Staff Predictions
Kentucky has two straight wins to its credit but Saturday's challenge is on another level.
The 'Cats will take on Tennessee in Knoxville as 6-point underdogs.
Can UK win its third in the row and continue to build its momentum? The Cats Illustrated staff discusses.
What are you most interested in seeing from Kentucky against Tennessee on Saturday?
Jeff Drummond: Looking back at that first matchup between Kentucky and Tennessee, I still don't know what to make of it. The Cats seemed to be in total control of that game but saw a 10-point lead turn into a 10-point deficit in the blink of an eye. To this day, it's still the fastest 20-point swing in a game I can ever recall. I'm interested to see if there's any psychological residue on UK's part from that collapse. Do the Cats believe they are the team that controlled most of the game or the one that had no answers down the stretch?
David Sisk: The first time around Kentucky dominated the first three quarters of the game only to be outscored by 20 points the rest of the way. The Cats had already started play some better at that point. Now they get another shot in Knoxville perhaps playing their best basketball of the year. I don’t expect a double digit lead this time, but I do look for this to be a tight game for much of the way. Tennessee is a tough matchup for this roster with their defense and physicality. I’m interested to see if Kentucky can bring it for forty minutes.
Justin Rowland: If Kentucky shoots like it had for a couple of games in a row and at the start of the last game then they're going to be tough to beat. I'm not sure if they will but that would certainly make things interesting. Can Isaiah Jackson continue to round into one of the better players in the SEC, which he has looked like over the last couple of games? Does Davion Mintz continue knocking down big shots? Victor Bailey scored 29 points (7-10 3-pt) in Tennessee's last game so the 'Cats are going to have to track him closely. They defended Vanderbilt's shooters well.
Travis Graf: It will be interesting to see if Kentucky keeps their short win streak going over Tennessee, who was frankly one of the more overhyped teams in the country preseason. Since the last Tennessee game, Kentucky has added wrinkles to their offensive system and has changed up their rotations. The ‘Cats are also playing at a much faster pace than they were a couple of weeks ago.
What's your prediction for the game?
Drummond: Tennessee 75, Kentucky 70 -- I think these teams are fairly close in overall talent, although different in their roster strengths. It's hard for me to pick the Cats after they gave up 50 points to UT guards Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer in the first matchup. Those guys combine to average 22.5 points per game on the season, so that may be an indication of just how bad the matchup is for UK on the defensive end of the floor. Rick Barnes seems to have the mojo over his buddy John Calipari right now.
Sisk: In the first game Keion Brooks took over for a stretch. But once the Vols took him away there was nowhere else to turn. They had too much brawn for a thinner B.J. Boston. Can an improved Isaiah Jackson, Jacob Toppin, or Davion Mintz step up? Can Olivier Sarr provide some points? On the other end Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer took over for a combined 50 points. This game may be more about individual challenges even though both coaches stress the team concept. Kentucky has to hope that the edition of the struggling Tennessee offense shows up. Tennessee 73, Kentucky 68.
Rowland: The Vols are 12-2 at home this year and that's a lot to overcome. Kentucky has improved, but I'm not sure they've improved enough to beat this team on that court. Tennessee 80, Kentucky 73.
Graf: Expect another close game this time around. Last game, Keion Brooks, Devin Askew and Olivier Sarr did most of the heavy lifting. I’m anticipating a big game from Davion Mintz and Isaiah Jackson in this one, while BJ Boston adds 12-14 points himself. Cal temporarily gets the Rick Barnes monkey off of his back as Kentucky wins 73-70.