18. Tennessee (20-7)
The Volunteers took a few more losses than expected back in December and January that caused them to fall out of the national rankings. However, we haven’t slept on Rick Barnes and this team and they’ve been playing much better ball in recent weeks. Tennessee has soared back up the SEC standings and has only lost to Kentucky over the last six weeks.
That recent trend continued Tuesday with a nice 89-66 win over Oklahoma. Nate Ament continued a brilliant freshman campaign with 29 points and 6 rebounds while Felix Okpara contributed 18 points and 7 rebounds. This team shows up when it matters most, and that was definitely the case in that 69-65 road win at rival Vanderbilt. Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 17 points and lead the charge in an important win over the Commodores.
Tennessee sits right there in second place with a 10-4 mark in the SEC, now winners of eight of their last nine games. During that recent stretch, they’ve beaten Alabama, Georgia, and now Vanderbilt on the road and have shown why they can be a team to count on during March Madness. Boasting steady offense and smart defense, the Volunteers hope to keep rolling with a tough one at Missouri before a rematch against Alabama.