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Vols climb to No. 20 in latest AP Poll

One week after sliding into the Top 25 for the first time in seven years, the Vols continued their ascent as one of the best teams in basketball.

One week after sliding into the Top 25 for the first time in seven years, the Vols continued their ascent as one of the best teams in college basketball.

Tennessee (7-1) jumped to No. 20 in Monday's AP Poll. The Vols most recently beat Lipscomb on Saturday, 81-71.

The Vols' only loss came at the hands of Villanova - then ranked the fifth-best team in the nation, now the nation's No. 1 team - on Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.

Tennessee turned heads across the nation at that same tournament with a 78-75 win over No. 18 Purdue, and later that weekend with a 67-58 win over North Carolina State.

Rick Barnes is in his third year as the Vols' head coach, and holds an overall record of 38-36 at the helm. The team is off to the best start since Bruce Pearl's Vols also went 7-1.

The Vols' next challenge comes on Sunday, Dec. 17 when they host No. 7 North Carolina. The game will feature a "Checker TBA" theme in which fans can dress in either orange and white based on their section.

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