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Kentucky vs Vanderbilt Round 2: TV/Streaming Info and Keys to the Game

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© Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats are riding high after beating an NCAA Tournament-caliber Auburn team by 32 points and re-entering the Top 25 rankings this week, coming in at No. 23. On Wednesday, the Wildcats will look to carry their momentum into their last home game of the season, against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

This will be the second matchup against Vandy this season as Kentucky played one of their better games in a 69-53 victory at Memorial Gymnasium back in January.

This time around, the Commodores are playing an improved brand of basketball, winning six of their last seven games, including a win over Tennessee. It is also of importance that they have returned their leading scorer, Liam Robbins, who was out with an injury for the first matchup.

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This game is important as there are SEC Tournament implications for both teams. For Kentucky, they will lock up a 3-seed with a win. Whereas for Vanderbilt, a win would allow them to keep fighting for a 5-seed.

With that being said, let’s take a closer look at the matchup.

Limit Vandy from Deep

One of the biggest reasons for Vanderbilt’s hot stretch of late is their 3-point shooting. Over their last seven games, the Commodores have made 10 or more 3s in five games.

A big reason for this is the shooting of Myles Stute and Trey Thomas, who combine for more than 4 made 3-pointers per game. In their first matchup, Kentucky did a good job and held the duo to just 1-5 shooting from deep. However, another player, Malik Dia, made a career-high four 3-pointers despite entering the game with seven made 3s on the season.

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Kentucky will need to limit Stute and Thomas once again, staying on them through screening action. If another unproven shooter has a career shooting night from deep, that is something that you risk.

Carry Momentum, Keep Confidence High

While Kentucky’s turnaround has been impressive, John Calipari believes this team can only improve by “1-2 percent” at this point of the season. However, he has noted that there is one where they can improve, individual confidence.

Fortunately, the Wildcats are coming off a statement win where they displayed a level of confidence that had not been seen all season. Given how long it has taken to build up their confidence, the Cats can’t afford to have a letdown game in the last week of the regular season.

Therefore, Kentucky needs to show progression and prove that they consistently perform at that level. While a 32-point win can’t be expected, a 10-15 point wire-to-wire win would sustain their level of confidence going into a big-time game against Arkansas.

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Enjoy and Celebrate the Seniors

With it being the last game, it is also Senior Night and will be some Wildcats’ last game in Rupp Arena. On Monday, Kentucky announced that there will be six players participating in Senior Night activities: Brennan Canada, CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Sahvir Wheeler.

UK Athletics was sure to note that due to the extra COVID year, “all six still have eligibility for the 2023-24 season, decisions on the future will be made at a later date.” With that said, three of those players – Toppin, Tshiebwe, and Wheeler – are expected to leave at the end of the season. Whereas the others have more of a decision to make.

While none of these players played at Kentucky for four full seasons, they have all given their heart to this program in their time here. Rather than concentrating on what could happen, let’s enjoy these players for the remainder of this season and support them through what is hopefully a long run in March!

Kentucky Basketball (20-9) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (16-13)

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | VU
Team SheetsUK | VU
Stats To Know: UK | VU

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Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game. ESPN’s matchup predictor favors the Wildcats heavily, giving them an 89 percent chance to win. Bart Torvik is still heavily confident in Kentucky at 80 percent, the same as KenPom.

PredictionsBart Torvik picks Kentucky to win respectably, 79-70, also the same as KenPom.

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Takes On A Leadership Role Heading Into Next Season

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Brandon Garrison and Kentucky head coach Mark Pope
Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

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Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

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Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

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Former Wildcats Headline Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals Matchup

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Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kevin Jairaj | IMAGN

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

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The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

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In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

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In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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The 2025-26 Cats Consensus: It’s Time for Banner Number Nine

Every new and returning Wildcat shares the same dream: bringing a championship trophy to Lexington once more.

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Mark Pope in a crowd of fans at Big Blue Madness
Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

“We are here to win banners.”

While just about everything Mark Pope said at his introductory press conference went viral in one way or another, that aforementioned declaration stood out amongst his crowd of quotes like no other to a fanbase more than a decade removed from a national championship.

To the big blue nation, Coach Pope’s words last spring were a much needed battle cry. Now, as he’s set to enter his second year at the helm, Pope has made sure the team he assembled for the 2025-26 season shares the same hunger.

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It begins on a basic level, with players across the board throwing the number “9” around on social media in posts, replies, and commitments. Much like the Kentucky faithful, the newest roster to roll through Lexington isn’t afraid to make reference to the top task at hand.

For (likely) starting point guard Jaland Lowe, it’s an opportunity he “can’t miss.” “See y’all soon #BBN,” he said in a post on X, announcing his return to the collegiate level. Lowe chose a junior season at Kentucky over a chance to be chosen in the NBA Draft. Otega Oweh, the now-projected SEC player of the year, would follow suit shortly thereafter.

The Ultimate Goal

Andrija Jelavic, a primary member of the incoming unit, as well as the team’s lone international player, dubbed the title chase as “the ultimate goal” in his interview with KY Insider. “We all [the team] agree that the ultimate goal is the same and that is to bring a championship to Kentucky, to the state and the fans,” he said.

To Jelavic, it goes further than hunger. It’s a responsibility.

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And that responsibility is what sets Kentucky apart from other programs. As awkward as the conversation around John Calipari can get, when push comes to shove, much of the dissatisfaction growing within the fanbase as his tenure came to a close was rooted in the coach’s apparent disinterest in winning another championship.

Year after year went by; top-ranked roster after top ranked roster. After a while, it seemed that Kentucky was more often mentioned in the first round of the NBA Draft than it was in the NCAA Tournament. The problem persisted, the tension festered and, ultimately, the two sides split… and it all goes back to that elusive ninth title.

Name on the Front of the Jersey

Mark Pope has said before that he wants to bring in guys who are playing for the name on the front of their jersey. It just so happens that there are enough of those like-minded athletes across the nation to build one of the consensus best teams in college basketball, all of whom are in full pursuit of a new blue banner in the rafters of Rupp.

With a mindset like that shared across the board and talent like the 2025-26 team has at hand, it’s only a matter of time before that dream becomes a reality once more. For the first time in more than a decade, the entire Big Blue Nation is on the same page – and that includes the guys who can actually make it happen.

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