THIS is Tennessee's key to victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen!

AtoZ Sports

Lucas Panzica discusses how the Tennessee Volunteers can take down the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Transcript

00:00The Tennessee Vols are sweet 16 bound.

00:02They move on to the second weekend after accomplishing something over the weekend

00:06that has never been done in the history of the men's basketball program.

00:11And it also sets up one of the biggest games in program history this coming Friday.

00:19Hey, Lucas Panzeca here from 104.5 The Zone and A to Z Sports.

00:22That's right.

00:23The final score, Tennessee 67, UCLA 58 in Lexington in the second round.

00:29And the Vols head to the sweet 16 after a stifling defensive performance.

00:34Sakai Ziegler was in control.

00:36The Vols out rebounding UCLA by 10 and another red hot day from three

00:41by Vols guard Chaz Lanier, four of five from beyond the arc.

00:45And Rick Barnes now has led this team to its third consecutive sweet 16 appearance.

00:51That is the best streak in Tennessee men's basketball history.

00:56Yet another notch in the belt of Rick Barnes as the best head coach

01:00in Tennessee men's hoops history.

01:03And of course it sets up a matchup with a very familiar opponent.

01:07It's the Kentucky Wildcats who took care of business beating

01:10Illinois in the second round.

01:12They move on and that's who Tennessee will play at Lucas oil stadium on Friday,

01:16seven 40 Eastern six 40 central time for a spot in what would be only Tennessee's

01:22third ever elite eight appearance.

01:24Now, Tennessee obviously has faced Kentucky twice this season.

01:28Tennessee has overall been a better team than Kentucky.

01:31As far as the resumes are concerned, but the Vols dropped both matchups

01:35against the cats in the regular season.

01:38They say it's hard to beat a team three times in one year, but this

01:41game is really going to test that out.

01:43Now there was one very clear difference between these two teams in both of

01:48these matchups, and that was three point shooting Tennessee, when a stunning 11

01:53of 45 from beyond the arc in that first meeting in Knoxville, and then the Vols

01:57again, struggled to hit the three.

01:59In the meeting in Lexington with Chas Lanier's a Kai Ziegler and Jordan

02:03Ganey, all going over from beyond the arc in that game, Tennessee combined

02:08against Kentucky in the two games this year has shot just 22% from three.

02:13Meanwhile, Kentucky couldn't miss in those games.

02:15They shot a combined 50% in those two matchups.

02:20Tennessee has been a fantastic three point defending team all year long.

02:24One of the best, not just in the sec, but in the country, Kentucky

02:28seemed to be the kryptonite for that defensive mark of the Vols.

02:33We'll see if they can get that right this coming Friday, because Tennessee

02:37has been a red hot from beyond the arc.

02:39More specifically, Chas Lanier has been excellent shooting the three ball,

02:43really for the entirety of the post season sec tournament included Lanier.

02:48So far in the NCAA tournament, 10 of 18 from beyond the three point line, he is

02:53going to want to get right and right the wrongs from those first two Kentucky

02:58matchups in this sweet 16 battle in what amounts to the biggest Tennessee

03:02Kentucky men's basketball game in the history of the rivalry they've never

03:07met before in the NCAA tournament playing for a spot in the regional final.

03:12I don't think it's particularly close.

03:14This matchup has had some huge games over the years, whether in the regular

03:17season or in the sec tournament, but never in the big dance.

03:21So it is a huge moment for both programs.

03:24Tennessee has had a great run so far this season, not just for the men's

03:28basketball program, but athletically for the entire department.

03:32There is no other school in the country that can say they made the college

03:35football playoff, the men's basketball suite, 16, the women's basketball suite,

03:4016, and the college world series in the 2024 to 2025 calendar years.

03:45Tennessee is the only school in that category, but they're going to want to

03:49keep this run going against Kentucky on Friday and one of the biggest

03:53games in program history.

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