The Official #6 [2] Tennessee vs. #18 [3] Kentucky Game Thread, 7:39 PM ET, TBS/truTV

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

Raise Hell, Praise Dale
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
143,490
Likes
73,602
#1
Men's Basketball Championship - Midwest Region - Sweet 16

#6 [2] Tennessee Volunteers: 29-7 (12-6 SEC)
GmsOAsVaoAAPWKz


vs.

#18 [3] Kentucky Wildcats: 24-11 (10-8 SEC)
Gm1Rj7hb0AA9MKl



GAME 37 | TENNESSEE vs. KENTUCKY - Friday, March 28, 2025 | 7:39 p.m. ET | Indianapolis, Ind. | Lucas Oil Stadium (35,000)

Line: UT -4.5
O/U: 144.5

TV: TBS/truTV / Watch
Radio: Vol Network / Listen
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM: 208 & 201 / Internet: ---
Online: March Madness Live

Kensucky Game Notes

GnIEt_sWIAA3DRh
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vol in Buckeye Land, Just a VolinTears, HeadVol77 and 7 others
#2
#2
THE MATCHUP

• The Volunteers' 78 victories over the Wildcats lead all teams. Vanderbilt is second with 50.
• Tennessee's 11 wins over Kentucky in Rick Barnes' tenure (2015-25) are four more than any other team. That includes a 10-8 record against ranked Wildcat teams, good for twice as many such wins as anyone else. The Vols have defeated Kentucky at least once in eight of his 10 years and are 6-7 away from home.
• In the 22 seasons before Barnes' arrival (1993-2015), UT went 9-35 against Kentucky, including 7-28 when the Wildcats were ranked.
• Barnes' 12 wins over the Wildcats rank seventh all-time, one shy of Dean Smith (13) and the most of any active coach.
• This is the seventh consecutive series meeting with Tennessee ranked above Kentucky. Its prior high was four (2/1/00 to 2/14/01).
• The Wildcats, who tied for sixth in the SEC, are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
• Junior guard Otega Oweh, a Second Team All-SEC honoree, leads Kentucky with 16.3 ppg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HeadVol77, xtremevolfan, zeppelin128 and 2 others
#3
#3
NEWS & NOTES

• UT's 27 all-time NCAA Tournament teams are a combined 28-30 (3-2 at neutral sites) versus Kentucky.
• The Vols have never previously played a fellow SEC team in the NCAA Tournament. They fell at Vanderbilt, 89-85, in the 1980 NIT.
• Tennessee is one of just three schools in the Sweet 16 for at least the third straight year, alongside Alabama and Houston.
• This is UT's eighth Sweet 16 trip since 2006-07, tied for eighth- most in that time. More on Page 5.
• Tennessee, Duke, Maryland and Ole Miss are the lone four schools in the men's and women's Sweet 16. UT is the only one that also made the College Football Playoff.
• The Vols are 30-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including 11-6 under Rick Barnes, who has the most such wins in program history. More on Pages 10-11.
• Tennessee is looking to reach the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight year. It would be the first such instance in program history.
• The Vols are playing a 37th game for the fifth time, alongside 1984- 85, 2009-10, 2013-14 and 2018-19.
• With 835 wins, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari for ninth all- time (min. 10 years in DI) and for the most among active coaches.
• Zakai Zeigler's 260 assists match the SEC single-season record set by Ole Miss' Sean Tuohy in 1979- 80. His 732 career assists are a program record and the third- most in SEC history.
• Chaz Lanier, in just two outings, is already one of only eight Vols with multiple 20-point showings in NCAA Tournament play. His 29 points in his debut are the most by a UT player in an NCAA victory.
• Lanier's 120 made 3-pointers this year are a UT single-season record and the sixth-most in a single campaign in SEC history.
• Tennessee's 200 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank co-sixth in DI, alongside Auburn, Liberty and Saint Mary's. Only Houston (240), Gonzaga (239), Duke (218), Kansas (212) and Purdue (206) own more.
• The Vols, who had 25 regular season victories for the third time, are seeking a third 30-win year (31-6 in 2018-19, 31-5 in 2007-08).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Just a VolinTears, HeadVol77, xtremevolfan and 2 others
#4
#4
SEEING THE SECOND WEEKEND

• Tennessee has reached the Sweet 16 in eight of the past 18 NCAA Tournaments (since 2006-07). That is tied for eighth-most trips in that span, matching Michigan, Purdue and UCLA.
• The Vols' trips have come under three coaches: Rick Barnes (2025, 2024, 2023, 2019), Cuonzo Martin (2014) and Bruce Pearl (2010, 2008, 2007).
• The only seven schools that own more second- weekend bids over that span are Duke (11), North Carolina (11), Gonzaga (10), Michigan State (10), Arizona (nine), Kansas (nine, plus one vacated) and Kentucky (nine).
• The SEC top-three in that stretch is Kentucky (nine), Tennessee (eight) and Florida (seven). No other school has greater than four.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HeadVol77, zeppelin128 and feathersax
#5
#5
QUITE THE CAMPAIGN

