As with any game at Rupp Arena, this one has a lot going for it. It’s incredibly important for both teams, and both could really use a win. For Tennessee, this is a chance for several firsts. Rick Barnes can become the only active coach in basketball to win three games at Rupp Arena. Tennessee’s seniors (Fulkerson and Pons) can become the first duo to ever win three games at Rupp Arena. While Kentucky is down this year, Tennessee needs to win as many games as possible to restore national relevance after a rough patch in SEC play.
With a win here, Tennessee can add a second Quad 2 win (yes, Quad 2), which may not seem all that important but is much better than a loss. Bart Torvik’s DayCast tool has the following to say: if Tennessee wins, they become much more likely to get back into 3 seed territory. With a loss, you’re still looking at a 4 or 5 seed. This is important, because 4 and 5 seeds are not quite as bulletproof in the Round of 64 as 3 seeds are. Plus, it increases the chance that you draw an 11 seed in the Round of 32. Considering 6 seeds are just 19-21 across the last 10 Tournaments versus their 11 seed counterparts, you have to love the idea of becoming a 3 seed again.
With a win here, Kentucky moves to 6-11 instead of 5-12 in their worst season in a century.
The below game information section is provided as a courtesy of Google and Tennessee’s game notes.
- THE OPPONENT: Kentucky (5-11, 4-5).
- THE TIME: 8 PM Eastern.
- THE CHANNEL: ESPN.
- THE ANNOUNCERS: Bob Wischusen (PBP) and Dick Vitale (color).
- THE SPREAD: Tennessee -4. I don’t bet so I don’t normally pay attention to this, but someone on Twitter said this is the second time in three decades Tennessee has been favored at Rupp, so I’m rolling with it.
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Stats by Will 