NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Duke, Michigan vie for the top spot
3. Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 10-1 (0-0 SEC)
Last Week: No. 4
Another hyper-efficient offense, Tennessee has exceeded expectations already in this young season to emerge as the clear favorite to win the SEC. Behind Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams, the Volunteers are one of the most dangerous teams in the nation. They can score on anyone, at any time, and from anywhere on the court. Throw in a few more difficult matchups in Jordan Bone and Kyle Alexander and it is easy to see why the Vols are ranked in the top-5.
In terms of results on the court, Tennessee currently stands at 10-1 with their lone loss coming against Kansas, another top-10 team, at a neutral site. The team also boasts a reasonable collection of wins: Georgia Tech, Louisville, Gonzaga, Memphis, and Wake Forest. If they are able to carry their current momentum (six-game winning streak) into conference play, this team will compete for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
In just a few years as the program’s head coach, Rick Barnes has brought Tennessee to near the peak of national prominence. And with the way the team is playing at this point in time, it might not be long before the Vols take over the top spot in the nation. They were heavily considered this week and have a fairly favorable start to the SEC schedule.