NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Gonzaga still sit atop updated top 25 ranking

11. Tennessee (1-0)

In general, things have been going well at Tennessee in recent years since Rick Barnes has taken charge of the program. However, the Volunteers, albeit a tough defensive squad the last couple of seasons, have really failed in the postseason, having been upset in each of their trips to the last four NCAA Tournaments. They can’t assuage those concerns in the opening week of the season, but they at least got off to a solid start.

The Volunteers opening the season with a 75-43 win over Tennessee Tech on Monday night, with newcomer Tyreke Key’s 17 points off the bench leading the team. Zakai Zeigler added 12 points while Santiago Vescovi had 9 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. The Volunteers are still figuring out their rotations, and this wasn’t exactly a close game throughout, but it certainly seems like Key, the transfer from Indiana State, has been a worthy addition to the roster.

The metrics love Tennessee, with their highly-rated defense certainly playing a role, as they have held Top 5 spots early in both KenPom and the Bart Torvik ratings. Vescovi and Zeigler were solid in their debuts but will both have much more impressive performances down the stretch. The Volunteers get a more challenging outing on Sunday as they’ll welcome Colorado in Nashville, though that should be another early season win. It’s too early to make judgments at Tennessee after beating just the Golden Eagles, but there are no concerns here either.