Tennessee basketball: Vols up to No. 6 in new AP poll after Maryland win
Tennessee is trending in the right direction.
After an early-season loss to Colorado at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the Vols have since reeled off eight straight wins – their most recent being a 56-53 victory over then-No. 13 Maryland on Sunday evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Now playing at a high level and sporting a 9-1 record, Tennessee has moved up to the No. 6 ranking in the new Associated Press Top 25 poll – jumping one spot from last week. The Vols also received one first-place vote this week.
After having already faced USC, Kansas and Maryland, Rick Barnes and his team will take on another quality non-conference opponent on Saturday night: No. 9 Arizona on the road in Tucson (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The Wildcats are 8-1 on the season and coming off an 89-75 win over then-No. 14 Indiana.
A road win at Arizona would significantly boost the Vols' résumé as SEC play rolls in.
AP TOP 25 POLL – DECEMBER 12:
1. Purdue (27)
2. Virginia (19)
3. UConn (15)
4. Alabama
5. Houston
6. Tennessee (1)
7. Texas
8. Kansas
9. Arizona
10. Arkansas
11. Baylor
12. Duke
13. Kentucky
14. Indiana
15. Gonzaga
16. UCLA
17. Mississippi State
18. Illinois
19. Auburn
20. Maryland
21. TCU
22. Wisconsin
23. Ohio State
24. Virginia Tech
25. Miami
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