Cats with a great bounce back game.
The Kentucky Wildcats travelled to Music City tonight to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. In a must-win game, the Cats answered the bell by outscoring the Commodores, 109-77.
After suffering two blowout losses last week, this British team came alive in the first half and impressed on both ends of the floor. They were outstanding in the first half, shooting 58 percent from the field and 71 percent from 3-point range.
Add to that the fact that Vandy is being forced to shoot 38% from the field, and you start to see a plan for how this team can get back into the conversation of a national contender. They slowed down towards the end of the first half. However, they still held a 54-38 lead going into the locker room.
Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, they couldn’t stop this Kentucky offense and they just ran into a buzzsaw tonight. Rob Dillingham, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, the ball kept going through the net.
Kentucky finished just one point shy of the program’s most points in SEC play under coach John Calipari.
It was a fun night in Nashville. Next, the Cats will turn their attention to Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who come to Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.
A 2-0 week would make a huge difference. Tonight we got one step closer.
Well, let’s consider what we need to know from today’s win over the Commodores:
Wrapping the night in #BBNashville with @Jordanburks123
#TeachMeHowToDougie pic.twitter.com/X5j5tZE2VZ
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 7, 2024
Mitchell and Wagner are both out
The injury bug has hit this Kentucky program again. , and this time we have two of the biggest contributors to the team this season. Tonight, the Cats went to Memorial Gymnasium without DJ Wagner and Tre Mitchell as they recover from an ankle injury (Wagner) and back soreness (Mitchell).
Wagner’s return appears to be on the horizon, but don’t be shocked if the Cats have to win a few more games without the talented power forward.
Dillingham continues to burn his
My experience with Rob Dillingham this season has been a lot of fun. The talented point guard is elite offensively and picked up where he left off tonight after a 35-point performance against Tennessee on Saturday.
This Kentucky backcourt is the real deal and looks like it will be a leading scorer when Dillingham is on the floor. He may be taking a lot of shots, but so far everything he shoots seems to be staying in the net.
This team will need an exciting game from Dillingham to make it through the final 10 games of the regular season.
Antonio Reeves is an All-American
There was serious concern that Antonio Reeves would not return to Lexington for his final season of college basketball. Well, thankfully he did.
After another great performance on both ends of the floor, it’s clear that Reeves’ return to Kentucky was the best thing for both his game and this team. Offensively, he led the team and was unguidable at times, becoming an NBA draft pick.
Enjoy, BBN. We’re adding another name to the list of All-Americans playing for the Cats.
Défense sometimes shines
When talking about this Kentucky team, the elephant in the room is their defence. Things haven’t been going consistently well this season. However, we saw thunder tonight.
You don’t need lockdown defence to have a strong March and end the season on an impressive note. With such a strong offense, Coach Cal and his staff will have to find a way to teach this team how to create separation with several stops per half.
Was tonight perfect? It’s not close, but there was a noticeable difference on that end of the floor in this game.
Come on, let’s celebrate the victory!
