Tennessee put on a defensive clinic Saturday night. It will need to put on another Tuesday.

After using their patented style of play to go toe-to-toe with No. 1 Auburn in a 53-51 road loss, the No. 8 Vols (17-3, 4-3 SEC) will again face one of the top scoring teams in the SEC in No. 12 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) at Food City Center (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Tennessee held the Tigers, who entered the match up with one of the most prolific offenses in the league, to season-lows in scoring and field goal percentage, setting instead for a slugfest that it nearly pulled out in the final minute at Neville Arena.

The Vols will have the backing of their home floor vs. the Wildcats, but trying to drag Kentucky down into the mud like Tennessee did with Auburn will be a challenge.

The Wildcats rank second in the conference in points and field goal percentage and are top five in three-point percentage and rebounding despite losing back-to-back games to Alabama and Vanderbilt.

Here is everything you need to know about the match up.

Who: No. 12 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3)

When: Tuesday, Jan. 28 | 7 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center | Knoxville

TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, play-by-play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst; Molly McGrath, reporter)

Radio: Vol Network (Bob Kesling, play-by-play; Bert Bertelkamp, analyst)

Series: 240th meeting all-time (Kentucky leads, 161-78)

Line: Tennessee, -8.5

KenPom Projection: Tennessee 77, Kentucky 68

POINTS PER GAME

Kentucky 88.1

Tennessee 75.1

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

Kentucky 48.4%

Tennessee 45.2%

THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE

Kentucky 36.9%

Tennessee 34.2%

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Three thoughts before Tennessee hosts Kentucky

ASSISTS

Kentucky 18.3

Tennessee 15.8

REBOUNDS

Kentucky 40.8

Tennessee 38.4

BLOCKS

Tennessee 5.2

Kentucky 4.8

-- Tennessee has turned the corner in its long-standing rivalry with Kentucky. The Vols are 11-10 under Rick Barnes, including a 10-6 mark in games where the Wildcats are ranked. Both teams are even at 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.

-- Tennessee and Kentucky are meeting as top 15 teams in the Associated Press Top 25 for the third-straight time. The Wildcats have won two of those match ups, with the Vols winning, 103-92 in Lexington on Feb. 3, 2024.

-- Kentucky is the third AP Top 25 team that Tennessee has faced in as many games. The Vols beat then-No. 14 Mississippi State last week before playing No. 1 Auburn. Tennessee will play No. 5 Florida and No. 20 Missouri week, marking the first five-game stretch against AP ranked teams in program history.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee, Auburn put SEC physicality on full display in primetime slugfest

-- Tennessee ranks first in adjusted defensive efficiency, according KenPom. The Vols are holding teams to just 86.8 points per 100 offensive possessions. Tennessee also leads Division I teams in three-point defense, allowing just 25.4% from deep.

-- Kentucky will be without starting guard Lamont Butler vs. Tennessee. The San Diego State transfer was listed as “out” in the team’s availability report Monday night. He is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 assists, leaving the Wildcats with a void to fill at point guard. Starting forward Andrew Carr is “questionable” after missing the Vanderbilt game.

-- Kentucky is averaging 88.1 points per game, trailing only Alabama among SEC teams. The Wildcats have five players averaging double-figures with guard Otega Oweh pacing the team with 15.9 points. He has scored 21 points in each of his last two games.

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