LIVE BLOG: No. 12 Kentucky at No. 8 Tennessee
After back-to-back losses, Kentucky will try to bounce back against a top-10 ranked rival without Lamont Butler (ICYMI, Andrew Carr WILL play). KSR’s LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Thompson-Boling Arena as the No. 12 Wildcats take on the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
You know what’s going on with Kentucky. The Cats really need a win, and historically, have fared well in this spot, going 5-1 against AP Top-15 teams. Tonight may be their most daunting task yet. Not only are they shorthanded, they’re going up against a Tennessee defense that ranks in the top three in several metrics, including No. 1 in three-point field goal defense. If Kentucky is going to pull off this upset, they’re going to need to catch fire from the three-point line. Looking at you, Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson, Ansley Almonor, and Travis Perry.
Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game, from both Thompson-Boling Arena (at the Food City Center) and the couch. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Scenes from the court
01/28/2025 08:42:09 PMSteven Peake will have a complete video of Kentucky’s celebration on the court after beating Tennessee after Mark Pope’s press conference. These tweets will have to do for now.
FINAL: No. 12 Kentucky 78, No. 8 Tennessee 73
01/28/2025 08:24:59 PMKENTUCKY WINS!!! Without Lamont Butler and basically Andrew Carr (he played 90 seconds), the Cats pulled off another top-10 win, beating No. 8 Tennessee 78-73 to get back in the win column. It’s a massive victory for momentum and a massive one for the resume. Kentucky is now 6-1 against AP Top 15 teams.
Koby Brea led Kentucky in scoring with 18 points, but Jaxson Robinson gets my MVP vote. Filling in for Lamont Butler, Robinson finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, a block and two turnovers in 34 minutes, all while battling a hamstring injury towards the end. Gutsy performance by him and so many others.
We’ll be breaking this one down all night. In the meantime, you can check out the stats:
Score Update: 8.2 2H – Kentucky 76, Tennessee 73
01/28/2025 08:20:24 PMKentucky’s lead is back up to three after two free throws by Otega Oweh and an airball by Jordan Gainey.
Score Update: 28.6 2H – Kentucky 74, Tennessee 73
01/28/2025 08:16:00 PMWe have a one-point game after a three-pointer by Chaz Lanier. I counted three offensive rebounds by the Vols on that trip. I might puke.
ANOTHER REVIEW
01/28/2025 08:13:07 PMIt has been four seconds since my last update but we had another review! Officials went to the monitor to take a look at a foul on Cade Phillips, who hit Jaxson Robinson in the face. That brings it to four reviews in the last minute.
Thankfully, the call was confirmed. Jaxson made one of two free throws to push Kentucky’s lead to four.
Score Update: 1:06 2H – Kentucky 73, Tennessee 70
01/28/2025 08:11:28 PMAfter a questionable foul call on Koby Brea, Kentucky’s lead is down to three, with Chaz Lanier hitting both free throws.
Another review
01/28/2025 08:08:52 PMOfficials called an offensive foul on Otega Oweh vs. Jahmai Mashack. After a review, they’re keeping it a common foul instead of escalating it.
1:18 2H – Kentucky 73, Tennessee 68
Score Update: 1:41 2H – Kentucky 73, Tennessee 68
01/28/2025 08:05:34 PMAfter a lengthy review, officials determined the ball went off Otega Oweh instead of Tennessee’s Dubar, overturning the initial call. The Vols will have it under their own basket down five with 1:41 to go.
UPDATE: Ball don’t lie! Jordan Gainey just turned it over. Kentucky ball.
Score Update: 3:44 2H – Kentucky 71, Tennessee 68
01/28/2025 07:56:58 PMKentucky was doing great with turnovers this half…until now. Two Kentucky turnovers (Collin Chandler, Ansley Almonor) just turned into five Tennessee points, with Chaz Lanier hitting a three to pull the Vols within three at the under-four timeout. Koby Brea is headed to the free-throw line to try to push it back to a two-possession game.
