As Kentucky prepares to play yet another conference opponent on the road, their uphill battle has steepened with yet another addition to the injury report.

While Andrew Carr has been upgraded to questionable, Lamont Butler is officially classified as out ahead of tomorrow’s road matchup against Tennessee.

Butler, who averages 13 points, five assists and three rebounds, has been battling a shoulder injury for weeks now. While he’s managed to stay on the floor, his production has unfortunately declined.

It seems now that Coach Pope and his staff have deemed it better in the long run for Butler to sit out and heal, sacrificing his crucial presence now in hopes that he’ll return to full strength down the road.

Unfortunately for Kentucky, their two game skid is at risk of worsening in what will likely prove to be one of the toughest games remaining on the schedule. Eighth-ranked Tennessee hasn’t lost at home and, on an equal losing streak of their own, will be looking to regain momentum in front of a ravenous home crowd.

With both Butler and Kriisa out, Travis Perry will surely see extensive minutes at the one. Jaxson Robinson may also play the position, which he did successfully in the comeback win against Gonzaga earlier this season.

No matter who plays and for how long, Kentucky will have to find an answer somewhere. Short-staffed and against all odds, the Wildcats are set to face their toughest test of the season tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. on the national stage.

For the first time this season, the Kentucky Wildcats have lost back-to-back games. On Tuesday, they will travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers, playing to avoid a third-straight loss.

The Volunteers are also coming off a tough road loss, losing by two points to No. 1 Auburn, missing a late 3-pointer to give them the win. However, they have played their best at home, similar to Kentucky, winning their three SEC home games by an average of 18 points.

This Tennessee team is the typical, talented Rick Barnes squad of late. They rank first in defensive efficiency but struggle on offense at times and play at a conservative pace. A stark contrast to Kentucky.

This game will be big for the SEC race, especially for Kentucky, who, after losing two straight, are sitting in 10th place. If they can pull off the upset, it would be big to get them back into the hunt for a top-four finish in the conference and double-bye in the SEC Tournament.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Slow Down Chaz Lanier

Similar to last season, Tennessee’s offense is centered around one player. Instead of Dalton Knecht, it is now Chaz Lanier, who was a Kentucky target in the portal last offseason.

Lanier is averaging 18 points per game going into Tuesday’s contest and has scored in double figures in all but two games this season. In the Volunteers’ three losses, Lanier’s averages fall to 12.3 PPG on 31% shooting.

He will look to get most of his points from the 3-point line but is confident in his mid-range jumper and can slip to the basket if overplayed.

Slow down Lanier, and Kentucky will give themselves the best shot at the upset.

Pace

Tennessee plays at the slowest pace in the SEC and one of the slowest in the country. That is in stark contrast to Kentucky’s style, which is amongst the fastest in the country.

Slow paces have given Kentucky fits this season (i.e. Clemson), as they have been unable to speed up teams. They have been improving on the boards, which can help them to do that, but they need to generate more turnovers. In SEC play, opponents are turning the ball less than nine times per game.

Kentucky has won 14 of their 15 games where they have scored 70 or more points. Tennessee is holding their opponents to just 62 points in SEC play. Which side will prevail?

Fatigue and Health

Fatigue and injuries are starting to catch up to this Kentucky team.

Andrew Carr missed the Vandy game and will be out for the near future, but there are also players playing through injuries. Lamont Butler is dealing with a shoulder injury. Brandon Garrison and Jaxson Robinson have been dealing with small issues over the last few weeks. This has certainly hurt the depth, which is why Trent Noah and Collin Chandler have seen higher-than-normal minutes.

Even with a week off, Kentucky did not look 100% against Vanderbilt. That said, that is no excuse for the lack of effort at times. They are going to have to battle through that against the no. 1 defense in the nation.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Chaz Lanier, 6-4, 199 lbs

• 18.0 PPG (4th in SEC)
• 42.3% 3P (4th in SEC)
• 3.6 3PM per game

G Zakai Zeigler, 5-9, 171 pounds

• 12.3 PPG
• 7.5 APG (1st in SEC, 5th nationally)
• 2.1 SPG (5th in SEC)

F Igor Milicic, 6-10, 225 lbs

• 10.0 PPG
• 8.1 RPG (8th in SEC)
• 64.8% FG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Time: 7:00 PM ET on January 28th
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN
TV Channel: ESPN
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | UT
Stats to Know: UK | UT
KenPom: UK | UT
Team Sheet: UK | UT

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky as an 8.5-point underdog with an over/under of 148.5 points. ESPN (22.4%), BartTorvik (22%), EvanMiya (21.1%), and KenPom (21%) all give the Wildcats less than ¹⁄₄ of a chance at victory. DRatings gives the Wildcats the best chance at 32.1%.

Predictions: KenPom and Haslametrics both project a 77-68 loss, and EvanMiya went with a 78-69 margin in favor of Tennessee. BartTorvik has Kentucky losing 76-68, and DRatings is at 81-76 for the Vols. Personally, I don’t love this matchup, given the slow pace of play and Tennessee’s elite defense, and for those reasons, I am taking Tennessee to win 81-74.

Send us your Kentucky vs. Tennessee score predictions in the comments section!

Go CATS!

There wasn’t a lot of positive to come from Kentucky’s performance against Vanderbilt. However, if you like to look at the light in all situations, there is one.

The SEC has fined institutions for rushing fields/courts since the early 2000s due to safety concerns. However, the amounts did little to deter that. Over the years the fines have grown larger. In 2023 the policy was updated to what it is today and teams were given a new slate: For the first offense the fine is $100,000, a second is $250,000, and it maxes out at $500,000 for a third or subsequent offense, with the fine being paid to the opposing school.

After storming the field in an upset win over Alabama last fall, and storming the court after upsetting Tennessee last week, Vanderbilt had committed their first two offenses and paid out $350,000.

On the verge of upsetting Kentucky inside the Historic Memorial Gymnasium, Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candace Lee was seen begging fans not to rush the court in an effort to save $500,000. “Let us use the money for NIL to make a great team next year,” she said.

However, it was to avail as the students proceeded to rush the court for their third offense after defeating Kentucky resulting in a $500,000 fine for “violation of the league’s access to competition area policy.”

The recipient. The Kentucky Wildcats, who can use that for their NIL fund.