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Joe Lunardi drops Tennessee in latest ESPN Bracketology update

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey02/25/25GrantRamey
Rick Barnes, Tennessee Basketball | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes chats with his team during a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.

Tennessee Basketball dropped to the No. 6 overall seed in Tuesday afternoon’s ESPN Bracketology update from Joe Lunardi, moving down one spot. Houston moved up to a No. 1 seed after its win at Texas Tech Monday night and Florida dropped from the fourth No. 1 seed to the top No. 2 seed.

Tennessee (22-5, 9-5 SEC) plays at LSU (14-13, 3-11) Tuesday night (9 Eastern Time, SEC Network) and hosts Alabama (22-5, 11-3) on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) inside a sold-out Food City Center. 

The Vols had been Lunardi’s top No. 2 seed in recent weeks before moving down in Tuesday’s update. Lunardi has Tennessee in the South Region, where Auburn is the No. 1 seed and No. 1 overall seed. Wisconsin is the No. 3 seed and Arizona is the No. 4 seed.

Joe Lunardi: Alabama could drop from No. 1 seed ‘given upcoming schedule’

Lunardi noted Tuesday that Florida could regain its spot as a No. 1 seed with “a big win” at Georgia Tuesday night. He also noted Alabama “may not last” as a No. 1 seed, given its remaining schedule.

After hosting Mississippi State Tuesday night, Alabama plays at Tennessee, hosts Florida then goest to Auburn to close the regular-season schedule. 

Tennessee was Lunardi’s No. 6 overall seed ahead of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 8 Iowa State. 

The other No. 3 seeds were Texas A&M (No. 9), Kentucky (No. 11) and Texas Tech (No. 12). The other No. 4s were St. John’s, tied with Arizona as the No. 13 overall seed, Michigan (No. 15) and Purdue (No. 16).

Tennessee on Monday moved up one spot to No. 5 in both the updated Associated Press Top 25 and the Coaches Poll on Monday, following the 77-69 win at Texas A&M on Saturday.

Vols ranked No. 5 in NET and KenPom.com ratings

Tennessee remains at No. 5 in the NET, improving its Quad 1 record to 9-5 after the win at Texas A&M. The Vols are 13-0 in Quad 2, 3 and 4 games and are tied for for the second most Quad 1 wins in the country. Auburn has 14 and Oregon and Alabama also have nine. 

Auburn is No. 1 in the NET, ahead of Duke, Houston and Florida.

Tennessee is also No. 5 in the KenPom.com ratings, ranked No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, giving up 87.6 points per 100 possessions, and No. 29 in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 119.2 points per 100 possessions.

Duke is ahead of Auburn for the No. 1 overall spot in KenPom. Auburn is No. 2, Houston is NO. 3 and Florida is No. 4.

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