Vols Hold Steady in National Rankings
Courtesy / UT Athletics

Vols Hold Steady in National Rankings

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team retained its No. 11/9 spot in the major polls this week.

Tennessee (4-0) is again No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and ninth in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, as revealed Monday afternoon.

The Volunteers have now been ranked in the AP Poll for 62 consecutive weeks across four seasons, dating to the 2021-22 preseason edition. That figure is 25 weeks longer than the previous program record and marks the third-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Houston (88) and Kansas (67). Just one other school, Arizona (60), is even at 45-plus, while the closest SEC program, Kentucky (24), is over three-dozen weeks behind.

This is the 36th time in the last 39 releases Tennessee is ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll, a mark that goes back to Nov. 28, 2022.

Tennessee not only won both its games at Food City Center last week, but did so by 35 points in each outing. Senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., recorded an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double Wednesday in a 92-57 decision over Montana. He followed that with a 23-point, nine-rebound showing Sunday in a 103-68 triumph over Austin Peay.

Through four contests this year, Tennessee has led for 155 minutes and 32 seconds, while trailing for just one minute and 34 seconds.

The Volunteers collected 942 points in the AP Poll balloting, a 12-point increase from last week and just 27 shy of No. 10 North Carolina. In the Coaches Poll, they earned 462 points, just eight back of co-seventh-place Alabama and Houston.

Tennessee is among seven SEC teams in the top 25 of both polls, joining No. 4/3 Auburn, No. 8/7 Alabama, No. 9/11 Kentucky, No. 20/24 Arkansas, No. 21/19 Florida and No. 23 Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Ole Miss is top-three in the receiving votes category from each group, with Texas and Mississippi State also listed in that section of both polls.

The Volunteers resume play Thursday at 9:30 p.m. against Virginia in the opening game of the Baha Mar Championship, live on CBS Sports Network from the Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, Bahamas.

To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

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