Tennessee @ Kentucky preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 11, 2018 ) Kentucky 77, Tennessee 72

Tennessee has led a bit of a charmed life throughout its 19-game winning streak with only three of the contests decided by fewer than 10 points, but things figure to get a bit tougher in that regard soon. The top-ranked Volunteers open a stretch in which they play three of the teams sitting directly below them in the SEC standings a total of four times over the next two weeks beginning Saturday with a visit to No. 5 Kentucky.

Relying on the nation's seventh-highest scoring offense and the conference's third-best scoring defense, Tennessee is defeating its opponents by an average of 18.1 points during its school-record run. The Volunteers, who rolled to their sixth consecutive double-digit victory with Wednesday's 85-73 win over South Carolina, figure to have that streak tested between Saturday and March 2 with two meetings against the third-place Wildcats sandwiching games against Vanderbilt, second-place LSU and fourth-place Ole Miss. Kentucky will still likely be smarting from the end of its own long winning streak, which was halted at 10 games Tuesday when LSU got a controversial tip-in at the buzzer to upend the Wildcats 73-71. The setback was also Kentucky's first in its last 17 home games, including 14 this season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT TENNESSEE (23-1, 11-0 SEC): Despite failing to reach double figures for only the second time all season, reigning conference player of the year and 2019 national player of the year candidate Grant Williams (19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 blocks) was still able to make an impact versus the Gamecocks, finishing with eight points, nine boards, seven assists and three blocks Wednesday. The 6-7 junior's three rejections gave him 143 for his career, allowing him to join teammate Kyle Alexander (167) inside the top five in school history in blocks. Admiral Schofield (16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds) posted his fourth double-double of the season and his third in the last eight games with 21 points and 10 boards.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (20-4, 9-2): Sophomore forward PJ Washington (team-high marks of 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds) has emerged as the team's primary offensive option; Tuesday marked the sixth time in his last seven outings he reached 20 points and the fourth time in the last six games he corralled at least nine boards. Freshman guard Keldon Johnson (14.0 points) enjoyed his second-best scoring effort in conference play with 16 points versus the Tigers but has failed to top 20 points against SEC foes after contributing 21 or more points four times in non-conference action. Reid Travis, who finished third in the Pac-12 in scoring (19.5 points) last season at Stanford, has been held to fewer than 10 points in eight of 11 league outings.

TIP-INS

1. Kentucky is 90-17 all-time in Lexington against Tennessee, although the Volunteers won 61-59 at Rupp Arena last season as part of their regular-season sweep of the Wildcats.

2. Tennessee is attempting to become the first school to win in back-to-back seasons in Lexington since Vanderbilt and Florida did it in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

3. Wildcats freshman G Tyler Herro has buried 28 straight free throws but not attempted one in the last three games.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 73, Tennessee 71