“We just have a lot of love, and we’re going to win that game,” Kentucky guard Lamont Butler said after finding out their Sweet 16 opponent in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. But will that love be enough as the Wildcats face the Tennessee Volunteers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday?
The Tennessee side will be making its third straight and only the 11th overall appearance in the Sweet 16 round. They managed to advance to the Elite Eight twice before the 2025 season. As for the Kentucky Wildcats, the side is already exceeding expectations with their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2019. The feat becomes even sweeter if we dig deeper and see that the team is completely new – playing first time together. Mark Pope, in his very first season with the Kentucky team, has turned the tide to their favor.
The Vols, on the other hand, have their core intact and experienced players who reached this stage in the Orange and white jersey. The team thrives in adversity—let it be the short-handed side against Florida in the regular season or a big double-digit deficit against Missouri. Rick Barnes’ side has always delivered and will look to advance to Elite Eight for the second season in a row.
Kentucky vs Tennessee: Injuries, line up, and road to Sweet 16
On the Wildcats side, two players remain listed out — Kerr Keriisa and Jaxson Robinson — due to season-ending injuries. For Tennessee, it is the same with J.P. Estrella.
In terms of lineups, we could have:
Tennessee Volunteers
Zakai Zeigler
Chaz Lanier
Jahmai Mashack
Igo Milicic Jr.
Felix Okpara
Kentucky Wildcats
Lamont Butler
Koby Brea
Otega Oweh
Amari Williams
Andrew Carr
Tennessee finished the 2024-25 season with a 27-8 record and topped the conference with 14 wins and 4 losses. The Wildcats are not far behind. With a 13-5 record in conference and a 23-8 overall record. The side finished in a 3-way tie in SEC.
Interestingly, the Wildcats managed to defeat the Vols in their conference meetings. Mark Pope’s side defeated Tennessee 78-73 on January 28 at the Food City Center in Knoxville. They followed it up with a 75-64 win at Rupp Arena in February. In the recent 10 meetings, the Wildcats have a 7-3 edge over their Sweet 16 opponents. Production-wise, both teams fared equally. While Kentucky’s fast-paced offense scored 85 points on average in the season, allowing 77.2 per game, Tennessee, slow on offence, banked 74.6 points but allowed just 62.9 to the opponents.
Tennessee defence vs Kentucky attack
Playing a bit slow-paced basketball, using the clock to their advantage, Tennessee has been very effective on the floor. Minimum turnovers and maximum utilization of two-point shots proved beneficial for the side. This helped them at the defensive end as well. Zakai Zeigler has been a driving force for the side leading in steals and assists. Felix Okpara has been a menace in the paint, putting up massive numbers in blocks and rebounds.
Kentucky is not a weak side either. Veteran Lamont Butler is a solid defender and if the team can give him support on the defensive end, they could match the Tennessee numbers. What striking part about them is their pace and offence. Koby Brea has been in great form, launching threes from all directions while Otega’s shooting proved most productive for the side.
Looking at the matchups and recent records, Kentucky is the clear favorite. Yet the experienced and tested Tennessee side could halt the losing streak against the Cats. The predicted final score from here is 75-69 in favour of Tennessee, so what’s yours? Either way, the team advancing will have a more tougher opponent – Houston or Purdue in the Elite Eight.
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