Rick Barnes and Tennessee roll into their third straight Sweet 16 appearance tonight, set to face a bitter rival with everything on the line. The Kentucky Wildcats will make their first appearance in the round of 16 since the 2019 season in their first year under new head coach Mark Pope.
Kentucky swept Tennessee in the regular season, winning in both Lexington and Knoxville. The Wildcats gave the Volunteers their best shot in each game, absolutely humming offensively to topple Tennessee’s top-ranked defense. By now you know they shot 50 percent (12-24) in both meetings, which is something that can’t happen once again tonight in Indianapolis.