University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Vols Claim Eighth Top-Five Ranking of 2023-24
March 11, 2024 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the eighth time this season, including the fourth week in a row, the University of Tennessee men's basketball team is in the top five of each national poll, as announced Monday afternoon.
Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC) is fifth in both the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, a one spot drop from last week.
The Volunteers' fourth consecutive AP top-five ranking extends the third-longest streak in program history. This run trails only an 11-week stretch in 2018-19 and a six-week span in 2007-08. Two of the three instances have come in the past six seasons under head coach Rick Barnes.
Tennessee's eight AP top-five rankings in 2023-24 pass the 2007-08 campaign for sole possession of the second-highest mark in program history. The only season with more was 2018-19, when Barnes directed the Volunteers to 14 AP top-five positions. In total, 26 of the Volunteers' 43 all-time AP top-five rankings have come under Barnes, all in the last six years.
The Volunteers are in the AP top 25 for the 57th week in a row, the third-longest streak in America behind just Houston (83) and Kansas (62), while the lone other team at 40-plus is Arizona (55). That 57-week figure is 20 weeks longer than the previous program best of 37. The Volunteers have earned a top-10 spot in well over half of those weeks, 30 of 56, with a top-five position in 11 of them.
This is the 13th straight week Tennessee is in the AP top 10, now solely the third-longest ledger in program history. Two of the top three figures have come under Barnes, as the only longer marks are a 20-week run in 2018-19 and a 14-week spurt in 2000-01. Of Tennessee's five all-time double-digit streaks, three are under the tutelage of Barnes, who has steered the program 55 total AP top-10 rankings over the last seven seasons, 36.9 percent of its all-time total.
Tennessee, facing its third and fourth straight top-20 opponents, split its two contests last week. The Volunteers first won, 66-59, Wednesday at No. 17/16 South Carolina to clinch the outright SEC regular season title. They then fell, 85-81, Saturday against No. 15/13 Kentucky despite a career-high 40 points from fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht.
The Volunteers logged 1,291 points in the AP Poll voting and 653 in the Coaches Poll balloting, the latter just an 18-point decrease from last week.
Once again, Tennessee is the top-ranked team in the SEC, which has five schools in the top 20. The Volunteers are joined by ninth-ranked Kentucky, No. 12 Auburn, No. 15/16 South Carolina and No. 19 Alabama, while Florida is receiving votes from both voting bodies.
Tennessee opens play in the SEC Tournament, after a double-bye, with a quarterfinal matchup against a to-be-determined opponent Friday at 1 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., live on ESPN.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC) is fifth in both the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, a one spot drop from last week.
The Volunteers' fourth consecutive AP top-five ranking extends the third-longest streak in program history. This run trails only an 11-week stretch in 2018-19 and a six-week span in 2007-08. Two of the three instances have come in the past six seasons under head coach Rick Barnes.
Tennessee's eight AP top-five rankings in 2023-24 pass the 2007-08 campaign for sole possession of the second-highest mark in program history. The only season with more was 2018-19, when Barnes directed the Volunteers to 14 AP top-five positions. In total, 26 of the Volunteers' 43 all-time AP top-five rankings have come under Barnes, all in the last six years.
The Volunteers are in the AP top 25 for the 57th week in a row, the third-longest streak in America behind just Houston (83) and Kansas (62), while the lone other team at 40-plus is Arizona (55). That 57-week figure is 20 weeks longer than the previous program best of 37. The Volunteers have earned a top-10 spot in well over half of those weeks, 30 of 56, with a top-five position in 11 of them.
This is the 13th straight week Tennessee is in the AP top 10, now solely the third-longest ledger in program history. Two of the top three figures have come under Barnes, as the only longer marks are a 20-week run in 2018-19 and a 14-week spurt in 2000-01. Of Tennessee's five all-time double-digit streaks, three are under the tutelage of Barnes, who has steered the program 55 total AP top-10 rankings over the last seven seasons, 36.9 percent of its all-time total.
Tennessee, facing its third and fourth straight top-20 opponents, split its two contests last week. The Volunteers first won, 66-59, Wednesday at No. 17/16 South Carolina to clinch the outright SEC regular season title. They then fell, 85-81, Saturday against No. 15/13 Kentucky despite a career-high 40 points from fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht.
The Volunteers logged 1,291 points in the AP Poll voting and 653 in the Coaches Poll balloting, the latter just an 18-point decrease from last week.
Once again, Tennessee is the top-ranked team in the SEC, which has five schools in the top 20. The Volunteers are joined by ninth-ranked Kentucky, No. 12 Auburn, No. 15/16 South Carolina and No. 19 Alabama, while Florida is receiving votes from both voting bodies.
Tennessee opens play in the SEC Tournament, after a double-bye, with a quarterfinal matchup against a to-be-determined opponent Friday at 1 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., live on ESPN.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMBB | J.P. Estrella Postgame vs. Kansas (11.26.25)
Wednesday, November 26
MBB | Highlights: Tennessee 76, Kansas 81
Wednesday, November 26
MBB | Rick Barnes, Bishop Boswell & Ja'Kobi Gillespie Postgame vs. Houston (11.25.25)
Wednesday, November 26
MBB | Felix Okpara Postgame vs. Houston (11.25.25)
Tuesday, November 25
