A three-way tie for first place at the top of the SEC will be broken on Saturday when two of the clubs square off. The Kentucky Wildcats had a statement win two weeks ago, knocking off then-No. 1 ranked Tennessee. That game took place in Lexington and the venue change for the rematch will inspire the Vols. So will the memory of that 17-point thrashing. Both teams were probably looking ahead to this showdown as they escaped with narrow wins during the week.
Kentucky Wildcats at Tennessee Volunteers
Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2019, 2 p.m. ET
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
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Kentucky at Tennessee TV Coverage: CBS
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Numbers and statistics can be manipulated to tell a specific story. And in the case of the Vols, they are going through their worst stretch of basketball this season. That’s saying a lot for a team that’s 25-3 overall and 13-2 in SEC play. Two of those losses came in the last four games with Kentucky and LSU dropping the hammer. And because of those defeats, the Vols are tied with those two teams at the top of the conference standings. The Vols put their perfect 16-0 home record on the line in the rematch with UK.
If Kentucky doesn’t win the regular season title the Wildcats will be kicking themselves over a loss to Alabama in early January. That loss in the SEC opener raised a lot of concerns about Coach Cal’s team and put them in an early hole. The Cats slowly climbed out of it and strung together 10 straight wins before a controversial loss to LSU. Then, facing the Vols in the next outing, UK put together its finest game of the season in taking down the Vols, a win that started another streak that’s reached four in a row.
Last Meeting
For those doubting the legitimacy of Kentucky’s national championship aspirations, they were silenced in a win over the Vols just two weeks ago. The Cats won by 17 and the game wasn’t even that close. Kentucky used a 25-7 second-half run to take a 24-point lead and even a 13-0 counter by the Vols couldn’t get them within 10 points.
PJ Washington scored 23 points on 9 of 12 shooting and Keldon Johnson hit 8 of 14 shots for 19 points as Kentucky shot 54.7 percent from the floor. Tyler Herro had 15 points and 13 rebounds and the Cats dominated on the glass with a 39-26 advantage.
Not much went right for the Vols that night. They shot just 40.7 percent and were 7 of 25 from deep putting an end to their school record 19-game winning streak. “We weren’t Tennessee tough. Kentucky was totally kicking our butt, scoring the ball defense, everything,” Admiral Schofield admitted afterwards.
Injury Report
The loss of Reid Travis may have impacted Kentucky more than the team thought. The graduate transfer is averaging 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and his veteran leadership has been invaluable. He tallied 11 points and eight rebounds against the Vols two weeks ago and was hurt early in the second half of the following game. The Cats held on to beat Missouri and trounced Auburn in the first tilt without Travis.
Things were a little tighter over the weekend when Kentucky barely got by Arkansas and needed a second-half surge to do it. Starting in place of Travis, EJ Montgomery scored just two points and backup Nick Richards had seven. How valuable is Travis to the team? We’ll find out more on Saturday.
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Not only did the Vols lose the previous meeting, they were manhandled and thoroughly outplayed. That doesn’t sit well with a club that has the talent to be a serious Final Four contender. Kentucky is right there and the Cats showed they are also a threat. And with first place at stake, this should be fun to watch. Admiral Schofield knows the Vols got punk’d the last time, and with Grand Williams and Lamonte Turner, they should be more competitive. Playing on their floor is also a plus and the Vols will extend their home winning streak with a close victory.
College Basketball Score Prediction: Tennessee 76, Kentucky 72
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