Kentucky @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 16, 2019 ) Tennessee 69, Kentucky 86

If Tennessee was feeling an air of invincibility during its 19-game winning streak, Kentucky squashed it with a 17-point rout three weeks ago in Lexington. The seventh-ranked Volunteers would like nothing more than to avenge their only double-digit loss of the season and will get that chance Saturday when they host the fourth-ranked Wildcats in a battle between two of the three teams tied for first place in the SEC.

Tennessee defeated 16 of its opponents during its program-record winning streak by double figures before running into a buzzsaw Feb. 16 at Kentucky, which led by as many as 24 points en route to an 86-69 victory. The Volunteers lost again last Saturday in overtime at LSU to fall into a first-place tie with the Wildcats and Tigers, but the conference's highest-scoring team turned to its defense Wednesday, holding Ole Miss to two field goals over the last 9 1/2 minutes in a 73-71 road triumph. Tennessee has played only one game closer than 12 points at home while winning all 16 of its games at Thompson-Boling Arena this season - a trend it would like to continue against an opponent that has suffered only one loss since Jan. 5. The Wildcats won their fourth straight contest in dramatic fashion Tuesday, overcoming an early 15-point second-half deficit behind a career night from freshman Tyler Herro to rally past Arkansas 70-66.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT KENTUCKY (24-4, 13-2 SEC): Herro (14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds), who recorded his only double-double of the season against the Volunteers with 15 points and 13 boards, set personal bests with five 3-pointers - all in the second half - and 29 points versus Arkansas. The Milwaukee native's sharpshooting came at an opportune time for the Wildcats, who got only nine points from leading scorer PJ Washington (15.0, 7.8), ending a 10-game run in which he reached the 20-point plateau eight times. Sophomore big man Nick Richards took advantage of a second straight missed game by Reid Travis (ankle) and tied a career with 15 rebounds, marking the second straight game in which a Wildcat grabbed at least that many (Keldon Johnson collected 17 three days earlier against Auburn).

ABOUT TENNESSEE (25-3, 13-2): Grant Williams (league-best 19.1 points, 7.6 rebounds) poured in 21 points versus the Rebels - his first 20-point effort since Feb. 2 - and is vying to become the first repeat winner of the SEC Player of the Year Award since Arkansas’ Corliss Williamson in 1994 and 1995. Jordan Bone (13.1 points) paces the conference in assists (6.2) and has 173 in 2018-19 - tied for fifth in school history - but hasn't scored more than 11 points in any of the last eight home contests. Admiral Schofield, who has reached double figures in 26 of 28 outings, ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring and is shooting 53.6 percent beyond the arc at home during conference action (27 percent on the road).

TIP-INS

1. Tennessee has won 24 in a row at home - the second-longest active streak in Division I - and is 9-0 over the last two seasons in regular-season rematch games.

2. Herro's only missed free throw during conference play came in the first meeting (52-of-53).

3. The Volunteers, who rank fourth in the country in assists (18.9), are averaging 12.5 over their last four contests after averaging 20 through their first 24 games.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 82, Kentucky 71