Tennessee basketball vs Kentucky prediction: Rick Barnes vs Mark Pope in top-25 matchup

Posted by author January 27, 2025 Basketball

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Tennessee basketball is bracing for two Kentucky games in a two-week span.

The first meeting between the rivals is in Knoxville. No. 8 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3 SEC) welcomes No. 12 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) and first-year coach Mark Pope, a former Kentucky forward, on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“I don’t think any other coach that came into that situation would understand this rivalry more than Mark Pope does,” Vols assistant coach Rod Clark said.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Igor Milicic Jr. needs to bring more offense

Vols coach Rick Barnes indicated after last week’s loss to Auburn that Tennessee’s key to offensive consistency starts on the frontline. It is getting what it expects from Felix Okpara and Cade Phillips, which leaves Igor Milicic Jr. as the player who can elevate the offense and score at the rim.

The 6-foot-10 forward has tailed off in SEC play. He has scored more than 10 points once and has a total of seven points in UT’s past two games.

“We just got to get him to understand taking the right shots,” Clark said. “Understanding when to pick his shots. As a staff and especially with his teammates, we’ve got to push him to stay aggressive. We need him. We need him bottomline.”

All new faces for the Wildcats

Tennessee is seeing an overhauled Wildcats roster since John Calipari left for Arkansas. There are no players remaining from last season’s roster and only one freshman, guard Travis Perry, stuck with his commitment to UK.

Pope built a roster with a boatload of transfers led by guards Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh, Lamont Butler and Kobe Brea. All four average at least 10 points. Oweh leads UK with 15.9 points. Brea shoots 46.4% on 3-pointers, which ranks second in the SEC.

What is Kentucky’s identity under Mark Pope?

Kentucky brings the offense under Pope, who also led a highly ranked offense at BYU last season. The Wildcats rank second in the SEC in points per game (88.7) and field-goal percentage (48.4%). They lead the conference with 18.6 assists per game.

“They fun to watch,” Clark said. “They are innovative. They space the floor, shoot a lot of threes. They get up and down and play with a pretty good pace. (Pope) is going a great job.”

Kentucky ranks No. 5 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Vols faced the No. 1 offense against Auburn and will face the No. 2 offense Saturday in Florida.

Kentucky also is one of the country’s most experienced teams, ranking as the fourth-oldest team per KenPom. Forward Brandon Garrison is the only player playing more than 10 minutes per game who isn’t a junior or senior.

Tennessee vs Kentucky injury updates

Tennessee is dealing with a handful of injuries.

Forward J.P. Estrella is out for the season after having foot surgery in late November
Forward Cade Phillips has a left shoulder injury
Guard Jahmai Mashack is dealing with a left pinky finger 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 69, Kentucky 63: Tennessee showed it can shut down a high-powered offense at Auburn. The Vols will do it again against Kentucky.

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.