Tuesday’s game marks the 240th meeting all-time between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers. But one of the oldest college basketball rivalries enters a new era as first-year Kentucky head coach Mark Pope makes his first trip down to Knoxville as the Wildcats’ coach.
The No. 12 Wildcats (14-5, 3-3) come into Knoxville looking to right the ship after consecutive losses to No. 4 Alabama and No. 24 Vanderbilt. Kentucky has struggled on the road this season, going 1-3 in true away games. The Wildcats face a tough task against a Tennessee squad that has been excellent on Rocky Top.
The No. 8 Volunteers (17-3, 4-3) look to remain perfect at home this season after starting 11-0 in Thompson-Boling Arena. Tuesday marks the beginning of a three-game homestand for Tennessee, including back-to-back AP top-15 matchups against Kentucky and Florida.
Tennessee is coming off of a nail-biting 51-53 loss at No. 1 Auburn in which the Volunteers held the Tigers’ high-powered offense to season lows in points, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage. The Volunteer defense will face another tough task against Kentucky’s explosive offense, which is averaging 88.1 points/game this season.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. EST. Watch live on ESPN, and follow our live blog here during the game.
