ESPN's Joe Lunardi indicates Tennessee basketball unlikely to be a No. 1 seed
Tennessee basketball's game against Auburn has no No. 1 seed ramifications for the Vols, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi.
Lunardi posted on Twitter on Saturday before the No. 4 seed Vols (26-6) play the No. 1 seed Tigers (28-4) that the fourth No. 1 seed likely will go the winner of No. 3 seed Alabama (25-7) and No. 2 seed Florida (28-4) in the second SEC Tournament semifinal at Bridgestone Arena.
Lunardi added that Auburn likely has locked up the No. 1 overall seed. Duke and Houston are also projected to be No. 1 seeds, which means the Vols are seemingly set as a No. 2 seed for the second straight season. He has Tennessee as the No. 6 overall seed and projects the Vols to be in the East Regional with Duke as the top seed.
Tennessee basketball's NCAA Tournament history under Rick Barnes
The Vols have reached six consecutive NCAA Tournaments, a streak started in coach Rick Barnes' third year in the 2017-18 season. Before he took over the program, UT hadn't been to the tournament since 2014.
The Vols reached the program's second Elite Eight in the 2024 season. They went to the Sweet 16 in 2019 and 2023, two of the 10 appearances in program history.
The Vols earned a top-5 seed in each of the six tournament appearances under Barnes. They were a No. 2 seed for the fourth time in program history in 2024. They also were a No. 2 seed when they reached the Sweet 16 in 2019. They were a No. 3 seed in the 2018 and 2021 tournaments. They lost in the second round in those seasons.
Tennessee reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 4 seed in 2023 before falling to Florida Atlantic. It was a No. 5 seed in 2021 and was upset by Oregon State in the first round.
UT has 26 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. It has reached two Elite Eights and has never been to a Final Four.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee bracketology: Vols not No. 1 seed per ESPN's Joe Luanrdi
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