See Where Tennessee Ranks After Dropping Back To Back Top 10 Matchups
Tennessee basketball is coming off a tough two-game stretch in which they lost both games to the former #1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks and the former #2-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, who are now ranked #1 in the nation. During the Purdue game, the Volunteers were in a battle in which they came up short in the end. A pointing point was the success that Purdue found getting to the line for free throws, in which they shot almost 50. During the Kansas game, Tennessee let the game slip away in the second half, in which the game was finalized with a score of 69-60 in Kansas's favor.
Entering into those games, Tennessee was ranked #7. During the new rankings, the Volunteers fell in the poll; however, it wasn't as far down as many expected. The Vols fell back from #7 to #10 but remain in the top 10. Tennessee may have lost to both Purdue and Kansas; however, the Volunteers will likely have a chance to get their revenge as March is still a good distance away. Many Tennessee fans across the nation expect this Rick Barnes-coached squad to make a deep run in the March Madness tournament.
Tennessee will be playing on Wednesday night in another road test as they face the prestigious North Carolina Tarheels and Armando Bacot. North Carolina is ranked #14, a big-time test for this Tennessee team. This will be their only matchup of the week, meaning it will be the only game to point to as they attempt to move up in next week's rankings and continue to put together their top-10 campaign.
Although the season is still young, every single game counts and the Vols understand that completely. It's all about seeding, and games like this North Carolina matchup will play a huge factor on selection day.
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