Tennessee banked three alert
01/28/2025 07:53:32 PMThings we hate to see: banked threes. Tennessee’s Igor Milicic hit one to pull the Vols within five. Thankfully, Koby Brea responded with one of his own to push the lead back to eight, but a Tennessee dunk has it down to six with 4:36 to go.
4:36 2H – Kentucky 71, Tennessee 65
Otega Oweh is a tough man
01/28/2025 07:51:51 PMOtega Oweh’s head just bounced off the court after this dunk but he’s up and playing through it.
Trent Noah seizes the opportunity
01/28/2025 07:50:05 PMTrent Noah will not be denied. The Mountain Mamba just got his second bucket of the game, showing off some incredible hustle to push Kentucky’s lead back to eight.
Score Update: 7:48 1H – Kentucky 62, Tennessee 53
01/28/2025 07:43:53 PMKentucky’s lead is back up to nine at the under-eight timeout. Koby Brea was fouled on a three-point attempt and hit two of three from the free-throw line. Jaxson Robinson just checked back in for Collin Chandler after receiving treatment on the sideline (cramps?). Kudos to Chandler, who has been hustling on the defensive end.
Kentucky only has one turnover so far this half after turning it over eight times in the first half. Amari Williams has played great so far in the second half, now with 9 points and 12 rebounds. He leads Kentucky in efficiency at +23.
Score Update: 9:37 2H – Kentucky 58, Tennessee 51
01/28/2025 07:39:31 PMMark Pope has been begging his team to draw fouls. Otega Oweh just did, Jahmai Mashack’s second, to get to the line. He hit one of two free throws to push Kentucky’s lead back to seven.
Trent Noah THREE pushes Kentucky’s lead to double digits
01/28/2025 07:30:40 PMYou knew the Eastern Kentucky kid would bring it vs. Tennessee. Trent Noah just hit a three to push Kentucky’s lead to double digits. The Cats have hit their last seven field goals and look firmly in control with 12 minutes to go. You could even hear a “Go Big Blue” chant in the stands. Keep pushing, Cats!
12:00 2H – Kentucky 55, Tennessee 44
Robinson’s fourth three prompts a Tennessee timeout
01/28/2025 07:24:48 PMJaxson Robinson is still feeling it. He just made his fourth three of the game to put Kentucky up by eight and prompt Rick Barnes to call a timeout with 14 minutes to go. The Cats are now 10-20 from the outside.
14:00 2H – Kentucky 50, Tennessee 42
Score Update: 15:33 1H – Kentucky 43, Tennessee 37
01/28/2025 07:17:29 PMAt the first media timeout of the second half, we’ve got a review. Officials are at the monitor to see if Amari Williams’ bucket beat the shot clock. If so, the Cats lead 43-37. Koby Brea had the assist on that bucket, and on Kentucky’s previous possession, a three you’ve got to see to believe:
Kentucky reclaims the lead
01/28/2025 07:13:03 PMOtega Oweh is making them pay. Oweh’s steal and slam took the lead back for Kentucky. Koby Brea scored the Cats’ first bucket of the second half, a nice jumper inside.
19:17 2H – Kentucky 34, Tennessee 33
Zakai Zeigler will attempt to return for the second half
01/28/2025 07:03:29 PMZakai Zeigler’s knee is the talk of halftime, and according to a Tennessee spokesperson, he will attempt to give it a go for the second half.
HALF: Tennessee 33, Kentucky 30
01/28/2025 06:54:08 PMAfter controlling most of the first half, Kentucky kind of fell apart in the final four minutes. Tennessee closed the half on an 11-0 run despite Zakai Zeigler going to the locker room with an apparent knee injury. The Vols clawed their way back in this one on the offensive glass, doubling the Cats up 8-4.
