Is Tennessee basketball slipping onto bubble?

Coming off a bad loss to the Kentucky Wildcats over the weekend, it’s time to start thinking about something worse than just a disappointing season for Tennessee basketball. We can’t even be sure that they’ll make the NCAA Tournament.

At 15-6 and 8-6 in the SEC, UT fell to No. 25 in the AP Poll and out of the top 25 in the Coaches Poll. While they’re flirting with the top 25, though, a lack of quality wins and multiple bad losses put everything about this team in question.

Kentucky, who is 8-13 and 7-7 in the SEC, was not Tennessee basketball’s first bad loss on the year. We can’t forget that the Vols also lost to the Ole Miss Rebels, who are just 12-9 and 7-7 in the SEC. Meanwhile, they haven’t beaten anybody in the top 10.

See the problem? Rick Barnes’ team hasn’t done enough this year to assure its place in the NCAA Tournament. According to the RealTime RPI, its strength of schedule is ranked outside of the top 80. If the RPI were still a key barometer for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the Vols would definitely be a bubble team, as they’re ranked No. 62 there.

However, the NCAA NET Rankings have been the barometer in recent years, and they are being very kind to Rocky Top right now. UT came in at No. 18 in that poll most recently, and the Alabama Crimson Tide remain the only SEC team ahead of them. This has everybody wondering where they should land in the NCAA Tournament bracketology projections.

Well, somehow the effect isn’t that big yet. Tennessee basketball is still a No. 6 seed in Joe Lunardi of ESPN’s Feb. 23 bracketology, facing the No. 11 seed St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the first round and in a weekend-opening bracket with the No. 3 seed West Virginia Mountaineers and No. 14 seed UNC Greensboro Spartans. The Ohio State Buckeyes were the top seed in that region.

Jerry Palm of CBS was even more bullish on the Vols, placing them as a No. 4 seed facing the No. 13 seed Belmont Bruins in the first round. They would be a weekend-opening bracket with the No. 5 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders and a play-in game for the No. 12 seed between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Saint Louis Billikens. The Gonzaga Bulldogs were the top seed in that region.

College Sports Madness also had UT, surprisingly, as a No. 4 seed. They would be facing the No. 13 seed Furman Paladins in the first round and be in a weekend opening bracket with the No. 5 seed USC Trojans and No. 12 seed Vermont Catamounts. The Baylor Bears were the top seed in their region in that projection.

Now, to be fair, the Vols do have some quality win. They beat the Arkansas Razorbacks, Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers, all of whom are in the top 25. Still, they should have more than just that, and some of their losses are just embarrassing, as we mentioned.

Also, with the Vanderbilt Commodores and Auburn Tigers to close out the season this week, two teams below .500, Tennessee basketball has no more chances at quality wins until the SEC Tournament. Their projected final strength of schedule rank is No. 139. Simply put, they’ve got a lot to worry about, and it seems like they don’t right now.