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Mike Krzyzewski calls Tennessee a ‘Final Four-caliber’ team ahead of Kentucky game
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Mike Krzyzewski is a big believer in this Tennessee team.
As the Vols enter yet another Sweet 16 under Rick Barnes, they hope to finally break through and reach the Final Four for the first time in program history by the end of the weekend. During a Sirius XM radio appearance this week, Krzyzewski spoke briefly about the Vols and called them a “Final Four-caliber” team.
“Tennessee is a Final Four-caliber team,” Krzyzewski said. “That kid [Chaz] Lanier … I know their guard is terrific.”
Krzyzewski favors Tennessee to get past Kentucky in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
“I’ll tell you what, Houston-Tennessee in the Elite Eight would be a war,” he added. “And Kentucky is playing well, I just think Tennessee’s defense is better.”
The numbers back up what Krzyzewski said about Tennessee’s defense. The Vols rank No. 3 nationally in adjusted defensive rating, according to KenPom. They also had the best defense in the SEC during the regular season and have carried it over to the NCAA Tournament so far.
However, it’s worth noting Kentucky is 2-0 against the Vols this season. They met twice during the regular season, with the Wildcats winning in both Knoxville and Lexington.
Tennessee is a consensus 4.5-point favorite over Kentucky despite the regular season results. If you’re interested in betting on this game, here’s a full breakdown of all the best Tennessee sports betting apps on the market.
Tennessee will look to break that trend on Friday night starting at 7:39 p.m. ET.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
