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Kentucky vs. Tennessee: TV/Streaming Info, Preview, and Betting Odds/PredictionsMen’s Basketball

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Kentucky Wildcats forward Brandon Garrison (10) reacts after a big basket.
Steve Roberts | Imagn

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 14 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!

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Go CATS!

Men's Basketball

Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Koby Brea Talks With Andrija Jelavic About His Legendary Chapter Awaiting At Kentucky

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ABA League (Left) | Imagn (Right)


Andrija Jelavic, in a recent Q&A with Kentucky Insider, revealed that he exchanged messages with former Wildcat Koby Brea, who will be handing down his No. 4 jersey to Jelavic.

The big man was asked if he had spoken with any former Wildcats after comparing his play style to Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he knew about Kentucky growing up.

“I exchanged some messages with Koby Brea because I’m gonna be wearing his number four,” Jelavic said. “About Kentucky, I always knew that they are the biggest franchise in college basketball history, and just everything about them is legendary.”

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Jelavic added on what exactly Brea said in those messages.

“He just told me to go be great and that he can’t wait to see me play,” Jelavic said. “Also, that he likes my number decision.”

Alone, the fact that Brea reached out speaks volume to the culture that is established at Kentucky. The lethal sharpshooter from Mark Pope’s first team at Kentucky played only one season in the blue and white, yet, seems interested in the future of the program despite chasing his own big league dreams.

To end our exclusive interview, Jelavic talked about the goals he has now as a Wildcat and how he wants to be a legendary piece to this year’s roster.

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“Definitely to bring many wins and hopefully a championship to Kentucky, Jelavic said. “To be a player that Kentucky will always remember.”

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