Where Tennessee Basketball was seeded in the NCAA Tournament Bracket Preview

Tennessee basketball is currently a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. The Vols were the No. 6 overall seed in the Midwest Region when the committee released the current top-16 seeds during the NCAA March Madness Bracket Preview Show on CBS.

Purdue was the No. 1 overall seed and placed in the Midwest Region, ahead of UConn, the No. 2 overall seed and the top seed in the East Region. Houston was the third No. 1 seed and was placed in the South Region and Arizona was the fourth No. 1 seed and played in the West Region.

Joining the Vols and Purdue in the Midwest was No. 3 Baylor, the No. 10 overall seed, and No. 4 San Diego State, the No. 14 overall seed.

“Tennessee is definitely strong,” Charles McClelland, the SWAC commissioner and the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Chairperson, said during the show, “and we’ll continue to look at them as we go through this process.”

In the East it was UConn (2), North Carolina (5), Iowa State (11) and Wisconsin (16). The South was Houston (3), Marquette (7), Alabama (9) and Illinois (15) and the West was Arizona (4), Kansas (8), Duke (12) and Auburn (13).

Tennessee (18-6, 8-3 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (7-17, 2-9) on Saturday (6 p.m. Eastern Time, SEC Network), the start of three home games over the next four on schedule.

The Vols have seven games left before the postseason. They go to Missouri on Tuesday, then host Texas A&M next Saturday and Auburn on February 28. They close with road trips to Alabama (March 2) and South Carolina (March 9), then a Senior Day home game against Kentucky in the regular-season finale on March 9.

Where the Vols stand in NET, KenPom, Bracketology

Tennessee is No. 7 in the NET, dropping one spot on Wednesday after getting jumped by Auburn. The Tigers beat South Carolina 101-61 on Wednesday night. The Vols have a 4-5 Quad 1 record and are 6-1 in Quad 2 games. They’re a combined 8-0 in Quad 2 and Quad 3 games. 

KenPom.com has Tennessee at No. 6 overall in the current ratings. The Vols are ranked No. 6 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 92.6 points per 100 possessions, and No. 15 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 118.9 points per possession.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi on Thursday projected Tennessee to be the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region. The Vols were tied as the No. 8 overall seed with Kansas in Lunardi’s seed list and was in the Midwest Region with No. 1-seed Purdue, the top overall seed, No. 3-seed Iowa State and No. 4-seed Creighton.

Lunarid’s No. 1 seeds alongside Purdue were UConn (East Region), Houston (South Region) and Arizona (West Region), in that order. The No. 2 seeds were Marquette, the No. 5 overall seed, No. 7 North Carolina and then Tennessee and Kansas.

A Closer Look: Tennessee’s remaining schedule

After back-to-back road games at Texas A&M and Arkansas — the Vols lost 85-69 at A&M before bouncing back with a 92-63 win at Arkansas — Tennessee will return home for three of its next four games at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols host Vanderbilt on Saturday, go to Missouri on Tuesday and then have home dates with Texas A&M (February 24) and Auburn (February 28).

The tests continue in March with back-to-back road games at Alabama (March 2) and South Carolina (March 6) before closing the regular season at home against Kentucky on Senior Day in Knoxville (March 9).

The SEC Tournament is set for March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and the NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 17.