Bracketology: Did Tennessee clinch a no. 1 seed with SEC Tournament win vs. Kentucky?

Was Tennessee’s comeback win over Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Semifinal enough to secure a No. 1 seed for the Vols in the latest Bracketology update?

One of the headlining matchups of the day in college basketball was the third meeting between bitter SEC rivals Kentucky and Tennessee. The Wildcats fell behind at the half and rallied to take the lead, holding a 72-64 lead with just under three minutes to play, but the Volunteers took over after that.

Tennessee ended the game on an 18-6 run, claiming the lead for good on a critical three-pointer from Lamonte Turner with just 31 seconds left on the clock. Turner, who is not known for his ability to shoot from distance, essentially delivered the bucket that may deliver a no. 1 seed to the Volunteers.

With the win, Tennessee has now beaten Kentucky twice in three meetings this season. The Volunteers were able to take advantage of foul trouble for Kentucky star P.J. Washington to move on to a date with Auburn in the finals tomorrow afternoon.

That game with Auburn is no joke, and the Tigers just beat Tennessee in the regular season finale a week ago, but Tennessee has to be the favorites to cut down the nets in Nashville. With Kentucky out of the tournament, Bridgestone Arena should be packed with Volunteers’ fans tomorrow, turning a neutral court into a de facto home game for Tennessee.

Even if Tennessee loses to the Tigers again, they should have enough on their resume to claim the final no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Besides the two wins over Kentucky, Tennessee also defeated Louisville and Gonzaga in non-conference play while racking up 15 SEC wins during the regular season.

The Volunteers will likely be ticketed for the Midwest region if they end up on the top line since Duke and Virginia will get a geographic preference in the pecking order. The only teams that could push Tennessee off the one line at this point are North Carolina, if the committee chooses to put three ACC schools on the top line, or Michigan State.

The Spartans can add the Big Ten Tournament title to their regular season championship by beating Michigan tomorrow, but even that may not be enough to top Tennessee.