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What does Kentucky need to do to beat Tennessee?

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Rupp Arena is going to host one of Kentucky’s highest profile home games in the last decade with #1 ranked Tennessee coming into town this Saturday on a 19 game win streak. This is the same but improved Tennessee team that last years Wildcats held double-digit leads against in both of their regular season matchups and beat in the SEC tournament championship. What can Kentucky do Saturday to avenge their loss to LSU and beat the Volunteers?

1.Win The Rebounding Battle

This game is going to be extremely physical and priority number one is to win the rebound battle. This actually works in Kentucky’s favor as Kentucky ranks third nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (38.3%) and Tennessee ranks 259th nationally at allowing offensive boards (30.4%). If the Cats are struggling to make perimeter shots, crashing the offensive boards will be key.

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2. Three and D

As Calipari has said many times this year, this is the best shooting team in his 10-year tenure at Kentucky. At least that is a case that can be made with the eye test but that hasn’t exactly translated to the court. The Cats are shooting at a decent 35.3% from deep which ranks 130th in the nation. Kentucky needs to capitalize on its inevitable open three-point looks against Tennessee’s subpar perimeter defense.

At the beginning of the season, Kentucky’s perimeter defense was a primary weakness. Kentucky’s defense has drastically improved, especially in SEC play. Tennessee is shooting around 37% from three as a team, with many coming off transition. It will imperative to keep Tennessee in check, but we have seen over and over again how well opponents shoot from Rupp.

3. Finding the Right Matchups

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Tennessee is a very versatile team that can pose some matchup problems for the Wildcats. Ashton Hagans has been in a slump but with the bulk of attention on defense going to Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams, we need Hagans’ defensive presence against Jordan Bone as he is capable of scoring 20+ points. Any casual college basketball knows the impact Schofield and Williams have for the Vols and containing them down will be key for the Cats to have any chance on Saturday. Williams will most likely be matched up with Reid Travis or PJ, and matchup wise Keldon will most likely match up against Schofield. This is an opportunity for Keldon to showcase he is not a defensive liability and to make a statement.

Since December 10th, Kentucky has played eight top 50 kenpom teams (6-2), in that same time Tennessee has played two (2-0). This season Kentucky has simply been more battle tested and it will be interesting how that compares to Tennessee’s experience. There is just an aurora around this game and the atmosphere at Rupp will be one of the best in the Cal Era. Give me that Cats in tightly fought battle.

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Men's Basketball

Bruce Pearl Throws Shade at Kentucky and John Calipari before SEC Tournament Championship

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Auburn coach Bruce Pearl takes a subtle shot at John Calipari Kentucky before the SEC Tournament championship.
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

John Calipari and Bruce Pearl have never been the best of friends, dating back to their days at Memphis and Tennessee. Each time they face each other, there seems to be a personal piece to the game.

This season, Calipari got the upper hand, with Ketucky giving Auburn their only home loss of the season. While they didn’t get a rematch in the SEC Tournament, Pearl seemingly threw a little shade at Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats before winning the SEC Tournament championship on Sunday.

In an interview with ESPN ahead of the tournament final against Florida, Pearl talked about the importance of the SEC Tournament to the Auburn fans and knocked the teams that got sent home early.

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“I know what being here means to our fans,” Pearl said. “They want to spend a weekend here in Nashville, we want to do this for them. We don’t want to go home on the first day.

That comes after he called on Auburn fans to officially turn the venue into ‘The Jungle’ to support the Tigers, even if they had to miss church on Sunday morning.

“This has become the jungle. Our Auburn fans have turned this into the jungle,” he said. “So right now, if you’re listening at home: Get in your car, drive up to Nashville. There are plenty of tickets available. Kentucky’s not here, Tennessee’s not here. Get in the car!”

Calipari has often downplayed the importance of the SEC Tournament during his time at Kentucky. Even before traveling to Nashville, Calipari said this after the regular season finale, “You know the only tournament that matters to me. After this weekend, that tournament.”

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After being sent home early by Texas A&M, Calipari will look to lead the Cats to a deep NCAA Tournament run.

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Men's Basketball

John Calipari Says Players Cried After SEC Tournament Loss, “They Care”

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John Calipari said players cried after Kentucky's loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Since John Calipari arrived at Kentucky, he has often downplayed the importance of the SEC Tournament.

Even before traveling to Nashville, Calipari said this after the regular season finale, “You know the only tournament that matters to me. After this weekend, that tournament.”

While it may not mean a lot to him personally, it is something that Kentucky fans have taken pride in for decades. The Wildcats have won 32 SEC Tournament titles, 24 more than Alabama who is in second with eight.

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With the Wildcats’ dominance of the event, it has inherited the name, “The Kentucky Invitational,” with THOUSANDS of fans annually traveling to watch Kentucky extend that record number.

Of course, it is different to say those types of things when you’re still winning the games. But after starting 23-3 in the SEC Tournament in his tenure, Calipari is just 2-5 in the last five SEC Tournaments. With that, many fans have started to criticize his approach and general lack of care for the SEC Tournament.

In his Selection Sunday interview, Calipari talked about it.

“I feel bad for the fans that went to Nashville to see this team,” he said. “But you should have been in the locker room after the game. Dudes were in tears. In tears.”

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It is encouraging to see how much these players care, but to be fair, no one questioned the players. That said, Calipari said it’s not that he doesn’t convey it is important, but rather he attempts to take pressure off of them by encouraging them to look at the tournament differently.

“I just don’t put pressure on them,” Cal said. “I say, ‘We’re playing for a seed. Don’t worry about the tournament, let’s play for a seed and win games.’”

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Bracketology Roundup: The Last NCAA Tournament Projections Before the Selection Show

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Taking a look at Kentucky Wildcat's resume and NCAA Tournament projections before the Selection Show.
UK Athletics

What a crazy start to the postseason as nearly half of the top sixteen seeds have lost before the semifinals of their conference tournaments. Unfortunately, that does include Kentucky, who lost to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

Entering that game, the Wildcats had the opportunity to secure a 3-seed and while unlikely, make a push toward a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament next week. Instead, their loss puts them between the 3 and 4 seed line, across multiple locations. That is the difference between playing a 1-seed like UConn or Houston, or a 2-seed like Arizona or Marquette, in the Sweet Sixteen.

Kentuck has no one to fault but themselves for not taking advantage of the seed line opening, and now they will have to play through whatever path they’re given by the selection committee.

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Let’s look at the most recent bracketology updates.

Bracketometry

  • Region: West (Los Angeles)
  • Seed: 3-seed
  • Notable Teams: (1) North Carolina, (2) Arizona, (4) Kansas, (5) Wisconsin, (11) St. John’s

CBS Sports

  • Region: West (Los Angeles)
  • Seed: 3-seed
  • Notable Teams: (1) North Carolina, (2) Arizona, (4) Kansas, (5) South Carolina, (6) Wisconsin,

ESPN

  • Region: Midwest (Detroit)
  • Seed: 4-seed
  • Notable Teams: (1) Purdue, (2) Iowa State, (9) Mississippi St., (10) Texas A&M, (14) Morehead State

FOX Sports

  • Region: South (Dallas)
  • Seed: 3-seed
  • Notable Teams: (1) Houston, (2) Marquette, (4) Illinois, (5) South Carolina, (8) Mississippi St., (14) Morehead St

The Athletic

  • Region: East (Boston)
  • Seed: 4-seed
  • Notable Teams: (1) Connecticut, (2) Iowa State, (3) Duke, (10) Mississippi State

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