The #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats(21-1, 7-0) host the Tennessee Volunteers(10-11, 2-4) at 7pm tonight in Rupp Arena.
The game will be televised on ESPNU with announcers Dave O’Brien and Fran Fraschilla.
Also, there will be a stream if available on Nation of Blue and live chat as always.
Kentucky is favored by 16.5 points.
Here is the background for tonight’s SEC East matchup.
Tennessee owns a 4-11 record against the top-ranked team in the AP poll, and the Vols have won each of their last two meetings against the nation’s No. 1 team (at Memphis in 2008, Kansas in 2010).
Calipari coached teams are 201-19 at home since the 2000 season and UK currently owns the nation’s longest home-winning streak at 47 straight games (46 at Rupp; one at Memorial).
This is the 10th time that Tennessee will face a Kentucky squad that occupies the top spot in the national AP poll. The Vols’ lone win in the nine previous games was a 69-62 triumph on March 5, 1966.
UK is going for its second straight regular season sweep of Tennesse.
Freshman power forward Jarnell Stokes was last week’s SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in games against Georgia and defending national champion UConn.
The Vols have held three elite teams to their lowest scoring output of the season. Tennessee held Florida to 56 points, Kentucky to 65 points and UConn to 57 points. In their last six games, the Vols are holding their opponents to an average of 58.7 points (four of those opponents were ranked.
Kentucky is off to its best start in the SEC since the 2005 squad won its irst 10 SEC contest.
[U][B]PROJECTED STARTERS*[/B][/U]
[U][B][/B][/U][B][I]Kentucky Wildcats[/I][/B][U][B][/B][/U]
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
F 3 [B]Terrence Jones[/B] 12.4 6.5 2.1^
• Has 16 blocks in last ive games
F 14 [B]Michael Kidd-Gilchrist[/B] 12.7 7.6 2.2
• Has four double-doubles this season
G 20 [B]Doron Lamb[/B] 13.5 3.4 1.9
• Hit multiple 3s in six of last seven games
F 23 [B]Anthony Davis[/B] 13.3 10.3 4.6^
• Has 11 double-doubles on season
G 25 [B]Marquis Teague[/B] 9.9 2.6 4.4
• 3.0 assist/turnover ratio in last four games
[I][B]Tennessee Volunteers[/B][/I]
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
G 1 [B]Josh Richardson[/B] 3.0 1.3 0.9
• ird on team with 14 blocks
F 5 [B]Jarnell Stokes[/B] 10.6 8.0 1.2
• Shooting 57.9 pct. from the ield
G 11 [B]Trae Golden[/B] 13.1 2.9 4.8
• 1.7 assist/turnover ratio
G 23 [B]Cameron Tatum[/B] 8.7 3.8 2.5
• Shooting 37.2 pct. from 3-point range
F 34[B] Jeronne Maymon[/B] 11.7 8.2 0.9~
• Shooting 56.2 pct. from the field
*-Based on previous game’s starters; ^-blocks; ~-steal
