Heading down to Knoxville for a top-tier SEC showdown with No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Kentucky had its back against the wall.
Coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time this season, facing a hostile crowd and dealing with injuries, UK was already at a disadvantage.
Kerr Kriisa, who has been sidelined with a broken foot that he suffered at Gonzaga, wouldn’t be able to provide a spark off the bench, fifth-year senior guard Lamont Butler, who was out with a shoulder injury, wouldn’t be able to lock up Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler and provide much needed points while forward Andrew Carr, who played just one minute, would be dealing with back issues and be limited.