Mark Pope's Kentucky team made the trip to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a game no one thought the shorthanded Wildcats would win. Despite this, without Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr,

Five things you need to know from No. 12 Kentucky’s gut-check 78-73 win at No. 8 Tennessee in SEC men’s basketball: 1. Mark Pope, slayer of rivals. There is a school of thought that one of a college head coach’s primary jobs is beating the teams his/her fan base dislike the most.

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.

Kentucky got off to a very good start in this game, jumping out to an early lead and stunning the Tennessee crowd. However, the momentum didn't last long for the Wildcats as Tennessee quickly climbed back into the game and took a 33-30 lead at the half.

There were many who thought Kentucky did not have a prayer at Tennessee Tuesday night. And by many, I mean, me. And sure, there were others.

Kentucky and Tennessee traded blows for the full 40 minutes in Knoxville. Ultimately, No. 11 Kentucky prevailed over the No. 8 Vols, 78-73.

The SEC standings look slightly different after Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats marched into Knoxville and beat the Tennessee Volunteers.

Heading into the matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers, not many believed Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats would win without point guard Lamont Butler. Andrew Car

Tennessee fought back within 74-73 with 28.6 seconds left on a Chaz Lanier 3-pointer but Otega Oweh, who had 14 points, buried four free throws to seal the deal. The win moved Kentucky to 15-5, 4-3 in the SEC and dropped Tennessee to 17-4, 4-4. The Hogs are a stunning 12-8, 1-6.

Nearly every team has a pre-game ritual and the routine rarely changes regardless of the venue, whether it’s at home or away.

On Tuesday, while the Wildcats managed a narrow victory over Tennessee, there lingered one notable issue. The post Mark Pope’s Misery Sees No End as National Reporter Uncovers “Unsettling” Roster Issue appeared first on EssentiallySports.