Cats, Vols Set for Showdown of Ranked Teams
Kentucky and Tennessee have met 232 times on the hardwood over the course of the last 112 years. Kentucky holds a 157-75 advantage over Tennessee over the course of the rivalry.
On Saturday, the 22nd-ranked Vols come to Lexington with a chance to do something they have not done in over 100 years – win three times in a row in Lexington. Tennessee has won on its last two trips to Rupp Arena (81-73 on March 3, 2020 and 82-71 on Feb. 6, 2021).
Kentucky, ranked 18th in the nation, obviously does not want to see that happen. UK guard Davion Mintz hopes the home-court advantage will help the Cats on Saturday.
“That’s my first time actually hearing that,” Mintz said when he heard about Tennessee’s recent success in Lexington. “That’s definitely a motivating factor. Three times is almost domination so we definitely have to try to stop that streak they have going.”
Freshman guard TyTy Washington Jr. knows that it’s about protecting the Cats’ home turf.
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| Kentucky vs. Tennessee | ||
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Wed., Jan. 15 – 1:00 p.m. ET |
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TV: ESPN |
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| UK | Stats | UT |
| 13-3 | Record | 11-4 |
| 3-1 | Conference Record | 2-2 |
| 82.6 | PPG | 75.3 |
| 62.1 | Opp PPG | 60.7 |
| .496 | FG% | .437 |
| .391 | Opp FG% | .397 |
| 43.4 | RPG | 38.0 |
| .346 | 3PT FG% | .322 |
| .301 | Opp 3PT FG% | .322 |
| 17.4 | APG | 17.4 |
| 6.8 | SPG | 10.7 |
| 4.9 | BPG | 4.9 |
“It’s very motivating,” Washington said. “First of all, it’s our home court, so we always want to defend that with pride. This is our home. We’ve got to protect our home at all costs so we’re going to do everything we can in our power to come out with a win.”
For his part, UK head coach John Calipari knows the history. However, he thinks that it is lost on a team full of players who largely have not played against Tennessee.
“If I had a veteran team that had been through two of those, I would say yeah,” Calipari said. “If I ask this team how many games has Tennessee won in a row in our building, they would say they have no idea.”
But Calipari knows his team is very aware of the Volunteers and how good they are.
“This game, I think (the Cats) understand these are two good teams,” Calipari said. “It’s going to be a war. It will not be won in the first five minutes. It will be a 40-minute, who has (the ball) last kind of game.”
Calipari knows what to expect from the Vols, who are coached by veteran Rick Barnes.
“His teams are physical, they’re well-coached,” Calipari said. “If you’re not ready to physically play, you’ll stand out in this game. He’s got good players. He’s done yeoman’s work.”
The Vols are 11-4 on the season and 2-2 in conference play. UT has lost to Alabama and LSU, both of whom are nationally-ranked, on the road. Tennessee beat Ole Miss and South Carolina, both in Knoxville.
Santiago Vescovi leads Tennessee in scoring at 13.6 points per contest. Kennedy Chandler averages 13.4 points per game, while John Fulkerson averages nine points and six rebounds per outing.
Saturday’s game will be the first in a tough stretch of games for Kentucky, something that Mintz hopes will make the Cats better.
“That’s really good for us,” Mintz said. “Some here, some on the road. The SEC’s a very competitive conference. Anything can happen. That’s what prepares you. We’re definitely looking forward to that. It’s going to be fun. That’s why we play the game.”
When Mintz decided to return to UK this season, he looked forward to the crowd and atmosphere around games like the one that will be played in Rupp on Saturday.
“I’m super excited. The BBN family, they show up, even if it’s an exhibition,” Mintz said. “I’m kind of anticipating what I’m used to seeing. I came back just to feel that energy and be in that environment.”
Those three wins in a row for Tennessee in Lexington came on Feb. 23, 1916, Feb. 9, 1917 and Feb. 10, 1917. That’s the only time in the series that the Vols have won three times in a row in Lexington. This year’s Kentucky team is trying to prevent that from happening again.
Another Dominating Performance by Tshiebwe Leads Cats Past Commodores
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – John Calipari has one quibble with his 18th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. He’d like to see them finish what they start.
Oscar Tshiebwe scored a career-high 30 points and had 13 rebounds as Kentucky routed Vanderbilt 78-66 on Tuesday night for its second straight win. The final score was only that close because the Wildcats missed their final seven shots after taking their biggest lead of the game at 28 points.
