Tennessee basketball is getting another crack at Kentucky.
The No. 4 Vols (20-4, 7-4 SEC) face No. 18 Kentucky (16-7, 5-5) on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Rupp Arena. They have won three straight games since losing to the Wildcats on Jan. 28.
“It’s gonna take everybody just being locked in, being engaged,” Vols associate head coach Justin Gainey said Monday.
Here is what to know about the matchup:
Kentucky beat Tennessee in the first matchup this season
Kentucky topped Tennessee in the first matchup this season. It won 78-73 at Food City Center.
The Vols were 11-for-45 on 3-pointers in the loss. The 45 attempts are the second most in a game for the Vols in program history and the most in Barnes’ 10 seasons.
“We knew we could shoot a three anytime we wanted to,” Barnes said afterward. “Of 45, I would say 95% were wide open but that was by design. That is what they were looking for.”
Tennessee has settled in shooting threes since. It was 10-for-15 against Missouri and 9-for-21 against Oklahoma.
Kentucky hasn’t looked the same since beating the Vols
Kentucky is 1-2 since it beat the Vols.
The Wildcats lost 89-79 on Feb. 1 to Arkansas and former Kentucky coach John Calipari. They lost 98-84 at Ole Miss on Feb. 4 to lose two straight games. They bounced back with an 80-57 win against South Carolina, which is 0-10 in SEC play.
SOONERS: Why Tennessee basketball’s first half at Oklahoma was ‘pretty special’ to Rick Barnes
Kentucky’sLamont Butler is back vs Tennessee
Kentucky guard Lamont Butler did not play in the first meeting between Tennessee and Kentucky. The senior returned Saturday in UK’s win against South Carolina.
“He’s kind of the head of the snake,” Gainey said. “He sets the tempo. He can score. He can facilitate. He’s dynamic in transition and he’s also a really good defender. I think he changes them drastically.”
Butler is averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists this season.
Rick Barnes has led Tennessee to Rupp magic
Rick Barnes has more success at Rupp Arena in his first nine seasons than Tennessee had in its history before Barnes was hired.
He has a 4-5 mark at Rupp Arena as the Vols coach. Tennessee was 4-35 at Rupp Arena prior to Barnes’ hiring in April 2015. UT’s lone wins were in 1977, 1979, 1999 and 2006.
Barnes led the Vols on a roaring run at Rupp Arena from 2018-2021, winning three of four matchups in that stretch.
Tennessee vs Kentucky injury updates
Tennessee is dealing with a handful of injuries.
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Forward J.P. Estrella is out for the season after having foot surgery in late November
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Forward Cade Phillips has a left shoulder injury
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Guard Bishop Boswell has a right shoulder injury
How to watch Tennessee vs Kentucky: Time, TV channel, live stream
Tennessee vs. Kentucky airs on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Tennessee vs Kentucky score prediction
Tennessee 73, Kentucky 71: Tennessee can’t shoot worse than it did against Kentucky in the first meeting this season. It makes enough this time to win again at Rupp Arena.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Kentucky prediction, injury updates, latest news
