Where Tennessee Basketball is ranked in the first KenPom ratings for the 2025-26 season

Tennessee Basketball will start the new season ranked No. 9 in the first KenPom.com ratings update for 2025-26. The Vols are ranked No. 3 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 28 in adjusted offensive efficiency. 

Tennessee, coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances and 57 combined wins over the last two seasons, finished at No. 5 in the KenPom ratings both last season and in the 2023-24.

The Vols finished at No. 6 in the KenPom ratings in 2022-23 and No. 9 in the 2021-22. Their last KenPom finish outside the top 10 was No. 28 in 2020-21.

Tennessee last season finished No. 17 in adjusted offensive efficiency in the KenPom ratings and No. 3 on defense. The Vols were No. 28 on offense in 2023-24 and No. 3 on defense. They haven’t finished outside the top five on defense since 2019-20, including a No. 1 ranking defensively in 2022-23.

Houston, Florida top new KenPom ratings

KenPom has Houston at No. 1 in its new ratings, ahead of No. 2 Florida. The Gators beat the Cougars to win the national championship last April in San Antonio. 

Purdue is No. 3, ahead of No. 4 Kentucky, No. 5 UConn, No. 6 Illinois, No. 7 Duke and No. 8 Gonzaga. UCLA is No. 10, one spot behind Tennessee. 

KenPom currently projects the Vols to go 21-9 from the 30 games currently on schedule. The projected losses are to Houston in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas on November 25, at Arkansas, at Florida, at Alabama, at Kentucky, at Mississippi State, at Vanderbilt and at Missouri.

Tennessee held an open scrimmage at Food City Center Saturday morning and will host Ohio State in a closed scrimmage this Saturday in Knoxville. 

The Vols will also host Duke in a sold-out exhibition game on October 26, set for a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN2. The regular-season starts on November 3 at home against Mercer. 

Where SEC teams are ranked in the KenPom ratings

As for other SEC teams in the KenPom ratings — behind No. 2 Florida, No. 4 Kentucky and No. 9 Tennessee — Vanderbilt is No. 19, Alabama is No. 23, Ole Miss is No. 24, Mississippi estate is No. 26, Missouri is No. 28, Arkansas is No. 29, Auburn is No. 31, Texas A&M is No. 35, Texas is No. 39, Georgia is No. 44, LSU is No. 56, Oklahoma is No. 58 and South Carolina is No. 86. 

SEC play starts January 3 at Arkansas and includes other conference road games at Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina. Tennessee has home dates Texas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU and Oklahoma and home-and-home games against Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

The non-conference schedule is highlighted by the trip to the Player Era Men’s Championship in Las Vegas — facing Rutgers, Houston and a third team to be determined — as well as a road game at Syracuse, a neutral-site game against Illinois in Nashville and a home date with Louisville.