The Vanderbilt Commodores needed a resume building win going into the NCAA Tournament, and that's exactly what they got against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Commodores were able to outplay the Wildcats in the second half and come out with the win.
Catching Fire
Kentucky's Jamal Murray became the go-to weapon at any point in this game with the lack of offense from his teammates. He had his third 30-point game of the season, a feat another player under John Calipari at Kentucky hasn't done more than once. Murray hit six shots from deep and looked stylish while doing it. He ran off an uncountable number of screens to give himself just enough space to get off a shot.
The freshmen tried to will his team on the road but there's only so much a 19-year old can do. It's a shame a 33-point game by Murray will be forgotten because of the loss. However, it takes more than one player to win a ball game.
Next Man Up
With UK's Derek Willis sidelined by an ankle injury, Calipari has preached his team will not dwell on it and that it's all about who wants to step up now.
In the game against Vanderbilt, the only person who wanted to make any step was Murray. Every other Kentucky player took a step back and let Murray go. That will not cut it on the road. The Wildcats needed leadership from their experienced players and they did not get that.
Tyler Ulis had his first game of the season where he hurt his team more than he helped. He was 5-20 from the field and had 12 points; an uncommon shooting game by Ulis.
But it didn't stop there. Alex Poythress needed to come up huge for Kentucky on defense and create a post threat early; he didn't do that in the slightest. Poythress ended up fouling out with zero points, three rebounds and a block. His size and defense was a must-have in this game and it spent the majority of the game on the bench.
Late Season Push
It would be crazy to see the Commodores be the top team in the SEC by the end of the season, but they very well could be. Despite a rough start, Vanderbilt is the fourth best team in the SEC and only a game behind both Kentucky and the Texas A&M Aggies with a tiebreaker over the Aggies.
The Commodores were hit with the injury bug early in the season but seem to have hit their stride just when it matters most. Their win over Kentucky comes days before March and only weeks before Selection Sunday. If Vanderbilt can finish strong and get deep in the SEC Tournament, they become a dangerous team to deal with in the big dance.
Player Statistics
Jamal Murray- Murray had 33 points and nine rebounds in the loss. His effort and energy fell short as he tried to carry his entire team to the finish line off of insane shots that seemed impossible to make.
Matthew Fisher-Davis- Fisher-Davis had just three points in the last meeting with UK and went off for 20 in this match up. He also hit timely threes for Vanderbilt which doomed the 'Cats.
Jeff Roberson- Roberson had himself a quiet, but important, 16 point and eight rebound game. With so many UK bigs in foul trouble, it gave him the opportunity to showcase his scoring ability.
Damian Jones- Jones was an unstoppable force down low and it's surprising he didn't get as many touches. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in a game where Kentucky had no answer for him whenever he was posted up.
Upcoming Schedule
#16 Kentucky at Florida 3/1/16
Tennessee at Vanderbilt 3/1/16