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Tennessee basketball drops in multiple updated preseason rankings

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 4, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; SEC logo on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; SEC logo on the floor at Thompson-Boling Arena before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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They still have atop three recruiting class nationally, but Tennessee basketball is now suffering from recent offseason movement involving other programs. It made for the Vols falling in multiple rankings this week.

On Tuesday, UT fell from No. 16 to No. 18 in the updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 by Jeff Borzello of ESPN. Two days later, the Vols dropped one spot from No. 16 to No. 17 in the early Top 25 And 1 by Gary Parrish of CBS Sports.

In both cases, the Oregon Ducks jumped ahead of Tennessee basketball to No. 15. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats jumped ahead of the Vols to No. 9 in Borzello’s ranking. UK was already ahead of UT at No. 14 in Parrish’s ranking, and that hasn’t changed.

So how did Oregon make the leap? Well, the Ducks landed Syracuse Orange 6’7″ 220-pound transfer forward Quincy Guerrier, who averaged 13.7 points, nearly eight and a half rebounds and just over one block a game last year.

Kentucky landed a second five-star, 6’4″ guard Ty Ty Washington Jr., on the recruiting trail and also landed Georgia Bulldogs 5’10” 180-pound transfer guard Sahvir Wheeler, who averaged 14 points and nearly seven and a half assists last year. John Calipari found a way to do it again.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t expectations for Rocky Top. Barnes and co. are loaded with talent, including landing two five-stars, two four-stars and a three-star on the recruiting trail while also adding Auburn Tigers transfer sharpshooter Justin Powell and returning John Fulkerson. It’s just that Barnes still has more to prove with new talent.

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Funny enough, a key reason for the expectations behind the Vols is the return of scoring specialist Victor Bailey Jr., and he transferred away from Oregon after the end of the 2019 season. Kentucky, on the other hand, is one of three SEC teams ahead of Tennessee basketball, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Arkansas Razorbacks remain ahead of them in both rankings as well.

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