In the upcoming NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, the No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats (24-11) will face the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers (29-7) on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This marks their third encounter this season, with Kentucky having won both regular-season matchups. In their first meeting on January 28 in Knoxville, the Wildcats secured a 78-73 victory, followed by a 75-64 win in Lexington on February 11. Notably, Kentucky exhibited exceptional three-point shooting in both games, connecting on 50% from beyond the arc. Under first-year head coach and former Wildcat Mark Pope, Kentucky has surpassed expectations, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. Their recent 84-75 triumph over Illinois was highlighted by Koby Brea’s career-high-tying 23 points.

Despite Kentucky’s previous successes, Tennessee enters the upcoming game as a 4.5-point favorite. The Volunteers are motivated to avoid a third consecutive loss to their SEC rivals and to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2024. Senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, averaging 13.7 points and 7.4 assists per game, is pivotal to Tennessee’s offense. Analysts anticipate a closely contested matchup, with some, including ESPN’s Seth Greenberg, favoring Kentucky to complete the season sweep. The game’s outcome may hinge on whether Kentucky can replicate its efficient perimeter shooting and if Tennessee can adjust defensively to counteract the Wildcats’ offensive strategies.