What seed will Tennessee basketball get in the NCAA Tournament? Analyzing Volunteers' projected placement

The Tennessee Volunteers are in the running for a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament following their win over No. 3 Auburn on Saturday. Rick Barnes' squad beat the Tigers 70-65 in the SEC Tournament semifinal to book their spot in the championship game against No. 4 Florida.

After going undefeated in non-conference play, the Volunteers found themselves in a rocky Southeastern Conference campaign, posting a 4-4 record in their first eight games and finishing 12-6 overall. This placed them fourth in the league standings.

With Selection Sunday just a few hours away, it's time to assess the Vols' projected seed in the Big Dance.

---

What seed will Tennessee basketball get in the NCAA Tournament?

The Volunteers' resume features a sparkling 27-6 record, including wins over Baylor, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn. Most major projections such as ESPN's and CBS Sports' have them as a No. 2 seed in their latest bracket forecasts, but a win on Sunday could change everything.

---

How Tennessee's SEC Tournament performance affects their seeding?

The SEC Tournament final against the Gators provides the Vols with an opportunity to claim an outright conference championship along with a guaranteed No. 1 seed — the first time in the program's history.

Florida coach Todd Golden believes his team has done enough to earn a No. 1 seed regardless of the outcome at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday. Still, this matchup could very well serve as a play-in game for the top line of the NCAA Tournament bracket.

---

How does Tennessee compare to other projected top seeds?

Tennessee is ranked fifth in both the latest NCAA NET rankings and the KenPom ratings, trailing only Duke, Auburn, Florida and Houston.

The Volunteers have an impressive 16-6 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents. Their close competitor, Florida, is ranked fourth by NET and second in the KenPom ratings. The Gators have a 19-4 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents.

Meanwhile, Duke, Houston and Auburn are almost assured of No. 1 seeds heading into Selection Sunday.

Rick Barnes' March Madness history

Coach Rick Barnes has been around the block for over 40 years, so he is a very well-respected person in college basketball. While he is still chasing that elusive first national title as head coach, he steered a team into the Final Four only one time in his career, back in 2003, with Texas.

Barnes will be making his 29th NCAA Tournament appearance this season, including his seventh with the Volunteers.