17. Tennessee (5-0)
Recent results out of Tennessee have been great, as the Volunteers have had a few deep postseason runs and maintained their standing as a top team in the SEC. A few new faces in Knoxville are looking to continue that success for this program and are achieving that in the early weeks of the season, though it’s hard to truly judge a Tennessee team that has yet to leave home or play a strong opponent.
Monday brought probably their toughest test in the early season and that’s saying a lot, seeing as how they dispatched of Rice in a 91-66 win. Felix Okpara had 20 points and 8 rebounds while Nate Ament added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Volunteers soared again. Things were no different on Thursday, with the Volunteers winning 89-60 against Tennessee State. This time it was new point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie leading the charge with 17 points and 5 assists, with another 15 points out of Ament in the team’s fifth-straight win.
The work has been pretty good but it’s all come from the confines of Nashville against mid-major foes. The Volunteers have showcased a solid offense and impressive defense but we can’t really pass judgment on where this team could be as the season develops. We’ll learn a lot about their potential at the Players Era Festival in the days ahead, with a major opportunity looming against Houston right before the holiday.