Tennessee basketball is the No. 5 team in the country, according to Joe Lunardi's Bracketology. That means Tennessee is the first No. 2 seed, while Alabama currently sits as the third No. 1 seed, making the Vols and Tide's matchup bigger than just a rivalry game.
The top four seeds are No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Alabama, and No. 4 Florida. Even if Alabama loses to Tennessee, there's no guarantee they move off the one line. Tennessee's season split over Florida also makes it unclear if the committee will move the Vols ahead of the Gators.
Tennessee's hopes of securing a one-seed got a lot easier this week with Florida losing its midweek matchup to unranked Georgia. The NCAA Committee put Florida over Tennessee and said the margin was razor thin.
With Tennessee's win over No. 7 Texas A&M last weekend, the Vols got a little closer to taking the final No. 1 seed from Florida, or even Alabama.
Rivals Tennessee and Alabama share the same record at 22-5 but Alabama has won two more conference games than Tennessee, which is likely what lifts them over the Vols.
The Vols handled business in its midweek game this week. Tennessee traveled to Death Valley and beat LSU 65-59 in a vital road win for the Vols' chances at securing a one-seed.
Alabama, who holds one of four one-seeds as of right now, also earned a win over No. 24 Mississippi State. It was a dominant 111-73 win over the Bulldogs as the Crimson Tide showed its three-point sharpshooting skills in the explosive scoring output.
If Tennessee can limit Alabama's offense on the perimeter, the rest of Tennessee's defense should be good enough to hold back the Crimson Tide.
The Vols' offense has the potential to keep up with Alabama's offense, but its inconsistent shooting efforts could lead to problems if Tennessee tries to play Alabama in a shoot out.
Tennessee and Alabama are scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 PM ET on ESPN with a 1-seed possibly on the line for the winner. If Tennessee can get past the Tide, the Vols will play Ole Miss and South Carolina in the final week of the regular season.