Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt: Game Thread

[KCKUKFan]

Cal is a discipline guy. Don’t gamble on defense, hold your ground and rebound rather than gamble, lose and then it’s 4 on 5. On offense—value possessions. Don’t waste plays. But then HE—as the coach—throws away several possessions away per game with such lineups. Almost February—still think something’s gunna click with a bunch of non-scorers in together? And it’s not like he’s buying minutes with no points for the trade off that they’re a shutdown defensive group. That’s not a defensive upgrade at all!

Cal has made progress in figuring out this group. He’s just still blind to some obvious no-no’s.

I don't think he's blind; I just think he's stubborn and he wants to prove that he can make some of those lineups work.

He's sloooowly beginning to accept that it just ain't happening.

[KCKUKFan]

Will mentioned that Memorial has historically been a House of Horrors for Kentucky, and while that is true, Kentucky has not lost a basketball game to Vanderbilt (in Memorial or otherwise) since the Jamal Murray/Tyler Ulis season (2015-16).

[GOCAT15]

Self has never lost 4 in a row at Kansas. He may very well do that Saturday...

Here’s to hoping that happens, how sweet it would be!

[Matt Dillon]

Will mentioned that Memorial has historically been a House of Horrors for Kentucky, and while that is true, Kentucky has not lost a basketball game to Vanderbilt (in Memorial or otherwise) since the Jamal Murray/Tyler Ulis season (2015-16).

Vandy hasn't been the same since Kevin Stallings left.

[KCKUKFan]

Vandy hasn't been the same since Kevin Stallings left.

Neither has Kevin Stallings.

It's almost like in lameness they were made for one another.

[CATHYnKY]

I will continue my streak of not watching or keeping up with the game. Will check in about 1130 tonight. Hope my streak of wins keeps up. You all have fun tonight with the game and GO BIG BLUE!

I have stopped wearing any UK stuff on game days. Working like a charm

[TrueblueCATfan]

I actually stayed up to watch this one

not a fan of their arena or their coach

and I thought Wheeler played very good last night

[Will Lavender]

Wheeler had the highest positive +/- on the team tonight, and that's a result of him playing with our best offensive options.

Cal will have to play Wheeler, but he has to put him in a position to succeed since he's not an offensive threat, and having him share the floor with guys like Livingston and Ware isn't a recipe for success.

Wheeler makes mistakes, but his biggest enemy this year has been Calipari's rotations.

Yeah I've never been sure why he wants to sub three and four at a time.

This is a team that doesn't have a lot of options. You need to sub one for one pretty much every time.

Assuming Wheeler fits into a role and can play 10-12 solid minutes, the other guy we need is Livingston. If he somehow learned how to finish off his drives he could be a dynamic player. Instead he finds himself in that netherworld of do I/don't I a lot of times where the ball just sticks to him and he's in the paint trying to make a play that he's not capable of making.

With Lance as the enforcer and Wheeler as the back-up guard, Livingston as that other offensive punch from the wing would be sweet. Not sure if he has it in him but he's shown some flashes (UCLA, etc.).

[KCKUKFan]

Cal in his postgame last night: "now, we might need to start playing Livingston at the 4 more."



.... he's gotta be trolling us, right?

[Will Lavender]

I think the thing that jumped out to me about last night is that we moved without the ball the best I've seen us all year. We actually made cuts (!) and even backdoored (!!) a couple times. There were several plays where we found the open spot on the court and a guy actually delivered a pass as the other player moved. It was almost old school basketball.

[KCKUKFan]

I think the thing that jumped out to me about last night is that we moved without the ball the best I've seen us all year. We actually made cuts (!) and even backdoored (!!) a couple times. There were several plays where we found the open spot on the court and a guy actually delivered a pass as the other player moved. It was almost old school basketball.

It's almost like they've been well-coached and have been game-planning.

Hmmm.

[Lighthouse]

It's almost like they've been well-coached and have been game-planning.

Hmmm.

Very true, and we know it's not Cal doing the coaching. The assistants have been unleashed and are very active on the sideline and in the huddle. Cal just takes the credit.

[KCKUKFan]

Very true, and we know it's not Cal doing the coaching. The assistants have been unleashed and are very active on the sideline and in the huddle. Cal just takes the credit.

I don't think this is entirely fair.

The assistants might have more input, but John Calipari has forgotten more about the game of basketball than most of us will ever know.

[Will Lavender]

I just think everybody's more engaged, from the assistants to the players. Three weeks ago it was like a morgue over there. Now you can see the intensity and the confidence in the entire bench. Cal deserves credit for that; he stuck with them when a lot of fans flat gave up, yours truly included.

More than anything though it's the lineup. Putting that lineup of Wallace/Fredrick/Reeves/Toppin/Oscar out there has put everybody in his natural role, offensively and defensively. It's like putting a batting order together so that each of them play off the other' strengths.

I don't think this team has the top-end talent, particularly at guard, to be a contender or anything. But we've shown we can be a solid basketball team--definitely a team that should at least get in the tournament. But of course because of the horrid start we still have work to do.

[justford]

I think the thing that jumped out to me about last night is that we moved without the ball the best I've seen us all year. We actually made cuts (!) and even backdoored (!!) a couple times. There were several plays where we found the open spot on the court and a guy actually delivered a pass as the other player moved. It was almost old school basketball.

I agree. That play coming out of a timeout at the end of the first half had me fist pumping. We need more plays like that.