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Men's Basketball

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

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Kentucky and Tennessee will matchup in Rupp Arena.
Knecht: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Reeves: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

With the falloff of Louisville in recent years, the biggest rival for Kentucky basketball has undoubtedly been the Tennessee Volunteers, who will come to Lexington on Saturday for the latest installment in the series. While Kentucky dominates the series history, 160-77, the Volunteers have improved (at least in the regular season) under Rick Barnes. Over the last five seasons, the series has been split 6-6.

This season, both teams have been considered the class of the SEC, but each have shown their flaws. Kentucky cannot defend and has yet to play a game with a full roster. While Tennessee struggles to score outside of Dalton Knecht and has had trouble defending talented frontcourts.

With both teams looking to bounce back after a loss, expect another tense and competitive game inside Rupp Arena. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

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Force Others To Score

While Tennessee has been known for their defensive teams over the last few years, they have struggled to score, especially so this season. In fact, in their recent loss to South Carolina, eight of their nine players combined for 28 points. Which eludes to their saving grace, Dalton Knecht, who had 31 in that game.

Knecht is the top scorer in the SEC and has led the Vols in scoring in 15 of their 22 games this season, including six straight. Playing against some of the best defenses in the country this season, he has still found success.

While Knecht is going to get his, Kentucky needs to make it difficult on him, but even more importantly, eliminate their other options. It’s difficult for one player to win a game.

Win The Rebounding Battle

Looking closer at Tennessee’s five losses, they have lost the rebounding battle in four of them. The Volunteers are the third-best rebounding team in the SEC and generate a lot of points from second-chance opportunities.

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Tennessee will certainly be the most physical team that Kentucky has faced thus far, and potentially all season. Physicality has been an aspect that the staff has really been keying on in practice, this game will provide ample sample size to see what progress has been made.

This looks to be a game where Ugonna Onyenso and Adou Thiero will be important for their physicality and rebounding, but the team as a whole must look to win the rebounding battle and play through contact.

Make A Statement

After gifting Florida a win on Wednesday and looking lackluster over the last three games overall, Kentucky has an opportunity to make a statement against Tennessee. Playing a top-five opponent in a primetime game on ESPN, there is no better stage.

Coming off a loss, both teams will be motivated, but only one will come out with the win. If you ask Ugonna Onyenso, he’s confident that will be Kentucky. “We’ve never lost two times in a row this season. We’ve never done that. I don’t think Saturday’s gonna be the first,” Onyenso said Wednesday after the loss to Florida. “We’re looking forward to that game. For sure.”

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If Kentucky can get the win it will certainly provide a needed confidence boost for the team and the fanbase as March gets closer and closer.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Dalton Knecht, 6-6, 204 lbs

  • 20.1 PPG (1st in SEC)
  • 4.6 RPG
  • 40% 3P (13th in SEC)

G Zakai Zeigler 5-9, 171 lbs

  • 9.8 PPG
  • 5.0 APG (1st in SEC)
  • 1.7 SPG (8th in SEC)

F Jonas Aidoo, 6-11, 241 lbs

  • 11.6 PPG
  • 7.4 RPG (6th in SEC)
  • 51.9% FG

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball vs. Tennessee Volunteers

  • Time: 8:30 PM EST on February 3rd
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Announcers: Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes will call the action for ESPN.
  • Online Stream: Stream the game online with WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK Sports Radio Network call.
  • Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | UT
  • Stats to Know: UK | UT
  • KenPom: UK | UT
  • Team Sheet: UK | UT
  • Odds: ESPN’s matchup predictor has Kentucky as the underdog at home, giving them just a 41.6% chance at the win. Other projections follow suit EvanMiya having the lowest at 36.2%, Bart Torvik at 48%, while EvanMiya is at 69%.
  • PredictionsBart Torvik and Haslametrics are the kindest projections to Kentucky, expecting just a one-point and two-point loss, 80-79 and 80-78, respectively. EvanMiya went with an 80-76 win for the Vols.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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