Notes: Kentucky could get a huge momentum boost with a win at Tennessee
▪ Some Saturday notes and links:
An improved Kentucky faces big test at Tennessee
It’ll be a tough ask, of course, for a 7-13 team to beat the nation’s 19th-ranked team on that team’s home floor, the same team that beat the 7-13 team by 11 on its home floor just two weeks ago.
Oh yeah, did we mention that the 19th-ranked team is a seven-point favorite, that it is third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and 16th overall, while the 7-13 team is 97th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 62nd overall?
Enough with the numbers. The 7-13 team is Kentucky, of course. Tennessee is 19th in the AP Top 25. After UT’s 82-71 win over UK at Rupp Arena on Feb. 6, Saturday brings the border rivalry’s rematch, this time at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. CBS has the coverage.
And Kentucky needs the win. Needs it bad. If Kentucky is going to gather any sort of run at momentum heading into the SEC Tournament — March 10-14 in Nashville — it needs a marquee road victory. And the Cats are playing better, having won two in a row, having just missed out on three straight victories thanks to an 81-80 home loss to Arkansas three days after the loss to Tennessee.
“We’re coming together as a team,” UK Coach John Calipari has said more than once this week, a week the Cats have spent in Tennessee because of the weather up north, beating Vandy 82-78 before traveling on to Knoxville.
But is UK’s recent surge enough to win a game in which Ken Pomeroy’s analytics afford the Cats just a 25 percent chance at the upset?
There have been peaks and valleys in Tennessee’s season. Examples: The Vols followed an 80-61 win over Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge with a 52-50 loss at Ole Miss. (Given the way Ole Miss is playing now, that UT loss doesn’t look quite as bad as it did back then.) After victories over Kentucky and Georgia, Rick Barnes’ club stumbled and lost at LSU 78-65 last Saturday.
Then after failing to score 70 points in nine games this year, the Vols exploded for 50 points in the first half and 93 for the game in a 20-point thumping of a depleted South Carolina on Wednesday. Victor Bailey, the transfer from Oregon, scored a career-high 29 points. John Fulkerson fought his way out of a slump to score 19.
In fact, the 6-foot-10 Fulkerson was bothered by foul trouble in the first game against Kentucky and failed to score in just 10 minutes on the floor. This is the same Fulkerson who scored 27 points last year as UT rallied from 17 down to stun the Cats in Rupp. This year, it was freshman Keon Johnson (27 points) and Jared Springer (23) who terrorized Calipari’s club.
“They bullied us,” said the UK coach.
UK blew a double-digit lead in first game
Kentucky actually led 58-48 with 11:58 remaining. But six consecutive empty possessions by the Cats helped a 12-0 Tennessee run for a 60-58 Vols’ lead. After Kentucky pulled back in front 64-62, the Cats went eight more trips without a point. By the end of that, Tennessee led 74-64 with 3:56 remaining. That was pretty much it.
Kentucky shot just 38.5 percent the first game, while Tennessee shot 47.1 percent from the floor. That was the second-highest percentage by a UK opponent all season. Only Georgia Tech’s 57.1 percent back on Dec. 6 was better.
Kentucky also turned it over 13 times, compared to 10 assists. These Cats are 1-11 this year when they commit more turnovers than assists in a game. They are 6-2 when it’s the other way around.
One bright spot back on Feb. 6 was Keion Brooks, who produced a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Devin Askew scored 14 points and dished four assists. Olivier Sarr scored 14 points.
More to overcome: Kentucky had lost four straight in Thompson-Boling before last year’s 77-64 win on Rocky Top. Calipari is 4-6 in UT’s home arena as the UK coach. (Kentucky did not visit Knoxville in 2013-14.) And Calipari is 5-8 against Barnes since his friend relocated to Knoxville from Texas.
“This will be a tough team,” Calipari said, adding later. “We’ve got to be ready. It’ll be a man’s game.”
There is little doubt that Kentucky is playing with more confidence now than at any point of the season. But Saturday, playing the pre-season pick to win the SEC on its home floor, will be a litmus test of sorts. A loss might be expected, but a win would be huge.
Kentucky-Tennessee notes and links
▪ Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James missed the Vols’ last game with a wrist injury.
▪ Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel are on the call for CBS.
▪ John Fulkerson can thrive in the Tennessee offense, says the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
▪ Tennessee seeks its seventh victory over Kentucky in a 10-game stretch, reports David Paschal of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
▪ Kentucky could play makeup games, reports Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
▪ The Cats have some shot-blockers, reports Tipton.
