GREENVILLE, SC – Lady Vols basketball lost to Alabama in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
No. 6 seed Tennessee (16-13) fell 76-64 to the No. 11 Crimson Tide (23-9) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 5, dropping a seventh straight game. By the time the NCAA Tournament begins, it will be over a month since the Lady Vols on a game.
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Here’s how the loss could impact Tennessee’s seeding in March Madness.
How Tennessee loss vs Alabama impacts NCAA Tournament seed
Alabama was a projected No. 6 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology before the game, and Tennessee was a No. 7 seed in the same region. A win might have pushed the Lady Vols to a No. 6 seed over the Tide, but now there’s little to no chance they’ll be higher than a No. 7 seed.
At the very least, a win could have ensured that Tennessee wouldn’t fall to a No. 8 seed, which would set up a matchup with a No. 1 seed in the second round should the Lady Vols advance.
It’s difficult to predict how much the loss will hurt the Lady Vols. But it won’t give them any breathing room if another team in the running for a No. 7 seed makes a run in its conference tournament.
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ESPN’s Charlie Creme already dropped Tennessee to a No. 8 seed in his bracketology update after the games March 5, and he moved Illinois up to a No. 7 seed after it upset Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball predictions for March Madness: Where Lady Vols could land
