Hoops Central: #8 Tennessee vs. #12 Kentucky

Knoxville, Tenn. And No. 8 Tennessee -men’s basketball team returns to a border match with No. 12 Kentucky in his fourth consecutive home competition for a ranked SEC Empire on Tuesday night at the Food City Center. Tipoff is set to 19:00 one.

Fans can catch Tuesday’s games between the volunteers (17-3, 4-3 sec) and wildcats (14-5, 3-3 sec) on Espn. Karl Ravech (Play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter) will have the call.

Fans can also listen live on their local Volit Network -attached to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertel match that describes the action.

In Tennessee’s latest excursion, it just fell shyly to beat the No. 1 team in the nation on Saturday night, which fell into top-ranked Auburn, 53-51, at a sold-out Neville Arena.

In the fifth AP-Top-Sex Showdown in Program History, UT, led by four with less than two minutes left, but Tigers won the victory in a back and forth defensive affair. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler Tempoed volunteers by 14 points.

Matchup
• The volunteers 78 wins against wildcats are most of any team. Vanderbilt ranks number two by 50.
• Tennessee’s 11 wins over Kentucky in Rick Barnes‘Period (2015-25) is five more than any other team (Auburn and Kansas have six each). It includes a 10-6 record against ranked wildcat teams that are good at twice as many wins as any other team (five of Kansas). UT is 7-5 versus AP Top-15 Kentucky teams under Barnes, including 7-1 with wildcats in the top 10.
• Barnes has led to a 7-3 record in AP Top-25-Showdowns against Kentucky, including a 5-2 brand with both in the top 20.
• This is the third straight AP-top-15 clashes between the two schools, a second in series history that joins the three meetings in 2018-19.
• After a 23-10 (13-5) campaign in 2023-24, which included a third consecutive NCAA tournament bid, Wildcat’s eighth place took the Sec Preseason Poll.
• Kentucky is led by the Junior Guard Otega Owhs 15.9 ppg and 1.7 Q.

News and notes
• Tennessee is 11-10 against Kentucky under Rick Barnes With at least one win in eight of his first nine years, including two three times. It’s 5-4 in home competitions.
• In the 22 years before Barnes’ Arrival (1993-2015), UT 9-35 went against Kentucky, including 7-28 when Wildcats were ranked.
• Barnes ’12 wins over wildcats are the seventh most early one, a shy for Dean Smith (13). He has two more than any other active coach (Bruce Pearl with 10). More information is on page 6.
• Walk-on guards Gavin Paull (Tennessee) and Walker Horn (Kentucky) were teammates at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, in 2021-22.
• Tennessee is in the middle of the first stretch of four straight matches against AP Top-15 enemies in the program history. Its lonely former four-game line against even AP Top-20 teams was last season (28/28/24 to 3/9/24), while it also had four in a row versus AP Top-25 teams in 2003-04 (1/20/04 to 1/31/04). The only opponent shown in all three stretches is Kentucky.
• Kentucky is the fourth of at least five consecutive ranked teams visiting the Food City Center.
• Tennessee is looking for a 4-0 home start in SEC games for the third time during Rick BarnesJoin the 9-0 show in 2021-22 and 2018-19.
• Zakai Zeigler are three points away from becoming the second player in the SEC story with 1,300 points, 600 assists and 200 stealing. Only Arkansas’ Kareem Reid (1995-99) has achieved Bragden.
• Zeigler (622) is also only 11 assists behind the Mississippi State’s Dee Bost (633 from 2008-12) for a top-10 place in SEC history.
• UT’s DI-Leading 25.4 3P% Defense is 2.0 percent better than second place, equal to the gap from No. 2 Appalachian State (27.4) to No. 28 Saint Peters (29.4).
• The Volunteers’ 188 wins in the last eight seasons (2017- 25) ranks co-eighth nationally with Auburn. Gonzaga (228), Houston (224), Kansas (205), Duke (202), Purdue (198), San Diego State (190) and Saint Mary’s (189) own more. Liberty (187) rounds the top 10.

Business with high caliber
• Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools earning an AP-Top-Fem location in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, went into 2024-25 with a three-year stripe.
• The volunteers are one of only four teams to reach AP Top Six in each of the last five seasons with Alabama, Houston and Kansas.
• UT is one of only five programs to reach AP Top Six for at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25) with Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. These are also the only five schools that come in on AP Top Five for at least five different years in this stretch.
• VOLS is among only eight teams reaching No. 1 place in the AP vote for at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25) joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
• During the same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to demand an AP-Top-to-position for at least three seasons along with Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue .
• Tennessee is one of only seven schools to earn an AP Top-20 location in each of the last eight years (2017- 25) with Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others – Houston and Purdue – have even reached AP Top 25 in each of these seasons.
• In addition, in the last three years (2022-25), VOLS is one of only six teams to reach AP Top Two in several seasons joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.

