Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Tennessee: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, & Predictions

Published

on

UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats will enter Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday coming off back-to-back historic losses. Going up against a 5th-ranked Tennessee Volunteer team, it will be a tough task to put an end to the losing streak.

Tennessee is playing their best basketball of the season, while Kentucky is playing their worst basketball of the season. This leads the Volunteers to be a heavy favorite at home, a place where Kentucky has struggled of late, holding a record of just 3-6 in their last nine games in Knoxville.

With that said, this is Kentucky basketball, and realistic or not, we believe we have a chance to win every contest. Let’s take a look at three keys for Kentucky to have a shot at the win.

Advertisement

Show more effort on the boards

Under John Calipari, Kentucky has traditionally been a good rebounding team, and even more so with Oscar Tshiebwe on the team. With that said, Kentucky’s effort on the boards against South Carolina was unacceptable, largely due to effort.

Not only did the Wildcats lose the rebounding batter 32-28, but they gave up 15 offensive rebounds, their most since – ironically enough – against South Carolina last season (20). With that said, Tennessee is much better at rebounding than South Carolina, ranked 5th in the country, twenty spots ahead of Kentucky.

If Kentucky wants any shot at winning, they are going to have to show more fight on the glass. Getting extra possessions and limiting Tennessee to just one, is going to be key.

Value possessions and take care of the ball

Kentucky is not a great offensive team. While it may not look like it, analytics are showing that is improving. Case in point, the Wildcats put up 68 points in 57 possessions against South Carolina, for an impressive 1.19 points per possession.

Advertisement

On Saturday, the Wildcats will be going up against the stoutest defense in the country, rated No. 1 in defensive efficiency by KenPom. Limiting their opponents to just 53,4 points per game, scoring is not going to come easy against the Volunteers. Also accounting for the fact that Tennessee forces 17.1 turnovers per game, every possession will be valuable.

To put it simply, Kentucky is going to have to make shots to space the floor, which has been a struggle for them on the road this season. If they can do that and continue to effectively run some ball screen action, the Wildcats will have scoring opportunities. That is easier than done.

Show improvement on the defensive end

Given the length and athleticism of this team, this should be “a hell of a defensive team” as Calipari has put it. Yet, that is far from the case.

Countless times this season have the Wildcats beat beaten on straight-line drives. While Kentucky has played some great guards, this ultimately comes down to a lack of focus and not executing the scouting report.

Advertisement

Against power five opponents, the Wildcats are allowing more than 75 points per game and if the Wildcats want to improve, this has to be the area they grow the most. As great as Tennessee is defensively, they have only been ‘good’ offensively, well until late. It should be noted they have scored 77 points or more in four of their last five games.

The Volunteers do not rely on one player and have more of a balanced scoring attack. Therefore, all five players on the floor will need to be engaged on the defensive end.

Kentucky Basketball vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Time/Date: 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, January 14th, 2023.
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.
TV Channel: ESPN
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | UT
Team SheetsUK | UT
Stats To Know: UK | UT

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has yet to release the odds, but they probably won’t look pretty. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats one of their worst chances to win a game for the remainder of the season at just 9.4 percent. Bart Torvik is even less confident in the Cats at 4%.

Advertisement

PredictionsBart Torvik picks the Wildcats to lose in blowout fashion 74-56. 

Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

Published

on

Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

Advertisement

Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

Advertisement

Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

Published

on

Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

Advertisement

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

Advertisement

The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

Advertisement

In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

Advertisement

In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Advertisement

This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

Published

on

Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

Advertisement

It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

Advertisement

And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending