Tennessee basketball keeps climbing-and not just in the rankings. After a dominant week that included wins over Louisville and Gardner-Webb, the Vols are surging into the holiday break with momentum and a spot in the national conversation.
The updated college basketball polls released Monday saw Tennessee bump up to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and No. 20 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. It’s a steady rise, and more importantly, it’s a continuation of a remarkable run of consistency for the program. The Vols have now been ranked in 102 of the last 103 AP Polls, including an active streak of 66 consecutive weeks in the top 20.
That kind of staying power is rare. In fact, Tennessee has now appeared in 88 straight AP Polls, a stretch that dates back to the preseason of the 2021-22 season.
That’s 51 weeks longer than the program’s previous best and currently the second-longest active streak in the country-only Houston, with 114 straight appearances, has a longer run. No other team in the nation is even at 70.
Within the SEC, Alabama comes closest at 38 weeks, still a full 50 behind the Vols.
And Tennessee isn’t alone in representing the SEC in the rankings. The conference placed six teams in the AP Top 25 this week: Vanderbilt (No.
11), Alabama (No. 14), Arkansas (No.
18), Florida (No. 22), and Georgia (No. 23) joined the Vols, highlighting the depth and competitiveness of the league heading into conference play.
Vols Dominate Louisville in Statement Win
Tennessee’s biggest statement of the week came in a wire-to-wire 83-62 win over then-No. 11 Louisville last Tuesday in Knoxville. The Cardinals, who dropped five spots to No. 16 following the loss, simply couldn’t keep up with the Vols' second-half surge.
Senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie took over down the stretch. After a quiet first half, Gillespie exploded for 20 of his 23 points in the final 20 minutes, showing poise and leadership in a high-pressure matchup. He shot 4-of-7 from the field in the second half, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and finished the night 5-of-12 overall with a 3-of-7 mark from deep.
But it wasn’t just the scoring that stood out-Gillespie also dished out a team-high five assists, grabbed three rebounds, and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. He played 33 minutes and committed just three turnovers in what was one of his most complete performances of the season.
Freshman forward Nate Ament also made his presence felt in a big way. Ament scored 13 points, including nine in the second half, and knocked down two of his three attempts from three-point range after halftime. He finished 5-of-11 from the field and gave Tennessee a much-needed scoring punch to complement Gillespie’s late-game heroics.
Interestingly, both Gillespie and Ament went cold for a long stretch in the first half-neither scored in the final 16:19 before halftime. But they came out firing in the second, combining for 36 points on 10-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three and 11-of-12 from the line. That kind of efficiency, especially in a top-20 matchup, is what separates contenders from pretenders.
Looking Ahead
Tennessee now gets a brief holiday break before returning to action on Dec. 30 against South Carolina State. That same day, the Vols’ football team faces Illinois in the Music City Bowl, with tipoff for the basketball game set for 8 p.m.
ET on SEC Network, just a couple of hours after the football game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
After that, it’s full steam ahead into SEC play. Tennessee opens its conference slate on Jan. 3 with a road trip to Arkansas, followed by a home showdown against Texas on Jan. 6.
The Vols have built a foundation of consistency, and now they’re showing the kind of depth, leadership, and late-game execution that could make them a real threat in the SEC-and beyond.