The rise of a familiar team from the SEC caused Tennessee to slightly fall back in ESPN’s way-too-early rankings this week.

Tennessee, previously at No. 18 in the rankings, was placed at No. 20 by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. The Vols fell two spots between the way-too-early rankings.

UCLA and Arkansas are the main culprits for Tennessee’s fall as the Bruins rose from No. 19 to No. 17 while Arkansas leaped from No. 25 to No. 19, one spot above the Vols.

“Dalton Knecht is gone, and with him goes Rick Barnes’ best offense in several years,” Borzello wrote for ESPN. “But if the more up-tempo, 3-point-heavy offensive system remains in Knoxville, there should be plenty of optimism. Zakai Zeigler is one of the best point guards in the country, and Jordan Gainey, Jahmai Mashack and Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar are plenty experienced on the perimeter. Barnes also addressed the frontcourt, adding Igor Milicic Jr. (Charlotte) and Felix Okpara (Ohio State).”

Tennessee finished as the No. 5 team in the nation after an Elite Eight loss to Purdue but immediately was left to deal with the departure of a likely Top 10 NBA Draft pick, two key fifth-year seniors, and two big men who entered the transfer portal. As Borzello mentions, though, Tennessee reloaded through the transfer portal in Barnes’ biggest transfer class that Rick Barnes has assembled in Knoxville.

The Vols prioritized size in the portal with the addition of 6-foot-4 guard Bishop Boswell from the recruiting cycle. Dubar is a versatile wing while Milicic is an impressive stretch four at 6-foot-9. Okpara, meanwhile, is a true center with size at 6-foot-11, 235 pounds.

More from RTI: What Rick Barnes Has Said About Tennessee Basketball’s Transfer Signings

Tennessee’s drop to the back half of the rankings makes sense. The Vols’ 2023 team was loaded with veterans, many of whom had been playing together and building to that final season for a few years. Add in pure shooters Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey from the portal and you had yourselves a legitimate second-weekend team. Tennessee did add talent but it’s unknown how everything will mesh together. So it’s fair to drop the Vols back a bit. It is only May, after all.

A day after Borzello released his way-too-early Top 25, the ESPN expert listed Tennessee as a four-seed in his early bracketology picks as the third-highest ranked team from the SEC behind three-seed Auburn and three-seed Alabama. That indicates that Borzello’s mindset might relay that Tennessee is a team that might not have all of their chemistry down early into the season but can come together under Barnes’ leadership by the end of the season.

Tennessee is the sixth team in the SEC behind No. 6 Alabama, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 12 Auburn, No. 15 Florida, and No. 19 Arkansas but in front of No. 21 Texas.

As John Calipari’s debut roster has come together at Arkansas, the Razorbacks have now inched out early positioning over Tennessee. The Razorbacks are bringing in Tennessee’s Jonas Aidoo, Kentucky’s Adou Thiero, Florida Atlantic’s Johnell Davis, and two Top 26 recruits for their starting lineup.

To see Jeff Borzello’s way-too-early rankings, click here.

KNOXVILLE  – Tennessee used four home runs in a 9-3 win over the University of South Carolina baseball team Thursday night (May 16) in the first of a three-game series against the Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Ethan Petry opened the scoring with his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot to left in the first inning. Tennessee answered with Christian Moore’s 25th home run, tying the game at one after one inning of play. Tennessee scored four runs the third on home runs from Moore and Kavares Tears.

The Volunteers went up 6-1 in the fourth on Blake Burke’s RBI double, but Cole Messina got that run back in the sixth with a solo home run over the batter’s eye in center.

Tennessee scored three runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Dylan Dreiling two-run home run. Dalton Reeves brought in the game’s final run in the eighth on a single up the middle.

Ty Good took the loss, allowing five hits and six runs with four strikeouts in four innings. Tyler Pitzer had four strikeouts in three innings. Petry, Messina and Reeves had two hits apiece with Messina scoring two runs.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Petry now has 43 career home runs, tied for sixth in Carolina history.
• Petry has a 12-game hit streak after the home run in the first.
• Good now has 341 career strikeouts between Carolina and the College of Charleston.

UP NEXT Carolina and Tennessee continue the three-game set on Friday night (May 17) at 6:30 p.m., at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The game will be stream

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Tennessee baseball opened their final conference series of the season on Thursday night with a convincing win. The Volunteers handled the Gamecocks without any drama.

Tennessee and South Carolina traded first inning homeruns to kick things off. It was Christian Moore going deep for Tennessee, nodding things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.

Tennessee would quickly blow things open in the bottom of the third. Another Christian Moore homerun would break the tie, giving the Volunteers a 2-1 lead. Kavares Tears would follow that up with a three-run shot of his own, driving in Hunter Ensley and Dylan Dreiling.

Very quickly, it was a 5-1 lead for No. 1 Tennessee.

Tony Vitello turned to AJ Causey on the mound in the fourth, relieving starter Chris Stamos.

Blake Burke drove in Cal Stark in the bottom of the fourth, drilling a line drive to the opposite field all the way to the wall. Tennessee carried a 5-1 lead into the fifth inning, and Causey was rolling.

Tennessee came back in the bottom of the seventh with plenty of insurance. Billy Amick doubled down the line to score Christian Moore, then Dylan Dreiling smacked a homerun to right center. The Volunteers were cruising from here, holding a 9-2 lead entering the eighth inning.

South Carolina would eventually get to Causey, forcing him out of the game in favor of Kirby Connell. The Gamecocks would drive in one, but that’s all they got.

Connell close things out in the top of the ninth without any issues. Tennessee went on to win, 9-3.

Tennessee and South Carolina will meet again tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. ET. SEC Network + will have the coverage.