How to Watch, Keys to Victory: Kentucky basketball vs. Tennessee in Rupp Arena

Kentucky basketball is set to face off against the #25 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, three weeks since the two teams last faced each other in Knoxville. Last time out, the Wildcats left with an 80-78 win over Tennessee following a huge 17-point comeback. Now, Kentucky looks like a much better team overall, while Tennessee has won five-straight games.

The Wildcats are coming off of a 16-point win over Oklahoma on Wednesday and now, the Volunteers are coming to town. Overall, Kentucky has won seven of their last eight games and have been playing better offense in particular since the two teams last met. Not much changes in terms of the matchup this time around. Tennessee is still an extremely physical team, with one of the best defenses in the country and best offensive rebounding teams. But, they are also exploitable due to their sloppy defense.

In Kentucky's comeback win, a big reason that the run was so successful was because of Tennessee's turnover ability. The Wildcats forced seven turnovers while committing just one miscue of their own. They were also brilliant in getting much-needed second-chance points as well. Kentucky really took advantage of vulnerable Tennessee offense, using that to fuel their comeback.

Let's take a look at how Kentucky basketball fans can watch their Wildcats take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Rupp Arena on Saturday.

How to watch Kentucky take on Tennessee

Kentucky basketball and the Tennessee Volunteers will face off starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night and fans can watch the game on ESPN. You may also listen to the action on the UK Sports Network. UK will also be honoring the 1996 National Championship team with special denim uniforms and a halftime ceremony.

Kentucky guard Otega Oweh (00) after a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats. — Tennessee forward Jaylen Carey (23) shoves Kentucky guard Otega Oweh (00) after a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Keys to victory for the Kentucky Wildcats against Tennessee

Force turnovers, take care of ball

Turnovers were literally the recipe to success for Kentucky basketball in the last matchup with Tennessee. In the comeback win, the Wildcats committed just one turnover in the entire second half, while forcing seven Tennessee miscues. In the game, Kentucky had 15 points off of the Volunteers' turnovers. These two categories will once again be big against a very sloppy Tennessee offense that commits the most turnovers of anyone in the SEC.

Take away Tennessee's shooting attempts from three

This was also a big part in aiding Kentucky's second-half run. In the first half of that game, Tennessee shot 6-13 from three as they went on to take a 42-31 halftime lead. But then, Kentucky's defense took that away and the Volunteers were only just 2-6 in the following half as they made their big 17-point comeback. Tennessee comes in shooting the three at the third-best percentage of anyone in the SEC, so taking those attempts away will be huge.

Overall, if Kentucky can replicate the success they found in the second half against Tennessee, they should have a really good chance to come away with the win. The Wildcats have looked better since the last matchup, but Tennessee knows what they did wrong the first time. Kentucky has to make sure that they are the aggressors in a physical game like this one will be.