Tennessee basketball’s four-game losing streak came to a close on Tuesday night when the Vols turned the ball over 15 times in a 73-69 loss at Missouri. Despite the loss, Tennessee has experienced little change in its projected seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
The Vols were the top five-seed in ESPN Joe Lunardi’s projection before the Missouri game and remains as a five-seed ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Alabama.
Lunardi has the Vols as a five-seed in South Region, facing off against 12-seed Liberty in Portland in the opening round of the tournament. If Tennessee got past the Flames, they would face either four-seed Texas Tech or 13-seed North Dakota State in the Round of 32.
Other top teams projected to land in the South Region include one-seed UConn, two-seed Florida and three-seed Houston. The south region semifinal and finals are in Houston this season.
CBS Sports latest bracketology update projects Tennessee as a five-seed in the Midwest Regional. CBS projects the Vols to face 12-seed South Florida in the first round of the tournament and then either four-seed Nebraska or 13-seed Liberty in the Round of 32.
Other top teams projected to land in the Midwest Region include one-seed Michigan, two-seed Florida and three-seed Kansas. The midwest region semifinals and finals are in Chicago.
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Tennessee enters Saturday’s matchup against Alabama with a 20-8 (10-5 SEC) record. The Vols are 5-7 in Quad 1 games including a 4-5 record in Quad 1-A games. Tennessee is 6-1 in Quad 2 games due to its upset loss at Syracuse earlier this season. They’re a combined 9-0 in Quad 3 and Quad 4 games.
The Vols have three games remaining in the regular season and two opportunities for Quad 1 wins as they host Alabama and Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Tennessee has a Quad 2 opportunity when it travels to South Carolina next Tuesday.
With a strong close to the regular season and a solid showing at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee could climb up to a four-seed, but more likely than not seems poised for a five-seed.
An interesting dynamic is the number of SEC teams projected as either four or five seeds. Alabama, Arkansas and Vanderbilt are all straddling the four-five line with Tennessee. NCAA Tournament seeding rules prevent conference opponents from playing the first weekend of the tournament.
That means there’s a strong chance that Tennessee matches up with one of Virginia, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Michigan State, St. John’s, Gonzaga or Louisville in the Round of 32.
But for now, Tennessee’s attention is on Alabama. Tipoff between the Vols and Crimson Tide is at 6 p.m. ET Friday night. Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes are on the call for ESPN.
