Vol Hoops Climb Four Spots To No. 13 in AP Poll

Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee basketball climbed four spots to No. 13 in the latest AP Poll after a strong showing in Las Vegas at The Player’s Era Tournament.

Rick Barnes and Co. opened the week with an emphatic 85-60 win over Rutgers, powered by a career-high 32 points from Ja’Kobi Gillespie.

The senior guard shot 11/20 from the field and 6/10 from three, setting the tone from the tip for the Volunteers offense.

Uber-talented Nate Ament added 20 points and five rebounds, hitting four of six attempts from deep while shooting 50% from the field.

The following day, Tennessee avenged its Elite Eight loss to Houston, squeezing past the Cougars 76-73.

Gillespie followed his career-high with 22 points, while Bishop Boswell delivered a standout defensive performance, finishing with 10 points on a perfect 4/4 from the field, adding four rebounds, three assists, and three steals to seal the upset win.

Tennessee’s Player’s Era run ended Wednesday with a narrow 81-76 loss to Kansas in the tournament finale.

Gillespie struggled mightily, scoring just 11 points on 5/19 shooting and 1/10 from beyond the arc.

Ament nearly posted a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds, but head coach Rick Barnes admitted the Vols “absolutely” let their offense affect their defense in the loss.

Despite the setback, Tennessee’s 2-1 record in Las Vegas was enough to boost them in the national rankings.

Tennessee now turns its attention to Syracuse, where they’ll face the Orange Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.