Lady Vols basketball is on the road for its final ranked matchup of the regular season.
No. 11 Tennessee (21-6, 8-6 SEC) plays No. 14 Kentucky (21-5, 10-4) at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Lady Vols are on a four-game winning streak, and the Wildcats are coming off a 65-58 loss to No. 7 LSU.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Kim Caldwell and Kenny Brooks squared off last season
Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks has faced Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell’s system before. Last season, Caldwell’s Marshall squad lost 92-49 to Virginia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Brooks spent the previous eight seasons leading the Hokies.
Brooks brought only a few Virginia Tech players with him to Lexington, but point guard Georgia Amoore was one of them. Amoore has great handles and speed, and she was able to break the press easily last year. Tennessee has much more athleticism and talent to run Caldwell’s system, but Amoore won’t be easy to trap in the backcourt.
Amoore is the head of the snake for Kentucky, leading the team with 18.9 points and seven assists per game. She’s an excellent facilitator who can create her own shot, and she’s shooting 32.6% on 63 made 3-pointers this season.
Kentucky has one of best frontcourts in SEC
There are few teams in the country that have as much size as the Wildcats. Sophomore center Clara Strack, who’s second on the team in scoring, is 6-foot-5. Starting alongside her are 6-4 Teonni Key – who’s former Lady Vol Tamari Key’s younger sister – and 6-3 Amelia Hassett.
Strack is a key contributor, averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. She’s not the most accurate 3-point shooter, going 12-for-63 this season, but she’s got a fadeaway jumper and shoots 46.6% overall. Key has quietly been one of the most consistent performers in the SEC. She averages 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds and shoots 53%.
Besides the starters, Kentucky has 6-7 Clara Silva coming off the bench. The freshman averages only 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds, but she’s the only reserve to play in all 26 games.
Kentucky relies heavily on starters
All of Kentucky’s starters average at least 27 minutes, and four of them average at least 30. It’s a balanced starting lineup with Hassett and Dazia Lawrence as scoring threats on the perimeter alongside Amoore. But Kentucky doesn’t have much depth – only three reserves have played in more than 20 games and average more than 10 minutes.
Against LSU on Sunday, only Silva and Saniah Tyler played more than three minutes off the bench. Brooks typically only goes seven or eight deep in his rotations against top SEC competition. Kentucky’s lack of depth could be an issue against Tennessee, especially with it finding consistent production from its bench the last four games.
The Lady Vols are betting on wearing teams down, and while Kentucky’s bigs will be tough to match up with, Tennessee’s athleticism and speed will also be tough for the Wildcats to handle.
Lady Vols vs Kentucky injury updates
- Tennessee is without senior guard Kaiya Wynn, who’s out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
- Kentucky was only without Jordan Obi, who has been out all season with an injury, against LSU on Sunday.
How to watch Tennessee vs Kentucky: Time, TV channel, live stream
Lady Vols vs. Kentucky tips off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday and will be broadcast on SEC Network. The game can also be streamed on the ESPN app when logged into a TV provider like Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Tennessee vs Kentucky prediction
Tennessee 83, Kentucky 80: This game feels like a toss-up with the way the teams match up – it’ll come down to who can enforce their style and will. But the Lady Vols, much like during the UConn game, need only a few-minute burst to turn the tide and take control, and their depth will give them the edge.