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GAME NOTES: The second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats will attempt to clinch a share of their 44th SEC title, as they invade Thompson-Boling Arena to battle the 19th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a premier matchup in Knoxville.

The Wildcats took one step closer to that conference crown with Thursday's 82-61 rout of South Carolina. The win was the eighth straight for Kentucky, which avenged its only loss of the season. With a two-game lead in the league standings, a win today will give the team a share of the SEC title.

The Volunteers are coming off a 75-62 loss at Florida this week. The setback to the Gators ended a brief two-game win streak for Tennessee and dropped the team to 8-5 in conference action.

This is the 209th all-time meeting in this series, with Kentucky holding a 143-65 edge. The Wildcats are 49-45 in games played in Knoxville. They swept the Vols last season and are seeking the same this season, after posting a 73-62 victory in Lexington on February 13th. Tennessee's 65 wins in the series are the most by any other Kentucky foe.

The Wildcats avenged their only loss of the season with relative ease, thanks in large part to the performance by Patrick Patterson. The junior forward hit 10-of-12 shots from the floor to tally a season-high 23 points. DeMarcus Cousins added a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while fellow freshman John Wall tallied 12 points. Wall though, struggled in a couple of areas, hitting just four of his 15 shots in the game and committing six of the team's 10 turnovers. Wall and Cousins have played like seasoned veterans and not freshmen this season. Wall leads the team in scoring (16.7 ppg) and the SEC in assists (6.2 apg). Cousins has been equally dominant inside, netting 16.3 ppg and pulling down 10.2 rpg (second in the ACC). Patterson (15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) adds to the frontcourt play, while yet another freshman, Eric Bledsoe (10.6 ppg) does the same along the perimeter.

The Volunteers are a dangerous squad at both ends of the court and the only team in the country to hand top-ranked Kansas a loss. Tennessee is shooting a steady .456 from the floor, leading to nearly 75 points per game (74.9). Scotty Hopson and Wayne Chism form a solid inside/out combo. Both players are averaging 12.9 ppg to pace the team. Hopson leads Tennessee with 42 three- pointers, while Chism is tops in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (40). Bobby Maze (9.4 ppg) and J.P. Prince (8.3 ppg) provide some scoring depth. The Vols turned the ball over 14 times, shot just .397 from the floor and were outrebounded 38-29, all keys to the 13-point loss to Florida in Gainesville. Hopson was able to hit 8-of-15 shots for a team-high 20 points. Cameron Tatum added 13 points off the bench, while Maze chipped in with 11.

The SEC title is within grasp, but Kentucky has had some close calls of late. With this game taking place in Knoxville, the Wildcats may have to wait another game to pick up the league title.