When Bruce Pearl was fired at Tennessee in March 2011 and subsequently hit with a three-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA, there was no guarantee he'd ever coach at the high-major level again. I mean,

This victory at the O’Connell Center not only ended Tennessee’s perfect season, but also propelled the Gators up two spots in ESPN’s latest power rankings. Florida moved from No. 6 to No. 4.

Three teams ranked inside the top 10 of the USA TODAY Coaches Poll already have a loss. A pair of teams in the preseason top 25 are 0-2, as road trips feel like swimming against the current, and nine conference wins should make teams a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

As we wrap up the first full week of the new year, let’s take a glance at how some of the Jackson area’s boys basketball teams are faring. There are some key conference matchups on the horizon, and a few that have been played in the past few days, so the picture is starting to come into focus on who is rising to the top.

A week that saw the three final undefeated teams lose -- two by a lot (OU to Alabama and Tennessee to Florida) and one by a little (Florida to Kentucky) -- prompts major changes in this week's college basketball power rankings.