1981–82 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team

1981–82 Tennessee Volunteers basketball
SEC Regular season co-champions
NCAA tournament, Second round
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEast
Record20–10 (13–5 SEC)
Head coach
Home arenaStokely Athletic Center
1981–82 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 15 Kentucky135 .722228  .733
Tennessee135 .7222010  .667
No. 13 Alabama126 .667247  .774
Ole Miss117 .6111812  .600
LSU117 .6111414  .500
Georgia108 .5561912  .613
Vanderbilt711 .3891513  .536
Auburn711 .3891414  .500
Mississippi State414 .222819  .296
Florida216 .111522  .185
1982 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981–82 Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represented the University of Tennessee as a member of the Southeastern Conference during the 1981–82 college basketball season. Led by fourth-year head coach Don DeVoe, the team played their home games at the Stokely Athletic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers finished with a record of 20–10 (13–5 SEC, T-1st) and received an at-large bid to the 1982 NCAA tournament as the 9 seed in the Mideast region. After an opening round win over Southwestern Louisiana, Tennessee was defeated by No. 1 seed Virginia for the second straight season.

This was the fourth of five straight seasons of NCAA Tournament basketball for the Tennessee men's program. Junior Dale Ellis was named the SEC Player of the Year an award he would take home the next season as well.