The Official #8 Tennessee vs. #4 Kentucky Game Thread, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN

[YankeeVol]

SEC MEN'S TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINAL

#8 Tennessee Volunteers: 28-4 (15-3 SEC)

vs.

#4 Kentucky Wildcats: 27-5 (15-3 SEC)

GAME 33 | SEC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS - March 16, 2019 | ~3:30 p.m. ET | Bridgestone Arena (19,395)


Line: UT +1.5
O/U: 12

TV: ESPN
Radio: Vol Network
Satellite Radio: Sirius: 138, XM: 190
Online: WatchESPN

 

[YankeeVol]

THE SERIES

Tennessee trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 155-72, dating to 1910.

The Wildcats have a 12-4 edge when the teams meet in the SEC Tournament.

 

[YankeeVol]

A WIN WOULD...

Give Tennessee its second SEC Tournament Championship Game appearance in as many years. The Vols have not won the tournament since 1979.

Give Tennessee 29 wins this season, the second-most victories in program history.

Signal the most victories by a Rick Barnes-coached team since his 2007-08 Texas squad finished 31-7.

Make the Vols 4-2 against rival Kentucky over the last two seasons.

 

[YankeeVol]

STORYLINES

This is the second straight year that the Vols have faced Kentucky at the SEC Tournament. Last year in St. Louis, they met in the championship game.

Two of Tennessee's four losses this season have come in overtime, and all four were away from home against opponents who are currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

For the first time in program history, Tennessee has spent the entire season ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25.

The Vols will finish this season with no more than six losses.

Tennessee's final average home attendance of 19,034 ranks fourth nationally.

Tennessee is 54-13 (.806) since the start of last season.

Starting point guard Jordan Bone is a Nashville native. In his last four games, he has 25 assists and just four turnovers (6.3 assist/turnover ratio).

 

[YankeeVol]

ABOUT KENTUCKY

John Calipari's squad has been playing the best basketball of any team in the country as of late, winning 17 of its last 19 games. In non-conference play, UK logged ranked wins over North Carolina, Louisville and Kansas. Kentucky dropped its first matchup of the SEC slate but responded by winning its next nine.

Sophomore forward PJ Washington (14.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg) has inserted himself into the National Player of the Year conversation with his impressive play. As the team's leading scorer and rebounder, Washington has scored at least 20 points in 10 games and has recorded eight double-doubles.

SEC Freshman of the Year Keldon Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.7 apg) gave the Vols fits in the first matchup with 19 points. He is one of several talented freshmen on the team. The backcourt duo of Ashton Hagans (7.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 spg) and Tyler Herro (14.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 spg) leads Kentucky in assists and steals per game and has been crucial in the maturation of the team.

In a freshman class that featured multiple guards, UK needed some depth in the frontcourt and landed graduate transfer forward and All-Pac 12 performer Reid Travis (11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .520 FG%) from Stanford. Travis also brings much-needed experience to the Wildcats, who also returned several pieces from last season's SEC Tournament Championship squad.

 

[YankeeVol]

Kensucky Game Notes

 

[YankeeVol]

SERIES HISTORY & NOTES

The Kentucky series is UT's oldest and most-played among SEC opponents. The Vols and Wildcats first met on Feb. 5, 1910, and have clashed 227 times over the years.

On 12 different occasions—first in 1950 and most recently on March 2—Tennessee has defeated a Kentucky team ranked in the AP top five.

No program in college basketball has logged more wins over Kentucky than Tennessee (72).

Kentucky is one of only two SEC schools (along with Alabama) to lead its all-time series against the Volunteers.

Four Tennessee All-Americans were Kentucky natives: Allan Houston, Chris Lofton, Danny Schultz and Paul "Lefty" Walther.

Tennessee has 15 all-time wins over the Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena, including four straight.

 

[ttocswob]

Whew! After a lackluster start, Vols rally for an absolute cat tail stomping - hear them squall!!

Second half last night, the BBall Vols got their swagger back, and started looking like a tournament team. Keep it up!

 

[golfballs]

Thought the line might be a pickem

 

[Stoked]

I’ll be there! So hyped up right now!

 

[Stoked]

We need another Admiral dunk. The crowd was wild after that!

 

[HighWaterVol]

Let's win Tennessee

 

[cardvolfan]

GO VOLS!

 

[SteensVol]

I don’t get the Kentucky has been playing best basketball of late comment. 3 games ago we kicked their arse by 19! And it wasn’t real competitive. Tn loses 1 they drop 4 spots, they beat a top 5 nobody notices, they lose another and their dropped damn near out of top 10.
Meanwhile Zags lose, dookies lose 2, uk loses to us, mich st loses 2, ttu loses, UVa loses, UNC loses, hell everybody loses and they say its body of work they are still 1 seed.
The anti ut bias started by Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale mid season to lobby and prop up the ACC is rediculous. When those guys lose - excuses, when we lose it shows our flaws! FSU just showed UVa is a very flawed team - but no, all we hear is how great FSU really is. When LSU beats us in OT with like 60 fouls called by one ref, we don’t hear LSU very talented we hear UT gave away their 1 seed!
When we lose late its the one that counts! When others lose late - well it doesn’t effect seeding its the body of work.
So let me get this straight - 1st 5 games of regular season don’t really count. Last 5 games of regular season do count - except when they are in a conference tournament!
Got it.

