Mark Pope is living up to the hype in his first year with Kentucky. The Wildcats have danced their way to their first Sweet 16 since 2019. It hasn’t been an easy road, but they’ve handled business so far. A dominant win over the 14th-seed Troy set the tone. Then came a tough matchup against the 6th-seed Illinois, but Kentucky took care of that, too. Now, it’s time for the next challenge. The Wildcats head from Milwaukee to Illinois for a showdown with a familiar foe- Tennessee. Can the high-flying Kentucky continue its March Madness run? Some have their doubts.

Tennessee enters the game with a feisty win over UCLA. The trio of Chaz Lanier, Zakai Zeigler, and Jahmai Mashack contributed hugely to take Tennessee to Sweet 16, their third straight trip. Lanier drained 4 of his 5 3s, wrapping up with 20 points, while Zeigler added 15 points. Mashack and Zeigler, two finalists of the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, lived up to their names when they made UCLA go scoreless in the final 3:21 of the first half.

On the other hand, Pope had a big job on hand when the outgoing John Calipari took 4 Wildcats with him. He responded by bringing in 9 new faces and building a team that has lived up to Kentucky’s sky-high expectations. So far, they’ve delivered. But can they keep the momentum going? Not everyone is convinced. Jon Rothstein, for one, isn’t buying in just yet.

On his podcast College Hoops Today, Jon Rothstein broke down his bracket predictions. But one of his predictions certainly won’t sit well with the Kentucky fans. He said, “I’m gonna take Tennessee to beat Kentucky and play Houston.” Praising Tennessee’s performance against UCLA, he added, “What a run it’s been for Rick Barnes in Tennessee, the backcourt of Ziegler, Chaz Lanier, and also Jahmai Mashack was elite in Saturday’s win over UCLA.”

It isn’t surprising seeing the Volunteers get preferred. They finished the SEC with a 12-6 record- two wins more than Kentucky. This marks the 242nd chapter of the Kentucky-Tennessee rivalry, but it’s their first-ever NCAA Tournament encounter. Kentucky leads the all-time series 163-78, including a 1-2 record in prior SEC Tournament clashes. For a program with 62 NCAA appearances and eight national titles, facing a border rival with something to prove adds a layer of intrigue. Tennessee, chasing its inaugural Final Four, sees this as a chance to flip the script. Pope, undefeated against the Vols at 2-0, knows a third win could cement his legacy in year one—while a loss might fuel the doubters.

But more importantly, Tennessee has been a defensive powerhouse. Throughout the 2024-25 season, they held opponents to just 63 points per game, ranking among the best defensive teams in the nation. That dominance carried over to March Madness as well. They limited their first two opponents to just 39% shooting. Add to that the fact that Kentucky will head into the game without their second top scorer, Jaxson Robinson. No wonder ESPN gives the Vols a 63.1% chance of moving on.

But guess who beat the Vols twice in the regular season? None other than Kentucky! The Wildcats know exactly how to take down Tennessee, and that will definitely be a big advantage for Mark Pope. But Pope knows the Vols will still be a tricky team to beat.

Mark Pope is taking nothing for granted against Tennessee

The wildcats will take the court against the Vols this Friday. Mark Pope expects coach Rick Barnes to have some tricks up his sleeve.

“We’re flying home from Milwaukee, watching the UCLA vs. Tennessee game, and all of a sudden, towards the end of the first half, they throw in a three-quarter court, 1-2-2 [press] that’s more aggressive than any 1-2-2 that we’ve seen this year. We’ve seen a bunch from Mississippi State and Texas A&M and Missouri, and it was brand new, and it really caught UCLA off guard. I know that UCLA, they were so frustrated and back-to-back plays, they dribbled it into the coffin corner and turned it over and it just hadn’t been something you’ve seen in scouting before.”

But there’s a twist. Kentucky’s defense has improved significantly over the past two months. Since the Ole Miss game on February 4, their defense has actually ranked better than Tennessee’s. But that’s not all! Pope shared with On3 that Kentucky’s defense ranks second-best on Bart Torvik through the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, ranking only behind Houston who Rothstein believes will head into the Elite 8 and face the Vols!

It remains to be seen if the Wildcats can notch another win over the Vols and continue their dance to the Elite 8 alive. But one thing is certain–Mark Pope has been a breath of fresh air for the Wildcats. After years of disappointment under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, Pope has brought new energy to the team, and the fans will definitely be hoping he can prove Rothstein wrong.