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Tennessee Basketball Bracketology: Vols Have Fallen Off the NCAA Tournament Map

By Caleb Calhoun

Feb 22, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Robert Hubbs III (3) reacts during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Thompson-Boling Arena. Vanderbilt won 67-56. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Robert Hubbs III (3) reacts during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Thompson-Boling Arena. Vanderbilt won 67-56. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee basektball is now no longer on the NCAA Tournament radar. The Volunteers took a hit in bracketology reports after their loss Saturday.

Just slightly over two weeks ago, Tennessee basketball had a Top 40 RPI ranking and seemed to be firmly in the NCAA Tournament.

But this week, after falling to No. 66 in the rankings and having lost four of their last five, Rick Barnes’s team is now no longer on anybody’s radar.

The most recent bracketology predictions do not have the Vols anywhere in site.

Even last week they were one of the last four in for two major brackets and one of the first four out for one major bracket.

This week, according to BracketMatrix, they are not even one of the first four out on anybody’s bracket, major or not.

That’s a huge drop-off, but it’s one the team earned with two losses during the week, a home loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores and a blowout loss on the road to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The team has now fallen to 15-14 overall, and the RPI only recognizes its record as being 14-14. Meanwhile, their strength of schedule is now down to No. 10 in the country.

So it’s hard to sell things as much from that perspective as well at this point.

Currently, five SEC teams are looking at a spot in the tournament, with the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats sure bets. South Carolina is not far behind, and the Arkansas Razorbacks are likely safe too.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has stolen Tennessee’s bubble spot and also is looking to get in the tournament. They and the Georgia Bulldogs are the two bubble teams, with the Vols not in sight.

If they want to work their way back in, it’s going to take winning their final two games and a big SEC Tournament performance.

They may not have that in them.

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