The start of the Tennessee season was delayed nearly two weeks due to problems with COVID-19 on the show. Then, the first six games of the Vols were against Colorado not ranked, Cincinnati not ranked and four sub-150 KenPom teams that didn’t matter much to most. So, as I continued to rank UT in the top five of the Top 25 and 1 each morning, despite the lack of a big win on his resume, several fans regularly questioned exactly why.
But is anyone questioning that now?
Tennessee played its first high-profile game of the season on Wednesday night on the road against an undefeated team from Missouri that had already defeated Illinois and Oregon and placed 12th in the Associated Press’s Top 25 poll. In the simplest of terms, Vols looked incredible. They led by double digits in less than five minutes, led by 13 at the break and achieved a 73-53 victory. Yves Pons finished with 13 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
“Yves Pons was fantastic,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “This is the player we know he can be. If you could have heard the reception he got when he left the TV interview for the locker room, it would show the respect his teammates have for him.”
When I chose Tennessee to win the SEC in the preseason, even though Vols went only 9-9 in the SEC last season, I did so by explaining that they clearly had the three biggest ingredients needed to form an elite college basketball team :
- A great and talented coach.
- Players who have already produced at a high level.
- Legitimate NBA talent.
All of this is on display this season. Barnes has Vols operating as something that could end up being the best defensive team in the country. The top scorer is Victor Bailey, a junior in fourth grade. The leading rebound is John Fulkerson, a fifth-year veteran. Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer are two five-star high school candidates who are now chosen in the first round of the NBA draft at once, leaving the Tennessee bank. I repeat, UT has two NBA Draft choices designed for one and after the first round coming out of their bank.
In short, the Vols are loaded.
They look like a possible Final Four team.
Tennessee remains in fourth place in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 updated college basketball diary. The Vols’ next scheduled game is Saturday against Alabama.
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Top 25 and 1 Thursday Ratings
INSIDE: NC State. OUT: Xavier