Vols’ latest ranking in USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

A look at Tennessee’s latest ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Tennessee is 4-0 to start the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season. The Vols have wins versus Gardner-Webb, Louisville, Montana and Austin Peay.

Following the second week of the 2024-25 college basketball season, the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll was released. The Vols remain ranked No. 9 entering the third week of the season.

Tennessee was ranked No. 12 during the preseason and No. 9 after the first week.

Tennessee will next play Virginia in the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship on Thursday. Tipoff between the Vols and Cavaliers is slated for 9:30 p.m. EST and will be televised by CBS Sports Network from Nassau, Bahamas.

USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll top 25 rankings are listed below.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 4-0 665 (21)
2 UConn 3-0 632 (3)
3 Auburn 3-0 608 (2)
4 Gonzaga 3-0 599 (1)
5 Iowa State 2-0 516
6 Purdue 4-0 513
7 Houston 2-1 470
7 Alabama 3-1 470
9 Tennessee 4-0 462
10 Duke 3-1 421
11 Kentucky 3-0 381
12 North Carolina 2-1 377
13 Creighton 4-0 348
14 Marquette 4-0 319
15 Baylor 3-1 313
16 Cincinnati 3-0 229
17 Arizona 2-1 228
18 Indiana 3-0 208
19 Florida 4-0 168
20 Illinois 3-0 133
21 St. John’s 4-0 119
22 Texas Tech 3-0 95
23 Texas A&M 3-1 94
24 Arkansas 2-1 82
25 Wisconsin 4-0 75

Schools dropped out

No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers

Others receiving votes

Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2

Igor Milicic Jr. scores 23 points in Tennessee’s win versus Austin Peay

Igor Milicic Jr. leads all scorers with 23 points in the Tennessee-Austin Peay basketball game.

No. 9 Tennessee (4-0) defeated Austin Peay (3-1), 103-68, on Sunday at Food City Center. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Tennessee leads the all time basketball series versus the Governors, 10-1, dating to 1940.

Igor Milicic Jr. led the Vols in scoring with 23 points. He converted 11-of-14 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 free throw attempts. He tied Cade Phillips for Tennessee’s leader in rebounds with nine.

Zakai Zeigler led Tennessee in assists (8).

The Vols totaled 34 bench points, 64 points in the paint, 25 points off turnovers, 17 second chance points and 27 fast break points against Austin Peay.

Isaac Haney led Austin Peay with 22 points, while LJ Thomas scored 20.

Tennessee will next play Virginia on Thursday in the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship. Tipoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. EST at Nassau, Bahamas (CBS Sports Network).

Saul Young/USA TODAY Network

Talaysia Cooper scores 33 points versus Liberty

Lady Vols defeat Liberty to remain undefeated.

Tennessee (4-0) defeated Liberty (2-2), 109-93, Saturday at Food City Center.

The Lady Vols led, 64-43, at halftime after opening a, 55-25, lead midway through the second quarter.

Talaysia Cooper led Tennessee with 33 points and was one of four Lady Vols to score 10-plus points in the contest. She also totaled nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Ruby Whitehorn recorded 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block for the Lady Vols, who have scored 89 or more points in their first four games for the first time in program history.

Sara Puckett had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Jewel Spear finished with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Bella Smuda led the Flames with 27 points.

PHOTOS: Kim Caldwell through the years

Saul Young/USA TODAY Network

Dalton Knecht makes second start for Lakers

Former Vol Dalton Knecht scores 14 points in second NBA start.

Los Angeles (8-4) defeated San Antonio (6-7), 120-115, Friday in the second annual NBA Cup at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht made his second start for the Lakers. He totaled 14 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes against the Spurs.

Knecht converted 6-of-11 field goal attempts and 2-of-4 three-point attempts.

He was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.

Knecht, a transfer from Northern Colorado, played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.

How to watch Lady Vols vs Liberty: Time, TV channel

How to watch, including time, channel and streaming info for Tennessee Lady Vols’ basketball game versus Liberty.

Tennessee (3-0) will host Liberty (2-1) on Saturday at Food City Center.

Saturday will mark the second consecutive game for Tennessee against a Conference USA opponent. The Lady Vols defeated Middle Tennessee State, 89-75, on Tuesday.

Tennessee opened its 2024-25 basketball season with a, 101-53, win versus Samford on Nov. 5.

Tennessee also defeated UT Martin, 90-50, on Nov. 7, while defeating Carson-Newman, 135-49, in an exhibition contest on Oct. 31.

The 2024-25 season is the first for Tennessee under head coach Kim Caldwell.

READ: 2024-25 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball roster

Here is how to watch the Tennessee-Liberty basketball game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information.

What channel is Tennessee vs Liberty game on? Time, TV schedule

TV channel: SEC Network+

Start time: Noon EST

Kevin DiDomenico (play-by-play) and Niya Butts (analyst) will be on the call.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Tennessee vs. Liberty live on SEC Network+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Vmrv2O”]

Tennessee Lady Vols 2024-25 basketball results

Oct. 31 Carson-Newman (Exhibition — W, 135-49)

Nov. 5 Samford (W, 101-53)

Nov. 7 UT Martin (W, 90-50)

Nov. 12 Middle Tennessee State (W, 89-75)

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Dalton Knecht scores career-high 19 points against Memphis

Former Vol Dalton Knecht scores 19 points against Memphis.

Los Angeles (7-4) defeated Memphis, 128-123, Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht scored a career-high 19 points for the Lakers. He also recorded three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 19 minutes.

