College basketball season is three weeks away and the SEC released its preseason media predictions on Monday afternoon.
The conference’s media picked the Vols to finish third in the conference coming in behind Alabama and Auburn and directly ahead of Arkansas, Texas A&M and Florida. The preseason SEC predictions marched the AP Poll earlier on Monday which pegged Tennessee as the nation’s No. 12 team and the SEC’s No. 3 team.
Tennessee is the league’s reigning champion after winning the regular season crown outright a season ago with a 14-4 SEC record. The Vols split games against South Carolina, Texas A&M and Kentucky while losing at Mississippi State. Tennessee swept second-place Alabama while earning a home win over Auburn.
The 2024-25 season is the first season of the expanded, 16-team SEC with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma into the conference. Despite the expansion, the SEC schedule is still just 18 games. Tennessee plays Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida twice and everyone else in the conference once.
The Vols lost four of their five starters off of last season’s SEC Regular-Season Championship team including SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht, All-SEC center Jonas Aidoo and experienced veterans Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi.
But despite losing key players Tennessee has a blend of key contributors, potential second year standouts and a talented transfer class that provides an abundance of optimism.
All-SEC point guard Zakai Zeigler is back as well as guards Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey. Sophomores Cam Carr, JP Estrella and Cade Phillips are all looking to take significant steps forward. Tennessee also added Ohio State center Felix Okpara, Charlotte forward Igor Milicic, Hofstra forward Darlinstone Dubar and North Florida guard Chaz Lanier to the roster.
More From RTI: Where Tennessee Basketball Ranks In The Preseason AP Top 25
Predicted Order of Finish
- Alabama
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Texas A&M
- Florida
- Texas
- Kentucky
- Ole Miss
- Mississippi State
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Missouri
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Vanderbilt
