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Tennessee Basketball: Vols Jump Up Four Spots in RPI to No. 37 After Win at Auburn

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 31, 2017; Auburn, AL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Robert Hobbs, III (3) takes a shot over Auburn Tigers forward Danjel Purifoy (3) during the first half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2017; Auburn, AL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Robert Hobbs, III (3) takes a shot over Auburn Tigers forward Danjel Purifoy (3) during the first half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee basketball jumped four more spots in the Ratings Percentage Index after their win over the Tigers Tuesday night. The Volunteers are now at No. 37.

They keep climbing up the rankings. At 13-9 overall and now 5-4 in the SEC, Tennessee basketball is ranked No. 37 in the RPI after their huge win on the road over the Auburn Tigers.

That’s a four-spot jump from where they were before the game, and it’s a 25-spot jump from where they were last Tuesday before their huge win over the Kentucky Wildcats.

The best part about that news for the Vols is that Top 40 teams in the RPI from Power Five conferences never get left out of the NCAA Tournament.

And for Tennessee basketball this year, that holds even more true given their resume.

The Vols are actually only 12-9 by RPI standards, but they have the No. 4 ranked strength of schedule. It’s why their ranking is so high.

Only the Florida Gators, South Carolina Gamecocks, Kentucky Wildcats, and Arkansas Razorbacks are ahead of them in the ratings among SEC teams.

And with the schedule lightening up a bit, Tennessee basketball has room to grow.

That’s because the schedule gets easier but not nearly enough for even a slight drop in the rankings. The Vols just have chances for more wins now.

It starts with a road game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs before home games against the Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs.

All three games are certainly winnable, and doing that would get this team to 16-9, or 15-9 by RPI standards, while they still remain in the Top 5 for schedule strength.

Imagine how high that could propel the Vols!

Make no mistake about it, they should be in everybody’s NCAA Tournament now with this resume.

Anything else would be a major travesty when the bracketology revelations come out next week.

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