Tennessee basketball handled business on Tuesday night with a 65-59 road win against LSU. The win gives Tennessee its 10th conference win on the year and 23rd overall win as the Vols close in on its first NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed in program history.
The Vols' path to a No. 1 seed just got a lot easier after Tuesday, but it isn't because of their win over LSU. The Florida Gators, who currently hold a No. 1 seed, lost to unranked Georgia 88-83.
After the NCAA Committee released its first rankings for the NCAA Tournament, it favored the Gators over the Vols but said the margin between the two programs was razor-thin.
A midweek win paired with Florida's midweek loss could boost the Vols over Florida to move into the last No. 1 seed, but Tennessee could virtually lock itself into a No. 1 seed with a win against Alabama on Saturday.
The No. 6-ranked Crimson Tide also hold a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, so a win over Alabama could jump the Vols from the No. 5 overall team to possibly the No. 3 overall team and get a No. 1 seed.
Beating Alabama won't be easy, though. They destroyed No. 24 Mississippi State on Tuesday night 111-73, but a Tennessee win could solidify Tennessee's spot in the tournament even more, given Alabama's recent dominant performances.
Tennessee and Alabama will tip off on ESPN on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM ET. The top-ten matchup between SEC rivals could determine Tennessee's fate on the one-line for the NCAA Tournament as one week of the regular season remains.