The Official #11 Tennessee @ Kentucky Game Thread, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN

#1
YankeeVol

YankeeVol

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#1
#11 Tennessee Volunteers: 12-4 (5-4 SEC)

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@

Kentucky Wildcats: 5-11 (4-5 SEC)

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GAME 17 | TENNESSEE at KENTUCKY - Feb. 6, 2021 | 8:05 p.m. ET | Rupp Arena

Line: UT -3.5
O/U: 125

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Kensucky Game Notes

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#2
#2
THE SERIES

• Tennessee trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 156-74, dating to 1910.
• The Wildcats have a 91-18 edge when the series is played in Lexington.
• Overall, the Vols have won five of their last eight games vs. Kentucky.
• Tennessee will host the Wildcats in Knoxville in two weeks on Feb. 20
 
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#3
#3
A WIN WOULD...

• Be Tennessee's sixth victory in its last nine games against Kentucky.
• Be UT's seventh all-time win at Rupp Arena.
• Make Rick Barnes the only active head coach to lead his team to at least three victories at Rupp Arena.
• Make seniors John Fulkerson and Yves Pons the first Vols to play/appear in three wins at Rupp Arena.
 
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#4
#4
LAYUP LINES

• Kentucky big man Olivier Sarr is one of Yves Pons' closest friends. Both grew up in France, and they often played against one another before becoming teammates at INSEP Academy and on the French National Team.
• Pons is averaging a team-best 15.8 points while shooting .632 from the field and .467 from 3-point range (7-15) over the last four games.
• Last week, Pons was named a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Award and one of 15 candidates for Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year.
• Tennessee is No. 13 in the latest NCAA NET ratings, with four wins over teams in the top 30.
• Tennessee dominated #15 Kansas last Saturday for an 80-61, wire-to-wire win that clinched the SEC/Big 12 Challenge for the SEC (5-4).
• The Volunteers have been outscored 25-0 on fast-break points over the last two games.
• Over its last two games, Tennessee is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (16 for 32).
 
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#5
#5
DEFENSE WINS

• Tennessee ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just 58.9 points per game.
• According to KenPom, the Vols lead the NCAA in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 86.0 points per 100 possessions. College teams typically average close to 70 possessions per game.
• The Vols are forcing 16.1 turnovers per game while converting those turnovers into 17.3 points per game. Tennessee's turnover margin stands at +4.6 (11th nationally).
• Tennessee has forced 13 of 16 opponents to turn the ball over on 20 percent or more of their possessions.
• Tennessee has allowed only one opposing player to score 20 points all season. See Page 3.
• Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons has 20 blocks through UT's first nine SEC games. Pons has 100 blocks in his last 47 games.

*except when the other team is also good defensively
 
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#6
#6
ABOUT KENTUCKY

• At the midway point of the 2020-21 season, Kentucky is in the midst of an uncharacteristic season. Through 16 games, the Wildcats are 5-11 and 4-5 in SEC play and have dropped five of their last six contests.
• Despite the rough road, UK boasts an immensely talented crop of newcomers, led by freshman forward Isaiah Jackson. Jackson has been a do-it-all performer, leading the team and ranking eighth in the SEC in rebounding with 7.1 per game, while averaging an incredible 3.0 blocks per game. That average leads the team, the SEC and ranks sixth in the nation. Jackson has also been solid on the score sheet, contributing close to seven points per game.
• Another versatile producer for Kentucky has been senior Olivier Sarr. An alum of France's INSEP Academy (like UT forward Yves Pons), Sarr is Kentucky's second-leading scorer (10.3 ppg), rebounder (5.6 rpg) and shot blocker (1.1 bpg), while playing just 23.8 minutes per night.
• In the scoring department, UK has been led by freshman guard Brandon Boston Jr., who's averaging 12.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in all but four games for the Wildcats. Boston is also Kentucky's third-leading rebounder, averaging 5.3 boards per game, and he leads the team in steals, averaging 1.3 per contest (21 total).
• A little known fact about the University of Kentucky's women's basketball program (started in 1902) is that it predates the storied men's program, which was formed a year later in 1903. A key difference is that the women's team did not become an official varsity sport at UK until 1974.
 
