NCAA Basketball: Baylor rises, Kentucky falls in latest 2023-24 WTE power rankings
By Joey Loose
11. Tennessee
We’re at five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament for Tennessee, who boasted the nation’s best defense and marched to the Sweet Sixteen this past season. They flourished at the end of the season without injured point guard Zakai Zeigler, though he’ll be one of the big names they get back for this upcoming year.
It’s not just Zeigler, as the Volunteers will also get leading scorer Santiago Vescovi back for one more season. Tennessee has lost some big pieces from last season, most notably Olivier Nkamhoua, who still sits in the Transfer Portal. Fortunately, the Portal works both ways, and the Volunteers have already added Dalton Knecht from Northern Colorado and Chris Ledlum from Harvard into the frontcourt. Former USC Upstate guard Jordan Gainey adds depth in the backcourt as well.
Some big names are gone and some new names are here, but Tennessee fans are most excited to get Vescovi and Zeigler back on the court together, especially as Zeigler continues to rehab from that injury. Perhaps the nation’s most elite defensive program should continue to be strong next season. The biggest question mark in Knoxville, aside from Zeigler’s status, is how consistent this offense can be after a season plagued at times by inconsistency.