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Tennessee basketball moved into the top five of the Coaches and AP Poll on Monday afternoon after beating Florida and Alabama to sweep its games last week.
Ben McKee
BEN MCKEE
22 mins
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Tennessee basketball moved up one spot to No. 5 in Monday’s updated AP Top-25 Poll after sweeping Florida and Alabama last week in dominating fashion.
The Vols were one of three SEC teams ranked in the AP Poll. They were joined by Kentucky (No. 6) and Auburn (No. 8).
Tennessee has now been ranked inside of the AP Top 25 for 49 consecutive weeks to extend its program record. It’s the 22nd time during that span that they’ve been ranked inside the top 10.
In addition, Tennessee has been ranked under Rick Barnes 104 times, all within the last seven seasons. UT was ranked 74 times in the prior 14 years before Barnes’ took over as head coach.
It’s also the fifth time in the last six seasons Tennessee has been ranked in the AP top six, including the fourth in a row. Prior to Barnes’ arrival, the Volunteers had six total seasons in program history with a top-six AP ranking.
Tennessee moved up two spots to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. The Vols were joined by Kentucky (No. 6) and Auburn (No. 7) in the rankings.
Vols wrangle the Gators
Tennessee star guard Dalton Knecht scored a career-high 39 points on Tuesday to lead the Vols to an 85-66 win over Florida. Knecht became the first Volunteer with back-to-back 30-point games since Chris Lofton in Feb. 2006.
“That was pretty impressive,” Barnes said. “I thought his teammates started feeling it, too, that they knew that (Knecht) was in a little bit of a good rhythm, a good place, and trying to really get him the ball. And know that when he gets that look that he was going to go with it.
“We talked about it that last four minutes (of the first half) about, really, we didn’t close the first half at Georgia very well and (needed to do a) better job (against Florida). One reason we didn’t close it well at Georgia was we weren’t very good offensively, which led to not so good defensive possessions. But that was a good stretch for Dalton, but also a good stretch for our team.”
The Vols led by as many as 22 while never trailing.
Vols roll the Tide
Knecht followed up his performance against Florida by scoring 25 points in Tennessee’s dominating, 91-71, win over Alabama on Saturday.
The Vols’ 20-point win marks their largest margin of victory over Alabama in SEC play since a 36-point win, 100-64, on Jan. 30, 1999. It’s just the second 20-point loss for Alabama under Oats and it’s the first in SEC play.
“Coach Barnes’ teams always play hard,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “They’re one of the best teams on defense every year, and they dominated us in a big way. We’ve got to go back and figure out how to get a little tougher, take care of the ball a little bit better. And obviously, we weren’t great on defense either.”
Tennessee held Alabama, who entered the game as KenPom’s No. 1-ranked offense, to a season-low 71 points. The Crimson Tide managed to shoot 45% from the floor, but was just 4-of-21 from three and turned it over a season-high 22 times for 23 UT points.
“They’re really a difficult team to guard from the time they get their hands on the ball,” Barnes said. “They’re really, really difficult to guard. But I’m just proud of the effort the guys put into it, both mentally and physically.”
Up Next
Tennessee will have a week off before its back in action next Saturday when it travels to the mid-state to to face Vanderbilt. Tipoff with the Commodores is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on the SEC network.
“We gotta get guys healthy,” Barnes said. “Some of these guys need some rest just from simple fatigue, you know, so that part’s good. And it’s a big week for our young guys. We have gotta get our young guys better because I think all those guys are gonna have to help us at some point in time. What we know is there’s some unknowns that could pop up.
“But this is a big week for our young guys and we expect these guys who have played a lot of minutes to take care of their bodies and get healthy and that will be the focus of it. And like I said, a big week for our young guys.”
CBB analyst on Kentucky: ‘I don’t want to see a Final 4 without those guys in it’
The addition of Zvonimir Ivisic is ‘the last thing Kentucky needed.’
Chris Fisher
CHRIS FISHER
2 hrs
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Last week, Kentucky was considered by most to be one of the best teams in the country and a legitimate Final Four contender.
After all, the No. 8 Wildcats, who are 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the SEC, lead the nation in scoring at 91.6 points per game. UK has scored 80 or more points in 16 of 17 games, scored 90 or more eight times and 100 or more three times.
And that was before the NCAA cleared Croatian 7-footer Zvonimir Ivisic, who is his collegiate debut Saturday night, made his first four shots, including three 3-pointers, and finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks in a 105-96 win over Georgia.
Kentucky already had one of, if not the highest ceiling in college basketball but the addition of Ivisic, who has been on NBA Draft radars for two years, seemingly gives the Wildcats limitless potential.
Former Wake Forest coach and player Randolph Childress, now an analyst for The Field of 68, says he better not see a Final Four that does not include UK.
“That’s the last thing Kentucky needed,” Childress said, referring to the addition of Ivisic. “For Kentucky to get that added to their roster now? Wow. I don’t know how you can’t be impressed with Kentucky. I’ll say this: Getting him eligible, I don’t want to see a Final Four without those guys in it. You can’t tell me four teams right now and Kentucky not be in it. You got to be impressed with what they look like right now.”
Even before Ivisic was cleared, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein also recently picked Kentucky to reach the Final Four alongside UConn, North Carolina, and Purdue.
“UConn, to me, is clearly the best team in college basketball, has the highest ceiling in the sport. Kentucky, though, is a close second because of what I’m seeing from the Wildcats off the bench,” Rothstein said. “Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard really remind me of the dynamic that UCLA had in 13-14 with Bryce Alford and Zach LaVine off the bench.”
His CBS Sports colleague Wally Szczerbiak projects the same Final Four.
“John Calipari has a squad of young talent and they’re going to be in the Final Four.” Szczerbiak said.
Gary Parrish, also of CBS Sports, projects the Wildcats to make the Final Four with Purdue, UConn and Kansas.
“John Calipari’s got the most talented roster in the country. That is often true but this team has looked the part early in the season,” Parrish said. “I think the Wildcats get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.”
The No. 8 Wildcats (14-3, 4-1 SEC) return to action Saturday at South Carolina (15-3, 3-2) for a 7 PM ET tip off live on the SEC Network.
