Kentucky vs. Tennessee: Game time, TV channel, live stream, odds, announcers, more

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats

• Game Time: 2 pm EST on March 2, 2019
• Location: Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee
• TV Channel: CBS
• Announcers: Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will call the action.
• Online Stream: CBS Sports Online
• Radio: Tom Leach and Mike Pratt will have the UK radio network call on 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington or online at UKAthletics.com.
• Replay: Check local listings on the SEC Network.
• Rosters: UK | UT
• Odds: Tennessee opened as 2.5-point favorite at home, where they have not lost since early in 2018 to Auburn. KenPom projects the Wildcats to be a 3.5-point underdog. Kentucky is 2-0 this season as an underdog, and both wins were away from Rupp Arena.
• Predictions: ESPN gives Kentucky a 38% chance of beating Tennessee. KenPom gives the Cats a 41% chance of winning and projects a final score of 74-71.
• Live Stats
• Digital Gameday Guide

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Since losing in controversial fashion on February 12th to the LSU Tigers, Kentucky has won four games in a row with an average margin of victory of 14 points.

The biggest victory during that streak was a 17-point win over then-No. 1 Tennessee. On Saturday, the Volunteers will get a chance to avenge that loss in Knoxville.

Since their first meeting, Tennessee has gone 2-1 with a loss at LSU and a narrow escape at Ole Miss. The Volunteers really have not looked like themselves since the loss to Kentucky, but you have to think that this rematch will bring out their best effort.

If LSU happens to drop another game, the winner of Saturday’s match-up would be in the driver’s seat to be the regular season SEC champion. That is certainly a possibility, but the Vols and the Cats are also in competition for a potential 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

A victory over Kentucky would likely put Tennessee back into the conversation for a top seed, whereas a victory by the Wildcats would all but solidify the Vols as a 2-seed.

A win for Tennessee would also set up a potential rubber match in the SEC Tournament that could result in the winner receiving the nod for a 1-seed.

3 Keys to the Game

Clean the Glass

In the first game between these two teams, Reid Travis was credited with eight rebounds. However, his ability to keep Grant Williams off the glass led to several other Kentucky boards that will not show up by Travis’ name in the stat sheet.

Nick Richards recorded 15 rebounds in 25 minutes against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday. And like Travis, even more important than his own numbers on Saturday, he will need to find Williams every time a shot goes up to keep him from getting second chance opportunities.

Keldon Johnson has pulled down 23 rebounds in his last two games, and his ability to hit the glass will be huge on Saturday as well.

Pound the Paint

PJ Washington absolutely dominated Tennessee in the first match-up. He scored at will, putting up 23 points and shooting 4-7 from behind the three-point arc. PJ is also adept at drawing fouls in the paint, as he kept Kyle Alexander on the bench for most of the first game, ultimately getting him to foul out four minutes into the second half.

Tennessee is a very strong team, and they often beat on teams down low. One thing they do not have much of in the post is length. Getting heavy doses of Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery will be a very different look than what they saw back on February 15th. If either of Kentucky’s big men are able to get the ball near the basket, Tennessee should have a hard time keeping them from scoring.

Defend the Three

Yes, I realize that Tennessee only shot 28% from deep in the first game. However, they have hit 36% of their three-pointers on the season and they have some guys that can get hot and fill it up.

Schofield was only 1-6 in the first match-up in Rupp Arena, but he has hit nearly 40% for the season. Lamonte Turner has hit some big shots for the Vols this season, but went 0-7 against Kentucky earlier this month.

While Kentucky was dominant in the first game, the Vols did not have their best shooting effort. If they get going from behind the arc, it will be much more difficult for Kentucky to set the pace.

3 Players to Watch

Grant Williams

This probably goes without saying, but Williams is the reigning SEC Player of the Year and has been in the running for National Player of the Year for the entirety of this season. He leads the Volunteers with 19 points and nearly eight rebounds per game.

While many that watched the first game believe that Williams was not a factor, he still scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds. He also hit both of his three-point attempts that game.

Williams can take over a game if you let him, and without Reid Travis in the lineup he may have an easier time executing his game plan. Will PJ Washington be matched up with him? If so, what will that do to PJ on the offensive end? Will Richards or Montgomery be able to contain him or keep him off the glass? The answers to those questions very well may decide the game on Saturday.

Admiral Schofield

Schofield is coming off of a 27 point performance in the loss to LSU last Saturday, and he is putting up 16.9 points per contest. That is spot on with the 17 he scored in the first match-up between these teams. He is a big, strong guy with a quick first step and the ability to finish near the rim. Schofield has also shot 39.5% from deep for the season.

Washington played on Schofield for the majority of the first game, but his attention may shift to helping on Grant Williams. That could result in a huge game for Schofield. Is Keldon Johnson up for the challenge for a player that plays much bigger than he normally does? If not, Schofield has the potential to take over.

Jordan Bone

The biggest surprise of the season for the Volunteers has been the success of Jordan Bone. He averages 6.3 assists and only 2.1 turnovers per game, and he has the ability to score from anywhere on the court. He led Tennessee with 19 points last time, and he needs to be a focal point of the defensive effort this Saturday.

Of course, Ashton Hagans will draw the assignment of containing Bone. Bone has been one of the few players that has given Hagans fits this season. If Hagans can get in his head, it will go a long way toward throwing off the flow of the Volunteers offense. But if Bone is on his game like he was in the first match-up, he could have a big game in front of the home crowd.