Tennessee basketball ranked No. 9 overall in March Madness Bracket Preview Show on CBS

Tennessee basketball is ranked No. 9, according to the March Madness Bracket Preview Show on CBS. That slots the Vols as a projected No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

UT has marquee wins against Alabama, Kansas and Texas on its resume. Alabama was named the No. 1 overall seed, Kansas was No. 4 and Texas No. 5.

“I look at Tennessee in the three spot here, close to being a two," CBS analyst Jay Wright said. "And they’ve just beaten the No. 1 team in the country this week, right? And they’re a three seed. So it shows you the balance and the depth of this tournament. Tennessee is one of the best defensive teams in the country, which spurs their half-court offense when they can’t get out in transition. They’re a scary team as a three seed.”

The No. 11 Vols (20-6, 9-4 SEC) face Kentucky (17-9, 8-5) on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at Rupp Arena.

UPDATES: Josiah-Jordan James, Julian Phillips out for Tennessee basketball vs. Kentucky

Tennessee has a 6-2 record in Quad 1 games, a 3-4 record in Quad 2 games and a combined 11-0 record in Quad 3 and Quad 4 games.

Alabama was the No. 1 overall seed, with Houston, Purdue and Kansas also on the top-seed line. Texas, Arizona, Baylor and UCLA are the current No. 2 seeds.

Tennessee was ranked No. 11 in the initial rankings last season. It landed as a No. 3 seed.

The Vols have made the tournament in each of the past four seasons in which it was held. Selection Sunday for the 2022 NCAA Tournament is March 12.

This story will be updated.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball ranked No. 9 overall in March Madness Bracket Preview Show on CBS