Vols Drop 2 Spots to No. 25 Heading Into SEC Tournament

Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

By Aidan Sidoti

KNOXVILLE – How in the world is this team still hanging onto a number next to their name?

Tennessee hoops slipped two spots to No. 25 in the latest AP Poll on Monday, closing the regular season 21-10 and 11-7 in SEC play. The Vols went 1-1 this past week, beating South Carolina 78-59 on the road before falling at home to Vanderbilt 86-82 on Senior Day, marking their third loss in the last four games heading into the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Saturday’s loss was as frustrating as any this season. Tennessee attempted just two shots from post players in the first half, a complete no-show of the inside‑out identity Rick Barnes has preached all year. 

The head coach didn’t hide his frustration afterward.

“That’s strictly guard play,” Barnes said. “You saw us the other night (against South Carolina). We established what we wanted to do. We worked on it yesterday. I can’t explain it to you because we want to play inside out. We have stressed it all year, but it goes back to your guards have to make it happen.”

Barnes isn’t wrong in the slightest.

Tennessee’s backcourt delivered one of its worst collective performances of the season. Ja’Kobi Gillespie finished with 17 points, but shot 5‑for‑22 from the field and 1‑for‑11 from three while recording just four assists. Bishop Boswell wasn’t much better, scoring five points with four assists in 28 minutes on 2‑for‑7 shooting.

With guard play like that, Tennessee’s margin for error shrinks dramatically, even with freshman phenom Nate Ament who has missed the last two games with a right‑ankle injury. Ament is expected to return for the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee will open play on Thursday at approximately 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network, facing the winner of Mississippi State vs. Auburn, with a chance to reset and regain traction before the Big Dance.