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Slumping Tennessee still holding firm as No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament projections

The Vols remain in a good spot, all things considered.

By Terry A. Lambert
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NCAA Basketball: Tennessee at Texas A&M Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee has dropped five of their last seven games since rising up to the No. 2 spot in the AP poll four weeks ago. The Volunteers have struggled with offensive production and injuries, causing them to tumble down the projected seed list as we inch closer to the NCAA Tournament.

Despite the losses piling up, Tennessee is still hanging around as a projected No. 3 seed. Some have dropped the Volunteers down to the four line, but thanks to a wild year at the top with no group of teams able to separate, Tennessee has been able to hang around.

Latest Bracketology for Tennessee (2/24)

ESPN: No. 3 seed

USA Today: No. 3 seed

Bally Sports: No. 3 seed

Bart Tovik: No. 2 seed

NCAA NET Rankings: 4th overall

It’s actually pretty remarkable how little these losses have hurt Tennessee. But then again, squeezing in a win over then No. 1 Alabama as well as another ranked win over Auburn certainly helps matters.

Tennessee has a chance to get back in the win column on Saturday against a bad South Carolina team, one that they completely took apart on the road several weeks ago. They also could get Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips back in the lineup.

The Volunteers then have a tough final week, hosting Arkansas and travelling to Auburn ahead of the SEC Tournament. Believe it or not, Rick Barnes still has a shot to turn this thing around and get things going in the right direction ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the current odds to win the National Championship, with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament Odds

Houston +650

Alabama +900

Kansas +950

Purdue +1000

Arizona +1400

UCLA +1400

Texas +1800

UConn +2000

Baylor +2000

Tennessee +2500

Virginia +2800

Gonzaga +2800

Marquette +3000

Saint Mary’s +3000

Indiana +3000

Creighton +3000

TCU +3500

Kansas State +3500

Kentucky +5000

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.

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