Where things stand.
Tennessee’s status as a projected No. 1 seed lasted about four entire days. The Volunteers have fallen back to the 2-line on Joe Lunardi’s latest projection, following the loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.
Tennessee soared to the 1-line following their dramatic buzzer-beater win against Alabama last weekend. You knew a trip to Ole Miss would be tough though, and Tennessee kept up with their trend of struggling on the road.
Meanwhile in Tuscaloosa, Florida came away with a massive road win over Alabama. Those results moved the Gators back to the 1-line, according to Lunardi.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 6, 2025
Tennessee shifts down to the No. 5 overall seed, currently paired up with Houston in the midwest. Now’s the time where you can start paying attention to specific matchups and locations, and it’s worth wondering if the Volunteers would be better off with this scenario. The final No. 1 seed would be placed in the west, while the top No. 2 seed lands in the midwest.
Tennessee would open in Raleigh and have to go through Indianapolis to make a final four run. The No. 1 seed out west out open in Lexington, but have to go to San Francisco to make a final four run.
Another interesting wrinkle — Memphis has been the projected No. 7 seed in the midwest in several brackets we’ve seen. A Tennessee-Memphis second round matchup would be made for TV, even though the committee promises they don’t do that — remember Rick Barnes vs. Texas last year?
Tennessee closes with South Carolina on Saturday before moving to the SEC Tournament. The Volunteers can lock up the double bye with a win over the Gamecocks, then they’ll have at least one more chance at a meaningful win, maybe two or three.