The Tennessee Volunteers will be at Rupp Arena to challenge the No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats in a Southeastern matchup. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Wildcats enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out South Carolina 89-62 the last time they played. Tyler Ulis played a pivotal role, recording 27 points and 12 assists to notch his fourth double-double this season. The Volunteers are coming off a 75-64 loss against Missouri in their last outing. Kevin Punter led the team in scoring with 21 points.
Over the last five games, Jamal Murray and Ulis have been better than usual for the Wildcats. During that stretch, Murray has averaged 24.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 4.6 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Ulis has put up 21.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers.
The Kentucky defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks 13th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 44.1%), while the Tennessee offense is 274th with a mark of 47.7%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Volunteers winning the first matchup 84-77. Armani Moore put up a double-double in the victory with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The Wildcats come into this game 19-6 Straight Up (SU) and 12-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wildcats come into the game with the 46th-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 78.8 points per game. Kentucky is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 13.4 offensive rebounds per game. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Kentucky’s stingy defense. The Wildcats are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 62.5 points per home game. The Wildcats have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 21st in the country with a .394 opponent field-goal percentage. An area where the Wildcats are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.7 blocks per game, ninth in Division I.
Across the court, Tennessee has a SU record of 12-13 and an ATS record of 12-11-1. The Volunteers convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 43rd in the nation at .738. The Volunteers are a force on the offensive glass, grabbing an average of 12.8 offensive rebounds per game. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Volunteers on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 67.1 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 75.0. Don’t expect Tennessee to give away the ball much on offense, where its 11.1 turnovers per game ranks 34th in the country.
The Volunteers’ win over Kentucky in their last clash couldn’t give them the edge in the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, where Kentucky still leads 8-2 SU. The Wildcats also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kty, ATS Winner – Kty
Notes
Kentucky averages 78.8 points per game (ranked 46th). Tennessee, on the other hand, allows 75.0 points per game (ranked 199th).
Kentucky scores 79.4 points per home game (ranked 94th). Tennessee ranks a poor 194th in points allowed on the road, allowing 78.1 points.
Kentucky won its last game by a 27-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Tennessee is 3-1. Kentucky is 10-1 in blowouts this season.
The Kentucky Wildcats have a defensive rating of 97.3 (ranked 49th), while the Tennessee Volunteers have an offensive rating of 107.7 (ranked 128th).
The Kentucky Wildcats average a field goal percentage of 47.6% this season. The Tennessee Volunteers are a winless 0-6 when opponents have a FG% of 47.6% or greater.
The Kentucky Wildcats rank higher based on their field goal percentage (33rd) than their effective field goal percentage (60th). The Tennessee Volunteers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (274th) than their field goal percentage (282nd).
Tennessee ranks 83rd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.22. Kentucky is ranked lower at 105th with an A/TO of 1.17.
Kentucky ranks 61st in rebounds per game with 38.9 and Tennessee ranks 82nd with 38.4 rebounds per game.
The Tennessee Volunteers rank 46th in offensive rebounds. The Kentucky Wildcats rank 168th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Tennessee forces a turnover rate of 18.5%. When Kentucky turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a tremendous 7-2 record.
