A shorthanded Kentucky squad upset Tennessee on Rocky Top two weeks ago. Can the Cats complete the sweep in Lexington tonight? KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Rupp Arena as the No. 15 Wildcats host the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Kentucky should have Lamont Butler (shoulder), who missed the first meeting, back in the lineup, but will be without Jaxson Robinson (wrist), who was ruled out last night. Since beating the Vols in Knoxville, Kentucky has gone 1-2, snapping a two-game losing streak on Saturday vs. South Carolina. Tennessee bounced back from the loss to Kentucky with an impressive 20-point win vs. Florida on Feb. 1. The Vols are now on a three-game winning streak, adding wins over Missouri (85-81) and Oklahoma (70-52).
Can Kentucky pull off the upset to sweep for the Vols for just the second time since Rick Barnes took over in Knoxville in 2015? Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game, from both Rupp Arena and the couch. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
02/11/2025 08:08:29 PM
It’s a sweep! We’ve seen this team pull off some impressive wins this season, but this may be the gutsiest. Without Jaxson Robinson, the Cats set the tone from the start. Things got scary when Lamont Butler went out after re-aggravating his shoulder injury, but the team dug in and got the win, their seventh over an AP Top 15 team this season.
Just massive. While we work, you go celebrate.
02/11/2025 08:07:07 PM
Andrew Carr just scored his first points of the game, a pair of free throws to push Kentucky’s lead to ten with 46.1 seconds remaining. It’s looking good, my friends…
02/11/2025 08:01:08 PM
Kentucky’s lead is up to 8 with 1:13 to go thanks to a dunk off a ridiculous assist by Koby Brea. Prior to that pass, Brea hit his third three of the game.
KEEP GOING, CATS!!!
02/11/2025 07:59:20 PM
Two free throws by Trent Noah pushed Kentucky’s lead to five with 2:41 remaining. He’s up to 11 points, a new career-high.
02/11/2025 07:56:00 PM
Lamont Butler has reemerged from the locker room wearing a warm-up jacket. According to UK, he is done for the night. Hopefully, he didn’t re-aggravate that shoulder injury too badly.
02/11/2025 07:51:56 PM
The Rupp Arena crowd is doing its part. At the Under-4 timeout, Kentucky leads by one, 61-60, thanks to a three-pointer by Koby Brea, his second of the night. A few more of those sure would be nice as we enter the final stretch.
02/11/2025 07:48:17 PM
It’s not looking great, friends. Tennessee now leads 58-55 at the 6:13 mark. ESPN’s Molly McGrath had a mini update on Lamont Butler who is still in the back being evaluated, saying on the broadcast that Butler was in “visible pain” talking to trainers in the tunnel. Still no word from UK on whether or not he will return.
02/11/2025 07:42:10 PM
We’re all tied at 54, but Otega Oweh is headed to the free-throw line after this timeout after a foul on Jordan Gainey. With Butler still being evaluated in the locker room, every possession matters for Kentucky.
02/11/2025 07:39:30 PM
The last thing we wanted to see: Lamont Butler falling to the floor chasing a ball and clutching his shoulder in pain. He’s now headed to the locker room.
8:40 2H – Kentucky 54, Tennessee 52
02/11/2025 07:37:20 PM
On a Tennessee fastbreak, Butler got a steal and threw it ahead to Otega Oweh for an easy bucket. Man, we missed him.
02/11/2025 07:35:16 PM
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02/11/2025 07:25:16 PM
Tennessee isn’t going away. Travis Perry pushed Kentucky’s lead to seven with a pretty bucket inside but the Vols scored four straight to make it a one-possession game with 12:34 to go. Perry’s two came less than a minute after a big three, his second of the night. He (8 points) and Trent Noah (9 points) have combined for 17 points, both career highs.
12:34 2H – Kentucky 50, Tennessee 47
02/11/2025 07:23:16 PM
The 1978 national champion and former NBA Coach of the Year did the honors tonight as the honorary Y.
02/11/2025 07:17:57 PM
Tennessee’s fighting back but the Cats have been too hot. Kentucky is a perfect 4-4 from the floor so far, Ansley Almonor adding his second three to push Kentucky’s lead to eight. After a foul on Lamont Butler, Zakai Zeigler made one of two free throws to cut it to seven at the first media timeout of the half.
02/11/2025 07:13:25 PM
Tennessee had cut Kentucky’s lead to four, but Ansley Almonor pushed it back up to seven with a three, his first since the Arkansas game. The Cat are now 8-15 from the three-point line.
18:17 2H – Kentucky 38, Tennessee 31
02/11/2025 07:05:35 PM
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02/11/2025 06:57:36 PM
After 20 minutes of play, I’m not sure you could ask for much more. Kentucky leads Tennesee by seven, 33-26. The score was originally 35-26, but shortly after halftime began, officials reviewed and reversed a goaltend on the Vols on Otega Oweh’s shot at the 1:35 mark.
The top takeaway? Three-pointers. Kentucky has seven, and Tennessee has zero. The Vols are 0-5 from beyond the arc so far, taking their total in three halves vs. the Cats to 11-50. Goodness. Kentucky’s defense is a big part of that, the Cats showing some impressive hustle. Kentucky is shooting 45% from the floor, 50% from three, while holding the Vols to 35% from the floor overall. Trent Noah leads all scorers with nine points.
Great half. Keep it up, Cats.
