UK Fans of the Day Want Afternoon Notes ahead of Kentucky vs. Tennessee

Good afternoon from Indianapolis, where we’ve got three and a half hours until tipoff and my nerves are finally kicking in. I woke up feeling great about round three against Tennessee for a spot in the Elite Eight, but, as usual, as the clock ticks down, my nerves build.

Thankfully, blue is finally rolling in. Last night and this morning, downtown Indy was a ghost town. On my pregame run, I only saw two UK fans, but more and more are taking to the streets as fans make the short drive up I-65. I’ve seen some Tennessee orange and a few Purdue fans, but no Houston fans so far. I hear the interstate is packed with blue, so I expect Kentucky to have the crowd advantage tonight.

Before I hop on the media shuttle to head to the arena, I figured I’d check in with some notes ahead of a very long and busy night.

Both Kentucky and Tennessee are confident

Based off yesterday’s press conferences and locker room interviews, both the Cats and Vols are confident heading into round three. Obviously, Kentucky won the first two meetings, and will take the same mindset into tonight’s game. The Cats have been remarkably loose the entire tournament and were all smiles and laughs on Thursday. Tennessee’s players talked repeatedly about how much they think the team has grown since the loss to Kentucky in Lexington and how eager they are for the rematch.

“Since they beat us twice, since they beat us at their place,” Igor Milicic Jr. said on Thursday, “I’ve been hoping that we’re going to see them again, either in the SEC Tournament or in the March Madness.”

Once again the underdog, you’ve just gotta hope the Cats want it more.

How fun was it to start the day with a commitment?

I’ve been so busy covering the current team that I haven’t had too much time to focus on who Kentucky is targeting in the transfer portal (that’s Jacob Polacheck’s job), but I was happy to see that the Cats landed Tulane transfer Kam Williams. Williams is one of the best shooters in the portal and will also bring some needed length and athleticism to next year’s roster. His high school coach called him an “unselfish superstar” with a team-first attitude in an interview with Jacob, and Williams told Jacob that Mark Pope’s playing style was one of the top reasons he chose the Cats. Ahead of a big offseason, you love to hear it.

I’m also impressed by how Pope and his staff pulled off the commitment while preparing for the Sweet 16 game vs. Tennessee. In an interview with Mike DeCourcy, Pope detailed a day in the life of the staff as the postseason and portal recruiting overlap.

“We were on the portal from 8 to 11, and then we worked on Tennessee until 12:15, and then I had media. Then I go straight from you down to film, and then practice with our guys. And then we’ll spend, give or take, an hour on Tennessee tonight and then we’ll spend into the late night on the portal.”

The news won’t slow down in the coming days, with New Mexico guard Donovan Dent expected to make a decision by April 1 or 2 and the staff pursuing several other players in the portal. We’re officially in keep-your-head-on-a-swivel season. Jacob has you covered with all the inside scoop on KSR+ and KSBoard.

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Tennessee made a shrine at the Peyton Manning statue at Lucas Oil

Kentucky has plenty of demons to exorcise in Indy (I’m waiting for Drew Franklin to bring the sage to the media hotel as we speak/type). Tennessee is also tapping into the spirits, creating a shine at the statue out of Peyton Manning outside Lucas Oil Stadium. The former Tennessee great spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

good luck is given

to those who rt the peyton shrine pic.twitter.com/31lTNQLT92

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 28, 2025

I’m sure Kentucky fans will totally respect that as they walk into Lucas Oil tonight.

Thank goodness Weetabix finally got with it

ICYMI, earlier today, Weetabix FINALLY tweeted about Amari Williams. Although the English cereal brand has been aware of Williams’ shoutout since Sunday night, it took them almost five days to respond on social media. Fingers crossed that an NIL deal is on the horizon…

.@KentuckyMBB's Amari Williams is bringing the UK to UK.

Williams' love of Weetabix cereal has spread throughout Big Blue Nation. pic.twitter.com/1jCm6eO61D

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 28, 2025

Caption This

I don’t know exactly what’s going on in this picture, but the Cats sure look loose. Let’s hope they keep dancing into the Elite Eight.