The game-winner from Jahmai Mashack could end up proving to be historic for the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team. In thrilling fashion, Mashack had a prayer on a long 3-point answered to lift the Vols over (then) No. 6 Alabama.
Now, Rick Barnes and his players have a ton of confidence with the SEC Tournament right around the corner. After that, the NCAA Tournament will get here too and UT is ready to go on a deep run. Will the squad attempt to do so as a No. 1 seed?
As most of you know, Tennessee has never landed a No. 1 seed for the Big Dance in program history. Things could change this season, however, as ESPN's latest bracketology with Joe Lunardi has the Vols capturing the top spot for the West region:
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 2, 2025
Will the Tennessee Vols capture a No. 1 seed for the 2025 NCAA Tournament?
This would of course be fantastic if the Vols are able to get that done. Per Lunardi, the No. 1 seeds will be going to Auburn, Duke, Houston and Tennessee. Auburn would be the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Duke, Houston and Tennessee at No. 4 overall.
There was a ton on the line in the showdown with Alabama last Saturday, as it was safe to assume that the winner of that game would have the upper hand in landing a No. 1 seed for the tourney. Mashack came up with some huge plays down the stretch, powering Tennessee to the memorable win.
There's still more regular season action left, however, as Tennessee still has showdowns against Ole Miss and South Carolina on the way. These are two games that UT should have no issues coming out on top of. If they slip up, though, then Barnes could be in trouble for that No. 1 seed. Yes, the win over Alabama was electric, but there's still more business for the Vols to take care of.