After a two-week absence, Tennessee basketball is back in the AP Top 25-and they’ve earned it. The Vols re-enter the rankings at No. 25 in the Feb. 2 poll following a strong bounce-back stretch, capped by a 2-0 week that included an overtime road win at Georgia and a gritty home victory over Auburn.
It’s been a winding road to get here. Tennessee had been a fixture in the AP rankings for 90 consecutive weeks-spanning more than four years-before a rough start to SEC play saw them tumble out of the Jan. 19 poll.
That slide included three straight conference losses, the last of which came at home against Kentucky. At the time, only one program in the country had a longer active streak of AP Poll appearances.
But Rick Barnes’ squad didn’t stay down for long. Last week, they were knocking on the door after a statement win over then-No.
17 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Now, with back-to-back wins under their belt, the Vols are officially back in the national conversation.
The Georgia game was a test of resilience. Down at halftime, Tennessee leaned on underclassmen Nate Ament and JP Estrella, both of whom delivered key buckets down the stretch and into overtime. Their contributions were critical in flipping the script on the road and stealing a win in Athens.
Back home against Auburn, it was a different kind of challenge. Star point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie was limited to just 29 minutes due to foul trouble, but the Vols found ways to gut it out. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was the kind of win that shows a team learning how to adapt and close games even when things don’t go according to plan.
Despite the recent success, Tennessee is still just outside the USA Today Coaches Poll, earning the second-most votes among unranked teams. But make no mistake: the Vols are trending in the right direction.
They’re one of four SEC teams in this week’s AP Top 25, slotted behind No. 15 Vanderbilt, No.
17 Florida, and No. 21 Arkansas.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M, Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, and Georgia all received votes, underscoring just how deep and competitive the SEC is this season.
Now, as the calendar flips to February, Tennessee’s schedule eases up-at least on paper. After navigating a brutal January slate, the Vols have a chance to build some momentum.
First up is a Tuesday night home game against an Ole Miss team that’s dropped three straight. Then it’s a trip to Lexington for a rematch with Kentucky-the same Wildcats who handed Tennessee that stinging loss two weeks ago.
That game at Rupp Arena will be circled in red ink, no doubt. But before the Vols can think about payback, they’ll need to take care of business at home.
Tipoff against Ole Miss is set for 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, with ESPN2 carrying the broadcast.
If Tennessee can keep this win streak alive, they won’t just be back in the rankings-they’ll be back in the thick of the SEC title race.