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Kentucky Wildcats defeat Vanderbilt Commodores 76-57

By Terry Brown

Jan 23, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis (3) walks off the court with assistant coach John Robic after the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 76-55. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyler Ulis (3) walks off the court with assistant coach John Robic after the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 76-55. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Big Blue Nation filled Rupp Arena a day after a winter storm went through the Bluegrass. And the Kentucky Wildcats brought their own storm surge on Saturday as the Cats defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores, 76-57. In a follow up to the win on the road in Fayetteville against Arkansas, Kentucky showed that they may have turned the corner and are finally understanding how they need to play to win.

Postgame thoughts:

Tyler Ulis. A certain ESPN color analyst said last week that Tyler Ulis wasn’t one of the best 50 point guards in the country. He may be right because Ulis is at least top 5. This is his team and he’s in complete control. For the seventh time this season, Tyler Ulis scored 20+ points. Against the Commodores, Ulis scored 21 points and dished out 5 assists. And it’s not just the direct assists, it’s the way he moves the defense to get a teammate a look on the weakside. In his postgame comments, head coach John Calipari said that there are times when he consults Ulis on how to attack a certain defense. Cal also said that he has put more on Ulis than any other point guard he’s had… and that’s saying something.

Alex Poythress. After the game, Calipari said his goal for Alex is not for him to be consistent, it’s for him to be better every game. With the challenge of Vanderbilt’s height, Poythress delivered. He scored 16 points on 8-10 shooting. And although he was only credited with two rebounds, AP was very active in the paint. The best part of his performance was his lack of hesitation. He caught the entry pass and either made his move or passed it back out. Even better? He only committed 3 fouls in his 27 minutes. He’s got to stay on the court for the Cats to be successful.

Derek Willis. The hometown boy is doing well. Willis continued his breakout season with 7 points and a team high 9 rebounds against the Commodores. Even though he shot 2-8 from the field, Calipari said that Willis can get more minutes because even if he misses a shot, he’s doing more things to help the team win. In Cal’s words, he’s “playing winning basketball.”

The Cats won despite Vanderbilt attempting 25 free throws to Kentucky’s 6. The Cats won by committing only 7 turnovers (which follows up the 6 at Arkansas on Thursday). As Calipari pointed out, this team is getting better. Each player is stepping up and is doing the things necessary for the team to succeed. The Cats shot 55% to the ‘Dores 32%. The Cats were even on the boards (32) against the taller Commodores. This team is starting to get it.

Yes, there are challenges ahead, but over the last two games the Cats are playing winning basketball. This team is flawed, but when they play like they did on Saturday, they can minimize those flaws. Against Vanderbilt, the Wildcats showed the rest of the SEC exactly what they’re capable of.

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