Jaxson Robinson is the only player in double figures, with 11. Kentucky has hit seven threes so far, but, as mentioned, closed the half with a 3:15 scoring drought. The Cats also have eight turnovers to the Vols’ one. Check out all the numbers below.
Tennessee takes the lead
01/28/2025 06:51:21 PMAn 8-0 Tennessee run just became an 11-0 run after a three by Chaz Lanier, his first bucket of the game. The Vols are starting to take over on the offensive glass, taking advantage of Amari Williams being on the bench with two fouls.
30.4 1H – Tennessee 33, Kentucky 30
1:16 1H – Kentucky 30, Tennessee 30
01/28/2025 06:50:04 PMWe’re all tied at 30 after an 8-0 Tennessee run. The Cats haven’t scored in two and a half minutes.
Zakai Zeigler heads to the locker room
01/28/2025 06:46:32 PMSome potentially huge injury news. Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler just limped off the court and straight to the locker room after colliding with Koby Brea while driving to the basket. According to Molly McGrath, they are examining his right knee. Both teams could be without their starting point guards.
Score Update: 3:22 1H – Kentucky 28, Tennessee 22
01/28/2025 06:44:35 PMAnsley Almonor just hits big shots. Tennessee had cut Kentucky’s lead to three when Almonor hit his third three of the night. After a layup by Cade Phillips, a Brandon Garrison dunk kept Kentucky’s lead at six at the under-four timeout.
In other news, check out Upset Mark Pope after this out-of-bounds call. Looking at the replay, the officials got it right but that’s the most ire towards the officials that we’ve seen from Pope so far at Kentucky.
Pope says to keep pushing the pace
01/28/2025 06:36:57 PMESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath just shared what she heard from Kentucky’s huddle during that timeout. Pope told his team to keep pushing the pace because it’s starting to annoy the Vols. “Shoot a three every chance you get.”
Speaking of pace, Rob Dauster is taking note of how hard Kentucky is working against Tennessee’s defense.
Score Update: 6:16 1H – Kentucky 23, Tennessee 16
01/28/2025 06:31:38 PMNow we’re rolling. Tennessee pulled within two, 15-13, when Jaxson Robinson stepped up and hit his third three of the day to push the Cats’ lead back to five. Ansley Almonor followed it up with another three of his own to make it eight. Tennessee’s Igor Milicic responded with a three of his own and Robinson got another bucket to bring us to 23-16 with 6:16 to go. Robinson is up to 11 points so far.
In bad news, Amari Williams just picked up his second foul. We’ll see how Pope adjusts coming out of this timeout.
Score Update: 11:18 1H – Kentucky 13, Tennessee 9
01/28/2025 06:22:06 PMThings have slowed down a bit. Kentucky hasn’t scored a field goal in 4:25, since the last media timeout, but still leads Tennessee by four. Tennessee hasn’t been scoring much either, just 3-13 from the floor so far. Zakai Zeigler is trying to find cracks in Kentucky’s defense, while Chaz Lanier, Tennessee’s leading scorer, is 0-1 from the floor so far.
Somehow, this was a foul on Koby Brea
01/28/2025 06:19:51 PMI don’t get it either.
Carr checks in, Carr checks out
01/28/2025 06:18:07 PMAndrew Carr checked in and just a minute and a half later, checked back out. The big man is still knocking off the rust after a week and a half of rest. Mark Pope said they will closely monitor his minutes tonight in hopes of avoiding a setback.
Score Update: 15:19 1H – Kentucky 12, Tennessee 4
01/28/2025 06:09:43 PMAnsley Almonor has joined the three-point party. Almonor’s trey brings Kentucky’s lead to 12-4 at the first media timeout. The Cats are 4-5 from the outside so far, while Tennessee is 1-4 from three, 1-7 from the field. Keep. It. Coming.
Check out this assist by Amari Williams. Even on his birthday, the big man is happy to give to others.
Another three for Jaxson!
