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Rick Barnes won't make a big deal out of the Vols' No. 1 ranking

Tennessee is the top ranked basketball team in the nation this week, according to the AP poll.

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes reacted to his team's number one ranking just like you'd expect.

"I've not made a big deal about it and I won’t make a big deal about it. Now it’s simple, can we continue to be the best team we can be?" asked Barnes at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

That doesn't mean he's not happy for his guys. He just doesn't want them to dwell on it.

"We know what our foundation is. We have a simple goal, we want to be the best basketball program we can be. I’m proud of these guys. They built it," Barnes said.

Barnes said all of the credit goes to the players, who bought into the program and made a commitment to be the best.

They got the news about the No. 1 ranking at practice on Monday. It was something they knew was a possibility, after losses by Duke and Michigan.

"They've grown, they'be been through it. Earned it," he said.

RELATED: Can the Vols avoid the curse of a #1 ranking? 

He said he thinks back to those early days at Tennessee, when the team was struggling, but the fans were still terrific. He knows what the number one ranking means to the Big Orange faithful.

So he's happy and proud. But still..

"We've got room for improvement," Barnes pointed out.

And there's still a long season ahead.

The Vols face SEC foe Vandy on Wednesday night--- a dangerous rivalry game even when the Commodores are not having a great season. Every SEC game will be a challenge because they Vols have that big No. 1 target on their back.

"We’re in the middle of a basketball season. All this does is bring you notoriety," he said.

Barnes and his players have said it all season. Even thought they're nice, they aren't focused on the rankings in January. They want to make a run in March, cut down nets, and hoist banners.

"We're glad people are excited. I'm glad for our guys they are excited," Barnes said. But he wants to make sure that his scrappy team of what used to be underdogs are going to keep their eye on the prize. 

"Way grounded in terms of everyday work ethic and mindset. We're trying to build something sustainable," he said.

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