Tennessee 84 Kentucky 77 FINAL

When: 6:00 PM CT, Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
Kentucky -8 O/U 152


The season is 21 games old and coach John Calipari is frustrated with his No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats as they enter Tuesday's SEC tilt at Tennessee. "We're still learning how to win," Calipari told reporters after Saturday's 90-84 overtime loss at Kansas. "In the guts of the game, we're just learning now what it means to win, and the plays you make - and the plays just as importantly you don't make. Not at winning time."

The Wildcats are tied for second place in the league and need to avoid a letdown against the Volunteers after putting in maximum effort and preparation for the showdown with Kansas. "We have some fighters," senior forward Alex Poythress told reporters. "Everyone that was playing was fighting. There is no such thing as moral victories, but there is no reason for us to hang our heads either. Everyone out there was fighting, top to bottom." Tennessee could use more fighters after five losses in seven games and blowing a 14-point halftime lead in Saturday's 75-63 road loss to TCU. "Time is ticking, so we have to figure it out now," senior guard Kevin Punter told reporters. "Guys have NCAA tournament aspirations. Everyone on this team wants to get there. We have to start putting wins together."

ABOUT KENTUCKY (16-5, 6-2 SEC): Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis continued his rise as a scorer with a career-high 26 points to go with eight assists in the loss to Kansas. Ulis was a pass-first player as a freshman on the Wildcats' powerhouse squad but has produced 20 or more points and five or more assists in the same game on nine occasions this season while averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 assists. Freshman guard Jamal Murray has reached double digits in 19 consecutive games while averaging a team-best 17.4 points and freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe averages 10.3 points.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (10-11, 3-5): Punter has been superb with 15 outings of 20 points or more while averaging a team-best 23. Coach Rick Barnes bemoaned after the TCU loss that he has to find some help for Punter, and junior guard Robert Hubbs III (11.8 points) and senior forward Armani Moore (team-best average of eight rebounds and team-high 40 blocked shots to go with an 11.7-point average) are the only other players scoring in double digits. Freshman forward Kyle Alexander had season highs of 11 rebounds and six blocked shots against TCU in his best performance of the season.

Kentucky has won eight of the past nine meetings, including a 66-48 road victory last season.

Highly-touted Wildcats freshman F Skal Labissiere (7.5 average) has scored in single digits in 10 of the past 12 games.

The Volunteers have hoisted 64 3-point attempts and shot just 18 free throws over the past two games.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 81, Tennessee 69