Tennessee basketball’s opponent is set for its Sweet 16 matchup in Indianapolis on Friday night. The Vols will face off against Kentucky at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The meeting will be the third between Tennessee and Kentucky this season with the Wildcats winning the two regular season matchups. Kentucky knocked off Tennessee 78-73 in Knoxville in late January and defeated the Vols’ 75-64 two weeks later in Rupp Arena.
Despite the final score differential, the meeting in Lexington was closer. The game was up in the air at the final media timeout before Kentucky ran away with the game in its final minutes.
Kentucky is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. The Wildcats turned in two impressive wins in the opening weekend of the tournament, coasting past Troy 76-57 and six-seed Illinois 84-75.
The Vols are back in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season after knocking off Wofford and UCLA in their first two NCAA Tournament games this past weekend. Tennessee and UCLA were neck-in-neck for most of the first half before the Vols took control of the game with a 8-0 run to end the first half.
More From RTI: How Tennessee Basketball’s Rarely Used Press ‘Changed The Game’ In Win Over UCLA
Rick Barnes’ 10th Tennessee team carried its momentum from late in the first half to early in the second half and opened up a lead that peaked at 19 points before coasting to a 67-58 victory.
Chaz Lanier was fantastic for the second straight game, scoring a game-high 20 points on four-of-five shooting from three-point range. Tennessee’s front line didn’t provide much offense but did a strong job on the defensive end and on the glass where the Vols earned a 36-26 advantage.
It’s the first time in program history that Tennessee has made the Sweet 16 three consecutive seasons. The Vols are searching for the first Final Four appearance in program history after losing in the Sweet 16 in 2023 and in the Elite Eight a season ago.
The tipoff time and broadcast details have yet to be set for Tennessee’s matchup against Kentucky. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider later tonight for the tipoff time and broadcast details.
