Kentucky did what it had to do against South Carolina Tuesday night to all but assure an NCAA Tournament berth. Now, though, it’s time to see just how potent a team the Wildcats can be in the NCAA Tournament. Before that, though, there’s the SEC Tournament. How high can Kentucky climb in the SEC standings for seeding? Can they get to that No. 4 seed? Will they be in the 5-6-7 range?
One way to see how high they can get is by beating the Vanderbilt Commodores Saturday night. Beat them, and you have
a split against them and would have a better conference record than them going into the final week of the regular season.
Kentucky did not play well against Vanderbilt back on January 27th, a game they lost 80-55. Nothing went right in that game, but the Wildcats responded by winning three straight and vaulting back into the Top 25. Even though a three-game losing streak followed, they played really hard in all three of those games.
Now, coming off a win over South Carolina, the Wildcats look to defend their home court and get a much-needed and good win over a Vanderbilt team ranked No. 25. This is the time to start showing the kind of team you’ll be taking into March.
Let’s look at the keys to the game Saturday afternoon against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Keys to the Game
1. Rebounding
After a subpar showing on the glass against Auburn, and in each of their three straight losses, Kentucky made a statement against South Carolina by out-rebounding them 48-28 Tuesday night. Say that it’s South Carolina, but the Wildcats did an excellent job on the boards. Vanderbilt averages 36.2 rebounds per game. That’s good, but it’s not a matchup that should overwhelm the Wildcats. They can make a dent against the Commodores on the boards Saturday afternoon.
2. Three-point defense
This goes without saying. Vanderbilt is a really good three-point shooting team. at 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. Vanderbilt made 10 threes the last time these two teams played. That number has to be lower on Saturday.
3. Transition Offense
This is Kentucky’s best offense. Get out and run and speed Vanderbilt up, limiting their chances at grabbing offensive rebounds and getting extra possessions.
4. Make Big Blue Nation a factor
Make it an atmosphere like it was for the game against Tennessee just three weeks ago. Get the Commodores playing uncomfortably, and that will be a huge advantage for Kentucky.
Score Prediction: Wildcats 84, Commodores 81
It’s time for Kentucky to reclaim its home court and stop losing to teams that used to wilt under the Rupp Arena lights. That starts Saturday afternoon against Vanderbilt, and a win would bolster their chances at a more favorable seed in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
