The Tennessee men’s basketball team is ranked No. 7 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll that was released Friday.
It’s the highest ranking ever for the Vols in a preseason poll, UT was ranked 9th to start the 2000-01 season, the 1998-99 season and the 1975-76 season by The Associated Press. This AP poll has not been released yet.
North Carolina is ranked No. 1 with 10 first place votes. UCLA is second with 12 first-place votes, followed by Memphis, Kansas, Georgetown and Louisville,
Memphis had eight first-place votes and Kansas one.
Teams ranked in the top 25 on UT’s schedule include Memphis, Gonzaga (14th), Arkansas (19th) and Kentucky (22nd).
Two-time defending national champion Florida is unranked.
The top 25 teams in the preseason USA Today-ESPN men’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final 2006-07 records, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last year’s final ranking:
Record Pts Pvs
1. North Carolina (10) 31-7 739 5t
2. UCLA (12) 30-6 734 3
3. Memphis (8) 33-4 731 7
4. Kansas (1) 33-5 669 5t
5. Georgetown 30-7 625 4
6. Louisville 24-10 620 20
7. Tennessee 24-11 598 18
8. Michigan State 23-12 503 —
9. Indiana 21-11 479 —
10. Washington State 26-8 464 17
11. Duke 22-11 390 —
12. Marquette 24-10 381 —
13. Oregon 29-8 360 8
14. Gonzaga 23-11 252 —
14. Texas A&M 27-7 252 9
16. Texas 25-10 216 16
17. Arizona 20-11 205 —
18. Southern Cal 25-12 189 15
19. Arkansas 21-14 173 —
20. Pittsburgh 29-8 160 10
21. Stanford 18-13 158 —
22. Kentucky 22-12 155 —
23. Southern Illinois 29-7 137 11t
24. N.C. State 20-16 119 —
25. Villanova 22-11 111 —
Others receiving votes: Kansas State (23-12) 94; Syracuse (24-11) 69; Ohio State (35-4) 65; Clemson (25-11) 56; Connecticut (17-14) 55; Butler (29-7) 42; Davidson (29-5) 39; Xavier (25-9) 38; Alabama (20-12) 31; Mississippi State (21-14) 30; Florida (35-5) 26; Wisconsin (30-6) 21; Illinois (23-12) 16; Brigham Young (25-9) 12; Washington (19-13) 12; Nevada (29-5) 8; Bradley (22-13) 7; Virginia (21-11) 7; Virginia Commonwealth (28-7) 5; Utah (11-19) 4; Baylor (15-16) 3; Old Dominion (24-9) 3; St. Joseph’s (18-14) 3; Fresno State (22-10) 2; George Mason (18-15) 2; Utah State (23-12) 2; California (16-17) 1; Maryland (25-9) 1; Notre Dame (24-8) 1.
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Comments » 14
juicetke#226846 writes:
Luckily Bruce is a good coach and this high ranking doesn't mean the season is doomed like in Football. What were we pre season in 2005 in football? 3rd or something like that and finished with a losing record. Obviously someone thought we had talent that year. The sad thing is we did.
Hunter writes:
This is a great number for us - not so high that the egos go crazy, but not so low as to play the "disrespect" card all year until we're tired of it. Let's get ready for some basketball action in the new and improved TBA!
mtnvol writes:
One possession at a time, one half at a time, one game at a time. Rebound and defend, the season and silly rankings will take care of themselves. Polls don't mean a thing until March! Go Vols!
vol4jesus writes:
juicy juicy who let you loosy? sling that futbol jab in there. oops I'm sorry itsa bball article. Dr. Smith always said "we're doomed Will my boy" in 'Lost in Space.' Maybe the robot will help you get a stable grip on article content. OK enuff tv stuff. BBal coming soon will Duke Crews be a part or still be in Dawghouse?
vol4jesus writes:
mtnvol you forgot please make a reasonable amount of your free throws too.
bleed_orange writes:
That's right mtnvol. I new we would be in the top 15, but I thought we might be about 10 or 11. However, I like you guys said polls don't really matter except at the end of the season for seedings in the tournament. Sometimes that doesn't even matter. How you finish the season, who you beat and who you lost to. Playing in the SEC and some tough non-conference games- 20 wins and 500 in the conference gets us in. But I think this team will be alot better then that (12-4 or 11-5 SEC and lose 2-4 non conference games). I think when it is all said and done at the end of the season we will be a 2 or 3 seed and make it to the elite 8 or maybe to the final four( where anything can happen with some luck on our side) GO VOLS!
JDS
vol4jesus writes:
jwray you were a little too upbeat. So tone down your joy juice. Always king? Consisitently in the running for annual king of sec more likely.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
Only poll that matters is the one at the end of March 2008. Ignore this.
DSaVol writes:
This means nothing. Media and coaches polls are the most worthless use of space ever - well, other than Pennington/Griffith/Adams articles.
DSaVol writes:
vol4jesus - based on your posts, you really should change your name. But to answer your question, don't expect Crews back before the end of the semester.
DadwasaVol writes:
Don't pick on Vol4jesus' name. I disagree with his sometimes ignorant right-wing rants but at least he puts his beliefs, with his comments and nickname, out there honestly.
bugman (Inactive) writes:
Tennessee is for real this year. We have the deepest bench in the Top 25. Luckily Bruce Pearl knows how to use that depth unlike Jerry Green. I expect nothing less than a elite 8 apperance this year.
Oenoboy writes:
I think grvol had a frontal lobotomy and those are the only two words he has left in his vocabulary. This is a basketball article folks. Can you keep up here?
GoVol writes:
We must have learned to hit free throws in the off-season? If not, the ranking will not matter.
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