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Start time set for No. 6 Tennessee's game against No. 4 Alabama on March 1

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•02/19/25•

GrantRamey

NCAA Basketball: Alabama at Texas A&M
Jan 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oates talks with Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

No. 6 Tennessee’s game against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday on March 1 is set for a 4 p.m. Eastern Start time on ESPN at Food City Center in Knoxville. The game was previously designated as either a 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. ET start. 

The Alabama game is sold out and will be an ‘Orange Out’ game at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Vols (21-5, 8-5 SEC) have two road games before hosting the Crimson Tide, going to No. 7 Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4) on Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN) at Reed Arena in College Station then to LSU on Tuesday, February 25 (9 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge. 

Alabama (21-4, 10-3), which lost 94-85 at home against No. 1 Auburn last Saturday, plays at Missouri Wednesday night and hosts Kentucky on Saturday. The Crimson Tide host Mississippi State on Tuesday, February 25. 

Vols are currently projected as top No. 2 seed in NCAA Tournament

Tennessee is currently projected as the top No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament according to the tournament selection committee, which released its current top-16 seeds on Saturday. The Vols came in as the No. 5 overall seed and was in the East Region with No. 1-seed Duke.

Auburn, Alabama, Duke and Florida were the No. 1 seeds, in that order. 

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi also has Tennessee as his No. 5 overall seed and the No. 2 seed in the East Region in his latest ESPN Bracketology update. 

The Vols are currently No. 5 in both the NET (8-5 in Quad 1 games) and No. 5 in the KenPom.com ratings (No. 1 on defense, No. 30 on offense). 

Tennessee still alive in hunt for a No. 1 seed

A No. 1 seed is still within reach with Tennessee going to A&M, as the Aggies are also currently projected to be a No. 2 seed. The Vols also go to Ole Miss (March 5) for another Quad 1 opportunity before Senior Day at Food City Center on March 8 against South Carolina. 

KenPom projections give the Vols a 54% chance to win at Texas A&M (64-62), an 82% chance to win at LSU (71-61), a 69% chance to beat Alabama (79-73), a 59% chance to win at Ole Miss (68-65) and a 93% chance to beat South Carolina (71-54). 

Tennessee has never been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but has been a No. 3 seed three times, including twice under Rick Barnes (2019, 2024). 

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