Vanderbilt basketball vs Kentucky: Prediction, picks, injury updates

Posted by author January 24, 2025 Basketball

This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

Vanderbilt basketball already beat one of its rivals on the Memorial Gymnasium floor. Now, the Commodores look to make it happen again.

On Saturday, Vanderbilt (15-4, 3-3 SEC) will take on No. 9 Kentucky (14-4, 3-2) at Memorial Gymnasium in its first home game since upsetting Tennessee. Though the Wildcats won 109-77 in their last matchup in Nashville in 2024, both teams look very different this time around. Both teams have new coaches: Mark Byington for Vanderbilt, Mark Pope for Kentucky. Just three players who saw the floor in last year’s matchup are still on their team’s roster — Vanderbilt’s JQ Roberts and Jordan Williams and Kentucky’s Grant Darbyshire. None of the three have appeared in an SEC game this season.

Despite the turnover, both teams have gotten off to strong starts, with Kentucky still one of college basketball’s top teams and the Commodores pushing for the NCAA tournament.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

One of the country’s top offenses

Kentucky’s offense is similar to Alabama’s in many ways. The Wildcats play fast, attempt a lot of threes and score points in bunches. Kentucky has hit 80 points in four of its five SEC games and scored 100 twice during conference play.

Seven Wildcats shoot 34% or higher from beyond the arc. But it’s not just the 3-point shooting; Kentucky also excels inside the arc and doesn’t turn the ball over. Five players average double-digit scoring, so it’s a balanced attack not over-reliant on one or two players.

How Kentucky has lost

Kentucky most recently lost to Alabama in a 102-97 barnburner that included 24 combined 3-pointers. Vanderbilt may not be quite at the level of scoring to pull off that kind of win, but there have been other teams that have kept the Wildcats quiet.

Georgia won, 82-69, after holding Kentucky to 37.5% shooting from the field and doubling up the Wildcats on free throws. Ohio State won, 85-65, after forcing a 29.8% field-goal percentage while taking advantage of Kentucky’s sometimes lacking defense with a 56.6% field-goal percentage. And Clemson won, 70-66, despite making just 38.1% of its shots.

Bottom line? The Wildcats are beatable on nights their shots aren’t falling.

Could Kentucky’s length bother Vanderbilt?

Kentucky, like Alabama, is a big team. While the Commodores did a good job keeping the Crimson Tide bigs in check, they struggled with the length of Alabama’s guards and wings.

Like the Crimson Tide, the Wildcats have guards and wings with a lot of length. The shortest regular starter on Kentucky’s roster is listed at 6-foot-2, which could be a problem for Vanderbilt’s smaller guards.

Vanderbilt vs Kentucky injury updates

Vanderbilt’s Alex Hemenway has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury. He will be out for “a while,” per Byington.

How to watch Vanderbilt vs Kentucky: Time, TV channel, live stream

Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky airs on ESPN at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. Streaming options for the game include  Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes will be on the call.

Score prediction

Kentucky 89, Vanderbilt 80: After the loss to Alabama, the Commodores will surely make adjustments, but a team with this kind of length and shooting doesn’t match up well with Vanderbilt’s strengths.

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Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.