2. Tennessee (14-0)
As you may have surmised, little has gone wrong through the first few months of the season for a Tennessee squad that just became the final unbeaten. The Volunteers won a few notable games out of conference, including a road win at Illinois a few weeks back that looks even better right now. Most importantly, this elite defensive unit just keeps applying pressure and taking care of their business and it was more of the same this week.
The final margin wasn’t amazing, but Tennessee coasted to a 67-52 win over Norfolk State back on New Year’s Eve. Chaz Lanier put up 24 points in his latest standout performance as the Volunteers survived a lame shooting effort in the win. The offense and defense both played even better on Saturday, securing a 76-52 victory over a ranked Arkansas squad. Lanier showed up once again with 28 points while Igor Milicic Jr. also starred with 13 points and 18 rebounds against the Razorbacks.
The Volunteers aren’t perfect but they have a talented lineup that plays hard, makes shots, and does the little things especially on defense. They’ve accumulated some nice wins and got SEC play off to a phenomenal start, making a statement against John Calipari’s squad this weekend. Obviously, league play is a marathon and not a sprint and next week’s road tests at Florida and Texas will be significant.