KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee men’s basketball team has reached its highest rank since the 2018-19 season following a commanding victory over No. 10 Texas.
Purdue maintained their No. 1 rank in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the second straight week, while Tennessee jumped two spots to No. 2 after their 82-71 win over No. 10 Texas.
It’s their highest rank since Feb. 11, 2019 when the Grant Williams- and Admiral Schofield-led Vols were the No. 1 team in the nation.
Tennessee sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler was named the SEC Player of the Week after recording 22 points and a career-high 10 assists against Texas.
The Vols have now won four straight games after suffering their first home loss of the season to Kentucky on Jan. 14. Tennessee’s record now stands at 18-3. Their only other losses came in a game against Colorado in Nashville and a 75-70 loss to Arizona, who now rank No. 5 in the latest AP Poll, in December.
Alabama dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 after a surprising loss to Oklahoma. Tennessee will host the Crimson Tide on Feb. 15 in a game that could have major implications for the SEC regular season title.
Tennessee will travel to Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 1 before returning home to take on former Vols head coach Bruce Pearl and No. 25-ranked Auburn on Saturday, Feb. 4.
