Tennessee kept winning against a demanding schedule of top teams in the Southeastern Conference. That has pushed the Volunteers to their highest ranking this season in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.
While Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop Monday’s poll, Rick Barnes’ squad tied Purdue for No. 9 to crack the top 10 for the first time this season. That came after the Volunteers (23-7, 14-4 SEC) closed the regular-season schedule by beating No. 15 Arkansas despite blowing most of a 24-point lead.
