Tennessee is the top-ranked team in the nation and boasts the school’s best start in more than 100 years.
But the Volunteers lack accomplishments in the eyes of coach Rick Barnes as they open Southeastern Conference play against No. 23 Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at Knoxville, Tenn.
“We’re 0-0 like everybody else. Rankings mean nothing,” Barnes said. “None of it other than maybe people look at it as a way to build their resume right now. But the fact is we’re 0-0 with everybody in the league.”
Tennessee (13-0) owns the second-best start in school history and can match the top mark — 14-0 in 1922-23 — by defeating the Razorbacks (11-2).
The Volunteers have notched seven victories by 20 or more points and have played in just one close game — a 66-64 road win over Illinois on Dec. 14.
Tennessee wrapped up preparations for SEC play with a 67-52 victory over Norfolk State on Tuesday.
Chaz Lanier scored 24 points for his sixth 20-point outing of the campaign. The transfer from North Florida is shooting 45.9 percent from 3-point range — sinking 51 treys — while averaging a team-leading 19.6 points per game.
Barnes expects to see more progress from Lanier.
“He’s going to have to continue to add speed to his game,” Barnes said. “We want to get out and run. I just think he’s got to be able to catch the ball more.”
Star point guard Zakai Zeigler is averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 8.1 assists per game. The senior has 577 career assists, which ties for second in program history with C.J. Watson (2002-06).
Arkansas features a stellar freshman point guard in Boogie Fland, who ranks second on the squad in scoring (15.9) while leading in assists (6.2). Fland has committed just five total turnovers over the past four games.
Fland established season highs of 24 points and five 3-pointers during Monday’s 92-62 rout of Oakland.
“When he competes and plays at a high level, he’s as good as anybody,” first-year Razorbacks coach John Calipari said of Fland.
Fland, who is from Bronx, N.Y., said he is eager to play against Zeigler, who hails from Long Island.
“I respect his game, I respect what he’s doing over there,” Fland said. “It’s going to be a dogfight, you know, two New York natives going at it.”
Adou Thiero leads Arkansas in scoring with a 17.8 average while shooting a sharp 62.1 percent from the field.
The Razorbacks have begun adapting to Calipari’s methods and have won six consecutive games. The biggest win during the stretch was an 89-87 victory over then-No. 14 Michigan on Dec. 10 in New York.
Arkansas now craves another big-time victory.
“We ready,” Fland said of beginning SEC play. “Every game is gonna be a dogfight. Every game is gonna come down to the last possession. We just got to take it game by game and stick to the game plan. Just go out and have fun. Treat it like one of those fun games.”
Razorbacks forward Jonas Aidoo is averaging 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds after transferring from Tennessee in the offseason. He started all 36 games for the Volunteers last season in his third campaign at the school.
Arkansas will have starting guard Johnell Davis (wrist) back after a two-game absence, assistant coach Kenny Payne said Thursday. Davis averages 9.2 points per game.
Tennessee routed host Arkansas 92-63 in Fayetteville in last season’s lone matchup. The Volunteers outscored the Razorbacks 46-23 in the second half.
–Field Level Media
