Tennessee was unbeaten and the top-ranked team in the land when it was annihilated by 30 points by Florida on Jan. 7.Three-plus-weeks later, the No. 8 Volunteers will try to avenge that shellacking when they face the No. 5 Gators on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.Tennessee (17-4, 4-4) has lost three of its past four games, but its decline began with the 73-43 loss at Florida. The Volunteers never led, trailed by as many as 36 points, and shot just 21.4 percent (12 of 56) from the field.Tennessee coach Rick Barnes knows the Gators (18-2, 5-2) will be itching to finish a regular-season sweep.”It won’t get any easier,” Barnes said of his team being 3-4 after the 14-0 start. “I know our guys are disappointed — which, I know how much they care, I know how hard they work. … So we can get better and we’ve got to get better. And, knowing what I know about these guys, I think we will get better.”The Volunteers lost 78-73 at home against No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday, three days after dropping a 53-51 decision at top-ranked Auburn.Tennessee was just 11 of 45 from 3-point range against Kentucky, with Zakai Zeigler making just 1 of 11 and Chaz Lanier hitting 3 of 10.Igor Milicic Jr. led the Volunteers with 19 points and nine rebounds. He ranks fourth on the squad in scoring (10.4) and leads in rebounding (8.1).Lanier leads Tennessee in scoring (17.8) and 3-pointers (74). Zeigler is averaging 12.3 points and a team-leading 7.4 assists, and Jordan Gainey chips in 10.8 points per game.Though the Volunteers were blasted by the Gators, their other three setbacks are by a combined eight points.”You know, we’re in the best league in the country against a team that has had big wins,” Barnes said of Florida. “There’s no given that we’re going to win every game, even if we play well. We want to win every game, but that team we’re playing? They want to win, too.”The Gators have won three straight games and five of their last six. They are well-rested, as they did not have a mid-week game this week.