A simple stat shows just how much of an impact Rick Barnes has made on Tennessee basketball

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has unquestionably made Tennessee basketball better since coming to Knoxville in 2015.  The veteran coach has taken the Volunteers to five straight NCAA tournament appearances.  He also reached his 800th career win earlier this year against Texas A&M, which speaks to the success Barnes has had in his career. 

However, one simple stat shows just how successful Barnes has been since coming to Knoxville. 

The 81-74 win over Alabama on Saturday night was Tennessee's 23rd of the season.  That marks the fifth time under Barnes that Tennessee has reached 23 wins in a season.  

Before Barnes?  Tennessee had done it just five times in their program's history.  Those seasons were 2013-14, 2009-10, 2007-08, 2006-07, and 1999-00.  

Now, granted, the number of games over the years has gradually increased.  Fewer games, fewer wins.  However, there have been plenty of times going back to the 1980s where they could have eclipsed that mark and didn't.  

What it means is that Tennessee basketball is at a level of consistent and sustained success that fans could only have dreamed of before Barnes arrived.  Barnes' tournament shortcomings are well documented, and Tennessee's premature tourney exits have led to plenty of grumblings over the years about whether Barnes can take Tennessee to the next level.  

However, Barnes claimed Tennessee's first SEC tournament title since 1979 in 2022.  The Vols were ranked #1 for the longest stretch in program history back in 2019, and if not for a terrible call in the Sweet 16 against Purdue, they might have made their first ever Final Four.  

Barnes has been a part of plenty of firsts for Tennessee basketball.  Now we'll see soon enough if he can lead the Vols to their biggest one in school history.