Tennessee basketball held steady at No. 20 in the latest AP Poll released Monday, despite not taking the court last week. The USA Today Coaches Poll, however, wasn’t as forgiving-dropping the Vols three spots to No.
- And while inactivity kept them from adding another mark in the win or loss column, some of their earlier results didn’t age particularly well.
Most notably, their loss to Syracuse took a hit in perception after the Orange were stunned at home by Hofstra over the weekend. Illinois, another team that bested the Vols, had a mixed week-knocking off Ohio State in their Big Ten opener before falling to Nebraska on a buzzer-beater. Neither result helps Tennessee’s résumé, but it does add context to where the Vols stand heading into a pivotal week.
The SEC is well-represented in the latest AP rankings, with Tennessee sitting as one of seven teams in the Top 25. They trail No.
13 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Arkansas, and No.
16 Alabama, but come in ahead of No. 21 Auburn, No.
23 Florida, and No. 25 Georgia.
That kind of depth in the conference means every week is a measuring stick, and Tennessee’s next chance to regroup comes Tuesday night in a high-stakes showdown.
That matchup? A big one.
No. 11 Louisville rolls into Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center riding a 9-1 start, and they’re not just beating teams-they’re making statements.
The Cardinals dismantled Memphis 99-73 on Saturday, and they’ve already logged wins over Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Indiana. This isn’t just a hot team-it’s one of the most efficient offenses in the country, currently ranked No. 2 nationally by KenPom.
Louisville’s backcourt is the engine behind that offensive firepower. Ryan Conwell, Mikel Brown Jr., and Isaac McKneely have been electric, giving the Cardinals a three-headed monster that can score from anywhere and dictate tempo. Tennessee’s perimeter defense will be tested in a way it hasn’t been all season.
For the Vols, Tuesday night is about more than just stopping the slide. They’ve dropped three straight-falling to Kansas in the final game of the Players Era Festival, then losing on the road to Syracuse in the ACC-SEC Challenge, and finally falling to Illinois in Nashville. While the Kansas and Illinois losses came against top-tier competition, the Syracuse loss stands out as the one that stings a bit more now.
Still, this kind of skid is rare for Rick Barnes’ program. In fact, a fourth consecutive loss would mark the team’s first four-game losing streak since Barnes’ inaugural season in Knoxville. That’s not the kind of history this group wants to make.
After Louisville, Tennessee gets Gardner-Webb on Sunday in what will be their second-to-last non-conference game before SEC play begins. But before looking ahead, the Vols need to take care of business Tuesday night-and that means finding answers on both ends of the court.
Tipoff against Louisville is set for 7 p.m. ET, with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes on the call for ESPN.