The 1986-1987 season was another mediocre year for the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team, finishing with a record of 14-15 and placing eighth in the SEC. Don DeVoe continued as head coach for the team during this season.

Offensively, the team was slightly above average, averaging 75.9 points per game, which ranked 94th out of 289 teams. On the defensive side, they allowed an average of 70.1 points per game, which was 106th in the nation. This left them with a scoring margin of +5.8, which was a positive aspect of their game.

The team had a solid strength of schedule, with an SOS of 7.79 and an SRS of 13.58. These rankings put them in the top 30 of Division I teams for both categories. However, they were not able to capitalize on this advantage and only managed to win 7 games in the conference.

Despite their struggles, the team did have some notable victories, including a 67-61 win against the number 3 ranked Kentucky Wildcats in January of 1987. They also won their first-round SEC tournament game against Alabama before falling to Auburn in the quarterfinals.