How Kentucky and Tennessee match up — with a game prediction
How the No. 3-seed Kentucky Wildcats (26-6) and the No. 2-seed Tennessee Volunteers (24-7) match up at each position for Saturday’s SEC Tournament semifinal — with a game prediction:
Small forward
▪ Kentucky’s Kellan Grady (11.8 ppg, 2 rpg, 43.7% three-pointers) took only 5 shots in UK’s taut 77-71 victory over Vanderbilt in Friday’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound super-senior hit three, including two three-pointers, en route to 8 points. In UK’s 107-79 victory over Tennessee in January, Grady hit 5-of-8 shots, 4-of-7 treys, and had 16 points. The Vols shut down the Davidson transfer, however, while beating UK 76-63 in Knoxville last month. UT held Grady to 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting.
▪ Tennessee’s Josiah Jordan-James (9.7 pph, 5.8 rpg, 37.9% FGs, 32% treys) ignited UT’s 72-59 victory over Mississippi State in the SEC tourney quarterfinals. The 6-6, 214-pound junior hit 4-of-6 three-point tries, 6-of-11 shots overall, and scored a team-high 16 points while also contributing 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. A Charleston, S.C., product, James has averaged 9.5 ppg and 3 rpg this season vs. UK.
Advantage: Even
Power forward
▪ UK’s Keion Brooks (10.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 49.1% FGs) had a quiet game (4 points on 2-of-6 shooting, 3 rebounds in 14 minutes) vs. Vandy in the quarterfinals. It was the second-straight game in which the 6-7, 210-pound junior had a meager stat line, as he finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds in UK’s 71-63 win at Florida in the regular-season finale. In the two regular-season games vs. UT, Brooks averaged 8.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg.
▪ Tennessee’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 45.4% FGs) had one of his best games of the season in the QFs victory over Mississippi State. The home-grown, 6-10, 245-pound freshman had 10 points and 3 boards in 22 minutes. The Clarksville, Tenn., product played well vs. UK in Rupp Arena, scoring 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and claiming 3 rebounds. Huntley-Hatfield went scoreless vs. UK in Knoxville, however, though he did grab 3 boards.
Advantage: Kentucky
Center
▪ Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe (17.1 ppg, 15.3 rpg, team highs of 58 steals, 51 blocked shots) had his 14th-straight double-double, 12 points and 14 rebounds, in the victory over Vandy. The performance was the 26th double-double of the season for Tshiebwe, tying Dan Issel’s single-season Kentucky school record set in 1969-70. A transfer from West Virginia, Tshiebwe had one of his least-efficient games of the season in UK’s loss at UT, making only 5-of-15 shots. Even so, he did produce his customary double-double in Knoxville with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
▪ A 7-1, 251-pound transfer from Arizona State, Tennessee’s Uros Plavsic (4.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 56.8% FGs, 53.1% FTs) has only three double-figure scoring games all season — and none since January. In this season’s two games vs. Kentucky, the product of Ivanjica, Serbia, has gone for a combined 4 points and 5 rebounds.
Advantage: Kentucky
Shooting guard
▪ Kentucky freshman star TyTy Washington (12.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4 apg, 46.3% FGs, 36.2% treys) had his best game of the season in the rout of UT in Rupp. The 6-3, 197-pound product of Phoenix hit 10-of-13 shots and scored 28 points while doling out 5 assists. After battling the lingering impact of a “lower-leg injury” down the stretch of the season, Washington seemed “right” in Friday’s Vandy victory. Washington hit 8-of-17 shots and had 25 points. When Vanderbilt pulled within one late in the second half, Washington scored eight-straight points to give the Cats breathing room.
▪ Tennessee’s Santiago Vescovi (13.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 39.7% treys) had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in the win over Mississippi State. The 6-3, 191-pound junior has been terrific this season against Kentucky. A product of Montevideo, Uruguay, Vescovi is averaging 19 points and has made 6-of-10 three-pointers, 13-of-22 shots overall, vs. the Cats.
Advantage: Kentucky
Point guard
▪ Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler (10 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 7.1 apg, 44.7% FGs) made only 4-of-13 shots in the win over Vanderbilt, but he finished the game with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists. The 5-9, 180-pound junior made 8-of-10 shots and finished with 21 points and 8 assists in the win over UT in Lexington. A transfer from Georgia, Wheeler did not fare as well in Knoxville. Wheeler made 4-of-10 shots and had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
▪ Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler (13.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.6 apg, 2.2 steals, 45.9% FGs) had 11 points and 6 assists in 27 minutes in the win over Mississippi State. The 6-foot, 171-pound freshman from Memphis was limited to 27 minutes of playing time, however, because he appeared to be repeatedly rolling an ankle. Chandler has scored 17 points in each of UT’s games vs. UK and has made 12-of-20 shots, 5-of-9 treys vs. the Cats. If the game is close, Chandler (61.5%) is not a good foul shooter.
Advantage: Even
Bench
▪ Kentucky sixth man Davion Mintz (8.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 35% treys) played a big role in the win over Vanderbilt. The 6-3, 195-pound super-senior had 10 points and 5 assists. The transfer from Creighton also played a large defensive role in containing Vandy star guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (10 points on 2-of-17 field goals) ... Versatile forward Jacob Toppin (6.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 55.4% FGs) also played strong vs. Vandy, going for 10 points and 2 boards in 20 minutes. ... Sophomore big man Lance Ware (1.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 69.6% FGs) is counted upon to hold down the lane when Oscar Tshiebwe needs a break.
▪ Tennessee super-senior John Fulkerson (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 52.3% FGs) will play against Kentucky for an astounding 13th time. The 6-9, 219-pound Fulkerson has averaged 6 ppg and 3.7 rpg vs. UK in his first 12 career games vs. the Cats. ... Diminutive freshman guard Zakai Zeigler (8.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.8 steals, 37.7% FGs) has become a UT folk hero. A 5-9. 167-pound product of Long Island, N.Y., Zeigler has scored in double figures in 11 of the past 13 games. ... Auburn transfer Justin Powell (3.8 ppg, 38.1% treys) has not had the impact many expected of the former North Oldham High School star at Tennessee. ... Former Oregon Duck Victor Bailey (2.8 ppg, 33.7% FGs, 23.1% treys) has struggled to find his shot so far this year.
Advantage: Tennessee
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Intangibles and history
▪ In the tradition of former Tennessee head men Ray Mears and Don DeVoe, Volunteers Coach Rick Barnes has given Kentucky fits. Since taking the UT job before the 2015-16 season, Barnes has gone 9-7 vs. the Cats. Barnes is 4-2 vs. UK in Knoxville, 3-4 in Lexington and 1-1 in the SEC Tournament on neutral courts.
▪ As Kentucky coach, John Calipari is 16-11 vs. Tennessee — 9-2 before Barnes, 7-9 since. Calipari is 2-1 vs. UT in the SEC Tourney.
▪ Kentucky is 2-1 this season on neutral courts; Tennessee is 2-2.
▪ Across sports, the UK-UT head-to-head rivalry has more juice presently than it has had in quite a while. Both teams will have fans in Tampa, but the Big Blue Nation usually prevails in the stands against all comers at SEC Tournament venues.
▪ Overall, UK leads the all-time series with UT 158-76.
Advantage: Kentucky
Prediction
Kentucky 81, Tennessee 75.
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 2:33 AM.
