The 2024-25 college basketball season came to a close on Monday night when Florida used suffocating defense to orchestrate a second half comeback and defeat Houston 65-63.
It capped off a phenomenal year for the SEC. The conference dominated in non conference play, put 13 teams in the NCAA Tournament, four teams in the Elite Eight and two teams in the Final Four before claiming the National Championship for the first time since 2012.
With the season in the rearview, the entire college basketball world turns its attention to the 2025-26 season.
Creating rankings the day after the season ends is incredibly difficult in the transfer portal era due to the fluidity of roster construction. Tennessee is perhaps the best example of this. The Vols return just four scholarship players from last season’s team including just two players in their eight-man rotation last season.
Tennessee has already gone back to work in the transfer portal, earning star Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Vanderbilt forward Jaylen Carey.
Those early offseason additions plus Rick Barnes track record has Tennessee as a consensus team in the way-too-early top 25 rankings. See where they land in eight different rankings here.
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ESPN
- National rank: No. 21
- SEC rank: No. 6
- What they said about the Vols: “Tennessee seems to be busy in the transfer portal early, and for good reason. Program stalwart Zakai Zeigler is gone, as are starters Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Milicic Jr. and reserves Jordan Gainey and Darlinstone Dubar. Rick Barnes already landed Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie, one of the best point guards available, and big man Jaylen Carey from Vanderbilt. But the Vols desperately need a boost on the wings.”
The Athletic
- National rank: No. 25
- SEC rank: No. 7
- What they said about the Vols: “The Vols are set up front with two guys off the bench in Cade Phillips and JP Estrella who could end up winning starting spots. Estrella, who missed most of 2024-25, has a chance to give the Vols some inside scoring they haven’t had in a while. Ja’Kobi Gillespie (from Maryland) was a very important transfer signing. Now all of the attention turns to the two and three spots. Considering Rick Barnes has had Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier back-to-back, I’d imagine there’s a really good wing out there who will be persuaded to come be the next one.”
USA Today
- National rank: No. 18
- SEC rank: No. 5
- What they said about the Vols: “It will be a major overhaul for the Volunteers with several key components departing. The first steps were the additions Maryland transfer guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie to help fill the void at point guard and also bringing in forward Jaylen Carey of Vanderbilt. Big man Felix Okpara – the team’s second-leading rebounder – is the lone starter back. Big leaps are expected by interior players Cade Phillips, who averaged 15 minutes in all 38 games, and J.P. Estrella, who missed all but three games due to foot surgery.”
247sports
- National rank: No. 10
- SEC rank: No. 2
- What they said about the Vols: “Ja’Kobi Gillespie is one of the best point guards in the country. Big man Felix Okpara should be a SEC Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner. That duo alone gives Tennessee real staying power. Tennessee will skyrocket if it aces the portal again like the last two years.”
On3
- National rank: No. 18
- SEC rank: No. 6
- What they said about the Vols: N/A
Sports Illustrated
- National rank: No. 24
- SEC rank: No. 6
- What they said about the Vols: “Rick Barnes’s teams have finished as a top-15 KenPom team in six of the last eight years, so the Vols are a fairly safe choice to slot into the rankings even with the roster influx. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie should be outstanding at the point, and Felix Okpara should be the beneficiary of plenty of lobs in the process. Wing scoring and a potential answer at power forward should be the priority going forward.”
Fox Sports
- National rank: No. 17
- SEC rank: No 4
- What they said about the Vols: N/A
Rothstein 45
- National rank: No. 20
- SEC rank: No. 6
- What they said about the Vols: N/A