▪ Calipari turns extended Tennessee road trip into bonding event, says the Cats Pause.
▪ Jacob Toppin’s big game at Vandy could help Kentucky in the future, writes Jon Hale of the Courier-Journal.
▪ Will Davion Mintz be back for more? asks Kyle Tucker of The Athletic.
▪ UK basketball statistical trends after win over Vanderbilt.
More basketball notes
▪ After its Wednesday night game with Syracuse was canceled four hours before tip-off because of a COVID-19 issue, Louisville is set to play at North Carolina at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The Cards (11-4 overall, 6-3 in the ACC) have not played since their 74-58 win over visiting Georgia Tech on Feb. 1.
▪ Louisville’s 19-day virus pause will end with mystery, writes Rick Bozich of WDRB.
▪ News came Friday that Louisville’s case with the NCAA over alleged violations under Rick Pitino will be determined through the Accountability Resolution Process.
▪ SEC games Saturday:
- 1:00 - Vanderbilt at Alabama (SEC)
- 1:00 - Kentucky at Tennessee (CB2)
- 2:00 - Missouri at South Carolina (ESPN2)
- 3:30 - Georgia at Florida (SEC)
- 4:00 - Auburn at LSU (ESPN)
- 6:00 - Mississippi State at Ole Miss (SEC)
▪ Arkansas at Texas A&M was postponed because of continuing COVID-19 issues in the Texas A&M program. This is the fifth straight postponement for the Aggies, who have not played since beating Kansas State 68-61 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30.
▪ Morehead State is at UT Martin on Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern Kentucky is at Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m. Both games can be seen on ESPN Plus.
▪ John Feinstein writes that Belmont could be an NCAA Cinderella — if it gets the chance.
▪ As far as games between ranked teams Saturday, No. 15 Texas Tech is at No. 23 Kansas at 2 p.m. on ESPN and No. 13 West Virginia is at No. 12 Texas on ABC.
▪ The NCAA announced Friday it will allow limited fans to attend the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indiana this year. It could allow up to 25 percent capacity.
▪ The ACC Tournament will be limited to family, guests and team personnel with no public tickets
▪ Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim blasted Duke freshman Jalen Johnson for opting out the rest of the season. “They are actually much better now without him,” said Boeheim, who served as a U.S. Olympic Team assistant under Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
▪ Alabama has extended Nate Oats’ contract through 2026-27.
▪ The Tennessee-Vanderbilt game has been moved to Wednesday, Feb. 24.
▪ Auburn says it is not yet ruling out the return of freshman guard Justin Powell this season. The former North Oldham star has been out with a concussion since Jan. 2. He missed both UK-Auburn games this season.
▪ Former UK star Jamal Murray hit 21 of 25 shots on the way to a 50-point night for the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Some football notes
▪ Tickets are on sale for the Kentucky 2021 football season. Here’s how to buy them.
▪ Tennessee has hired Penn State’s co-defensive coordinator Tim Banks as its DC. Banks coached under former Tennessee coach Butch Jones at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. Banks signed a three-year, $4.2 million deal.
▪ Tennessee has released four-star recruit Dylan Brooks from his national letter of intent.
▪ Missouri cornerbacks coach David Gibbs has been hired by Gus Malzahn to be co-defensive coordinator at UCF.
▪ Most NFL Draft picks since 2000, according to Pro Football Focus:
1. Ohio State - 141
2. Alabama - 127
3. LSU - 126
4. Miami - 119
5. Florida - 109
5. Georgia - 109
5. Florida State - 109
5. USC - 109
9. Oklahoma - 101
10. Michigan - 93
Odds and ends
▪ If you missed it, Oaklawn Park canceled racing this weekend because of the weather. The Grade 3 Southwest Stakes has been pushed back to Feb. 27. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Essential Quality is expected to make his 2021 debut in the Southwest.
▪ David Whitley of the Gainesville Sun writes that the now-retired Tim Tebow brought needed attention to the minor leagues.
▪ Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautiously optimistic that fans can return to Major League Baseball games this season.
▪ The Pirates have signed former Reds third baseman Todd Frazier to a $1.5 million contract.
▪ Kentucky’s women’s swimming and diving teams had a dominating night at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships. UK earned seven podium finishes, including two titles.
▪ UK men’s soccer improved to 7-1 with a 1-0 win over Duke. Daniel Evans scored the golden goal in Durham.
▪ UK softball earned a sweep of UNC Greensboro on Friday.
▪ UK gymnastics fell to No. 1-ranked Florida.
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 7:58 AM.
