The 1956-1957 Tennessee basketball team, coached by Emmett Lowery, had a decent record of 13-9 but struggled in conference play, finishing 9th in the SEC with a 5-9 record. Despite this, the team had a solid offense, averaging 80.8 points per game, which was 19th in the nation out of 161 teams. However, the defense struggled, allowing an average of 77.0 points per game, which ranked 139th out of 160 teams.

The team's strength of schedule was ranked 73rd out of 167 teams, which was slightly better than average. Their SRS (Simple Rating System) of 3.45 was respectable, ranking 48th out of 167 teams. The SRS takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule to provide a rating that can be used to compare teams.

Overall, the 1956-1957 Tennessee basketball team had a solid offense but struggled on defense and in conference play. Nevertheless, they were able to hold their own against some tough opponents, as evidenced by their respectable SRS ranking.