Tennessee basketball success brings cursed seed in updated bracketology

A five game SEC winning streak and its only loss the past six games coming on the road by one point to a top 25 team due to a bad call is helping Tennessee basketball when it comes to NCAA Tournament projections. However, based on historical omens, the Vols are moving up to a cursed spot in NCAA Tournament history.

First looking at the rankings, UT is up three spots in the AP Poll this week to No. 19 after beating the Texas A&M Aggies and South Carolina Gamecocks last week to improve to 16-6 and 7-3 in the SEC. Meanwhile, the Vols are up two spots to No. 18 in the Coaches Poll.

When it comes to analytical rankings, Tennessee basketball is up to No. 17 in the RealTime RPI thanks to its No. 14 ranked strength of schedule. Meanwhile, the Vols are No. 8 in the ESPN Basketball Power Index thanks to a No. 5 ranked strength of schedule and a No. 13 ranked strength of record.

Beyond the RPI and the BPI, though, they are up to No. 11 in the NCAA NET Rankings, the most important metric used by the Selection Committee. That’s due to their undefeated record in non-Quadrant 1 games and their three Quadrant 1 wins.

All of these rankings suggest a range from a No. 5 seed to a No. 2 seed. Unfortunately for the Vols, though, bracketology experts unanimously have them as a No. 5 seed. Of any of the higher seeds, that’s the most cursed seed.

Everybody knows about the No. 12 seed tradition of upsetting a No. 5 seed. Heck, Rick Barnes’ team just last year lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. However, the No. 5 seed is also the only seed from Nos. 1-8 to not have anybody win the national championship. Simply put, the seeding is cursed.

Well, that’s still where Tennessee basketball stands right now. Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Vols as a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region facing the No. 12 seed North Texas Mean Green in the first round and in a first-weekend bracket with the No. 13 seed New Mexico State Aggies and No. 4 seed Houston Cougars. The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 seed in this region.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has UT as a No. 5 seed in the South Region facing the No. 12 seed BYU Cougars and in a weekend-opening bracket with the No. 13 seed Wagner Seahawks and No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins. The Kansas Jayhawks are the top seed in that region.

Mike DeCourcy of FOX Sports has the Vols as a No. 5 seed in the West Region facing the No. 12 seed Seton Hall Pirates in the first round and in a weekend-opening bracket with the No. 13 seed seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits and No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the top seed in that region.

More tests are coming for Tennessee basketball. They have a tough one at the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday and then one game they should win Saturday, at home against the Vanderbilt Commodores. A split at the very least necessary this week, but two wins is a reasonable expectation.

If they get through those, though, they host the Kentucky Wildcats and visit the Arkansas Razorbacks the next week, so things are about to get interesting. Not having Olivier Nkamhoua for the rest of the season will complicate things, though, so Barnes’ coaching ability will be tested.