Where Rick Barnes, Tennessee Basketball Landed In Preseason SEC Rankings

The college basketball season is just three weeks away and SEC Media Days is later this week in Birmingham. Ahead of this week’s media days, the SEC released its preseason media predictions and all conference teams Monday.

The league’s media picked Tennessee to finish third in the SEC, coming in directly behind Florida and Kentucky and directly ahead of Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn. Tennessee finished the 2024-25 season with a 12-6 SEC record which was good for fourth in the SEC.

Analytics based college basketball websites have Tennessee ranked similarly in the SEC. KenPom ranks Tennessee No. 9 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC the initial rankings. BartTorvik ranks Tennessee No. 13 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC. EvanMiya ranks Tennessee No. 15 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC.

Tennessee lost four of five starters and five of its top seven players from last season’s 30-win, Elite Eight team. But the Vols return a strong front court with Felix Okpara, JP Estrella and Cade Phillips plus the addition of Vanderbilt transfer Jaylen Carey.

Maryland transfer point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and five-star freshman wing Nate Ament were each All-SEC preseason selections and could be high level scorers for the 2025-26 Tennessee team.

Expectations are again high for Tennessee entering the season despite losing four of five starters and five of its top seven players from last season’s Elite Eight team. Ament and Gillespie are the headliners but Tennessee’s front court as the potential to be on the SEC’s best. Shooting guard and overall floor spacing remain the biggest questions for Tennessee entering the season.

This year, RTI’s Ryan Schumpert was one of the preseason voters SEC rankings. Here’s a look at the complete SEC Preseason Rankings and Schumpert’s ballot.

More From RTI: Where Tennessee Basketball Ranks In KenPom, Analytic Based Preseason Rankings

SEC Preseason Rankings

1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Arkansas
6. Auburn
7. Missouri
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas
10. Mississippi State
11. Vanderbilt
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Georgia
15. LSU
16. South Carolina

RTI Ryan Schumpert Preseason Ballot

1. Florida
2. Tennessee
3. Kentucky
4. Alabama
5. Auburn
6. Arkansas
7. Vanderbilt
8. Texas A&M
9. Mississippi State
10. Missouri
11. Ole Miss
12. Texas
13. Oklahoma
14. Georgia
15. South Carolina
16. LSU