The Vols finished the 2017 – 18 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season 26 – 9 , 13 – 5 in SEC play to earn a share of the SEC regular season championship . As the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament , they defeated Mississippi State and Arkansas before losing to Kentucky in the championship game . They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the South region . There the Volunteers defeated Wright State before being upset by Loyola – Chicago in the Second Round
SEC Tournament ,
2018 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
2018–19 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team