Tennessee basketball has re-entered the AP Top 25 following its 2-0 week with wins over Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. After a two-week hiatus from the poll, the Vols come in at No. 22. Tennessee is also ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time since Jan. 5, also coming in at No. 22.
The Vols are one of five SEC teams in this week’s AP Poll, coming in behind No. 7 Florida, No. 17 Alabama and No. 20 Arkansas and ahead of No. 25 Vanderbilt.
Rick Barnes’ 11th Tennessee team is 6-0 this season while unranked including two more wins last week. The Vols rolled past Oklahoma 89-66 on Wednesday night in Knoxville behind a career-high 29-point performance from Nate Ament.
Tennessee followed it up with one of its biggest wins of the season at then-No. 19 Vanderbilt on Saturday. Ja’Kobi Gillespie went for a team-high 17 points but the Vols got contributions up-and-down their roster to pull off the rivalry win and extended their winning streak to four games.
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The Vols’ defense was stellar in both games, holding both Oklahoma and Vanderbilt to their second lowest scoring total of the season.
Tennessee is back in action this week with two challenging games. The Vols go on the road to face a Missouri team that’s on the bubble but playing strong basketball on Tuesday night in Columbia. Tennessee then returns home to face rival Alabama on Saturday evening.
The Vols have won six straight games over Alabama including last month in Tuscaloosa. Alabama enters its midweek matchup against Mississippi State having won six straight games. The rivalry matchup will have major ramifications for SEC Tournament seeding.
But first, Tennessee heads to Columbia to face Missouri. Tipoff between the Vols and Tigers is at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
