How No. 10 Kentucky and No. 5 Tennessee match up — with a game prediction

How the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats (15-5, 5-3 SEC) and the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (15-5, 5-2 SEC) match up at each position for Saturday’s men’s SEC basketball game at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center — with a game prediction:

Small forward

▪ Kentucky’s Adou Thiero (7 ppg, 5.3 rpb, 50% FGs, 36.4% treys) had 7 points, two rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal in 15 minutes during UK’s 94-91 overtime loss to Florida at Rupp Arena Wednesday night. For the 6-foot-8, 222-pound sophomore from Leetsdale, Penn., the back issue that sidelined him for seven games prior to his return in Kentucky’s 63-57 win at Arkansas last Saturday apparently also limited his minutes vs. the Gators. If Thiero is good to go Saturday night, he will presumably draw the defensive assignment on Tennessee star Dalton Knecht.

▪ A super-senior who transferred from Northern Colorado, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht (20.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 48.8% FGs, 40% treys, 78.1% FTs) is a leading contender for SEC Player of the Year and an All-America candidate. The 6-6, 213-pound product of Thornton, Colo., will arrive in Lexington on an absolute tear. Since scoring only 8 points in UT’s win over Mississippi Jan. 6, Knecht has averaged 28.5 points in the six games since. In his last five games, Knecht has gone for 31 points or more four times.

Advantage: Tennessee

Power forward

▪ Kentucky super-senior Tre Mitchell (12.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 65 assists vs. 27 turnovers, 50.8% FGs, 35.3% treys) is coming off one of his least-productive offensive games of the season. In the loss to Florida, the 6-9, 231-pound transfer from West Virginia hit only 2-of-10 shots, missed all five of his 3-point tries and finished with 5 points. The Pittsburgh product did have nine boards and three assists versus the Gators. Mitchell has failed to score in double figures in 7 of Kentucky’s 20 games to date — and the Wildcats have lost 3 of those 7.

▪ Tennessee super-senior Josiah-Jordan James (8.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 38.4& FGs, 31% treys) comes to Lexington in an offensive funk. The 6-7, 220-pound product of Charleston, S.C., has failed to score in double figures in eight-straight games. In that stretch, James is 12-45 on field-goal attempts. Against SEC foes, James has shot 9-of-38. In six prior career games vs. Kentucky, James has averaged 10 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Advantage: Kentucky

Center

▪ Kentucky sophomore Ugonna Onyenso (4.2 ppg, 5 rpg, team-high 31 blocked shots) played the game of his career to date in the overtime loss to Florida. The 7-foot, 247-pound product of Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, just missed a triple-double with 13 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks in a career-high 33 minutes. An Onyenso dunk on a follow shot with 39.8 seconds left in regulation gave UK an 83-79 lead — which should have given the Cats sufficient cushion to win. Last season, Onyenso logged 1 minute in Kentucky’s 63-56 win over Tennessee in Knoxville and grabbed two boards.

▪ With increased opportunity, Tennessee junior Jonas Aidoo (11.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 51.9% FGs) has more than doubled his points and rebounds a game average from a season ago. The 6-11, 240-pound junior from Durham, N.C., has been strong in conference play. In UT’s seven league games to date, Aidoo is averaging 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds.

Advantage: Tennessee

Shooting guard

▪ Without excessive fanfare, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves (team-high 19.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 50% FGs, 43.8% treys, 87.7% free throws) is playing at an All-America level. The 6-6, 195-pound super-senior has scored in double figures in 10-straight games — and has had 19 points or more in 8 of the 10. Having substantially added to his game from a season ago, Reeves has also been a consistent contributor as a rebounder and has emerged as UK’s best perimeter defender.

▪ Tennessee super-senior Santiago Vescovi (7.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 55 assists vs. 19 turnovers, 40.2% FGs, 33.7% treys) will be playing against Kentucky for the 10th time when he takes the floor at Rupp Arena Saturday night. In his prior nine battles with the Cats, Vescovi has scored in double figures five times and has averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The 6-3, 196-pound product of Montevideo, Uruguay, had 10 points, three rebounds and an assist in UT’s 63-59 upset loss to South Carolina Tuesday night in Knoxville.

Advantage: Kentucky

Point guard

▪ Kentucky’s D.J. Wagner (12 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 67 assists vs. 28 turnovers) sat out Wednesday night’s loss to Florida due to a reported ankle injury. The 6-3, 192-pound Camden, N.J., product also missed UK’s home game with UNC Wilmington — another game the Wildcats unexpectedly lost. Before missing the game with the Gators, Wagner had shot a combined 5-of-20 in UK’s two previous contests, road games at South Carolina and Arkansas.

▪ In five prior games vs. UK, Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler (9.8 pp, 2.4 rpg, 100 assists vs. 45 turnovers, 38.3% FGs, 32.7% treys) has not shot the ball well, making only 12-of-39 field-goal tries and 5-of-19 3-point attempts. The 5-9, 171-pound junior from Long Island, N.Y., did not play well in Tuesday’s loss to South Carolina, missing all six of his shots and finishing with 2 points, three assists and two turnovers.

Advantage: Even

Bench

▪ Against Florida, Kentucky freshmen guards Rob Dillingham (14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 73 assists vs. 36 turnovers, 46.2% FGs, 38.1% treys, 76.4% FTs) and Reed Sheppard (12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 83 assists vs. 31 turnovers; 54.4% FGs, 54.2% treys; 80.4% FTs; team-high 48 steals) experienced highs and lows. ... The 6-3, 176-pound Dillingham scored 20 points, but his missed free throw with 13.5 seconds left allowed Florida to tie the game with a 3-point shot and, ultimately, win in overtime. ... The 6-3, 187-pound Sheppard had 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal after starting in place of the injured D.J. Wagner. However, Sheppard struggled defensively and was the defender on whom Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. hit the 3 that sent the game to OT. ... UK still seems to be seeking defined roles for big men Aaron Bradshaw (6.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Zvonimir Ivisic (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg).

▪ Tennessee’s Jordan Gainey (7.3 ppg, 2 rpg, 24 assists, 18 turnovers) has struggled with his shot. The 6-3, 186-pound junior, a transfer from South Carolina Upstate, has made only 33.8 percent of his field-goal attempts overall, 29.9 percent of his treys. Though Gainey went scoreless in the loss to South Carolina, he did have 10 points vs. Vanderbilt and 15 against Alabama in UT wins in the prior two games. ... Junior guard Jahmai Mashack (5 ppg, 3 rpg, 46.4% FGs, 39.1% treys) has gone scoreless in UT’s past two games. ... Tobe Awaka, a 6-8, 250-pound sophomore, has been UT’s primary interior reserve. The Hyde Park, N.Y., product is averaging 4.7 points and 4.8 rebounds and shooting 57.1% on field-goal attempts. He played well in the loss to South Carolina with 6 points and eight rebounds.

Advantage: Kentucky

Intangibles and history

▪ Kentucky leads the all-time series with Tennessee 160-77.

▪ As UK head man, John Calipari is 18-12 vs. the Volunteers.

▪ Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is 10-9 vs. Kentucky as UT head man and 11-11 overall.

▪ UT is 3-2 in true road games and 2-3 versus opponents ranked in the AP Top 25. Kentucky is 10-2 in home games and 2-1 vs. foes ranked in the AP Top 25.

▪ With both teams coming off unexpected home losses, there should be ample motivation both ways. However, with Kentucky playing at home and facing a road trip to Knoxville still ahead, the pressure on UK to win is greater.

Advantage: Even

Prediction

Kentucky 79, Tennessee 77