Rick Barnes estimated that roughly 95% of the looks were wide open. And that was by design.

Tennessee basketball lost 53-51 at No. 1 Auburn on Saturday, but Vols coach Rick Barnes was unusually positive about the performance.

With No. 6 Tennessee coming to Neville Arena on Saturday, here's what coach Rick Barnes said about Auburn basketball, Bruce Pearl and the Tigers' place in a stacked SEC.

Predictions, picks and odds as No. 8 Tennessee basketball faces No. 12 Kentucky. Plus, injury updates and the latest news

Bronny James got the surprise call to play in the first quarter for the Lakers and finished with the first serious playing time of his NBA career. Bronny took off on a fast break and his shot was rejected by Adam Bona. Bronny played 15 minutes just four days after he dropped a career-high 31 points for the South Bay Lakers of the G League.

Bruce Pearl has one of the nation's best programs at Auburn, and that'd sting Tennessee a lot more if the Vols didn't have one of the best, too.

Predictions, picks and odds as No. 7 Tennessee basketball faces Auburn. Plus, injury updates and the latest news

The Tennessee Volunteers dropped a home game to the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night, in no small part because it was the Wildcats who had the advantage shooting the ball. For head coach Rick Barnes,

Tennessee's status as a serious March Madness contender has taken some dents, most recently a deeply frustrating loss to Kentucky.

Vols senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, who injured his right knee late in the first half, returned to action and scored 13 points but was only 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Igor Milicic led Tennessee with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Lanier had 15 points and was 3-of-10 on 3-point tries.