It looks like Tennessee basketball will have to earn its way back to a national ranking. Despite going 31-6 in 2018-2019, reaching the Sweet Sixteen and spending nearly a month ranked No. 1 in the nation, Rick Barnes’s fifth team on Rocky Top begins the 2019-2020 season outside of the AP Preseason Top 25 rankings.
Topping the poll was the Michigan State Spartans. The Vols came in at No. 28 with 78 points. However, they will have plenty of chances to get back into the top 25 soon enough with their schedule, and it starts with a few huge games in November and December.