INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTVF) — Kentucky and Tennessee, get ready to start your engines. Tonight's Sweet 16 showdown between these two rivals should be a high-octane battle between offensive and defensive juggernauts.
Just like the famous speedway on Indianapolis's west side, Kentucky's vaunted offense hopes to run with the green flag all night. Tennessee's stingy defense, meanwhile, hopes to bring out the caution flag to slow the Wildcats down as much as they can.
We know we're the best defense in the country," Zeigler said. "We didn't show that either times we played them. Being just ourselves on defense, doing all the little things and everything, all the details that we are telling each other to do and sticking to the game plan, then we'll be fine."
Kentucky would love to turn the matchup into a race, preferring to win a game in the 80s or 90s. Mark Pope's first Wildcats team plays at the second fastest tempo left in the tournament and one of the top 30 quickest teams overall.
Tennessee loves to grind on teams with its defense and physicality. It's the Vols goal tonight to make this a half-court game.
"They're not going to switch how they play, just like how we're not going to switch how we play," Tennessee forward Jahmai Mashack said. "They want our best, we want their best, and we want to come out and show why Tennessee’s the better team.”
In the two meetings this season, the Wildcats got the best of the Vols. Kentucky shot lights out, making 50% of its shots from the field and going 12-24 from three in both games.
The two performances give the 'Cats confidence that they have the right formula to attack Tennessee's defense.
"We kind of just do what we do every game," Kentucky guard Kobe Brea said. "I'm sure they'll probably try to change things up a little bit since the first two times didn't work out too well. But we're going to continue to do what we do."
But the Vols believe they have improved since their last meeting in early February and, with the threat of the end of the season coming with another loss, vow to be ready.
"The good thing about our team is we had as much early season success as anybody, but I also think we've improved throughout the season just as much as anybody," Tennessee forward Cade Phillips said. "So these are two totally different teams that are playing this go-around."
Tennessee hopes to exert its will on the tempo and the game but ultimately knows it's about making baskets.
That old racetrack across town is famous for its bricks at the finish line. The Vols hope to turn Lucas Oil Stadium into another brickyard tonight as they try to D up Kentucky and find their way to victory lane and the Elite Eight.
"We've got to be better, we know that," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. "And they made more plays and the right plays when they needed to. And we'll have to be better."
