All4TN
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The Greatest College Basketball Programs Ever: Ranking the top teams of all time, Nos. 50-26
39. Tennessee
Record since 1938-39: 1,394-874 | Regular-season titles: 9
NCAA Tournaments: 22 | Final Fours: 0
Weeks ranked: 281 | Top-60 NBA picks: 30
POINTS: 514.1
That makes for three straight SEC schools. Rick Barnes is proving to be a very nice hire for Tennessee -- his run of success the past few seasons helped create a little separation in these rankings, in terms of total points, vs. Florida and Bama. Bruce Pearl brought Tennessee to a level of national prominence it had not experienced prior to the end of the 2000s, but this is a program with some decent history beyond that. Guys like Dale Ellis, Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld (the Ernie and Bernie Show!) and Allan Houston registered as first-round NBA material. King and Ellis were consensus All-Americans.
The best team in school history is a pick 'em: The '07-08 squad earned a No. 1 ranking during the season and was a No. 2 seed that made the Sweet 16 with Chris Lofton, J.P. Prince and Wayne Chism. The 2018-19 team had its season end in the Sweet at the hands of Purdue and featured Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams and Jordan Bone. Each team set a school record for most wins in a season (31). The best player in school history is King, who won SEC Player of the Year all three seasons in Knoxville. He averaged 25.8 points and 13.2 rebounds, which are career numbers that are almost impossible to duplicate in the modern era for any three- or four-year player in a power conference. Best coach in school history is still Ray Mears, who went 278-112 (.713) from 1962-77. Pearl would have had a chance to eclipse if not for NCAA violations. Barnes, 66, has a chance if he wants to coach Tennessee for eight-or-so more seasons.
39. Tennessee
Record since 1938-39: 1,394-874 | Regular-season titles: 9
NCAA Tournaments: 22 | Final Fours: 0
Weeks ranked: 281 | Top-60 NBA picks: 30
POINTS: 514.1
That makes for three straight SEC schools. Rick Barnes is proving to be a very nice hire for Tennessee -- his run of success the past few seasons helped create a little separation in these rankings, in terms of total points, vs. Florida and Bama. Bruce Pearl brought Tennessee to a level of national prominence it had not experienced prior to the end of the 2000s, but this is a program with some decent history beyond that. Guys like Dale Ellis, Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld (the Ernie and Bernie Show!) and Allan Houston registered as first-round NBA material. King and Ellis were consensus All-Americans.
The best team in school history is a pick 'em: The '07-08 squad earned a No. 1 ranking during the season and was a No. 2 seed that made the Sweet 16 with Chris Lofton, J.P. Prince and Wayne Chism. The 2018-19 team had its season end in the Sweet at the hands of Purdue and featured Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams and Jordan Bone. Each team set a school record for most wins in a season (31). The best player in school history is King, who won SEC Player of the Year all three seasons in Knoxville. He averaged 25.8 points and 13.2 rebounds, which are career numbers that are almost impossible to duplicate in the modern era for any three- or four-year player in a power conference. Best coach in school history is still Ray Mears, who went 278-112 (.713) from 1962-77. Pearl would have had a chance to eclipse if not for NCAA violations. Barnes, 66, has a chance if he wants to coach Tennessee for eight-or-so more seasons.