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Tennessee Basketball Bracketology: Vols Slipping Out of NCAA Tournament

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 18, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view during the first half between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view during the first half between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Coming off of a victory Saturday, Tennessee basketball is still sliding out of the NCAA Tournament in most bracketology fields as of Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.

They currently have a 15-12 overall record. And they have fallen to No. 51 in the RPI, which only recognizes a 14-12 record by them and saw their schedule strength drop to No. 10 after playing the Missouri Tigers. As a result, Tennessee basketball is slipping out of the NCAA Tournament field.

The Vols did have a 20-point win over Missouri, but that team is so bad it dropped their strength of schedule six spots in the RPI.

And after a blowout loss to the Kentucky Wildcats and bad losses to the Georgia Bulldogs and Mississippi State Bulldogs, they are in some trouble.

According to BracketMatrix, Tennessee is now averaging a First Four Out spot in the NCAA Tournament bracketology predictions, meaning they are not in.

The Vols are never higher than a No. 11 or No. 10 seed when they are in either.

With a look at the main bracketology predictions, Shelby Mast has Tennessee basketball as a No. 11 seed facing the Syracuse Orange in a play-in game in the bracketology he posted for USA TODAY.

See that full bracket here. 

However, of the main ones, that’s the only bracket that actually has the Vols in.

Joe Lunardi’s ESPN Bracketology has the Vols among the First Four Out along with the Illinois State Redbirds, the Clemson Tigers, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Ahead of them are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a team the Vols blew out earlier in the year, the TCU Horned Frogs, the Marquette Golden Eagles, and the Seton Hall Pirates.

Just like Joe Lunardi, Fox Sports has the Vols as a First Four Out as well. Stewart Mandel’s bracket has them joining Wake Forest, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Providence Friars in that field.

They have to somehow jump Syracuse, Seton Hall, the Kansas State Wildcats, or the Cal Golden Bears.

Meanwhile, at CBS Sports, Jerry Palm’s bracketology predictions don’t even have the Vols on his bubble to reach the NCAA Tournament.

So overall, the Vols have a lot of work to do with four games left. Up next for them is another game against the Vanderbilt Commodores, a game they have to win. The LSU Tigers will hurt their schedule strength more, but at least it’s a win.

And they need one of two against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Alabama Crimson Tide.

That at least gets them to 18-13 with likely a Top 10 strength of schedule. But this is going to be a difficult road for them.

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