Knecht converted 7-of-8 field goal attempts and 5-of-5 three-point attempts.

He was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.

Knecht, a transfer from Northern Colorado, played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under head coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.

Rick Barnes recaps Tennessee’s win versus Montana

Tennessee basketball defeats Montana for third win of the 2024-25 season.

No. 9 Tennessee (3-0) defeated Montana (2-2), 92-57, on Wednesday at Food City Center. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Vols totaled 38 rebounds to Montana’s 17. Tennessee forward Igor Milicic Jr. led all players with 10 rebounds in the contest.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with media and discussed the Vols’ rebounding on Wednesday.

“It’s a big part of what we talk about in our program,” Barnes said. “I think, defensively, we got 45 percent of our misses, which is terrific, obviously, but it’s a major emphasis in our program, obviously, and people know that about us. It’s a compliment to the players because it’s not an easy part of the game. It’s something that takes determination to fight to do it, and knowing that the other team is trying to keep us to get to the glass. Concentration has a lot to do with it, and we believe it comes down to those one-on-one battles, but it’s important. You can’t be a great defensive team if you can’t finish it with a rebound. You don’t want to be a one-and-done offensive team if you can help.”

Lady Vols remain undefeated with victory over Middle Tennessee State

Lady Vols defeat Middle Tennessee State, improve to 3-0.

Tennessee (3-0) defeated Middle Tennessee State (2-1), 89-75, Tuesday at Food City Center.

The Lady Vols led, 41-30, at halftime.

Talaysia Cooper posted a double-double as she totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds. She also recorded four assists, four steals and one block. Cooper was one four Tennessee players to score 10-plus points against the Blue Raiders.

Samara Spencer totaled 17 points and five assists, while Tess Darby added 14 points and five rebounds.

Sara Puckett finished with 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The Lady Vols outrebounded Middle Tennessee State, 40-31, and finished with 19 offensive rebounds.

Tennessee forced 22 Middle Tennessee State turnovers.

Middle Tennessee State’s Courtney Blakely recorded 25 points to lead all scorers in the contest.

Wisconsin transfer guard fouls out of Kansas’ win over Michigan State

Wisconsin transfer guard fouls out of Kansas’ win over Michigan State

Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr was mostly a nonfactor in Kansas’ 77-69 win over Michigan State on Tuesday.

The former Badger fouled out in just 12 minutes of action. He finished with six points on 2-of-5 shooting and 1-of-3 from 3-point range. He added two rebounds and a turnover.

Kansas’ statement win was led again by center Hunter Dickinson. The former Michigan Wolverine finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and three steals on 13-of-21 shooting. His strong defensive play also helped the Jayhawks hold the Spartans to just 34.8% shooting.

Storr and the Jayhawks are 3-0 on the young season and still ranked No. 1. The former Badger has season totals of 24 points, six rebounds and five assists over those three games.

Storr’s decision to transfer to Kansas was one of the more notable moments from a busy Wisconsin offseason. Storr and star guard Chucky Hepburn departed via the portal, leaving the Badgers to replace 26 points, 7.2 game and 4.8 assists-per-game of production. That doesn’t even count Tyler Wahl, who the Badgers lost to graduation.

Despite the turnover, Wisconsin boasts a 3-0 mark to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Missouri transfer guard John Tonje has played a big role in the early wins, averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds on 55% shooting.

Storr’s performance on the No. 1 Jayhawks will continue to be worth monitoring, especially if Tonje continues to excel in a primary role with the Badgers.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Lady Vols’ all time basketball results against Middle Tennessee State

All time results in the Lady Vols’ basketball series against Middle Tennessee State.

The Lady Vols (2-0) will host Middle Tennessee State (2-0) on Tuesday.

Tipoff between Tennessee and the Blue Raiders is slated for 6:30 p.m. EST at Food City Center. The in-state game can be watched on SEC Network+.

Tuesday will mark the 24th meeting between the Lady Vols and Middle Tennessee State in women’s basketball.

Tennessee leads the all time series, 22-1, dating to 1971. The Lady Vols won the first game between the two in-state schools, but a score was not reported.

Middle Tennessee State won the last meeting in the series, 73-62, on Dec. 6, 2023 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Lady Vols’ all time basketball results against Middle Tennessee State

1971: Tennessee defeated Middle Tennessee State

1972: Tennessee 55, Middle Tennessee State 48

1973: Tennessee 58, Middle Tennessee State 43

1974: Tennessee 77, Middle Tennessee State 33

1974-75: Tennessee 69, Middle Tennessee State 32

1975-76: Tennessee 73, Middle Tennessee State 70

1976-77: Tennessee 87, Middle TennesseeState 66

1977-78: Tennessee 87, Middle Tennessee State 79

1978-79: Tennessee 87, Middle Tennessee State 63

1979-80: Tennessee 63, Middle Tennessee State 48

1980-81: Tennessee 68, Middle Tennessee State 47

1983-84: Tennessee 70, Middle Tennessee State 52 (NCAA Tournament)

2007-08: Tennessee 84, Middle Tennessee State 61

2008-09: Tennessee 81, Middle Tennessee State 52

2009-10: Tennessee 69, Middle Tennessee State 52

2011-12: Tennessee 82, Middle Tennessee State 43

2012-13: Tennessee 88, Middle Tennessee State 81 (OT)

2013-14: Tennessee 67, Middle Tennessee State 57

2020-21: Tennessee 87, Middle Tennessee State 62 (NCAA Tournament)

2023-24: Middle Tennessee State 73, Tennessee 62

PHOTOS: Kim Caldwell through the years

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