KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vols closed out the regular season with a disappointing loss to Auburn that dropped them to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 basketball poll.
The Vols were previously ranked in the No. 5 spot.
Gonzaga, Virginia, UNC stay 1-2-3 atop the new AP Top 25. Kentucky moved up to No. 4, followed by Duke, Michigan St. and Texas Tech. The Vols are No. 8, followed by LSU at No. 9.
That No. 8 ranking is the lowest the Vols have been ranked this season.
The loss to Auburn, which got the Tigers back in the poll at No. 22, also prevented the Vols from repeating as co-SEC champions this season. LSU won the title, followed by Kentucky. Both of those teams were among the Vols' four losses this season.
The team finished the regular season with a 27-4 record and 15-3 in the SEC, making the team the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament that begins Wednesday.
Rick Barnes and crew will play Friday at 9 p.m. eastern time in the quarterfinals against Mississippi State, Texas A&M or Vanderbilt. The Vols are 4-0 against those teams this season.