TheSpread.com

Vols Nudge Wildcats

Chris Lofton is tired and sore. It's been that kind of week for him and his fellow Volunteers.

Tennessee hung on to beat Kentucky 63-60 on Sunday, in a week that included the Vols' first No. 1 ranking in school history on Monday and a loss to No. 18 Vanderbilt on Tuesday.

Room For Improvement

Even though the regular season is winding down, UCLA still thinks it has a chance to improve.

The fourth-ranked Bruins will look to extend an impressive four-game winning streak on Sunday when they visit Arizona.

Hostile Environment

It might be easier for Indiana to win amid distractions of NCAA allegations and a coaching change than it will in the usual hostile environment at Michigan State.

The 12th-ranked Hoosiers look to move back into a three-way tie atop the Big Ten standings while trying for their first win at East Lansing in 17 years when they face the No. 19 Spartans on Sunday afternoon.

Keeping Pace

Winning a Southeastern Conference title was just a dream to Chris Lofton as a freshman guard at Tennessee.

Now it's close to becoming a reality for the top-ranked Volunteers.

"It was a dream because my freshman year we were 14-17 and we knew had no shot at the SEC title," said Lofton, now a senior. "Just to be here right now is a blessing, and we're just happy."

Tennessee (25-3, 11-2 SEC) is looking to put some distance between itself and Kentucky (16-10, 10-3) in the SEC rankings when it hosts the Wildcats on Sunday.

Any Suggestions?

Suggestions are one thing Bill Self has had plenty of this week.

From Goodland to Great Britain, ideas are pouring in on how to stop Michael Beasley from beating No. 6 Kansas two games in a row.

But there's a problem: With only a little research, Self finds games where Kansas State's super freshman has laid waste to just about every defense thrown at him.