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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

CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment

In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.

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Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.

Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):

“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.

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With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.

Losing One of Our Own

That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.

Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.

So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.

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Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.

Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.

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Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

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Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.

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Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.

Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.

Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.

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Men's Basketball

Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.

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Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
UF Athletics

Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.

A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.

At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat. 

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In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.

Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.

Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the  fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.

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