“We let go of the rope, and we’ve got to get better at that,” Calipari said.
The Wildcats (13-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) won their 11th straight in the series, and Calipari improved to 22-4 against Vanderbilt with his 797th overall victory.
Tshiebwe came in leading the nation in rebounding and second in double-doubles; this was his 12th. He became the first Kentucky player with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Patrick Patterson on Dec. 22, 2008, against Tennessee State.
“Never had a dream about scoring 30 points in a game,” Tshiebwe said. “It just happened. The team, they’re helping me, they look for me down there. … It was good to finish with 30 points, but I have the ability down in the post to finish, that’s what helped me. And I’m making free throws. That was a good thing.”
Calipari called Tshiebwe one of the hardest-working players he’s coached.
“His body is so big, he’s a terrific screener on ball screens,” Calipari said. “You can say what you want. When you’re 255 (pounds), you know, it’s a tough thing.”
TyTy Washington Jr. added 15 points for Kentucky.
Vanderbilt (9-5, 1-2) lost its second straight. The Commodores’ first two SEC games were decided by a combined three points, and Kentucky swept last season’s series by total of seven points.
Scotty Pippen Jr., the SEC’s leading scorer, nearly matched his average with 17 points by halftime. He finished with 32. But junior Jordan Wright was held scoreless for the first time this season after averaging 12.7 points a game for Vanderbilt. Trey Thomas added 14 for the Commodores.
With 7-footer Liam Robbins sidelined by a foot issue, Vanderbilt struggled to defend Tshiebwe. Coach Jerry Stackhouse called the 6-foot-9 Tshiebwe a “handful.”
“Hat’s off to him,” Stackhouse said. “He had a great game putting the ball in the basket, being really aggressive on the boards. It was his night.”
Vanderbilt never got closer than a tie at 22 after an 11-0 run early. Kentucky answered Vandy’s run with 14 straight points, pushing the lead back to double digits.
Tshiebwe scored five of the final seven points as Kentucky led 41-27 at halftime.
The Wildcats led by as much as 78-50 with 6:14 left. The only thing that kept Vandy from allowing a season high in points was finishing the game on a 16-0 run.
• The Wildcats notched their first true road victory of the season in their third opportunity of the season. UK is 2-3 in games away from Rupp Arena this season when factoring in neutral-site games.
• All 13 of Kentucky’s wins this season have been by double figures.
• UK shot 52.5% (31 of 59), the team’s eighth game making at least half of its shots this season, including the second in a row. The Wildcats are 8-0 in those games. Kentucky has shot 50% or better in five of the last seven games.
Wheeler Expected to Play vs. Tennessee
Kentucky guard Sahvir Wheeler remains day-to-day with a neck injury he suffered in last week’s game at LSU, but did resume practicing this week and is expected to play against Tennessee, head coach John Calipari indicated on Friday during his weekly press conference.
Wheeler was knocked out of the LSU game less than four minutes into the game when he ran head-first into a screen by LSU’s 7-foot, 230-pound Efton Reid. He did not return to the game and has missed the last two games.
Without Wheeler at LSU, UK scored a season-low 60 points and shot a season-worst 36.2%. With freshman guard TyTy Washington Jr. also sidelined for part of the second half with cramps in his legs, UK managed just one field goal over nearly a 12-minute stretch and was outscored 20-2 after UK took a 50-41 lead with 13:06 left to play.
“You saw that Sahvir stirs the drink offensively for us,” Calipari said. “Makes our game fast. Someone said, in the last minutes Kellan (Grady) didn’t get the ball. And I say, we didn’t have a point guard in. So, those guys who would find him, that’s who they are. So now we’ve got to say, all right, how do we do this?”
Kentucky has bounced back without Wheeler vs. Georgia and at Vanderbilt. Washington set the UK single-game school record with 17 assists vs. the Bulldogs and Oscar Tshiebwe dominated at Vanderbilt with 30 points.
Wheeler led the Southeastern Conference in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio last season at Georgia. His 193 assists in 2020-21 broke Georgia’s previous single-season assists record by 24 dimes despite a shortened season. He transferred after the year was over.
Wheeler has been as good as advertised for the Wildcats. His assists average took a hit with the limited action vs. LSU, but he is still ranked third nationally with 7.3 assists per game (through games on Jan. 11). Wheeler has dished out at least eight assists seven times and at least six assists in 11 games while adding 9.6 points per game. His 26 points vs. North Carolina is the most by a Wildcat this season.
