by Corey Price
The day has arrived. It’s Kentucky. It’s Tennessee. It’s ESPN College Gameday. It’s Rupp Arena. Could it get any better? The Wildcats renew the rivalry with the 208th meeting against the hated Volunteers of Tennessee. The Wildcats come into the game ranked #3 in the AP Poll and a 4 game winning streak. Tennessee is ranked #12 in the AP Poll and lost their last game to Vanderbilt down in Nashville. Needless to say the atmosphere will be electric and Rupp will be rocking. Here are some numbers and facts of interest headed into tonight’s big game:
100 Years Of The Kentucky/Tennessee Rivalry
This Tuesday, February 16th, will mark the 100th anniversary of the first basketball game between Kentucky and Tennessee. On February 16th, 1910, in the Buell Armory Gymnasium in Lexington, the Wildcats dismantled the Volunteers 20-5, with all of Tennessee’s 5 points coming from the free throw line. Tennessee is at the top of the list of most of UK’s SEC opponent lists, and here are a few:
Most Games Played Against (SEC Opponent)
1. Tennessee: 207 games
2. Vanderbilt: 175 games
3. Georgia: 135 games
4. Alabama: 134 games
5. Florida: 119 games
Most Games Won Against (SEC Opponent)
1. Tennessee: 142 wins
2. Vanderbilt: 132 wins
3. Georgia: 111 wins
4. Alabama: 99 wins
5. Mississippi: 97 wins
Most Games Lost Against (SEC Opponent)
1. Tennessee: 65 losses
2. Vanderbilt: 43 losses
3. Alabama: 35 losses
4. Florida: 32 losses
5. Georgia: 24 losses
UK’s Record vs. Tennessee By Decade
1910’s: 11-8 (.579)
1920’s: 9-8 (.529)
1930’s: 18-5 (.783)
1940’s: 18-6 (.750)
1950’s: 19-1 (.950)
1960’s: 13-8 (.619)
1970’s: 10-11 (.476)
1980’s: 12-8 (.600)
1990’s: 16-5 (.762)
2000’s: 16-5 (.762)
UK’s Record vs. Tennessee By Head Coach
Adolph Rupp: 72-20 (.783)
Joe B. Hall: 11-16 (.407)
Eddie Sutton: 6-2 (.750)
Rick Pitino: 14-3 (.824)
Tubby Smith: 15-6 (.714)
Billy Gillispie: 3-1 (.750)
Both Kentucky and Tennessee have had their periods of dominance. For Kentucky, their best period of dominance was from February 17th, 1945 to March 10th, 1962 when they were 37-2 against the Volunteers over that 17 season span. UK’s only 2 losses during that span came on January 14th, 1950 and February 27th, 1960. For Tennessee, their biggest bragging rights were between February 15th, 1975 to January 5th, 1980 as they had a 9-2 record against the Wildcats over that 5 season span. UK’s only 2 wins over that span were on February 15th and 25th, 1978, the same season they won their 5th national title.
Great 25 Game Starts In UK History
Tonight’s game against Tennessee will be Kentucky’s 25th game of the season. If the Wildcats were to win they would have a 24-1 record on the season. There have been 6 seasons in UK’s history in which they started a season 24-1 or better in their first 25 games. Here are those 6 seasons:
1948-1949: Started 24-1, Finished 32-2, SEC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Champions, #1 in final AP Poll
1950-1951: Started 24-1, Finished 32-2, SEC Regular Season Champions, SEC Tournament Runners-Up, NCAA Tournament Champions, #1 in final AP and UPI Polls
1953-1954: Started and Finished the season 25-0, SEC Regular Season Champions, Didn’t Participate in the NCAA Tournament, #1 in final AP Poll, #2 in final UPI Poll
1965-1966: Started 24-1, Finished 27-2, SEC Regular Season Champions, NCAA Tournament Runners-Up, #1 in final AP and UPI Polls
1969-1970: Started 24-1, Finished 26-2, SEC Regular Season Champions, NCAA Tournament Regional Finalist (Elite Eight), #1 in final AP and UPI Polls
1995-1996: Started 24-1, Finished 34-2, SEC Regular Season Champions, SEC Tournament Runners-Up, NCAA Tournament Champions, #2 in final AP and CNN/USA Today Polls
UK’s Various Records vs. Tennessee
