NCAA Basketball: Arizona, Baylor, and BYU rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
4. Tennessee (23-6)
Defense has been the calling card for Rick Barnes and this program in recent years. There were extended periods last season where the Volunteers would go cold on offense and almost cling desperately to getting stops to stay in certain games. That is not the case in Knoxville this season, as these Volunteers are a more complete and explosive team.
They just had one of the best weeks any team has had all season and it started with a 92-84 home win over Auburn on Wednesday. Another impressive offensive performance was headlined by a 39-point explosion from Dalton Knecht, the transfer who has taken the SEC by storm this season. On Saturday, Tennessee headed to Tuscaloosa for a significant challenge and left town with an 81-74 win over Alabama. Zakai Zeigler scored 18, Josiah-Jordan James had a double-double, and the Volunteers did what they needed down the stretch.
Consider what Tennessee has done this season. They swept Alabama, beat Illinois and Auburn, won at Kentucky and Wisconsin, and have looked fantastic as a team. The Volunteers have won six straight games including the aforementioned pair of ranked wins this week. Next week ends the regular season with two more, as the Volunteers head to South Carolina before hosting Kentucky.