3. Tennessee (7-0)
Last week, Tennessee won the Bahamas Championship, asserting themselves as one of the top teams in the nation. Another season with an elite defense seems to be joined by fireworks on the offensive end, and this certainly could mean another year competing for an SEC title. While other teams got beat up this week in their own holiday tournaments, the Volunteers took it easy at home in Knoxville.
In fact, their only game of the week was against UT Martin on Wednesday, with the Volunteers coasting to a 78-35 victory. Tennessee put together another absolutely smothering defensive effort, led offensively by Chaz Lanier with 18 points. Felix Okpara added a double-double and this entire Tennessee lineup looks potent through one month of play.
Not many teams can challenge Tennessee for the best defense in the nation but that certainly seems to be the case yet again. They handled Baylor and Louisville and have done exactly what they’ve needed, winning all seven games by double figures. They also drew a somewhat easier matchup in the ACC/SEC Challenge, hosting Syracuse next week before a couple tricky games to finish nonconference play later in December.