01/28/2025 06:07:32 PMJaxson Robinson is feeling it from the outside so far. He just hit his second three of the game to take Kentucky’s lead to 9-3 at the 17:16 mark. Just keep shooting…
Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson connect early from three
01/28/2025 06:05:32 PMGood news: Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have already hit threes to give Kentucky a 6-3 lead. Bad news: The Cats have also already turned it over twice. I’ll take the threes.
17:41 1H – Kentucky 6, Tennessee 3
Happy birthday, Amari Williams!
01/28/2025 05:53:56 PMKentucky’s starting big man turns 23 years old today. Another upset over a top-ten team sounds like a great way to celebrate.
5-star SF Nate Ament in the house
01/28/2025 05:51:15 PM2025 five-star small forward Nate Ament is down to 11 schools, including Kentucky and Tennessee. The top-five prospect is visiting Tennessee today for today’s game. Hopefully, he comes away more intrigued by Mark Pope’s offense than all that orange.
Kentucky’s starting lineup
01/28/2025 05:44:25 PMAs expected, Jaxson Robinson will shift over to Lamont Butler’s spot to start things off. Ansley Almonor will get his second start at Kentucky in place of Andrew Carr, who is available but whose minutes will be limited.
02 Jaxson Robinson
04 Koby Brea
00 Otega Oweh
15 Ansley Almonor
22 Amari Williams
Tonight’s officials…
01/28/2025 05:41:40 PM…are Owen Shortt, Courtney Green, and Ron Groover. Per Aaron Gershon, Kentucky is undefeated in games called by those officials this season.
Tennessee student section’s “cheer sheet” for Kentucky
01/28/2025 05:38:00 PMHere’s the list of taunts the Tennessee student section has in store for Kentucky tonight. I expected better.
Mark Pope on Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr
01/28/2025 05:26:03 PMDuring his pregame conversation with Tom Leach, Mark Pope shared the latest on Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Andrew Carr (back). When asked for a timeline for Butler’s return, Pope quipped that he was hopeful Kentucky would have him back by halftime. If not, he sounds confident in Jaxson Robinson and Travis Perry, and even teased some minutes at point for Collin Chandler and Otega Oweh.
“I like to think about it as we’re up a couple of point guards because Jaxson is going to get to run the point, TP is going to play the point, Collin play a little point, maybe Otega run some point so we’ll actually have four point guards. We have great players. We have a great team with a ton of heart and a ton of juice so I can’t wait to get out on the floor. I think our guys are excited to go compete and we’re going to go find a way to win.”
Based on Pope’s comments after the Vandy loss, it seemed Carr might sit out a few more games to give his back some more rest to avoid setbacks. Pope said his minutes will be closely monitored tonight.
“Andrew is, ooh, we’re going to hold our breath a little bit and we’re really going to monitor his minutes. Winning is the No. 1 priority but No. 1A is can we get him through this night without having a major setback. That’s weighing heavy on my heart.”
See the scene in Knoxville
01/28/2025 05:06:33 PMJack Pilgrim and Steven Peake made the trip to Knoxville for KSR. Join them as they walk to the Food City Center and talk about tonight’s game, including the news that Andrew Carr will play:
How to Watch, Listen
01/28/2025 05:03:21 PMI hope you like the duo of Jimmy Dykes and Karl Ravech because they’re once again on the call for tonight’s game. If you’d rather listen to Tom Leach and Goose Givens on the radio, you can do that too. Here are all the details on how to watch and listen to the Cats vs. the Vols:
– Time: 7 p.m. ET
– Television: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Molly McGrath)
– Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
– Online Radio: iHeart
– Satellite Radio: Sirius 160 or 191
– Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Earlier today, Ravech shared his thoughts outside the Food City Center:
Andrew Carr is warming up
01/28/2025 05:01:46 PMIn case you missed the big news about 40 minutes ago, Andrew Carr (back) is available to play tonight. He was not listed on the final SEC Availability Report, meaning he’s good to go. In fact, he’s already on the floor warming up.
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