Is Jarred Vanderbilt the savior for this year’s UK basketball team?

Will Jarred Vanderbilt be the difference maker UK needs?

Jarred Vanderbilt has been sidelined since before the start of the season with a foot injury. The 6’9″, 215 pound freshman has been rehabbing vigorously over the last several months. Coach John Calipari sounded optimistic that Vanderbilt could make his debut very soon. Calipari commented on the freshman’s passing ability via CoachCal.com:

"“I’m going to tell what else Jarred is. He’s a willing passer. When he gets it, the other team loves it because that team that’s playing with them know he’s passing. He’s a willing passer, which this team needs. It would be nice, but I’m not challenging him. I’d like it to be his first game, a home game, so he can get some love, kind of work through what he’s got to work through. I’d rather have that than a road game. But I’m going to leave that up to him.”"

For some reason, most Cats’ fans are down on UK basketball this season. Is it the lack of experience and leadership? The Wildcats are young. I know, so are all of Cal’s teams, but this year’s team is different. At least Willie Cauley-Stein started 18 games as a sophomore during the 2013-14 season. This year Calipari is starting all freshmen and his most experienced player off the bench, Wenyen Gabriel, played only 17 minutes per game last season.

Is it the lack of top-level talent UK fans have become accustomed to? There’s no Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis on this year’s team, but there’s certainly NBA-ready talent. Heck, Hamidou Diallo almost kept in name in last year’s NBA Draft. Lucky for Big Blue Nation he came back. Kevin Knox, while in a bit of a slump, is the typical type of one-and-done Cal recruits. Then there’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is blossoming before our eyes and may have his sights set on this year’s NBA Draft himself.

Is Jarred Vanderbilt the missing piece?

Can Jarred Vanderbilt be the catalyst that propels Kentucky forward and into a deep run in March? Cal loves his ability to pass. Vanderbilt, with his length, is regarded as a very good defender and can be a excellent shot blocker. He fits the mold of ‘positionless basketball’, in that he’s able to bring the ball up the court, make the right pass and defend multiple positions.

Vanderbilt is not a prevalent three-point shooter, so don’t expect him to be knocking down shots from downtown on a routine basis. If that’s what you think UK needs, then you’re waiting to see if Jamarl Baker returns this season.

Of course Jarred Vanderbilt will make this year’s Kentucky basketball team better. When Vanderbilt gets on the court, he’s bound to make an impact. However, I don’t think he’s the savior for this season. Frankly, I don’t think this season needs saving.

The Wildcats are 13-3 on the season and 3-1 in SEC play. They destroyed their arch rival by 29 points and it wasn’t even that close. By the way, the one loss happened when their most dominant player in that game left with cramps and only played 23 minutes.

Kentucky doesn’t need a savior, they need time. Time to develop, time to learn and time to play together. Vanderbilt’s abilities will allow the Cats to have more length, that’s scary, and more flexibility when he’s on the court. But, what this team needs more than anything is time and patience.