After stringing together four straight wins, Tennessee hit a familiar wall Saturday night in Lexington - and it looked all too familiar. For the second time this season, the Volunteers built a comfortable first-half lead against Kentucky, only to watch it unravel in the second half. The Wildcats took control late, just like they did in the first matchup, and once again, Tennessee left the floor wondering how a game that felt so winnable slipped through their fingers.
That loss drops Tennessee to 0-2 on the year against Kentucky - two games that could’ve rewritten the narrative around this team. Instead of being in the thick of the SEC title race with a pair of signature wins, the Vols are left regrouping, trying to prove they can close out games against elite competition.
They’ll get their next shot Wednesday night in Starkville, but it won’t be easy. The road hasn’t exactly been kind to Tennessee in recent years, and Rick Barnes knows that firsthand.
His last trip to Mississippi State ended in a 77-72 loss back in 2024. And while the Bulldogs haven’t been their usual selves at home this season, The Hump can still be a tough place to play when the crowd gets going.
Mississippi State is just 11-12 overall and 1-4 at home in SEC play, a far cry from the gritty, defensive-minded squads we’ve seen from them in recent years. But head coach Chris Jans isn’t taking Tennessee lightly - not for a second.
“It’s another typical Rick Barnes team - ultra-physical in every aspect,” Jans said Tuesday. “When you play them, you better be ready for a fist fight.
That’s how they want the game to go, and they’re usually pretty good at dragging you into that kind of battle. They’re big, strong around the rim, and this group doesn’t disappoint.
It’s power basketball.”
Jans didn’t stop there, offering high praise for Barnes, calling him one of the most respected coaches in the conference - a reputation that hasn’t changed since Jans joined the SEC four years ago.
Mississippi State’s season has been a mixed bag. Their three conference wins have come against Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU - decent wins, but outside of those, the Bulldogs have struggled to stay competitive in league play.
The bright spot has been Josh Hubbard, who continues to carry the scoring load, averaging over 20 points per game. But beyond Hubbard, it’s been a challenge for Jans to find consistent production.
Statistically, the Bulldogs sit at No. 86 in the country according to KenPom, with the 126th-ranked offense and the 62nd-ranked defense - numbers that paint a picture of a team still searching for its identity. Tennessee, meanwhile, holds steady at No. 17 in the same rankings and is projected as a 5 or 6 seed in most NCAA Tournament brackets.
The Vols come into Starkville as 7.5-point favorites, and they’ll need a bounce-back performance to justify that number. Nate Ament has been a bright spot lately, and Tennessee will be leaning on him to keep the momentum going. But if they want to come out of The Hump with a win, they’ll need more than just Ament - Barnes needs his supporting cast to step up and bring the kind of physical, disciplined basketball that’s become a trademark of his teams.
This is a chance for Tennessee to reset the tone. After letting two golden opportunities slip against Kentucky, the Vols can’t afford another letdown. Not with March looming.