Kentucky basketball: 3 keys vs Vandy, prediction, game info
By Drew Koch
3. Can the Cats guard the perimeter
In the Cats first match up with the Commodores, UK shut down Vanderbilt from outside the arc. Vandy was 6-for-25 from the three-point line in the game earlier in January. Riley LaChance and Matthew Ficher-Davis were a combined 0-of-7 from downtown.
As a team, the Commodores have taken 199 three-point attempts in SEC play alone. That’s the second most in the conference. However, just because you take ’em doesn’t mean you make ’em. Vanderbilt is only knocking down 32% of their three-pointers, good for 7th in the SEC.
If the Kentucky basketball team’s defense holds to form, they should have no problem containing the Vanderbilt outside attack. The Cats are 1st in the SEC and 4th in the nation in three-point defense. The Wildcats are holding conference opponents to a meager 23% from beyond the arc.
The Commodores are loaded with senior leadership. Jeff Roberson, LaChance and Fisher-Davis all shoot better than 33% from downtown, so Kentucky cannot be lax in the assignments. If the Wildcats just stick with the date that brought them, they should be able handle Vanderbilt’s perimeter shooting.