Tennessee basketball fell two-spots to No. 25 in this week’s AP Top 25 following its 1-1 week to close the regular season. Tennessee dropped out of the USA Today Coaches Poll entering the postseason.
The Vols are one of five SEC teams in this week’s AP Poll coming in behind No. 4 Florida, No. 15 Alabama, No. 17 Arkansas and No. 22 Vanderbilt. Tennessee non conference opponents No. 5 Houston, No. 9 Illinois and No. 14 Kansas are also in this week’s poll.
Rick Barnes’ 11th Tennessee team is coming off a 1-1 week without star wing Nate Ament. The Vols massacred South Carolina 78-59 thanks to scoring 56 paints in the point. JP Estrella and Felix Okpara combined to score 42 points 20-of-27 shooting from the field.
But Tennessee struggled without Ament against Vanderbilt, following behind 15-2 early and never recovering in an 86-82 loss to close the regular season.
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With Ament sidelined last week, freshman guard Amari Evans stepped up into a starting role. Evans totaled seven points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists against South Carolina before totaling 24 points, six rebounds and three steals against the Commodores
Tennessee ends the regular season with a 21-10 (10-7 SEC) record and projects as a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament ahead of this weeks SEC Tournament.
The Vols landed as a five-seed in the SEC Tournament. They will face the winner of 12-seed Auburn and 13-seed Mississippi State on Thursday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena. If Tennessee wins its first game, they will face Vanderbilt for a third time this season. With two wins to begin the tournament, the Vols will likely run into SEC Regular-Season Champion Florida in the semifinals.
Tennessee fell to Florida in the SEC Tournament Championship game a season ago. The two years prior, the Vols lost in Friday’s quarterfinal round.
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