KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is No. 17 in the country in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll, as released Wednesday afternoon.
This is the eighth straight year, dating to 2018-19, the Volunteers are featured in the preseason top 25 of the Coaches Poll. In seven of those seasons, Tennessee has earned a top-17 spot.
Prior to this eight-year stretch, the longest streak of preseason Coaches Poll rankings for Tennessee was five seasons in a row, from 2006-07 to 2010-11.
The Volunteers are in the preseason top 25 of the Coaches Poll for the 16th time since its 1991-92 inception. All of those opening rankings have come over the last 27 years, since 1998-99.
Head coach Rick Barnes‘ team earned 292 points in the Coaches Poll balloting, three above Iowa State, which placed No. 18.
Tennessee is one of six SEC programs featured in the preseason Coaches Poll. It joins third-ranked Florida, ninth-ranked Kentucky, No. 15 Arkansas, No. 16 Alabama and No. 22 Auburn. Meanwhile, four other SEC institutions—Vanderbilt, Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss—are in the receiving votes section of the list.
As announced Oct. 13, Tennessee holds the No. 18 spot in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
The Volunteers begin the season Sunday at 7 p.m. with an exhibition game against No. 6/5 Duke at Food City Center, live on ESPN2.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