Dynamite “D” an UT -Watermark
• Tennessee, through 1/25/25, first ranks nationally in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (86.8), right in front of Houston in second place (87.0).
• The volunteers finished in third place in 2023-24 in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (90.2) and placed fifth in DI in field target percentage defense (39.4).
• In 2022-23, UT led the nation in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency (87.5) and took the top place for 15 weeks. VOLS led all DI teams in 3-point defense (26.5) that year plus ranked as third in scoring defense (57.9) and field target percentage defense (37.3).
• In five of the last seven seasons (2017-24), the top-10 in Kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency: third in 2023-24, first in 2022-23, third in 2021-22, fifth in 2020-21 and Sixth in 2017-18.
• UT is 98-9 (.916) under Rick Barnes When allowing 60 or fewer points, with 44 such wins in a row from 3/11/22 to 1/21/25. It had a 22-0 mark in 2022-23.
• Vols through 1/25/25 have won 49 equal (39 under Barnes) when they admit 50 points or fewer since 12/29/12. It includes 12 such wins in 2022-23, matching Houston to the DI lead that year.

Racking up ranked victories
• Top 25: In the last four years (2021-25) Tennessee’s 24 AP top-25 wins are tied together with Iowa State (24) and Kansas (24) for the most in the nation. Only Connecticut (23) and Purdue (22) are even within two, while the closest SEC school is three behind (Alabama with 21).
• Top 20: Tennessee possesses a sec-high 20 AP Top-20 wins over this span, the third most of any DI school, while Connecticut (22) and Kansas (21) only beat. Just Purdue (19) and Iowa State (18) are even two back of the volunteers, while the closest SEC program is three shy (Alabama with 17).
• Top 15: The volunteers own a sec-best 17 AP top-15 decisions over these four seasons, which are good for the second most in the country, behind only Kansas (19). Only Alabama (15), the closest SEC team and Iowa State (15) are even within two of Tennessee.
• Top 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns eight AP Top-10 triumphs, third in SEC and together with North Carolina, Co-Seventh nationally. Iowa State (12), Connecticut (11), Kansas (11), Purdue (10), Alabama (Ni) and Kentucky (Ni) have more. The eight such wins in that time are against No. 1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15 /15/15/15/15/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23) and on #10 Kentucky (2/3/24).
• Top five: In the same four-year period, UT has five AP-Fem victories, tied with Alabama, Arizona and Iowa State for the most in the country. Only two other schools, Gonzaga and Purdue, even have four.

… and make it effective
• Tennessee, 24-16 (.600), has SEC’s second-best record versus AP top-25 enemies in the last four seasons (2021-25). Auburn (16-10 .615) ranks first, while no one else has a mark of .530.
• VOLS is 20-11 (.645) against AP Top-20 teams during the period, nine games above the .500 mark. Auburn (13-8; .619) ranks number two in sec without other teams over a .500 clip.
• UT is 17-7 (.680) versus AP top-15 enemies in that time, including 10 games above .500, while the next closest SEC team in winning percentage, a distant second, is Auburn (10-6; .625 ).
• At 8-7 (.533), the volunteers have the best record in SEC against AP Top-10 enemies over these four seasons. Kentucky (9-9; .500) is the only other team on even a .500 brand.
• With a 5-5 (.500) record, Tennessee is one of two SEC teams that does not have a losing record versus AP-Top-Fem team in that stretch along with Arkansas (3-3; .500).
• Despite their excellent winning percentage, the volunteers have played the co-third most games (40) against AP Top-25 enemies of any SEC team in the last four years (2021-25) that matches Alabama. They just track Texas (48) and Oklahoma (41) in such excursions, while no other SEC school is over 33.

Winning ways
• Over the past eight seasons (2017-25), Tennessee leads with all SEC programs in total wins (188) and wins after the season (18) plus a close second in the total winning percentage (.732). During that time, UT three SEC titles (2018 and 2024 have regular seasons, 2022 tournament).
• In the same eight-year stretch, VOLS is one of only three SEC teams with a total winning percentage over even .660 with Auburn (.740) and Kentucky (.700).
• In SEC games during the same eight-year period, Tennessee (90-42; .682) with first and afterwards it in the latter. AUBURN (87-45; .659) and Alabama (84-49; .632) are even 75-plus victories.
• During the past four seasons (2021-25), the volunteers own a total record of 96-31 (.756). That’s good for most wins and the second best winning percentage in SEC during this span. They only track Auburn (94-28; .770) in the latter category.
• In the same four-year stretch, Tennessee (43-18; .705) is third in sec victories and league winner percentage, only behind Alabama (44-17; .721) and Auburn (44-16; .733).

Poll presence
• Tennessee has played 223 matches as a ranked team in the AP vote in Rick Barnes‘Employment period that sent a 168-55 (.753) record. Over 69.0 percent of volunteers’ 323 games since Barnes arrived in 2015- 16 have joined the team ranked in the AP vote, all since 2017-18 (223 of 257, 86.8 percent).
• UT is 147-50 (.746), while in AP Top 20 under Barnes, 116-37 (.758), while top-15, 90-28 (.763) while top-10, 44-13 ( .772) while top-five, 25-3 (.893), while they are top-three and 14-2 (.875), while # 1.
• Vols is 32-24 (.571) in AP Top-25 Matchups under Barnes, including 24-17 (.585) with both teams in top 20, 15-11 (.577) with both in top 15 and 7-8 (.467) with both in the top 10.

Happy at home
• Over the past five seasons (2020-25), Vols’ .907 (68-7) is home-containing percentage eighth in DI (fourth among Power Five Team, first in SEC). In the last four years (2021-25) they are 0.932 (55-4).
• Total is UT 133-24 (.847) at the Food City Center in Rick Barnes10 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22).