Jacob Toppin questionable against Tennessee, Cason Wallace expected to play

Tennessee is the Southeastern Conference’s best defensive team as well as one of the team leaders in assists and shooting percentage.

The No. 5 Vols are 14-2 overall, 4–0 in SEC play going into today’s game at noon against Kentucky (10-6, 1-3 SEC).

If that’s not enough reasons for a team that lost by 26 points at Alabama and by three points at home to South Carolina the game after the Vols won by 43 points at South Carolina to worry, then add in that Kentucky could be without Jacob Toppin and though Cason Wallace is playing, he’s likely not 100%.

Jacob Toppin did not play against South Carolina after injuring his shoulder against Alabama. Cason Wallace played only eight minutes in the South Carolina loss due to back spasms.

Kentucky assistant coach Bruiser Flint said both players were the dreaded “day-to-day” before later admitting it was fair to speculate that both Wallace and Toppin are “questionable” for the game. Then, later Friday night, a source told Kentucky Sports Radio that Wallace is expected to play.

Count Tennessee coach Rick Barnes as a Wallace fan who appreciates what the freshman guard has done.

“Cason is a terrific player. You get new guys in the program. You’re learning them, they’re learning you. I think what Cason has done, he’s gone in there, he’s learned the program, he’s learned the system,” Barnes said.

“His roles probably changed a little bit from where he started. But that’s part of the coaching part of it, where you are more around players, you learn more about them and they learn more what you need them to do. Cason has done a little bit of all of that for them. A guy that, again, he can do a lot of things on both ends of the court.”

Barnes is 10-7 against Calipari since coming to Tennessee and 5-2 against Calipari in Knoxville.

ON THE RIVALRY WITH KENTUCKY

“We have competed against each other now since we have been here. It has gone on forever. You go back through the years, there has been times when maybe, Kentucky has double the wins I think. If it is going to be a rivalry, you have to beat somebody,” Barnes said.

“For that to happen, we are going to have to continue to play good basketball because they are going to play. They are going to get better. I don’t care what has happened up to this point. I know John Calipari and I know how he is. Nobody is going to work harder. Nobody is going to put more into it.

“He is locked in on one thing and that is figuring out how to get these guys better and I fully expect them to be better when they come in here tomorrow.”

Last year the Cats smacked the Vols in Rupp Arena and sent a wake-up call to Tennessee.

“They played great. It is a night where they made every shot. They played great basketball. When teams are doing that, if you are not competing at the highest level, they are going to put it on you like they put it on us,” Barnes said.