KSR Gameday: Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt on a late night in Music City
After three straight wins, Kentucky Basketball is moving in the right direction. Saturday’s game vs. No. 9 Kansas in Rupp Arena looms large, but first, the Cats must survive what could be a tricky night in Nashville.
At 8 p.m. local time, 9 p.m. ET, Kentucky (13-6, 4-3 SEC) plays Vanderbilt (10-9, 3-3 SEC) in the always weird Memorial Gym. The Commodores’ 3-3 record in conference play is a little deceptive. They’ve only lost to teams that were ranked at the time (at No. 20 Missouri, at No. 5 Tennessee, and vs. No. 4 Alabama) and have wins over then-No. 15 Arkansas, South Carolina, and Georgia. The victory over the Razorbacks is definitely an eyebrow-raiser. Vanderbilt trailed at halftime and then scored 63 points in the second half to notch the 97-84 upset. Before you get too concerned, the Razorbacks are now out of the Top 25 and Vandy lost its leading scorer and rebounder, Liam Robbins, to an ankle injury last week.
On the flip side, Kentucky’s got a little momentum rolling with the Basketball Benny lineup. A win would be the Cats’ 14th straight over the Commodores. Jerry Stackhouse has yet to beat Kentucky in seven attempts, a streak I’m sure he’s desperate to snap. Last year, Oscar Tshiebwe put up 30 points and 13 rebounds in the 78-66 win in Nashville. With Robbins out, it could be another big night for Oscar, who will be matched up against Quentin Millora-Brown and Malik Dia. I’m sure Stackhouse will have his team ready to muck the game up, making for a late and frustrating night in Music City. The last time the Cats went on the road, they pulled off a big upset; tonight, it’s time to see if they can just take care of business.
I’ll be high atop the Crow’s Nest at Memorial Gym to bring you the sights and sounds, but we’ve got a long way to go until then. Here’s what you need to know.
How to Watch, Listen
Roy Philpott, Dane Bradshaw, and Alyssa Lang will be on the call for the 9 p.m. ET tip on SEC Network. If you can’t watch, you can listen in a variety of ways.
- TV: SEC Network
- Local Radio: 630 WLAP, 840 WHAS, UK Sports Network
- Online: iHeart
- Satellite Radio: Sirius 136 or 190, SXM app 961
The KSR Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 p.m. live from KSBar and Grille. Stop on in to see the gang or listen on 630 WLAP, 840 WHAS, or iHeart Radio.
Tickets still available
If you’re in the Nashville area and want to go to the game, believe it or not, it’s not sold out. Tickets are still available in the second and third levels, ranging from $50-$65 through Vandy’s box office. They’re even cheaper on secondary markets. It’s $2 Tuesday at Memorial, meaning fans can get $2 popcorn all game, as well as $2 beers or small sodas until five minutes into the first half.
Vegas, Computers
Kentucky opened as a 2.5-point favorite. The line has since moved to Kentucky -5.5 or -6 in most sportsbooks. The total is 144.5 points. The Cats have covered in their last three games. Will tonight be the fourth?
The line may be moving but the computer models think this will be a close one. KenPom predicts a 73-71 Kentucky victory, giving the Cats a 56% chance of winning. BartTorvik goes with the ‘Dores, 73-71, only giving the Cats a 42% chance of leaving town with a win. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor is the most optimistic, setting Kentucky’s chances at 65.4%.
By the Numbers
As mentioned, Vanderbilt will be without its leading scorer Liam Robbins. In the 85-82 win over Georgia on Saturday, five Commodores scored in double figures: guard Ezra Manjon (19 points), Tyrin Lawrence (15 points), Myles Stute (14 points), Trey Thomas (12 points), and Jordan Wright (12 points). Manjon and Thomas came off the bench, with 15 of Manjon’s team-high 19 points coming in the second half.
Chin Coleman previews Vanderbilt
Assistant coach Chin Coleman met with reporters before the team left for Nashville yesterday. Among the many topics Coleman and the media covered was Antonio Reeves’ performance vs. Texas A&M; how important Sahvir Wheeler remains to this team, even in a backup role; and Kentucky’s versatility. During the three-game winning streak, the Cats have won in a variety of ways, which Coleman said is among the team’s strengths.
“I think with the dynamics of our team, we can win a game whether it’s in the 80s, whether it’s in the 70s, the 60s, or whatever the case may be. And I think that’s been more of an adjustment for us. Before, we kinda wanted to live in the 80s but I think that we’ve learned our team and we’ve settled into whatever the game takes, we’ll take it whether it’s a low-possession game, whether it’s a high-possession game. We can play either way.”
SEC Standings – Jan. 24
As we inch closer to March, it’s time to start paying attention to the conference standings. Right now, Kentucky is tied for fifth with Florida at 4-3. Vanderbilt is tied with Georgia at 3-3.
| CONF | OVERALL | STREAK | |
| Alabama | 7-0 | 17-2 | W8 |
| Auburn | 6-1 | 16-3 | W5 |
| Tennessee | 6-1 | 16-3 | W2 |
| Texas A&M | 5-1 | 13-6 | L-1 |
| Kentucky | 4-3 | 13-6 | W3 |
| Florida | 4-3 | 11-8 | W1 |
| Georgia | 3-3 | 13-6 | L-2 |
| Vanderbilt | 3-3 | 10-9 | W1 |
| Missouri | 3-4 | 14-5 | L-1 |
| Arkansas | 2-5 | 13-6 | W1 |
| South Carolina | 1-5 | 8-11 | L-3 |
| Mississippi State | 1-6 | 12-7 | L-4 |
| LSU | 1-6 | 12-7 | L-6 |
| Ole Miss | 1-6 | 9-10 | L-1 |
College Basketball on TV today
Kansas will come to Rupp Arena on Saturday riding a three-game losing streak. Last night, the No. 9 Jayhawks lost to No. 17 Baylor 75-69. On Saturday, they lost to TCU by 23 in The Phog, and in the game prior, lost to Kansas State by one in overtime. Freshman Gradey Dick led Kansas in scoring with 24 points, followed by Jalen Wilson with 23.
Speaking of Dick, his new NIL deal would have many in the lower bowl at Rupp clutching their pearls.
Here’s tonight’s Top 25/SEC schedule. Missouri at Ole Miss precedes Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt on SEC Network, so root for a clean game in Oxford.
| TIME | AWAY | HOME | TV |
| 7:00 PM | 20 Miami | Florida State | ESPNU |
| 7:00 PM | LSU | Arkansas | ESPN2 |
| 7:00 PM | Missouri | Ole Miss | SECN |
| 8:00 PM | Oklahoma | 11 TCU | ESPN+ |
| 9:00 PM | Kentucky | Vanderbilt | SECN |
| 9:00 PM | Ga. Tech | 24 Clemson | ACCN |
| 9:00 PM | 5 Kansas State | 12 Iowa State | ESPNU |
| 9:00 PM | Oklahoma State | 10 Texas | LHN |
Subscribe to KSR’s Daily Newsletter
We write a lot of posts on this here website. An average of 20 per day, actually. If you’re tired of scrolling, get KSR delivered straight to your inbox each morning and get breaking news as it happens by subscribing to KSR’s Newsletter. You won’t regret it, I promise.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard