The Southeastern Conference's preseason men's basketball media poll wasn't buying Tennessee last week, picking the Vols 13th in the 14-team league.

College basketball analyst and stat guru Ken Pomeroy sees Rick Barnes and his third Tennessee team in a different light, apparently.

According to KenPom.com, the Vols are the 43rd best team in the country and come in at sixth in the SEC.

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Pomeroy has Kentucky, Florida and Texas A&M, in that order, atop the league standings, followed by Vanderbilt, Alabama and Tennessee. From there: Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Georgia, Missouri and LSU.

Tennessee finished ninth in the SEC standings last season, with a 16-16 overall record and an 8-10 league mark, but this season must replace 47.4 percent of last season's scoring after the departures of Robert Hubbs, Lew Evans, Shembari Phillips and Kwe Parker.

Per the KenPom stats, the Vols project to have an adjusted offensive efficiency rating -- points scored per 100 possessions -- 108.6, which is 52nd nationally. Tennessee's adjusted defensive efficiency rating -- points allowed per 100 possessions -- is 93.9, which ranks 37th.

The Vols apparently won't be in a hurry, having an adjusted tempo rating -- possessions per 40 minutes -- of 74.1, which is 107th.

Barnes and his players last week shrugged off being picked second to last in the SEC.

“At least we didn’t go to 14th, that’s how we’re going to look at it,” junior Admiral Schofield said at SEC Media Day in Nashville on Wednesday. “At the end of the day all we can do is come out, take this opportunity with the season and really prove everyone wrong.



“But it’s not even about that,” he added. “It’s about proving ourselves who we really are. And we know who we are. We’re talented and we can compete with anybody. But it’s about finishing this year and taking care of details.”

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Contact Grant Ramey by email at grant.ramey@cbsinteractive.com or on Twitter (@GrantRamey), or FOLLOW GOVOLS247 ON FACEBOOK.