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No. 5 Tennessee moves back up in ESPN Bracketology with 65-59 win at LSU

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey02/26/25GrantRamey
Tennessee Basketball | Andrew Ferguson, Tennessee Athletics
Head Coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Tennessee Volunteers at Reed Arena in College Station, TX. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Basketball is back to the No. 5 overall seed in ESPN’s Bracketology update from Joe Lunardi on Wednesday, following the 65-59 win at LSU Tuesday night. The Vols briefly dropped to the No. 6 overall seed Tuesday afternoon, before moving back up.

Lunardi has the Vols (23-5, 10-5 SEC) once again paired with No. 1-seed Duke (No. 2 overall) in the East Region (Newark), with Texas Tech (No. 12 overall) as the No. 3 seed and Michigan (No. 15) as the No. 4 seed.

On Tuesday Lunardi moved Houston to a No. 1 seed after the Cougars won at Texas Tech Monday night. That dropped Florida from the fourth and final No. 1 seed to the top No. 2 seed, bumping Tennessee down one spot.

Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Alabama, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

Florida lost at Georgia Tuesday night, dropping the Gators to the No. 6 overall seed. Michigan State (No. 7 overall) and Texas A&M (No. 8 overall) are the other No. 2 seeds. Tennessee beat A&M 77-69 on Saturday in College Station.

No. 5 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Alabama on Saturday at Food City Center, a 4 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN. The Crimson Tide is currently Lunardi’s third No. 1 seed.

Auburn is the No. 1 overall seed. Lunardi’s current No. 3 seeds are Iowa State, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Texas Tech in that order, and the No. 4s are St. John’s, Arizona, Michigan and Purdue.

13 SEC teams currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament

Tennessee remains ranked No. 5 in the NET with a 9-5 Quad 1 record. The Vols are 4-0 in Quad 2, 4-0 in Quad 3 and 3-0 in Quad 4.

Saturday’s game against Alabama is a Quad 1 opportunity, as is the game at Ole Miss on Wednesday. Tennessee closes the regular-season schedule with a Quad 3 game against South Carolina on March 8 on Senior Day in Knoxville. 

The Vols are also No. 5 overall in the KenPom.com ratings, ranked No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency (87.6) and No. 27 in adjusted offensive efficiency (119.0).

Lunardi currently has 13 SEC teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament: Auburn (No. 1 seed, No. 1 overall); Alabama (No. 1 seed, No. 3 overall); Tennessee (No. 2 seed, No. 5 overall); Florida (No. 2 seed, No. 6 overall); Texas A&M (No. 2 seed, No. 8 overall); Kentucky (No. 3 seed, No. 11 overall); Missouri (No. 5 seed, No. 17 overall); Ole Miss (No. 6 seed, No. 24 overall); Mississippi State (No. 7 seed, No. 27 overall); Vanderbilt (No. 10 seed, No. 38 overall); Oklahoma (No. 11 seed, No. 41 overall); Texas (Last Four In, No. 43 overall); Arkansas (Last Four In, No. 44 overall). 

Georgia is in the ‘First Four Out’ category as Lunardi’s No. 71 overall seed after beating Florida at home Tuesday night.

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