Tennessee basketball enters the Christmas break as the undefeated No. 1 team in the AP Poll. With their NCAA Tournament berth all but secured, the question remains: where will the Vols land in the bracket?
According to ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Tennessee is projected as a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region in his latest bracketology update.
In Lunardi’s projection, the Vols would face 16-seed Lamar in the opening round in Lexington before potentially meeting either eight-seed Dayton or nine-seed San Diego State in the Round of 32. Other strong teams in the Midwest region include two-seed Marquette, three-seed Kansas, four-seed Mississippi State, and five-seed Purdue.
This year, the Midwest Regional will be held in Indianapolis, which is an easy drive for Tennessee fans, though it hasn’t been kind to the Vols in recent tournaments. Tennessee lost to Oregon State in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and to Michigan in the Round of 32 in 2022, both times at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Tennessee is part of an impressive group of 13 SEC teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament as conference play approaches. Auburn is Lunardi’s No. 1 overall seed, followed by two-seed Kentucky, two-seed Florida, two-seed Alabama, four-seed Texas A&M, four-seed Mississippi State, five-seed Oklahoma, six-seed Ole Miss, eight-seed Georgia, nine-seed Arkansas, 10-seed Texas, and 11-seed Missouri.
Vanderbilt is listed as one of the first four teams out, with LSU also on the outside looking in. Among the next 16 teams, only South Carolina is considered highly unlikely to make the tournament.
Tennessee has never been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though they have been a No. 2 seed twice under head coach Rick Barnes (2019 and 2024), as well as twice under head coach Bruce Pearl (2006 and 2008).
The Vols will return to action on New Year’s Eve against Norfolk State in their final non-conference game before kicking off SEC play against Arkansas on January 4.
