Tennessee just missed another three

If you watched the Kentucky Wildcats play the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2024-25 basketball season, you probably had a good time. Unless you’re a Volunteer fan. Then you probably didn’t have a good time. You definitely saw Tennessee miss a three-pointer, or two, or twenty. Actually, you’ll be shocked to hear that they missed even more.

The state of Tennessee is known for two things, honkytonks and missing three-pointers. When the Vols miss, they miss BIG.

Two weeks ago, Kentucky traveled to Knoxville to play a game at the Food City. The team in orange uniforms was 11-45 from behind the grocery store’s three-point line. It was the most three-point attempts by an opponent in Kentucky basketball history.

Naturally, one might suspect that Rick Barnes would adjust for the second meeting against the Wildcats. The Tennessee head coach wisely instructed his team to shoot fewer three-pointers. He forgot to tell his team to make them.

Tennessee was 3-18 from three-point land at Rupp Arena, good for a whopping 16.7%. Igor Milicic was the only Vol who made three, sinking 3-4. His last made three-pointer cut the deficit to two points with nine minutes remaining. Tennessee made two field goals for the rest of the game.

Chaz Lanier is one of the ten best scorers in the SEC. He typically shoots better than 40% from behind the three-point line. Lanier was 0-7 Tuesday night and 3-13 from the field.

All of those misses add up. I’m not a math guy, so I’ll try to count up all of the misses on my fingers and toes. J.J. Weaver doesn’t even have enough to count them all.

In two games against Kentucky, Tennessee has missed 49 three-pointers.

FORTY-NINE.

Trent Noah and Travis Perry, the two Kentucky guys who splashed five from downtown on Tuesday, haven’t attempted 49 three-pointers all year. Tennessee missed that many in two games, both losses, to Kentucky. Somewhere, a Vol just missed another three.

Another Fun Kentucky vs. Tennessee Stat

Like Lavar Ball, Mark Pope has never lost to Tennessee. We’re not just talking about this year either.

During his two seasons on the floor for the Wildcats, Kentucky was 4-0 against the Vols with a 24-point average margin of victory. His best performance was his last, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a 40-point win in Knoxville.

Mark Pope is 6-0 against Tennessee. Many people are asking, will Mark Pope ever lose to Tennessee?