• Tennessee's nine AP top-25 wins this season are its most ever, eclipsing the seven it had in both 2023- 24 and 2021-22. It has tallied at least seven in three of the last four years after never before doing so.
• UT has seven AP top-15 wins this year, passing 2021- 22 (six) for the most in school history. The Vols had five in 2022-23, giving them five-plus in three of the last four years after never before hitting that mark.
• This is the third time in program history, including the second in Rick Barnes' tenure, the Vols have logged four AP top-seven (or even AP top-10) victories in a single season, joining 2021-22 and 1976-77.
• Tennessee has 25-plus wins in a season for the ninth time, including the sixth under Rick Barnes (all in the last eight years) and the fourth in a row. It reached 25 victories in the regular season for the third time, joining 2018-19 (27-4) and 2007-08 (28-3).
• The Volunteers own 29-plus wins for the third time, including the second in the Barnes era. They went 31-6 in 2018-19, and 31-5 in 2007-08.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HeadVol77, xtremevolfan, zeppelin128 and 3 others
#8
#8
YankeeVol said:
THE MATCHUP

• The Volunteers' 78 victories over the Wildcats lead all teams. Vanderbilt is second with 50.
• Tennessee's 11 wins over Kentucky in Rick Barnes' tenure (2015-25) are four more than any other team. That includes a 10-8 record against ranked Wildcat teams, good for twice as many such wins as anyone else. The Vols have defeated Kentucky at least once in eight of his 10 years and are 6-7 away from home.
• In the 22 seasons before Barnes' arrival (1993-2015), UT went 9-35 against Kentucky, including 7-28 when the Wildcats were ranked.
• Barnes' 12 wins over the Wildcats rank seventh all-time, one shy of Dean Smith (13) and the most of any active coach.
• This is the seventh consecutive series meeting with Tennessee ranked above Kentucky. Its prior high was four (2/1/00 to 2/14/01).
• The Wildcats, who tied for sixth in the SEC, are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
• Junior guard Otega Oweh, a Second Team All-SEC honoree, leads Kentucky with 16.3 ppg.
Click to expand...
What is the Vols overall record against Kentucky?
 
#18
#18
I feel like we know pretty early how this game is going to unfold. If Kentucky starts draining contested 3s early, then we are in trouble. Obviously any team would be, but I fear our ability to claw back into a game is a little more limited compared to other teams. Its like our defense is a great wall, but once it is breached, then we don't have anything to fall back on. Our offense is good, but can be inconsistent at times.

I am hoping we get a vintage Mashack defensive masterclass, with Ziegler creating chaos on the arc as well. We need both to be menaces all night.

A lot of our offense runs through Chas. Again, we will see early if he is hot or cold tonight. If he comes out hot, then I really like our odds. Both times we lost to UK this year we shot inconsistently. We need 60 mins 40 mins of offense.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JacketVol
#22
#22
I will be a nervous wreck all day thinking about this game ..... I do have on my lucky orange boxers today. I had them on for the CWS last year and the win over Alabama in football. Hopefully, they will come through again.

Go Vols!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: jhcrane14 and HeadVol77
#23
#23
Orange931 said:
Not nervous at all about this one. Not sure if we’ll win, but I’ve developed a different mindset when it comes to sports across the board. I’ll be happy as can be with a victory, but it’s just a game.
Click to expand...
That’s a great attitude I wish I can develop. I’m dreading this game because of the thought of a hot shooting KY team putting us out while Bama and FL look like world beaters. Auburn likely to advance also. TN is too good a program historically to have such horrible fortune in the NCAA. Yes, I have BVS!
 
  • Like
Reactions: HeadVol77, ArdentVol and Orange931
#24
#24
No Vol can have a bad game if we expect to win. Z, Gainey, Chaz all need to be scoring at or above their averages. Igor, Okpara, Cade have to all chip in points. Even Mashack needs to hit a few. Tough task ahead.
 
#25
#25
BowlBrother85 said:
I will be a nervous wreck all day thinking about this game ..... I do have on my lucky orange boxers today. I had them on for the CWS last year and the win over Alabama in football. Hopefully, they will come through again.

Go Vols!!!!
Click to expand...
If you washed 'em, the mojo is gone and tonight is on your head.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jhcrane14, zeppelin128, ArdentVol and 1 other person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top