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Kentucky vs Vanderbilt SEC Tournament Edition: TV/Streaming Info and Keys to the Game

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

After enjoying their double bye, the Kentucky Wildcats’ first SEC Tournament game comes against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who are coming off an easy 77-68 win over LSU in Thursday’s action.

This is an interesting matchup given that the season series was split, with Vandy getting the most recent win on Kentucky’s Senior Night last week.

This game will give Kentucky and their seniors the chance to avenge that loss and move into the semifinals, where they could grab another Quad 1 victory. However, Vanderbilt may have more on the line as it serves them a chance to move into the right side of the bubble heading into Selection Sunday weekend.

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This is the first SEC Tournament in Nashville — with a good Kentucky team — since 2019. Therefore, there should be a lot of blue in attendance, and if they make it to Saturday or Sunday, expect more fans to buy tickets and make the short trip.

Given that these two teams have matched up twice this season, both teams know the other relatively well. Let’s take a quick look at the game.

Take Advantage In the Paint, Make Free Throws

With Vanderbilt’s Liam Robbins out — he’s the SEC Defensive Player of the Year — the paint should open up for the Wildcats. However, this was something they didn’t take advantage of in their matchup last week.

In their first game of the season series, Kentucky scored 36 points in the paint, more than half of their total points (69). However, in the last week’s game, Kentucky scored just 18 points in the paint.

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One reason for that is a lack of aggression. When looking at attempts near the basket, Kentucky showed sixteen dunk/layup attempts in the first matchup, compared to just ten in the latter. However, it does need to be noted that Vanderbilt fouled quite a bit, forcing Kentucky to covert from the free throw line.

The game plan should be simple, get the ball inside and convert, and if they foul, make your free throws (preferably above a 71% clip).

Ball Movement and Shot Making

During Kentucky’s turnaround, one of the biggest keys for them has been their ball movement. Over their last seven games, the Wildcats had 14 or more assists in five of them, the two outliers being a foul fest against Tennessee and a season-low against Vanderbilt last week.

Of course, one reason for this was Kentucky’s lack of a point guard, as Cason Wallace sustained an ankle injury in that game. However, against Arkansas, the Wildcats showed they can move the ball as a team.

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If Kentucky can move the ball as they have done so recently, they will have open looks. With that said, they cannot shoot less than 25% from the field and less than 20% from three, as they did in their loss to Vandy. With Antonio Reeves coming off a 37-point performance, I expect him to contribute heavily to that, especially from the perimeter.

Overcoming Injuries

Injuries have been the biggest hindrance to this Kentucky team in their turnaround. CJ Fredrick, Cason Wallace, and Sahvir Wheeler have all missed time since the start of February. With Wallace and Wheeler both out, Kentucky has no point guard.

With that said, CJ Fredrick will continue to play through injury and Cason Wallace is expected to return this weekend. As proof, Cason Wallace was seen in practice gear on Thursday

For what it’s worth, Tucker has walked back on his belief and now believes Wallace is a true game-time decision, and it’s not a certainty he suits to Friday.

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Yet, there is a more surprising return that could potentially happen. According to Kyle Tucker of The Athleticthere’s “some chance that” Sahvir Wheeler could return. If Wheeler were to come back this season, it would ideally come this weekend, which would help him prepare for the NCAA Tournament next week.

Let’s ball.

Kentucky Basketball (21-10) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (19-13)

Time/Date: 9:30 EST (estimated) on Friday, March 10th, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
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

Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Kentucky favored by 8.5 points. KenPom gives the Cats a 68% chance of winning, while Bart Torvik has it at 67%, and ESPN BPI is at 78.2%.

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PredictionsKenPom predicts a 77-72 win for the Wildcats, while Bart Torvik is going with a 76-71 decision for Big Blue Nation. TeamRankings (via ESPN) is projecting a 76-67 victory, Kentucky!

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Men's Basketball

CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment

In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.

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Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.

Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):

“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.

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With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.

Losing One of Our Own

That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.

Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.

So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.

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Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.

Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.

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Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

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Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.

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Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.

Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.

Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.

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Men's Basketball

Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.

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Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
UF Athletics

Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.

A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.

At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat. 

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In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.

Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.

Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the  fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.

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