Go Vols! Just win it’s the media and the elites against “one fly”!

 

[golfballs]

I don’t get the Kentucky has been playing best basketball of late comment. 3 games ago we kicked their arse by 19! And it wasn’t real competitive. Tn loses 1 they drop 4 spots, they beat a top 5 nobody notices, they lose another and their dropped damn near out of top 10.
Meanwhile Zags lose, dookies lose 2, uk loses to us, mich st loses 2, ttu loses, UVa loses, UNC loses, hell everybody loses and they say its body of work they are still 1 seed.
The anti ut bias started by Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale mid season to lobby and prop up the ACC is rediculous. When those guys lose - excuses, when we lose it shows our flaws! FSU just showed UVa is a very flawed team - but no, all we hear is how great FSU really is. When LSU beats us in OT with like 60 fouls called by one ref, we don’t hear LSU very talented we hear UT gave away their 1 seed!
When we lose late its the one that counts! When others lose late - well it doesn’t effect seeding its the body of work.
So let me get this straight - 1st 5 games of regular season don’t really count. Last 5 games of regular season do count - except when they are in a conference tournament!
Got it.

Go Vols! Just win it’s the media and the elites against “one fly”!

They’re not. They were at the best in the middle of sec play. Yesterday they looked good though.

 

[SteensVol]

They’re not. They were at the best in the middle of sec play. Yesterday they looked good though.

Exhinit A


Exhibit B


Both posted today! On the neutral website ESPN!

Been that way since mid-season!

Where’s the Admiral posterizing slams! I am telling you if UT was propped all year the way Duke has been they would still be number 1 and percieved as the greatest team ever. Even with a couple of so what loses! They are greatest team! Super strong and deep ....,

 

[SteensVol]

Exhinit C



Take note of the artwork for king “Zion”.

Where was the artwork the night Grant had like 50 points on Vandy!

It’s UT against the world baby! Go make it happen! SEC champs! Starts today!

 

[cwbytruckers]

To bad they were on the same side of the bracket. Would be a hell of a final. Tomorrow is looking less of acwow game no matter who wins today.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Let’s get this W boys!

 

[Titan&Volfan4life]

We need to send the kenSucky kittens home crying with a big LOSS!!!

2 more WINS and we hang another banner in TBA like this Team deserves.

It's statement time to show we deserve a 1 seed in the big dance.

Focus, execute, lock down on D, crash the boards for all the rebounds and move the ball for the good shots.

You proved that you CAN kick their butts at TBA so now get it done again!!!

It's time to FLY over everyone guys!

Go take the WIN that you guys have worked so hard for!

VFL...GBO!!!

 

[SteensVol]

LOL yesterday! Clip of Bruce Pearl the used car salesman telling team Florida and Uk are Royalty and nobody recruited his guys! He’s got the best team his bagmen could afford!

And nobody in Nashville today cares what Auburn or Florida do!

LOL! Brucey you shoulda kept it cleaner and stayed with the Big Orange!

 

[SteensVol]

TODAY at 2:00

The tiebreaker for the two best teams in the country! The game of the Century!

The biggest game of the season!

To be settled on a Neutral court!

Grant vs PJ, Bone vs Herro, the Admiral vs Travis!

Lock up the women and children, hide the livestock and pets, its time to

RUUUUUUUUMMMBLE!

 

[Volfan2012]

Looking at the stats of the first two games something huge stands out free throws. We took 32 and they took 62 that has to change we have to keep them off the line they had 30 more attempts and even in the game we won got to the line more than we did. We took 47 threes to their 32 think we need to cut that down and drive the ball. One thing for certain to win today we have to keep them off the free throw line and rebound better they have a 78 to 62 lead in the two game played and even won in Knoxville 39 to 36. If we keep it close like we did in Knoxville on the boards and win the free throw line were winning today. The big stat in the last game was that they only attempts 44 shots to our 62 if we force turnovers like that again other stats surely want matter as much if were shooting the same percentage as they are.

 

[orangemadam]

IMO for us to have a chance, Kyle has to have an ALL SEC production. boneheaded turnovers will kill us against Ky.

GO VOLS!!

 

[savannahfan]

This UK-UT round three game actually started around 6:00 Friday night.....
Not complaining but, be it the luck of the "draw" or what ever, here are my thoughts leading into the 3rd round.
UK plays early, extra 3-4 hours of rest. (every little bit helps)
UK has an easy time with Bama for what ever reason (that much better, wanted it more, better coaching, etc.)
UT late start, later to bed, later to get leveled out today.
UT really tough game from a team that at times is as good as anyone in the SEC and can be a late run sleeper in the NCAA.
I don't care what you say about conditioning this time of year, little things like that even out for all the good teams.
And one other thing I hate to mention:
This will be like a home game for KY. I am embarrassed that this is the way it will be.(hope I'm wrong)
This being said GO BIG ORANGE!!!