After a rocky start to SEC play, Tennessee has flipped the script in a big way. The Vols opened conference action at 2-3, but over the past week, they’ve rattled off three straight wins - and not just any wins.
They went into two tough environments, Alabama and Georgia, and came out with victories. Then they returned home and took care of business against a strong Auburn squad on Saturday night.
Now sitting at 15-6 overall and 5-3 in SEC play, Tennessee has climbed back into the AP Top 25, landing at No. 25 heading into Week 13.
That surge hasn’t gone unnoticed in the bracketology world either. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Tennessee trending upward in his latest NCAA Tournament projections.
The Vols, who were sitting in the 7-seed range after a loss to Kentucky, moved up to a 6-seed following the wins over Alabama and Georgia. And after taking down Auburn?
They’re now slotted as a 5-seed in the East Region.
Lunardi’s bracket has Tennessee opening the tournament in San Diego against 12-seed Liberty - a classic 5-12 matchup that always carries upset potential. If they get through that, a second-round clash with either 4-seed Texas Tech or 13-seed Utah Valley could be waiting.
Also in that region are some familiar foes: 1-seed Duke, 2-seed Illinois, and 3-seed Florida - all teams the Vols have faced (and fallen to) at some point this season. That Duke game was just an exhibition, but it still adds an interesting layer to the potential storylines.
A big reason for Tennessee’s recent surge? The emergence of freshman wing Nate Ament.
He’s not just finding his rhythm - he’s exploding. Ament wasn’t playing poorly earlier in the year, but you could see the potential bubbling under the surface.
Now, he’s breaking through. Over the Vols’ last three games, he’s averaging 23.3 points on 18 shots per game.
Zoom out a bit, and he’s putting up 21.1 points per game over the last six. He’s become more assertive, more confident, and the offense is flowing better because of it.
With Ament stepping into a starring role and the team finding its stride, Tennessee is starting to look like the team many expected to see earlier in the season. The win over Auburn - a 77-69 statement at home - showed what this group is capable of when the pieces click.
Next up, the Vols stay home to face Ole Miss on Tuesday night at Food City Center. It’s the kind of game that sets the stage for momentum to keep building. Win that one, and Tennessee’s streak hits four - just in time for a challenging stretch with road games at Kentucky and Mississippi State looming.
Right now, Tennessee is trending in the right direction - in the rankings, in the bracket, and on the court.