Tennessee Basketball is Unranked in the Preseason AP Poll and That is Great News for Vol Fans

The preseason AP Top 25 came out on Monday and it did not include a Tennessee team which was ranked No. 1 for more than a month last season.

Sure, the Vols lost three NBA Draft picks in Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone, but they also added a five-star recruit in Josiah James and have returning starters in the backcourt in Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner. They’re still one of the 25 best teams in the country.

But this is actually good news for Tennessee fans. It was just two years ago that Tennessee was picked to finish 13th in the SEC and it responded quite well.

And it’s as if the media *really* wanted to make sure the Vols burn down everything in their path this season, as they ranked Memphis No. 14 because it cheated to get a couple good recruits. The Tigers travel to Knoxville on December 14.

I really think this basketball season will bear a resemblance to the 2017-18 season — not much expectation, but a roster tht is far more talented than anyone realizes yet that will end up squarely in the national conversation come March. Last year’s team came into the season with Final Four expectations — which were warranted — that made an incredible season feel like a bit of a disappointment.

But now that this squad has a chip on its shoulder again? The rest of the SEC better buckle up.

Just 15 more days until we tip things off against UNC Asheville. Let’s ride.