KSR Gameday: Kentucky puts winning streak to the test at No. 18 Vanderbilt
Kentucky has won five SEC games in a row, the longest such streak of the Mark Pope era. Tonight, it’s time for the Cats to put that progress to the test against No. 18 Vanderbilt, the first of eight Quad 1 games left on the schedule, two this week.
Vandy is 17-3, 4-3 in SEC play. The Commodores won their first 16 games, matching their best start in school history, and climbed into the top 10 of the AP Poll; however, SEC play has been a wakeup call. Vandy lost three straight games (at Texas, vs. Florida, at Arkansas) before bouncing back with an 88-56 win at Mississippi State on Saturday. Despite the icy roads in Nashville, the Commodores are determined to host Kentucky in the 9 p.m. ET ESPN primetime slot.
Kentucky leads the all-time series 158-50, 62-28 at Vanderbilt. Last season, the Cats split their games with the Dores, losing at Memorial (leading to a Vandy court storm) and winning at Rupp. Otega Oweh averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in those two games. Oweh has been on a tear lately, averaging 19.2 points per game during Kentucky’s winning streak.
Tale of the Tylers
The Cats will need Oweh at his best tonight. Vanderbilt has two of the league’s top 12 scorers, sophomore guard Tyler Tanner (17.4 points per game) and graduate guard Duke Miles (16.6 PPG), who transferred in from Oklahoma. The two rank first and second in the league in total steals, Miles with 50 and Tanner with 47. Another Tyler, Tyler Nickel, ranks first in the SEC and ninth nationally in made threes, with 3.5 per game and 60 total.
There are actually three Tylers on Vanderbilt’s roster (Tyler Tanner, Tyler Nickel, and Tyler Harris). I’m sure that’s not confusing at all.
A 9 p.m. ET tip
I hope you got some good rest last night or are ready to caffeinate because tonight’s game is a late one, tipping off at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. locally. Hopefully, Arkansas vs. Oklahoma, which precedes the game on ESPN, wraps up in a timely fashion. Tonight we’ve got a familiar broadcasting crew, Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes, with Alyssa Lang providing sideline reporting.
- Tipoff: 9:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Alyssa Lang)
- Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
- AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
- FM: 98.1 WBUL
- Online: iHeart Radio
- Sirius XM: 386
KSBar will be open today, so get out of the house and watch the game with us. You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.
Duke Miles questionable; JQ out
Duke Miles could be a matchup nightmare for Kentucky. He’s an elite scorer and defender, one of just six active players in college basketball with 200 career steals. He’s also questionable tonight, according to the SEC Availability Report. We’ll get an update on his status in the hours before tipoff.
On Kentucky’s side, Jayden Quaintance will miss his sixth straight game due to swelling in his knee. Jaland Lowe (shoulder) and Kam Williams (foot) are also out, obviously.
Road Dog
Vanderbilt opened as a 6.5-point favorite on BetMGM. That’s where the line stands this morning, with a total of 159.5 points. That’s about where KenPom pegs it, projecting an 83-76 Commodore victory and giving the Cats just a 26% chance of winning. BartTorvik has the ‘Dores winning by 12, with just a 14% chance of victory for the Cats. I hope BartTorvik is wrong.
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One last time from Nashville
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Icy Nashville
Nashville is still thawing out from this weekend’s winter storm, which dumped a few inches of snow and, even more devastatingly, a half-inch or more of ice across the city and surrounding areas. On Sunday, over 200,000 people in Davidson County were without power; that number has dropped to 130,000 this morning. The main roads are in decent shape, but the side roads are still a mess. Temperatures are supposed to rise to above freezing this afternoon, so cross your fingers that the ice on our neighborhood streets melts enough for me to make it across town.
The conditions should make for an interesting night at Memorial Gym. Kentucky arrived on Monday, the team making the short flight from Lexington. Students will undoubtedly be even more revved up than usual after being stuck in their dorms for a few days. Vandy’s most passionate fans will likely do everything they can to get there to see the ranked ‘Dores try to take down the league’s blueblood. Blue always gets in, with many fans living right here in Music City, but I expect a smaller showing than usual due to the ice and frigid temperatures. That’s probably one reason why Vandy was so eager to hold this game as scheduled.
If you do go, please be safe. Use Waze or follow the TDOT Smartway Map for up-to-the-minute conditions, closures, and traffic cams.
College Basketball on TV tonight
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt is one of just three SEC games tonight. No. 15 Arkansas vs. Oklahoma precedes it on ESPN at 7 p.m. No. 23 Alabama hosts Missouri at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network. Outside of the conference, No. 5 Nebraska at No. 3 Michigan is the game of the night.
| Time (ET) | Matchup | TV / Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 PM | #7 Michigan State at Rutgers | FS1 |
| 7:00 PM | #5 Nebraska at #3 Michigan | Peacock |
| 7:00 PM | #15 Arkansas at Oklahoma | ESPN |
| 7:00 PM | #17 Virginia at Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 7:30 PM | Providence at #2 UConn | TNT / truTV |
| 8:00 PM | George Washington at #21 Saint Louis | ESPN+ |
| 8:00 PM | Missouri at #23 Alabama | SEC Network |
| 9:00 PM | Kentucky at #18 Vanderbilt | ESPN |
| 9:00 PM | #12 Purdue at Indiana | Peacock |
| 9:00 PM | Massachusetts at #24 Miami (OH) | ESPNU |
If you missed it last night, No. 20 Louisville lost at No. 4 Duke by 31 points, leading to an entertaining scroll through social media this morning.
SEC Standings
Let’s wrap up with a look at the SEC standings entering a big week. Kentucky is tied with Florida and Arkansas for second right now behind Texas A&M at 5-2. Vandy is close behind at 4-3. Again, even getting one win this week would be huge, especially against the Razorbacks, which the Cats only face once this season.
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
| Texas A&M | 6-1 | – | 16-4 |
| Arkansas | 5-2 | 1 | 15-5 |
| Florida | 5-2 | 1 | 14-6 |
| Kentucky | 5-2 | 1 | 14-6 |
| Vanderbilt | 4-3 | 2 | 17-3 |
| Georgia | 4-3 | 2 | 16-4 |
| Missouri | 4-3 | 2 | 14-6 |
| Auburn | 4-3 | 2 | 13-7 |
| Tennessee | 3-3 | 2.5 | 13-6 |
| Alabama | 3-3 | 2.5 | 13-6 |
| Texas | 3-4 | 3 | 12-8 |
| Ole Miss | 3-4 | 3 | 11-9 |
| South Carolina | 2-5 | 4 | 11-9 |
| Mississippi State | 2-5 | 4 | 10-10 |
| LSU | 1-6 | 5 | 13-7 |
| Oklahoma | 1-6 | 5 | 11-9 |
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