Tennessee basketball is in a good position heading into SEC conference play this Saturday.
The Vols have the No. 5 ranking in the latest AP Poll, have 10 wins on the season with six straight victories including over NC State and No. 20 Illinois, and only have three losses on the season that came during one losing streak – all of which were Top 17 teams including No. 2 Purdue and No. 1 Kansas.
The Vols have proved that they have a deep roster, new offensive firepower, and are welcoming any and all challengers from the SEC when the conference slate starts this weekend.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has been in favor of Rick Barnes’ team all season which is continuing in the 2024 year. But while Tennessee has been projected for the south region in Lunardi’s last few lineups, the Vols have now been moved to the east region.
Joe Lunardi’s latest projection has Tennessee as the No. 2 seed in the East (Boston) region. Interestingly enough, though, the Vols represent the only SEC team in their region from the projections.
Tennessee’s first projected matchup is against No. 15 Longwood in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will take on the winner of No. 7 Providence and No. 10 James Madison if they make it to the second round. Other notable teams in Tennessee’s hypothetical quadrant of the bracket include No. 1 UConn, No. 3 BYU, No. 4 Duke (2023 opponent), No. 5 Oklahoma (future SEC foe), and No. 11 Virginia.
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Lunardi has nine SEC teams in his rankings including No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 8 Ole Miss from the Midwest Region, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 5 Auburn, No. 10 Mississippi State, and No. 11 South Carolina from the South Region, and No. 6 Alabama and No. 10 Florida from the West Region.
After handling business in an 87-50 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday night, Tennessee basketball is officially staring down the SEC schedule. The Vols open up the conference slate on Saturday evening against No. 22 Ole Miss at 6:00 p.m. ET from Knoxville. The Vols will then make a two-game road trip with a contest against Mississippi State on Jan. 10 in Starkville and a game against Georgia on Jan. 13 in Athens.
For a full look at Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, click the link here.
