Tennessee vs. Kentucky is a rivalry in any sport, and women's basketball is no exception. There is absolutely no love lost between the Vols and the Cats.
Last year, Kentucky stunned the Vols 82-58 in Lexington. But tonight, the scene shifts to Knoxville, and the stakes feel significantly heavier for Kenny Brooks and his squad.
Righting the Ship Without Teonni Key
A few weeks ago, Kentucky looked like a legitimate Final Four dark horse. Then, the injury bug bit Teonni Key, and the team’s identity took a hit.
Since her injury, the Wildcats have been playing .500 basketball. The low point came in a puzzling loss to Mississippi State, where Kentucky was bullied on the glass (outrebounded 52-35) and shot just 31.9% from the field.
Without Key’s presence in the paint, the margin for error has vanished.
The Challenge: A Red-Hot Tennessee
While Kentucky tries to find its footing, the #17 Lady Volunteers are peaking. Tennessee is on a 6-game winning streak, including impressive wins over the two teams that recently frustrated Kentucky: Mississippi State and Alabama.
They are led by a balanced attack:
- Talaysia Cooper (G): 14.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.1 APG
- Janiah Barker (F): 14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG
- Zee Spearman (F): 11.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG
Tennessee has size, and they crash the boards—a nightmare matchup for a Kentucky team struggling to rebound.
The Rotation Question
If Kentucky is going to survive the grind of the SEC, they need more from the bench.
In recent losses, the usage of the reserves has been confusingly low. Against Mississippi State, the trio of Lexi Blue, Kaelyn Carrol, and Josie Gilvin played a combined 11 minutes.
We broke down the bench usage issues in detail here.
If the starters are forced to play 35+ minutes against a physical Tennessee team, the fourth quarter could get ugly.
Game details: Kentucky vs. Tennessee
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 22
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- TV: SEC Network
- Radio: SiriusXM 191 / [Insert Local Affiliate] UT Network: SiriusXM 145
- Online: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on iHeartRadio via WLAP 630.
- Local FM/AM Stations:
- Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
- Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
- London: 103.9 FM WWEL
- Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
- Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG
- Streaming: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV
The stakes
A loss isn't the end of the world, but it would likely be the end of Kentucky’s hopes for a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and effectively kill any chance of winning the SEC regular-season title.
But if they can go into Knoxville and steal a win without Key? It would prove that Kenny Brooks has this team ready for the "upper echelon" of the sport, regardless of who is in the lineup.
Can the Lady Cats bounce back? Tune in tonight to find out.