The latest AP Poll is out, and Tennessee basketball fans won’t be thrilled. After collapsing in the second half against Kentucky, the Vols dropped out of the rankings last week. It marked the first time in 90 weeks that Tennessee wasn’t ranked, the longest streak of its kind in the nation.
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After knocking off Alabama a couple of days ago on the road, many Vols fans expected to be back in the polls, but they will have to wait until next week. The Vols came in at the unofficial 26th spot, as they were the unranked team that received the most votes with 88. Tennessee has wins over Houston, Louisville, and Alabama, all ranked teams.
Tennessee basketball has a big week ahead
The SEC offers no easy test, as Tennessee will have a quick turnaround before taking on Georgia (16-4) on the road in Athens. The Bulldogs were ranked last week, but fell to Texas on Saturday, 87-67. Georgia also boasts one of the nation’s fast-paced offenses, so keeping up with them will be no easy task.
Rick Barnes' focus will be to keep Tennessee level-headed after the big win over the Crimson Tide. After the game he said, “I think the biggest thing is young guys don’t realize how hard it is to win. And if you go into a game in this league, you have to go in expecting it to be a dog fight right to the very end. If you’re not ready to play, any team in this league can embarrass you. There’s got to be a mindset that you’re going to have to work the game and stay on top of it."
Tennessee will also take on Auburn (13-7), hosting the Tigers at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. The Tigers have had an up-and-down year, sitting at 13-7, but they are on a three-game winning streak with wins over South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Florida.
If Tennessee can come away with wins in both of these matchups, the Vols will almost certainly be back in the AP Poll on Monday. That said, Rick Barnes won’t have an easy road ahead.