A pair of teams coming off disappointing home losses will meet this evening at Rupp Arena. That amps up the importance of the border battle between Kentucky and Tennessee, with both teams needing a win to stay in contention for a Southeastern Conference regular season title.
The Cats (15-5 overall, 5-3 SEC record) were ranked 10th before their disappointing 94-91 overtime loss to Florida on Wednesday. UK again struggled on the defensive end, repeatedly allowing wide-open looks from beyond the arc. The Gators’ Walter Clayton Jr. took full advantage of the lackluster defense by draining seven 3-pointers, including a game-tying bomb with three seconds remaining in regulation, and a go-ahead 3 with 1:42 left in overtime.
Every time it looked like the Cats were going to separate themselves from Florida, the Gators found an answer. If it wasn’t Clayton doing the damage, it was Tyrese Samuel (22 points, 13 rebounds) in the paint, or Zyon Pullin, who was clutch throughout the game, including three free throws in the final minute of overtime, and finished with 21 points.
Offensively, the Wildcats were fine, led by freshmen guards Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, who finished
with 24 and 20 points, respectively. Antonio Reeves tossed in 19, but the biggest surprise was Ugonna Onyenso, who was making his first start. The 7-foot sophomore had a career night, scoring 13 points, grabbing 16 boards, and blocking eight shots.
Kentucky was playing without a pair of freshmen starters, with D.J. Wagner and Justin Edwards sidelined due to injury, but that isn’t why they lost. Wagner has been playing better in recent games and was missed, but Edwards has been by far the biggest disappointment of coach John Calipari’s heralded freshmen class.
The final 28 seconds of regulation doomed the Cats. UK held a four-point lead, but after a Florida timeout, Samuel had a putback layup to cut the lead to two, and Dillingham was fouled with 13 seconds to play. He made the first but missed the second, setting the stage for the game-tying 3 from Clayton.
It can be argued that Kentucky should’ve fouled up three in the waning seconds, but instead, they left Clayton all alone in the left corner to drain the big shot. That may have preserved the win in regulation for the Cats, but it can also be argued that the defense from Sheppard was less than stellar. He left Clayton open for shots and the overall team defense wasn’t any better than it has been in recent weeks.
Don’t get me wrong; I feel Sheppard is a tremendous player, and without him, the game wouldn’t have been as close as it was. But I still don’t get the projection from NBA folks that he is a surefire lottery pick. He still has a lot to improve upon at the defensive end. Sheppard does come up with steals and has blocked several shots, but his on ball “D” is lacking.
Kentucky has to put that one in the rearview mirror quickly and shift their attention to the Vols, who were ranked fifth heading into their home game vs. South Carolina. The Gamecocks came into Knoxville on Tuesday and held off a late UT rally to win 63-59.
Tennessee is currently 15-5 with a 5-2 record in league play, and they will undoubtedly invade Rupp Arena hungry for a win. The Cats won both meetings last year, but Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is 10-9 against UK as the UT bench boss. Calipari is 18-12 vs. the Volunteers.
How well Kentucky defends will again play an important part in whether or not the Cats emerge with a win this evening. Another thing to watch will be just how well UK adjusts to playing Tennessee’s physical style, which was a major issue in UK’s loss at South Carolina .
The UT player to stop (or at least limit) is Dalton Knecht, a 6-foot-6 senior guard who transferred from Northern Colorado, and a contender for SEC player of the year.
Knecht is averaging 20.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and poured in 39 in an 85-66 win over Florida.
It will be interesting to see just how Coach Cal decides to defend a player who has been playing exceedingly well in SEC play.
A couple of other players to keep a close eye on are 6-11 junior center Jonas Aidoo (11.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and 5-9 point guard Zakai Zeigler. Oftentimes, it seems that the Vols play as well as Zeigler takes them, and he currently leads them with five assists per outing to go with 9.8 points.
The game tips at 8:30 and will be televised on ESPN.
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BIG GAME WEEKEND – The Kentucky-Tennessee clash is not the only college basketball highlight of the weekend. It will be the third game of an ESPN tripleheader featuring highly ranked teams.
The opener at 4 p.m. will have No. 4 Houston (19-2, 6-2 Big 12) visiting No. 8 Kansas (17-4, 5-3) in what promises to be a crazy environment at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Cougars are in their first season of Big 12 play, while the Jayhawks have dominated the league for years. Houston is one of the best defensive squads you will see anywhere, and KU is hoping to get do-everything guard Kevin McCullar Jr. back from a bruised knee injury in this one.
