A great day for sweet revenge.
Kentucky Basketball came into Saturday’s game against the Vanderbilt Commodores with their sights set on avenging an embarrassing 25-point loss in Nashville back in January. They did just that, dominating Vandy from the jump for a 91-77 victory.
The No. 25 Commodores entered the matchup mirroring UK’s 6-3 conference record and looking to sweep the Cats on the season. More importantly, the Dores entered the day ranked No. 17 in NET, so this was a great opportunity for a marquee resume-boosting win.
As Kentucky fans know all too well, poor starts have plagued this team all year long, creating understandable uncertainty before the ball is tipped off against any opponent.
Only today was different, much different.
The Cats stormed out of the gate and poured it on Vanderbilt in the first half. There was no hole to climb out of on Saturday. Instead, UK finally cleaned up costly mistakes and played a beautiful brand of basketball. Their 42-22 lead with 3:20 to play in the first half was the largest against a conference opponent all year, with the previous high being just 11.
Kentucky kept control in the second half and never allowed Vandy to get within striking distance. The afternoon belonged to Collin Chandler, who filled it up with a career-high 23 points in the 14-point victory.
Ideally, this type of performance will be what we see moving forward as the calendar turns to March.
Here are four things to know from a very fun day at Rupp Arena.
A First Half For The Ages
Who knows what the regular season could have looked like if this team, Kentucky, somehow avoided frustrating poor starts and not forced themselves to play from behind time and time again. Despite showing spurts of terrific play, far too often the deficit has been too great to overcome.
The Cats got the message on Saturday and woke up ready to change that narrative.
Led by Collin Chandler, UK pummeled Vandy from the opening tip to the closing bell of the first half. Kentucky’s 46-31 lead at the break left Mark Byington and his staff searching for answers.
Collin Chandler was brilliant, leading all scorers with 15 points while shooting 5-7 from deep. Eight total Kentucky players scored in a masterful display of execution. You could make an argument that the fans inside Rupp Arena were treated to what was collectively the best 20 minutes of basketball all season.
You can’t help but think what this team can accomplish in postseason play if they can replicate this formula of not beating themselves.
Here are four things to know about Kentucky’s huge 91-77 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt.
Collin Chandler goes nuclear
Anyone who has watched Kentucky basketball play the last two seasons has undoubtedly witnessed Collin Chandler do something that left them in awe. Whether it was a jaw-dropping slam, an off-balance three-pointer, or a commendable hustle play, the second-year Wildcat is no longer under the radar when it comes to highlight reel plays.
On Saturday, it was Chandler’s outside shooting in the first half that fueled Kentucky’s onslaught, which resulted in them reaching a lead of as many as 20 points. His 5 from 7 performance from behind the arc was something that you rarely ever see in one half of basketball. Chandler would pour in 15 points in the first half behind those made triples.
With 14-minutes to go in the game, referees inexplicably called Chandler for a foul after draining what most thought was a four-point play opportunity. Had that gone down, there was a real chance to see one of the all-time great performances in Rupp Arena history.
Chandler would finish with a career-high 23-points on 7-10 shooting that included six made threes.
Kentucky executed on both ends
UK’s offense did some wonderful things against a top-25 team on Saturday afternoon. It was a refreshing sight for the Big Blue Nation to see their Cats lock in and execute for extended periods of time throughout the game.
Did Collin Chandler doing his best Larry Bird impression help?
Of course it did.
But even if you set aside that individual contribution, it didn’t take a basketball savant to realize that Kentucky had the Commodores on their heels and were getting what they wanted offensively. Collin Chandler will understandably get the praise in this one, but several other players had efficient outings, including Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen who both finished with outstanding statistical outputs.
Freshman Malachi Moreno continued to impress with another strong game down low. His continued development is starting to really open things up for his teammates.
The Cats also took advantage of Vanderbilt turnovers by cashing in on the other end. Otega Oweh was doing what he does best and playing the passing lanes with his teammates, also causing turnovers throughout the course of the game. UK converted 11 Vandy turnovers into 17 points on the other end.
Oweh & Aberdeen Shine
It wasn’t just Collin Chandler who flexed his muscles in UK’s huge win. Both Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen had exceptional offensive performances, respectively. The two explosive guards not only filled up the stat sheet but they did it efficiently and while allowing their teammate, Collin Chandler, to achieve a career-high (23) in scoring.
Oweh and Aberdeen have the individual ability to score against anyone in the country, but when they channel their energy around executing as a team, we all saw what the results can be. Oweh’s contributions included multiple ferocious slams while Aberdeen poured in three triples.
When #00 or #1 has the ball in their hands, the opposing defense has to be prepared for an athletic guard getting downhill with their sights set on getting to the rim. This is a huge advantage for the Cats, and we saw today how effective they can be when it’s all clicking.
If Kentucky’s big three at guard can keep this level of production up, the Cats can go toe to toe with just about anyone.
Now, let’s celebrate the W!
Go CATS!!
Category: General Sports
