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Tennessee basketball moves up in updated Associated Press Top 25

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•01/01/24•

GrantRamey

Tennessee Basketball
KNOXVILLE, TN - December 21, 2023 - Head Coach Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Tarleton State Texans and the Tennessee Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee basketball moved up one spot to No. 5 in Monday’s updated Associated Press Top 25. The Vols moved up two spots to No. 6 in the poll last week, the highest ranking of the season at the time, after previously being ranked No. 7 on both November 13 and No. 20. They dropped as low as No. 17 on December 4.

Tennessee (9-3), currently riding a five-game win five straight games, hosts Norfolk State (9-6) on Tuesday, a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: SEC Network) at Thompson-Boling Arena. 

The Vols are No. 6 in the NET ranking after Sunday’s update. The NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) replaced the RPI five years ago and is used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee to help seed the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee is 2-3 in Quad 1 games, 3-0 in Quad 2 games and 4-0 in Quad 4 games, having not yet played a Quad 3 game.

Vols are a No. 2 seed in ESPN Bracketology

Tennessee is a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s latest edition of Bracketology from Joe Lunardi, as of the December 26 update. The Vols recently moved up from a No. 3 seed in the bracket projection.

Lunardi had Tennessee matched up against No. 15-seed Longwood in the first round, playing opposite of No. 7-seed San Diego State and No. 10-seed Miami. 

The ESPN bracket projection has Tennessee in the South Region (Dallas), with the Vols playing the opening weekend in Charlotte. Houston is the No. 1 seed in the South and Wisconsin is the No. 3, with Duke as the No. 4 and Auburn as the No. 5.

Up Next: Tennessee vs. Norfolk State, January 2, 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network

The 65-46 win over Tarleton State on December 21 was the final game before an extended Christmas break for the Vols, who are now off until January 2, when they host Norfolk State at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will start at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and will be televised by SEC Network. 

Tennessee hosts Ole Miss at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 6 in a 6 p.m. ET start on SEC Network. The Rebels improved to 10-0 with an 88-78 win over Cal in the early game in San Antonio on Saturday.

The Vols go on the road in conference play for the first time on January 10 at Mississippi State, a 7 p.m. ET SEC Network game at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville.

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