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#11
#11
We'll split. Not sure which way though.In character would be blow them away at Rupp then lose to them at home or lose to SC or both. I think even Barnes is scratching is head about this team from his post game interviews.
 
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#12
#12
I see us winning by 15 or losing by 4.

Who shows up? Gonna depend on how well the freshmen perform in beating the zone press.
 
#14
#14
calban said:
We'll split. Not sure which way though.In character would be blow them away at Rupp then lose to them at home or lose to SC or both. I think even Barnes is scratching is head about this team from his post game interviews.
Click to expand...
This. I have a feeling Tennessee wins big tonight, they seem to get up for games like this (Pons and Fulk in particular), but will lose at home to them.

I have a buddy lifelong die hard KY bball. We got to talking about the cats and the head case of Tennessee basketball this year. He said KY is an embarrassment and Tennessee has nothing to be ashamed of bc they have been overachieving all year anyway. Tifwiw
 
#15
#15
Johnnyreb#VFL said:
This. I have a feeling Tennessee wins big tonight, they seem to get up for games like this (Pons and Fulk in particular), but will lose at home to them.

I have a buddy lifelong die hard KY bball. We got to talking about the cats and the head case of Tennessee basketball this year. He said KY is an embarrassment and Tennessee has nothing to be ashamed of bc they have been overachieving all year anyway. Tifwiw
Click to expand...

5-4 in the SEC is overachieving???
 
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#16
#16
Vols bounce back in a big way tonight. Hopefully losing those games has got them motivated to play like we all know they can.
 
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#17
#17
Gotta be ready to play tonight, for no other reason besides it's an SEC rival. They may be down to this point, but they're still Kentucky and they're playing at home.

And always remember, you can't spell sUcK without UK. GBO!!
 
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#19
#19
UK’s isn’t as bad as they appear. I believe they’ve had the toughest conference schedule so far.
 
#20
#20
omghulkhands said:
UK’s isn’t as bad as they appear. I believe they’ve had the toughest conference schedule so far.
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I think it's a toss up game. Despite UK's record they are highly capable of beating us. We are just too bad offensively to be legit favorites against anybody with a pulse. By the same token our defense gives us a chance against just about anybody not named Baylor or Gonzaga. Look for a bunch of nailbiters the rest of the way.
 
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#21
#21
If Kentucky (really any team we play going forward ) either has moderate success behind the 3 pt line or has a hard driving quick footed guard we will not win. Sadly those are bold faced weaknesses that our current lineup presents and both are easily exploited.
 
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#22
#22
omghulkhands said:
UK’s isn’t as bad as they appear. I believe they’ve had the toughest conference schedule so far.
Click to expand...
Eh. Talent wise I agree. A lot of potential But they just don't have a team. They have no will power at the end of games. And They're kind of like us, they don't have any players that can just take a game over.

2 years ago we had 3 of em in Williams, Scofield and Bone.

Having said that, I think they beat us tonight. We just aren't playing well at all on offense right now. Our only saving grace will be if Barnes figures out a way to outcoach Cal, which he has pretty much done his entire tenure here, so it wouldn't shock me if he does.

We shall see. Got to get the game to the end with it being a possession or 2 either way. That's usually when UK fades like a fart in the wind.
 
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#23
#23
BigOrangeFanatic said:
Eh. Talent wise I agree. A lot of potential But they just don't have a team. They have no will power at the end of games. And They're kind of like us, they don't have any players that can just take a game over.

2 years ago we had 3 of em in Williams, Scofield and Bone.

Having said that, I think they beat us tonight. We just aren't playing well at all on offense right now. Our only saving grace will be if Barnes figures out a way to outcoach Cal, which he has pretty much done his entire tenure here, so it wouldn't shock me if he does.

We shall see. Got to get the game to the end with it being a possession or 2 either way. That's usually when UK fades like a fart in the wind.
Click to expand...
Candle in the wind...
 
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