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The Kentucky Wildcats Win Their Historic 26th Straight Victory 66-48, Over The Tennessee Volunteers

When we're talking history, style points are optional.

By Glenn Logan
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats went down to Knoxville and played a tough game with the Tennessee Volunteers. This is a rivalry game, and I’m happy to get the win. Kentucky didn’t play their best game by any means, but they did get the job done in a workmanlike manner.

We can complain all we want about a game that wasn’t their best, but the answer to every question or complaint must be 26-0. Congratulations to Kentucky for setting a new single-season consecutive win record without a loss.  Nice effort by Tennessee, I thought they played very hard, but struggled to make anything both due to Kentucky's defense and due to just missing open looks.

Final stats (Courtesy of John Clay)

uk-ut final stats

Observations

  • Kentucky did a very poor job rebounding the basketball. Yes, some of it was missed blocks and what-not, but a couple of possession, UT got about four or five OR’s in a single possession. That says something about Kentucky’s defense while it’s calling into question their rebounding.

  • Kentucky shot way too many threes tonight. Given the size advantage inside, this makes very little sense to me, and it clearly made none to John Calipari.

  • Kentucky did a poor job of challenging Tennessee’s shots in the paint the first half. Not sure what went wrong there, but no doubt some of it was foul trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns.

  • This isn’t one of those games that we’ll remember for any reason other than it’s historical validity. Despite the 18 point margin, the game was in doubt until late in the second period.

  • Five blocks isn’t all that impressive, although UK was legitimately robbed of one.

  • After allowing Tennessee to shoot 54% in the first half, Kentucky held them to 25% in the second and 37.5% for the game. Coach Cal’s halftime challenge was answered, it seems.

  • 3-point shooting stank. 23% is not good.

  • Overall shooting of 41.5% was also not good.

  • 11 assists on 22 made field goals works for me.

Well, I’m happy with the result and happy to remain undefeated. My unhappiness, to the extent it exists, will be reflected in the postmortem tomorrow.

26-0, Big Blue Nation. I’m happy enough, hope you are as well!

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