Lady Vols basketball has the chance to earn a big-time resume-boosting win on Thursday night. No. 17 Tennessee will host No. 11 Kentucky in Knoxville with the opportunity to snag its best win to date this season.
Here is everything to know about the game, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Lady Vols Basketball Star Forward Out for Top-20 Clash With Kentucky
How to Watch — No. 17 Lady Vols (13-3, 5-0 SEC) vs. No. 11 Kentucky (17-3, 4-2 SEC)
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Watch: SEC Network | PxP: Tiffany Greene, Analyst: Carolyn Peck
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
Lady Vols -3.5 (DraftKings), O/U 141.5
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols: 65.0%
Kentucky: 35.0%
What Kim Caldwell Said
On what went wrong last year at Kentucky
“Yeah. I think our shot selection was really bad. The game in general was kind of an outlier game for us. We just were at that point in the season where we weren’t playing well and it kinda looked how the beginning of this year looked, to be honest, where we were one pass, jack, one pass, jack. We were not sharing the ball. We were taking bad shots and we weren’t getting stops. And then, it kind of just fell apart.”
On Kentucky’s Clara Strack
“She definitely has a bigger role. She’s doing more. She’s playing with more confidence. She’s shooting more and getting more looks at the rim. She’s carrying them. So, she’s a big key of what we’re trying to prep for.”
On the challenge of playing Kentucky
“They are a really deep team, one through five, and they have two great players and they’re surrounded by phenomenal three-point shooters. And so, you have to keep them in front of you. You have to be able to guard them. They can go in transition. They can beat you in the half-court. They’re good defensively. They’re good at protecting the rim. They’re a top team in the country for a reason.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
- at Alabama, 70-59 W
- vs. Arkansas, 85-50 W
- at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
- at Auburn, 73-56 W
- vs. Florida, 76-65 W
Kentucky:
- at Mississippi State, 71-59 L
- vs. Florida, 94-89 W
- vs. Oklahoma, 63-57 W
- at Alabama, 64-51 L
- vs. Missouri, 74-52 W
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 17
Coaches Poll – No. 17
Bart Torvik – No. 12
Kentucky:
AP Poll – No. 11
Coaches Poll – No. 12
Bart Torvik – No. 16
Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
- Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.1
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.1
Kentucky:
- Points: Clara Strack – 16.1
- Rebounds: Clara Strack – 10.1
- Assists: Tonie Morgan – 8.7
Prediction
The Lady Vols are going to have to play some of their best basketball of the season to win this one. The good news is that’s what Tennessee has done to start SEC play.
This time, Tennessee is going to have to find a way to win without Janiah Barker, though. One of the better players on the team and an integral part of what the Lady Vols want to do on both ends of the floor, she is missing the game after going down late at Alabama. However, Kentucky will be without a forward of its own in Teonni Key, the younger sister of former UT star Tamari Key.
As far as the styles of play, the Wildcats go through Clara Strack in the post, but have surrounded her with great shooters. When the Lady Vols have to sit down and guard in the half-court, they’ll need to not only limit Strack but also make sure the perimeter defense is strong. With Barker out, that means Zee Spearman will need to play post defense and not fall into foul trouble.
Offensively, Tennessee is going to have to continue to make strong decisions in shot selection. There will be open threes and some will be the right decision to take, but the Lady Vols can’t fall into the trap of taking the easy look that they haven’t hit at a high percentage this year.
Like always, but especially with Barker out, Talaysia Cooper should play a big role on both ends. If she has another strong game along with Mia Pauldo and Spearman, I think Tennessee will pull out a really nice win that the NCAA Tournament committee will like.
Lady Vols 76, Kentucky 70
