Tennessee basketball is trending towards a middle seed in its potential sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and eighth total, under coach Rick Barnes.
The Vols (16-7, 6-4 SEC) tumbled out of the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll following its 74-71 loss at Kentucky on Feb. 7. They were previously ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, but have not been ranked in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll since a blowout loss at Florida on Jan. 10.
Advertisement
Tennessee is tied for fourth place in the SEC with No. 20 Vanderbilt, Alabama and Missouri. The Vols are two games behind the top-seeded Florida, yet only a half a game up on the fifth place Texas.
Tennessee has a chance to climb the conference standings with three straight games against teams at the bottom of the SEC. The stretch starts against Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7) at Humphrey Coliseum on Feb. 11 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Here’s a look at where the Vols stand in March Madness projections as of Feb. 9.
Tennessee basketball March Madness bracket predictions
USA TODAY’s Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Paul Myerberg have Tennessee as a No. 5 seed in the West Region. The Vols would play No. 24 Miami (Ohio) in Tampa, Florida. The RedHawks (24-0) are the only remaining undefeated team in the nation. The winner would play No. 4 Purdue or No. 13 UNC Wilmington.
Advertisement
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi also projects Tennessee as a No. 5 seed, but in the South Region. The Vols would take on No. 12 Stephen F. Austin in Portland, Oregon, and the winner would await No. 4 Virginia or No. 13 UNC Wilmington.
CBS Sports has the Vols down a couple spots, projected them to earn the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region. There, Tennessee would play No. 10 UCLA. The victor would take on No. 2 Iowa State or No. 15 Wright State.
Tennessee basketball’s résumé, NET ranking
NET ranking: No. 21
KenPom ranking: No. 17
Quad 1 record: 4-7
Quad 2 record: 3-0
Quad 3 record: 3-0
Quad 4 record: 6-0
Tennessee basketball’s NCAA Tournament history under Rick Barnes
Tennessee basketball is in its best stretch in program history under Barnes, now in his 11th season with the Vols. Entering the 2025-26 season, the Vols were coming off consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve made the tournament seven times and have qualified for the past five years.
Advertisement
Before Barnes, Tennessee only made it to the Elite 8 once under former coach Bruce Pearl in the 2009-10 season. Overall, the Vols have 27 NCAA Tournament berths with three Elite Eight appearances but have never made it to the Final Four.
Tennessee basketball’s upcoming games
-
Feb. 11: at Mississippi State, 9 p.m. ET (Quad 2)
-
Feb. 14: vs. LSU, 6 p.m. ET (Quad 2)
-
Feb. 18: vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. ET (Quad 2)
-
Feb. 21: at No. 20 Vanderbilt, 2 p.m. ET (Quad 1)
-
Feb. 24: at Missouri, 9 p.m. ET (Quad 1)
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee bracketology, latest NCAA tournament bracket predictions
