Tennessee basketball vs Kentucky prediction: Will Vols, Rick Barnes own Rupp Arena again?

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Tennessee basketball is getting another crack at Kentucky.

The No. 4 Vols (20-4, 7-4 SEC) face No. 18 Kentucky (16-7, 5-5) on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Rupp Arena. They have won three straight games since losing to the Wildcats on Jan. 28.

“It’s gonna take everybody just being locked in, being engaged,” Vols associate head coach Justin Gainey said Monday.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Kentucky beat Tennessee in the first matchup this season

Kentucky topped Tennessee in the first matchup this season. It won 78-73 at Food City Center.

The Vols were 11-for-45 on 3-pointers in the loss. The 45 attempts are the second most in a game for the Vols in program history and the most in Barnes’ 10 seasons.

“We knew we could shoot a three anytime we wanted to,” Barnes said afterward. “Of 45, I would say 95% were wide open but that was by design. That is what they were looking for.”

Tennessee has settled in shooting threes since. It was 10-for-15 against Missouri and 9-for-21 against Oklahoma.

Kentucky hasn’t looked the same since beating the Vols

Kentucky is 1-2 since it beat the Vols.

The Wildcats lost 89-79 on Feb. 1 to Arkansas and former Kentucky coach John Calipari. They lost 98-84 at Ole Miss on Feb. 4 to lose two straight games. They bounced back with an 80-57 win against South Carolina, which is 0-10 in SEC play.

SOONERS: Why Tennessee basketball’s first half at Oklahoma was ‘pretty special’ to Rick Barnes

Kentucky’sLamont Butler is back vs Tennessee

Kentucky guard Lamont Butler did not play in the first meeting between Tennessee and Kentucky. The senior returned Saturday in UK’s win against South Carolina.

“He’s kind of the head of the snake,” Gainey said. “He sets the tempo. He can score. He can facilitate. He’s dynamic in transition and he’s also a really good defender. I think he changes them drastically.”

Butler is averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists this season.

Rick Barnes has led Tennessee to Rupp magic

Rick Barnes has more success at Rupp Arena in his first nine…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-basketball-vs-kentucky-prediction-195616638.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2025-02-10 19:56:00

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