The highly anticipated Sweet 16 clash between conference rivals Tennessee and Kentucky is set to take center stage. This matchup, featuring the No. 2 seed Volunteers and the No. 3 seed Wildcats, is the only one in this round where a second and third seed will square off.
Both teams have displayed impressive form throughout the tournament. Tennessee secured a 77-62 victory over No. 15 seed Wofford in the opening round before defeating No. 7 seed UCLA, 67-58, in the second round. Meanwhile, Kentucky handled No. 14 seed Troy with a 76-57 win and followed up by overcoming No. 6 seed Illinois, 84-75. Notably, the Wildcats have been without Jaxson Robinson, their second-leading scorer, since February due to injury.
On The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the upcoming game. While he acknowledged that both teams are in strong form, he pointed out a key factor influencing his prediction.
“I’m leaning toward Tennessee in this one, not to disappoint anyone,” Finebaum said. “I know a lot of people have heard the usual talking points, but the idea of Tennessee losing to Kentucky for a third time this season is tough for me to accept. That being said, Kentucky is playing some of its best basketball right now and is healthier than they’ve been all year. But that’s my take.”
Kentucky has already defeated Tennessee twice this season. The first meeting, held at Food City Center in Knoxville, saw the Wildcats claim a 78-73 win. In that game, Kobe Brea led Kentucky with 18 points on flawless shooting, going 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from deep. Robinson also contributed 17 points in that contest.
The second matchup, played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, ended in a 75-64 victory for the Wildcats. This time, Kentucky spread out its scoring, with four players reaching double figures. Otega Oweh and Ansley Almonor paced the team with 13 points apiece. Robinson was unavailable for this game.
A key storyline in both matchups has been Kentucky’s defensive success against Tennessee’s perimeter shooting. The Volunteers have struggled from three-point range against the Wildcats, making just 14-of-63 attempts (22.2 percent) compared to their season average of 34.5 percent. Tennessee’s leading scorer, Chaz Lanier, has also underperformed in these contests. Although he averages 18.1 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting overall and 41 percent from three this season, his numbers drop to 12.5 points per game against Kentucky, with shooting percentages of just 29.6 from the field and 17.7 from beyond the arc.
For Tennessee to advance, Lanier will likely need a standout performance when the teams face off this Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The game tips off at 7:39 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TBS/truTV.