Here’s that goaltending call, if you’re curious:
02/11/2025 06:51:42 PM
Tennessee’s having a hard enough time scoring when they’re wide open, so imagine how it felt when Otega Oweh served up this block.
00:24 1H – Kentucky 35, Tennessee 26
02/11/2025 06:46:30 PM
If you felt a rumble, that’s the Rupp Arena crowd leaping to its feet and cheering for Trent Noah, who just hit his third three-pointer of the game to put Kentucky up six. Brandon Garrison followed it up with one of his own to push the Cats’ lead to nine.
1:55 1H – Kentucky 33, Tennessee 24
02/11/2025 06:42:31 PM
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02/11/2025 06:38:35 PM
The Kentucky boys are having a night vs. Tennessee. Trent Noah just hit his second three of the night to push Kentucky’s lead to four at the under-four timeout. A minute and a half earlier, Travis Perry hit a three of his own. Kentucky is up to 5-11 from beyond the arc.
3:28 1H – Kentucky 27, Tennessee 23
02/11/2025 06:31:39 PM
At the Under-8 timeout, Tennessee trails one. Just 90 seconds ago, Kentucky led by five. The Vols have hit their last four shots, taking advantage of some lineup changes by Mark Pope.
02/11/2025 06:30:22 PM
Mark Pope’s daughter Layla, a student at BYU, is a dancer for the Utah Jazz. Tonight, she joined the UK Dance Team for a performance at Rupp. I’ve yet to see video but apparently, she killed it.
02/11/2025 06:21:58 PM
MOUNTAIN MAMBA! A three by Trent Noah pushed Kentucky’s lead to five, 14-9. Jordan Gainey hit a jumper to cut it to three, but man, the roar in that building when Noah’s three swished through was sweet. Koby Brea hit a three prior to Noah’s to grease the net.
Kentucky is playing great defense, holding Tennessee to 23.1% and just two of the last 10 field goals. The Vols have yet to hit a three.
02/11/2025 06:18:49 PM
I don’t even think this should have been a foul on Brandon Garrison, let alone a shooting foul. Alas, it led to two made free throws by Zakai Zeigler.
02/11/2025 06:10:20 PM
Kentucky started the game on a 6-0 run, but the Vols responded with a 5-0 run of their own. It’s 6-5 at the first media timeout. Travis Perry has already checked in for Lamont Butler. Andrew Carr is in for Ansley Almonor as well. Tennessee is already doing its thing on the boards, with a 5-2 rebounding advantage so far.
02/11/2025 06:03:54 PM
Now that’s how you start a rivalry game. Lamont Butler stole the ball and scored right after tip. Amari Williams followed it up with a steal of his own and Otega Oweh converted that to two more points on the other end. 4-0 Cats early on.
02/11/2025 05:55:47 PM
The national media has descended upon Lexington for today’s game. Jeff Goodman, Rob Dauster, Andy Katz, and Pat Forde are all in Rupp Arena tonight alongside your favorite KSR writers. Hopefully, we give them something good to write/talk about.
02/11/2025 05:53:05 PM
Joe Lunardi has Kentucky as a No. 4 seed and Tennessee as a No. 1 seed in today’s Bracketology. In his evening breakdown on Twitter, he said the lower of this game will drop a seed line. Kentucky is the No. 16 overall team in his projections. The Selection Committee will reveal the top 16 teams through Feb. 14 Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
02/11/2025 05:44:45 PM
Without Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky is turning to Koby Brea to fill it up on the wing. Brea and Ansley Almonor will start tonight, with Andrew Carr coming off the bench as he has in the past few games.
01 Lamont Butler
00 Otega Oweh
04 Koby Brea
15 Ansley Almonor
22 Amari Williams
Here’s Tennessee’s starting lineup too, if you’re curious:
05 Zakai Zeigler
02 Chaz Lanier
15 Jahmai Mashack
07 Igor Milicic Jr.
34 Felix Okpara
02/11/2025 05:38:12 PM
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02/11/2025 05:35:00 PM
During his pregame conversation with Tom Leach, Mark Pope talked about what’s changed with Tennessee since Kentucky’s win in Knoxville two weeks ago and how crucial it is to keep Chaz Lanier in check.
02/11/2025 05:14:35 PM
Kentucky vs. Tennessee is obviously the main event for us, but it’s just one of several good college basketball games on television tonight. Here’s the entire SEC and Top 25 schedule. I hope you’ve got the multi-view ready.
Here’s how to watch and listen to the Cats vs. the Vols. Get ready for the Jay Bilas ice cream bit!
02/11/2025 05:07:29 PM
…Joe Lindsay, Vladimir Voyard-Tadal, and AJ Desai. Here is the Cats’ record in games called by each this season:
02/11/2025 05:05:59 PM
As expected, Lamont Butler (shoulder) is available to play tonight. He was listed as probable on last night’s injury report, but was not on the final one, meaning he’s good to go. Jaxson Robinson is still out and sporting a brace on his injured right wrist:
They may not hang a banner for this, but it’s still pretty damn impressive. With Tuesday’s win over the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, the 2024-25 Ke
LEXINGTON — If it weren’t for Kentucky basketball’s many injuries, freshmen Trent Noah and Travis Perry may not have played any meaningful minutes in a me
The Kentucky Wildcats beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Lexington on Tuesday night by a score of 75-64. The Cats were shorthanded once again, but that didn’
LEXINGTON — No team is invincible in every respect. No matter how great, a team likely has a weakness that an equally talented foe can exploit on a given day