The second game of the trifecta of bigtime college hoops features No. 7 Duke (16-4, 7-2 ACC) making the short drive to Chapel Hill to take on No. 3 North Carolina (17-4, 9-1) in a 6:30 tip. A 1-seed on Selection Sunday could be on the line, and this grudge match remains one of the most highly anticipated games of the season.
The Tar Heels are coming off a stunning defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech, and they’ll be looking for 6-foot senior guard RJ Davis to lead them to a bounce-back win over the Dukies.
In addition to the aforementioned ESPN tripleheader, the Saturday noon game on Fox at Madison Square Garden will be an intriguing affair as well. The Big East matchup pits a pair of coaches (Connecticut’s Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino of St. John’s) who are not particularly fond of each other.
UConn, currently the top-ranked team in the nation after winning the title a year ago, will be looking for their 20th win of the season against just two defeats, and the Huskies are 9-1 in league play. Pitino, who took over the Red Storm program a bit late, and revamped nearly the entire roster, has led St. John’s to a 13-8 mark and 5-5 in Big East action.
Another matchup featuring highly-ranked foes will be played Sunday afternoon on CBS, when second-ranked Purdue (19-2, 8-2 Big Ten) visits No. 6 Wisconsin, which is
coming off a disappointing 80-72 road loss at Nebraska on Thursday, which dropped the Badgers to 16-5 and 8-2 in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin saw a 19-point lead disappear at the hands of a determined Nebraska squad, which improved to 16-6 and 6-5 in the Big Ten, leading to yet another wild court storming scene in Lincoln. The Huskers remained unbeaten at home, including improbable wins this season over both Purdue and Wisconsin.
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THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT… — The Cincinnati Reds farm system continues to receive accolades. In the most recent MLB.com Top 100 prospect rankings, there were five Reds prospects listed.
Noelvi Marte, 22, who had a brief but impressive stint at third base in Cincinnati last season, came in at No. 21. Marte has a power bat and is also considered a solid defender at shortstop.
Rhett Lowder, who will turn 22 in March, was the Reds’ top draft pick and the seventh overall selection last year. He’s listed 34th on the list, and the 6-foot-2 right-hander is expected to make a quick rise through the Reds system.
Edwin Arroyo, 67th on the list, is a 20-year-old switch-hitting shortstop with a ton of potential. Already a defensive stalwart, the quick and speedy Arroyo has
been making steady improvement at the plate as well. He’s also made tremendous strides as a threat to steal a base at any time.
Connor Phillips is listed at No. 70, which frankly seems to be a bit low. The 22-year-old right-hander has an array of pitches in his arsenal, and could be a mainstay in the Reds starting rotation in the near future.
Another underrated right-handed starter on the list is 20-year-old Chase Petty, who is in the 98th spot. Petty battled an elbow issue early last season, but pitched well at Double-A Chattanooga late in the campaign.
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ONE MORE MOVE THE REDS SHOULD MAKE – Another free agent signing this observer would love to see the Cincinnati front office make before spring training is to add a right-handed hitting designated hitter-outfielder. Yes, it’s really easy for me to spend the team’s money, but if they hope to be serious contenders, it would behoove the Reds to add another hitter with some pop.
A trio of solid veteran righty hitters remain on the market, but none will come at a discount.
Designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who clubbed 33 home runs and drove in 103 runs for the Dodgers in 2023, looks to be the best option. The latest scuttlebutt has the 36-year-old Martinez signing with the San Francisco Giants.
There is also DH-OF Jorge Soler, who will turn 32 later this month. Soler hit 36 home runs and drove in 75 runs for the Miami Marlins last season. His name has been mentioned in recent days with the Red Sox, Mets and Angels.
The third option would be the least expensive of the three. Former Red Adam Duvall is still a possibility, but admittedly a longshot. The Louisville native slugged 21 homers with 58 RBI in just 92 games for the Red Sox last year. The 35-year-old is still a solid defensive outfielder as well, but is rumored to be staying in Boston, or heading to Minnesota in the near future.
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“They’re very explosive and can give it to you from all different levels in all different ways. Great speed. A team that can really go on big runs against you,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes when asked about Kentucky
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“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” — Mark Twain