Tennessee basketball held strong at No. 6 in the latest AP Poll following a 1-1 week that saw them knock off then-No. 23 Georgia at home before losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Nineteen of 25 teams in last week’s AP Poll lost last week including seven teams in the top 10 and eight of the nine top 25 teams in the SEC.
The Vols struggled defensively against Vanderbilt as the Commodores were effective scoring at the basket and took control of the game during a 12-0 run early in the second half when they hit three-pointers on four straight possessions.
Tennessee ended the game on a 9-0 run but its comeback bid came up short as Chaz Lanier missed a free throw in the final seconds and the Vols’ fell 76-75.
The Vols are one of nine teams in this week’s AP Poll, coming in behind No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Florida while coming in ahead of No. 19 Kentucky, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 16 Ole Miss and No. 22 Missouri.
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Before its loss at Vanderbilt, the Vols knocked off Georgia 74-56 in Knoxville during the midweek. Tennessee trailed at halftime before opening the second half on a 25-4 run that saw them both take control of the game and deliver the knockout blow to the Bulldogs.
It was a strong week for Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler who averaged 16 points, 8.5 assists and 3.5 steals in the two games. Center Felix Okpara also had a strong week, averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in the two games.
Tennessee is back in action this week with another pair of big challenges. The Vols host No. 14 Mississippi State in Knoxville on Tuesday night before traveling to No. 1 Auburn for an incredibly difficult matchup on Saturday night.
Tipoff between Tennessee and Mississippi State is at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. ESPN2 is broadcasting the game.
