Vols Basketball: UT just Outside Top 25 In USA Today/Coaches Poll
By Zach Ragan
Mar 15, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Jarnell Stokes (5) reaches for a loose ball against Alabama Crimson Tide guard Trevor Lacey (5) during the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The Crinson Tide beat the Volunteers 58-28. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Many of us (myself included) assumed the Vols would be included in the pre-season top 25.
We were wrong, as the Vols were left out of the top 25.
Tennessee was fifth among those “receiving votes”
Here’s the complete top 25.
| 1 | Kentucky | 21-12 | 767 | 16 | NR |
| 2 | Michigan St. | 27-9 | 749 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | Louisville | 35-5 | 741 | 10 | 1 |
| 4 | Duke | 30-6 | 710 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Arizona | 27-8 | 637 | 0 | 14 |
| 6 | Kansas | 31-6 | 623 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 | Syracuse | 30-10 | 551 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Florida | 29-8 | 550 | 0 | 9 |
| 9 | Michigan | 31-8 | 548 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Ohio St. | 29-8 | 533 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 25-11 | 494 | 0 | NR |
| 12 | Oklahoma St. | 24-9 | 462 | 0 | NR |
| 13 | Memphis | 31-5 | 334 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Gonzaga | 32-3 | 270 | 0 | 12 |
| 15 | Va. Commonwealth | 27-9 | 258 | 0 | 23 |
| 16 | Wichita St. | 30-9 | 233 | 0 | 4 |
| 17 | Marquette | 26-9 | 230 | 0 | 11 |
| 18 | Oregon | 28-9 | 175 | 0 | 15 |
| 19 | Connecticut | 20-10 | 167 | 0 | NR |
| 20 | New Mexico | 29-6 | 153 | 0 | 19 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 23-12 | 148 | 0 | 22 |
| 22 | Notre Dame | 25-10 | 128 | 0 | NR |
| 23 | UCLA | 25-10 | 121 | 0 | NR |
| 24 | Indiana | 29-7 | 118 | 0 | 7 |
| 25 | Virginia | 23-12 | 103 | 0 | NR |
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Seeing the Vols left out of the top 25 is quite surprising. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the top 25 very soon after the seasons begins. They certainly have the talent of a top 25 team.
On Wednesday the Vols were predicted to finish third in the SEC.
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