KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team moved up in the rankings in both major polls after the first week of competition.
Tennessee (2-0) is now No. 11 in the country in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, a one-spot increase, and ninth in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, a three-position jump, as announced Monday afternoon.
This now marks 61 consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Poll for the Volunteers, spanning four seasons. That is 24 weeks longer than the prior program record and is good for the third-longest active streak in America behind a pair of Big 12 schools, Houston (87) and Kansas (66). The lone other school at even 45-plus is another Big 12 program, Arizona (59), while the closest SEC team is Kentucky (23), which is tied for No. 10 on the list.
Additionally, Tennessee is featured in the AP top 15 for the 35th time in the last 38 poll releases, a stretch that extends back to Nov. 28, 2022.
The Volunteers went 2-0 in the first week of the season, opening 2024-25 with an 80-64 home victory Monday against Gardner-Webb behind 18 points from fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier in his program debut. Saturday, Tennessee went to Louisville and earned a dominant 77-55 road win, as Lanier and senior guard Zakai Zeigler each scored 19 points.
Through two games this season, 10th-year head coach Rick Barnes‘ team has led for 78 of a possible 80 minutes and has not trailed for even a second.
Tennessee received 930 points in the AP Poll balloting, a 155-point improvement from the preseason poll. It garnered 502 points in the Coaches Poll, good for a 65-point jump.
The Volunteers are one of seven SEC teams listed in both polls, alongside second-ranked Alabama, No. 5/4 Auburn, No. 18/21 Arkansas, No. 19/18 Kentucky, No. 20/19 Florida and No. 23 Texas A&M. Additionally, Ole Miss is No. 25 in the AP Poll and second in the receiving votes section of the Coaches Poll, while Texas and Mississippi State are receiving votes from both groups.
Tennessee is back in action Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it takes on Montana at Food City Center, live on SEC Network+ and beginning at 6:30pm on the Vol Radio Network, 103.1FM WIKQ.
