Tennessee basketball and Vanderbilt play Saturday in Nashville for the first meeting since Mark Byington was hired as the Commodores coach.

Rick Barnes didn’t mince words about No. 6 Tennessee‘s costly defensive lapses in Saturday’s 76-75 upset loss vs. unranked Vanderbilt inside Nashville’s Memorial Gymnasium. Especially when the culprits of those lapses are two of the Volunteers’ most veteran players.

Zakai Zeigler sat for the final 7:10 of the first half between Tennessee basketball and Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Commodores outscored UT 20-9 then.

Tennessee basketball plays at Vanderbilt on Saturday in the first meeting with coach Mark Byington's Commodores.

Rick Barnes coached at Texas for 17 seasons, winning more than 400 games before he was fired in 2015 and hired at Tennessee.

Predictions, picks and odds as No. 6 Tennessee basketball faces Vanderbilt. Plus, injury updates and the latest news.

Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes didn’t mince words when he revealed why he sat the team’s leading scorer, Chaz Lanier, in Saturday’s win over the Texas Longhorns.

Vanderbilt (15-3, 3-2 SEC) defeated No. 6 Tennessee (16-2, 3-2 SEC), 76-75, on Saturday Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes discussed the Vols’ loss.

“Too competitive,” Barnes said. “Thinking they’re going to block a shot or stop everybody. Thinking we’re literally going to keep people from getting a shot off, and you can’t. You absolutely can’t foul a 3-point shooter.”

Rick Barnes said he never considered putting Zakai Zeigler back in the game with two fouls in the first half Saturday afternoon, as Vanderbilt was extending its lead on No. 6 Tennessee before the break.

Jason Edwards scored 18 points as Vanderbilt held off No. 6 Tennessee 76-75 for the Commodores’ second straight win