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Tennessee Basketball: Vols ranked No. 6 in AP Top 25 Preseason Poll

By Stetson Marlin

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts in the second half against the Loyola Ramblers during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts in the second half against the Loyola Ramblers during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The AP Top 25 Preseason Poll was released on Monday with the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team coming in as the No. 6 team in the country.

The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team is coming off of one of their most successful seasons in recent history, and they are coming into this season with a ton of preseason hype. They return SEC Player of the Year in Grant Williams, SEC Second Team forward Admiral Schofield, and the rest of their starters from a team that was crowned the co-SEC Regular Season Champions.

This team received more praise on Monday, as the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll was released. The Tennessee Volunteers come into the 2018-2019 season ranked as the No. 6 team in the country, which is the highest preseason ranking in the Tennessee Volunteers history. The Volunteers also received one No. 1 vote as well. Tennessee has only begun 13 seasons ranked in the top 25, with the 2007-2008 season being the highest ranked Volunteers team at No. 7 in the country.

The teams in front of the Volunteers in the AP Top 25 Poll go as follows:

  1. Kansas Jayhawks
  2. Kentucky Wildcats
  3. Gonzaga Bulldogs
  4. Duke Blue Devils
  5. Virginia Cavaliers

After the Volunteers at No. 6, the Nevada Wolf Pack, the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Villanova Wildcats, and the Michigan State Spartans round out the Top 10.

Just a year after sending eight SEC teams to the NCAA Tournament, the SEC looks to be strong yet again. Five SEC teams are ranked in the Top 25, including Kentucky and Tennessee in the Top 10. Auburn heads into the year ranked at No. 10, while Mississippi State is ranked at No. 18 and LSU rounds it off at No. 23.

Florida, Alabama, and Missouri all received votes as well.

Tennessee will have a very tough schedule this season, but will definitely build quite the resume. The Volunteers have the chance to play the No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks at the NIT Season Tip-Off. Alongside that, the Volunteers will have to face the No. 2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats twice during the season.

The Volunteers will then have to play the No. 3 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Jerry Colangelo Classic on Sunday, Dec. 9th. Tennessee will then host the No. 13 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, Jan. 26th. The Volunteers will host No. 18 Mississippi State in early March, and will also have to travel on the road to take on No. 11 Auburn and No. 23 LSU late in the season.

Related Story. Vols earn praise at SEC Media Days. light

As you can see, the Volunteers will have a very tough schedule. If they can weather that gauntlet, Tennessee will no doubt be one of the best teams in the country.

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