There’s more at stake in Tuesday night’s Kentucky-Tennessee basketball game than simply a win against an SEC rival.

Initially, many Kentucky fans weren’t sold on Pope, whose BYU team made an early exit from the NCAA Tournament last March. He didn’t have the sexy resume, wasn’t drenched in

Vols senior point guard Zakai Zeigler, who injured his right knee late in the first half, returned to action and scored 13 points but was only 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Igor Milicic led Tennessee with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Lanier had 15 points and was 3-of-10 on 3-point tries.

Predictions, picks and odds as No. 8 Tennessee basketball faces No. 12 Kentucky. Plus, injury updates and the latest news

On a two-game losing streak, Kentucky faces a road trip to Tennessee and then John Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena.

Kentucky point guard Lamont Butler dribbled stealthily along the baseline before turning on a dime back toward the basket, attempting to muster a decent look late in the shot clock. With the No. 9 Wildcats nursing a four-point lead at Vanderbilt and under eight minutes remaining,

Kentucky was upset by Vanderbilt on the road Saturday in a game where they just let it slip right out of their hands. Coming back from a 14-point hole at halftime, the Wildcats eventually took the lead thanks to a run,

Unlike Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr was unable to take the floor against the Commodores on Saturday afternoon. A back injury prevented the fifth year senior from practicing for multiple weeks, and on Saturday, Pope made the decision to keep him out for the game.

On Saturday afternoon — and fresh from a week off from games — No. 9 UK fell 74-69 at Vanderbilt. The Wildcats battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a seven-point lead with 8:39 to play, but head coach Mark Pope’s team faltered down the stretch.

The No. 8 Vols will host the No. 12 Wildcats on Tuesday, but this matchup is different from years past. For the first time in 15 years, John Calipari will

Pope's Wildcats have enjoyed a fast start this season. His success has reached a point where media pundits like ESPN's Jay Williams deemed him the favorite to earn national Coach of the Year honors. However, Kentucky's latest loss to Vanderbilt has effectively crushed the dream, and even the fans know it.

Kentucky's Mark Pope started his coaching career at Rupp Arena with 11 straight wins. How does that start compare to other first-year UK coaches?