The Tennessee Volunteers caught attention on Saturday night with their commanding 103-92 victory against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Yet, they further impressed on Wednesday night with an 88-68 win over the LSU Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi elevated the Vols from a 2 seed to a 1 seed in his most recent projected NCAA tournament bracket as a result.
The Vols ascended as the fourth and final 1 seed, displacing the Arizona Wildcats, who dropped to the top 2 seed. Lunardi highlights that the Vols’ advancement followed their impressive 20-point victory over LSU. Interestingly, Arizona’s sole loss since January 25 occurred against unranked Oregon State, where they fell 83-80.
Metrics undeniably endorse Tennessee’s status as a top seed. According to WarrenNolan.com, Tennessee boasts an RPI of 5 and a strength of schedule of
One aspect where the Vols could bolster their position as a top seed is by securing more quad 1 victories, defined as wins over teams ranked 1-30 in the RPI at home, ranked 1-50 at a neutral site, or ranked 1-75 on the road. Tennessee currently holds a 4-4 record in Quad 1 games, with a stronger 5-1 record in Quad 2 games.
The Vols will have an opportunity to enhance their resume with several challenging Quad 1 games toward the end of the year. They are slated to face currently ranked Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, and Kentucky to conclude the regular season. If Tennessee can perform well during this critical stretch, it could pave the way for their first-ever #1 tournament seed.
