What a bounceback it’s been for Tennessee.
After a shaky start to conference play, the Volunteers have ripped off eight straight SEC wins, powering their way to second in the regular season standings. Tennessee has bolsters its resume in recent weeks, picking up a nice road win over Mississippi State and a win at home against No. 4 Kentucky.
Now unanimously, Tennessee is among the top 16 projected seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Updated Tennessee Bracketology
ESPN: No. 4 seed vs. No. 13 Vermont
CBS: No. 4 seed vs. No. 13 South Dakota State
USA Today: No. 4 seed vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
Bracket Matrix: No. 4 seed
Tennessee could even move to the No. 3 seed line with another win this weekend at Arkansas, a place the Vols haven’t won since 2009. The Volunteers and Razorbacks will meet twice down the stretch as the regular season wraps up.
Tennessee will also host Auburn next weekend.
Rick Barnes has the Vols peaking, despite a late-season lineup change due to injury. Olivier Nkamhoua will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, but that has opened the door for freshman center Jonas Aidoo. Through three games since the injury, Tennessee looks as good as they have all season.
Let’s see if they can keep it rolling on Saturday in one of the toughest places to play in the SEC.