UK’s overall record vs. Tennessee: 142-65 (.686) (won last 2 meetings, 7-3 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. Tennessee at home: 83-16 (.838)
UK’s record vs. Tennessee at Rupp Arena: 30-4 (.882) (won last 3 meetings, 9-1 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. Tennessee when both Kentucky and Tennessee are ranked: 9-5 (.643) (won last meeting, 7-3 last 10 meetings)
Other Various Records
UK’s overall record playing on February 13th: 28-9 (.757)
UK’s record playing Tennessee on February 13th: 3-3 (.500)
Largest crowd to attend a Kentucky/Tennessee game at Rupp Arena: 24,394 (February 21st, 2009, Kentucky – 77 Tennessee – 58)
Smallest crowd to attend a Kentucky/Tennessee game at Rupp Arena: 20,662 (February 19th, 2002, #12 Kentucky – 64 Tennessee – 61)
RPI Rankings (As Of 9:30 P.M. February 12th)
Kentucky: 6th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 57th
Tennessee: 22nd
Tennessee’s Strength Of Schedule: 29th
Pomeroy Ratings (As Of February 11th)
Kentucky: 8th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 86th
Kentucky’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 187th
Tennessee: 26th
Tennessee’s Strength Of Schedule: 51st
Tennessee’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 125th
Sagarin Ratings (As Of February 11th)
Kentucky: 6th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 96th
Tennessee: 16th
Tennessee’s Strength Of Schedule: 53rd
Kentucky In The Top 30 In Team Statistics (As Of February 11th)
Assists Per Game: 29th (15.8)
Blocks Per Game: 6th (7.1)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 10th (37.9%)
Field Goal Percentage: 13th (48.8%)
Rebounds Per Game: T-3rd (42.3)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: T-9th (15.1)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game: T-14th (27.2)
Rebound Margin: 1st (+10.2)
Scoring Margin: 6th (+16.2)
Scoring Offense: 8th (81.6)
Tennessee In The Top 30 In Team Statistics (As Of February 11th)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 23rd (39%)
Scoring Margin: 23rd (+11.7)
Steals Per Game: T-28th (8.6)
Turnover Margin: 4th (+5.2)
Kentucky Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics (As Of February 11th)
Assists Per Game: John Wall, 2nd (6.6)
Field Goal Percentage: Patrick Patterson, 7th (58.6%) DeMarcus Cousins, T-28th (54.7%)
Rebounds Per Game: DeMarcus Cousins, 19th (10.1)
Offensive Rebounds Per Game: DeMarcus Cousins, 6th (4.4) Patrick Patterson, 48th (3.4)
Points Per 40 Minutes: DeMarcus Cousins, 2nd (29.4)
Turnovers Per Game: John Wall, 11th (4.1) Eric Bledsoe, 34th (3.6)
Tennessee Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics (As Of February 11th)
Assist-To-Turnover Ratio: Bobby Maze, 2nd (2.57 to 1)
Kentucky Individual Game Records vs. Tennessee
Points: 54, Jodie Meeks (1/13/2009) (most ever by a UK player)
Rebounds: 28, Mike Phillips (1/10/1976)
Assists: 12, Roger Harden (2/28/1985)
Steals: 7, Jared Prickett (3/
12/1993)
Blocks: 5, John Pelphrey (1/20/1990) Nazr Mohammed (2/11/1998)
Free Throws Made: 14, Winston Bennett (1/25/1986) Jodie Meeks (1/13/2009)
Field Goals Made: 18, Melvin Turpin (1/31/1983)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 10, Jodie Meeks (1/13/2009) (most ever by a UK player)
Tennessee Individual Game Records vs. Kentucky
Points: 43, Ernie Grunfeld (1/10/1976)
Rebounds: 20, Gene Tormohlen (3/2/1957) Bernard King (2/15/1975)
Assists: 12, Johnny Darden (3/5/1977 and 2/15/1978)
Steals: 5, Brandon Wharton (1/24/1998 and 2/28/1999)
Blocks: 4, Marcus Haislip (2/6/2002)
Free Throws Made: 15, Allan Houston (1/21/1992)
Field Goals Made: 16, Ernie Grunfeld (1/10/1976)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 7, Vincent Yarbrough (2/19/2002) Chris Lofton (2/7/2006)
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