Rick Barnes shares thoughts on rivalry with Kentucky

Kentucky and Tennessee are set to renew their rivalry Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. The No. 5 Vols are likely going to be heavy favorites over the ailing Wildcats, but head coach Rick Barnes won’t let UK’s woes stop him from giving Kentucky the respect he feels they deserve.

“Rivalries aren’t rivalries unless you beat each other, that is what I think. We have competed against each other now since we have been here. It has gone on forever,” Barnes said. “You go back through the years, there have been times when maybe, Kentucky has doubled the wins I think.

“If it is going to be a rivalry, you have to beat somebody. For that to happen, we are going to have to continue to play good basketball because they are going to play.”

Take last year for example – Kentucky blew out Tennessee in Lexington, and Tennessee blew out Kentucky in Knoxville. The two met in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, and the Vols prevailed with a 69-62 edge. The series was as even as it gets.

Back in March, that was a top-10 matchup heading into the NCAA Tournament. Now, Kentucky’s season has fallen off its rails after losing two of its first three SEC games this year in embarrassing fashion and fall out of the AP rankings altogether.

“They are going to get better. I don’t care what has happened up to this point,” Barnes said. “I know John Calipari and I know how he is. Nobody is going to work harder. Nobody is going to put more into it. He is locked in on one thing and that is figuring out how to get these guys better and I fully expect them to be better when they come in here tomorrow.”

Tip-off between No. 5 Tennessee and UK is scheduled for Noon ET live from Knoxville on ESPN.