An up and down 2025-26 season for Tennessee basketball wrapped up just how it began — up and down. The Volunteers figured things out during the middle stretch of SEC play, powered by a budding superstar in Nate Ament. Things hit the skids late though, just as the Volunteers were threatening to move back into the top 16 national seed conversation.
What could have been — Tennessee blew big leads twice against Kentucky, both at home and away. They did the same thing on the road against Missouri and again at home against Alabama.
Those four games could have really changed the course of Tennessee’s potential path in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the Vols finish with a 22-11 mark, looking at a middle of the pack seed in the big dance.
A consensus No. 5 seed projection has shifted down to a No. 6 in most places you look this morning. This coming after running into a red-hot Vanderbilt team on Friday afternoon in Nashville. Tennessee sits 20th overall in the NCAA’s NET ranking, finishing with a 6-10 mark in Quad 1 matchups.
While the projected seed appears set, the region isn’t. Tennessee has been projected in the South, Midwest and East this weekend, with Greenville appearing as the most likely destination for a first weekend location.
Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament projections
ESPN: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 VCU (South Region, paired with No. 3 Purdue)
CBS Sports: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 SMU/Santa Clara (East Region, paired with No. 3 Michigan State)
SBNation: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 South Florida (Midwest Region, paired with No. 3 Virginia)
The Selection Sunday show will begin tonight at 6 p.m. ET live on CBS, where the full bracket will be revealed. Streaming options include both Paramount+ and March Madness Live.
