Tennessee tightened its grip on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Monday following a pair of lopsided wins, including one over SEC rival Arkansas, that left the Volunteers as the only undefeated team in men's Division I college basketball. The Vols picked up four more first-place votes and had 45 of 60 from the national panel to remain atop the poll for the fifth straight week.
Auburn earned the other 15 first-place nods and stayed at No. 2, while Iowa State, Duke and Alabama rounded out a top five that was unchanged following the first week of conference play for many leagues around the country. Tennessee improved to 14-0 after beating Norfolk State and a 76-52 rout of the then-No.
23 Razorbacks, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. And when Florida lost a shootout to Kentucky and Oklahoma was blown out by the Crimson Tide , it left the Volunteers as the only team in men's major college hoops without a blemish. “They're the No.
1 team in the country for a reason,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said, “and my disappointment wasn't coming to Tennessee and losing a game. It was that they kind of manhandled us.” The Vols have done that a lot this season.
Only once have they failed to beat someone by double digits. “It all goes to the players, you know? Good families,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "They come in knowing what we expect, but they expect it from themselves, too.
It just needs to be reemphasized daily to them.” The Wildcats rode their win.
