NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Arizona and UCLA rise on latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
9. Tennessee (9-2)
Tennessee boasts a very impressive victory over Kansas en route to the Battle 4 Atlantis title. They play defense as great as any team in the nation, aside from a couple of slip-ups against Pac-12 foes. They may not have taken care of business in a tough road environment this past weekend, but there’s still plenty to love about the Volunteers.
Last Sunday, the Volunteers handled Maryland, picking up a 56-53 win over the Terrapins. Zakai Zeigler led the team with 12 points while Julian Phillips grabbed 10 rebounds. The Volunteers then headed to Arizona and fell to the #9 Wildcats in a 75-70 clash, with Zeigler’s 21 points leading the charge. They limited Arizona’s outside shooting but didn’t have enough to pull off the road upset.
Even after allowing 75 points to the Wildcats, Tennessee still tops the nation in defensive efficiency. They’ve allowed no more than 53 points in all of their wins in regulation and will be a tough foe in a tight SEC in the coming months. Their last non-conference game is a home date with Austin Peay next week. The Volunteers have the capability to make a lot of noise in conference play, especially after coming up close against the Wildcats in their first road test.