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Kentucky Wildcats at Tennessee Volunteers: a look at the stats

Yeah, so there is only one Kentucky. And yeah, the Tennessee Volunteers have a shot to go up 4-3 on the Wildcats in the Bruce Pearl era. And yes, Kentucky's not ranked, and they've lost four games already including their opener to the Virginia Military Keydets (not a spelling error!).

But yeeeow, look at those numbers.

KEY STATS COMPARISON
Tennessee logo
Kentucky logo
Category
Rank
Actual
Rank
Actual
Scoring Offense
6
84.3
25
79.8
Scoring Defense
298
75.1
108
64.8
Scoring Margin
68
9.1
20
15.0
Field-Goal Percentage
97
45.5
6
50.5
Field-Goal Percentage Defense
217
43.9
11
36.9
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game
113
6.9
214
5.8
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage
244
30.8
179
33.7
Three Pt FG Defense
232
0.352
159
0.337
Free-Throw Percentage
143
69.4
4
78.7
Rebound Margin
12
8.6
23
7.3
Assists Per Game
16
17.6
11
17.9
Assist Turnover Ratio
46
1.17
133
0.99
Blocked Shots Per Game
91
4.0
2
7.5
Steals Per Game
132
7.2
164
6.9
Turnovers Per Game
218
15.0
318
18.1
Turnover Margin
146
0.6
276
-2.1
Personal Fouls Per Game
298
21.1
126
18.0

Second in the nation in blocked shots. Fourth in the nation in free throw percentage. Sixth in field goal percentage. Eleventh in field goal percentage defense and assists. Twentieth in scoring margin. This is still Kentucky.

And all of that against Tennessee's scoring defense, which ranks . . . 298th. The player most likely to have a career game against the Vols tonight? Jodie Meeks, who has inherited top 35 national rankings in points per game, free throw percentage, three pointers per game, and three point percentage. The player most likely to give Wayne Chism and Brian Williams fits? Patrick Patterson, who has alliterated his way to first in the nation in field goal percentage and top 50 rankings in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Tennessee logo
Kentucky logo
Category Player Rank Actual Player Rank Actual
Points PG Tyler Smith
87
17.7
Jodie Meeks
Patrick Patterson
5
47
24.2
18.9
FG%  
Patrick Patterson
1
70.9
3-Point FG PG  
Jodie Meeks
10
3.6
3-Point FG%  
Jodie Meeks
34
41.9
FT %  
Jodie Meeks
8
90.2
Rebounds PG Wayne Chism
35
9.1
Patrick Patterson
32
9.3
Assists PG  
 
Blocks PG  
Perry Stevenson
Patrick Patterson
24
49
2.4
2.1
Steals PG  
     
Assist-TO
Ratio
Bobby Maze
51
2.2
     

Kentucky has won four of its last six road games against Tennessee, and our team is currently struggling defensively. Still, if their team is anything like their fans, the Wildcats might be a bit overconfident. And doesn't Wheezy tend to have huge games when he's pitted against a star player? And wouldn't pythags within .003 of each other generally suggest sortaprollymaybe a close game?

It's an Orange Jacket game, y'all. I hope Pearl takes it off at just the right time.