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Men's Basketball

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

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The Kentucky Wildcats will look for the season sweep against Vanderbilt as they travel to Rupp Arena on Senior night.
© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Riding a three-game win streak, their longest of 2024, the Kentucky Wildcats will play their final home game on Wednesday against Vanderbilt. The Commodores played spoil to Kentucky’s senior night last year, but with a weaker team this season that doesn’t seem very likely.

Since playing Kentucky in Nashville, back in January, the Commodores are just 2-5. Their two wins have come by a combined four points, over two of the most disappointing teams in the SEC, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Fan discontent with head coach Jerry Stackhouse continues to grow, despite his reported $14 million buyout.

Kentucky, on senior night, against one of the worst teams in the SEC, should get an easy win. That said, let’s take a look at the matchup.

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Three Point Advantage

To put it simply, Vanderbilt is not a good shooting team. In fact, they are in the bottom ten in the country in three-point percentage at just 28.1 percent. Meaning, that Kentucky needs to prioritize staying between their man and the basket, as Ezra Manjon and Tyrin Lawrence will look to attack the paint. Rim protection will be key here as well.

As bad as Vanderbilt is at shooting threes, they are just as bad as allowing threes, allowing their opponents to shoot 37.5 percent. In comparison, Kentucky is first in the country in three-point percentage at 40.8 percent.

As John Calipari has said of his team multiple times this season, “We shoot it so well, that should be our advantage.”

Transition

In their first matchup earlier this season, Kentucky never trailed Vanderbilt. A big reason for that is pushing the ball and capitalizing on early transition chances. For the game, they had 30 fastbreak points.

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The game plan will likely be similar this go around, looking to force the Commodores into difficult shots, using defense rebounds and outlet passes to get some easy looks. I would expect the Wildcats to use a little bit of pressure at times as well, just as they did back in January. Making Manjon and Lawrence uncomfortable and lean into making some mental mistakes, combining for seven turnovers last time.

Gain Confidence

The Wildcats have just two games remaining on the schedule. With a highly anticipated showdown against Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, Vanderbilt provides a good opportunity for Kentucky to gain some confidence beforehand, if they can take advantage.

Individually, Tre Mitchell returned in Kentucky’s last game against Arkansas, but struggled. This could be a good opportunity to give him some extended minutes to help him regain some comfort. It could be a similar opportunity for Aaron Bradshaw, whose play has improved as late, or even Jordan Burks, who recorded a career-high against Vanderbilt on the road.

G Ezra Manjon 6-0, 170 lbs

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  • 14.3 PPG (16th in SEC)
  • 3.6 APG (11th in SEC)

G Tyrin Lawrence 6-4, 200 lbs

  • 13.7 PPG (18th in SEC)
  • 4.8 RPG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

  • Time: 9:00 PM EST
  • Date: March 6th, 2024
  • Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY.
  • TV Channel: SEC Network
  • Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | VU
  • Stats to Know: UK | VU
  • KenPom: UK | VU
  • Team Sheet: UK | VU
  • Odds: No DraftKings spread just yet, so check back Tuesday evening. ESPN’s matchup predictor has Kentucky as a near lock, giving them a 98.1% chance of victory. KenPom is the next most confident in the Wildcats at 97%. Followed by EvanMiya at 96.6%, and BartTorvik at 96%
  • Predictions: With such a high percent chance of victory, it is no surprise that the score projections expect a 20-point margin in Kentucky’s favor. Haslametrics has the Cats winning 90-68. Followed by Bart Torvik, 91-70, and KenPom, 89-69. EvanMiya is going with an 88-69 win in Kentucky’s final home game.

Men's Basketball

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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Men's Basketball

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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Men's Basketball

Koby Brea Talks With Andrija Jelavic About His Legendary Chapter Awaiting At Kentucky

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ABA League (Left) | Imagn (Right)


Andrija Jelavic, in a recent Q&A with Kentucky Insider, revealed that he exchanged messages with former Wildcat Koby Brea, who will be handing down his No. 4 jersey to Jelavic.

The big man was asked if he had spoken with any former Wildcats after comparing his play style to Karl-Anthony Towns, and what he knew about Kentucky growing up.

“I exchanged some messages with Koby Brea because I’m gonna be wearing his number four,” Jelavic said. “About Kentucky, I always knew that they are the biggest franchise in college basketball history, and just everything about them is legendary.”

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Jelavic added on what exactly Brea said in those messages.

“He just told me to go be great and that he can’t wait to see me play,” Jelavic said. “Also, that he likes my number decision.”

Alone, the fact that Brea reached out speaks volume to the culture that is established at Kentucky. The lethal sharpshooter from Mark Pope’s first team at Kentucky played only one season in the blue and white, yet, seems interested in the future of the program despite chasing his own big league dreams.

To end our exclusive interview, Jelavic talked about the goals he has now as a Wildcat and how he wants to be a legendary piece to this year’s roster.

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“Definitely to bring many wins and hopefully a championship to Kentucky, Jelavic said. “To be a player that Kentucky will always remember.”

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