Kentucky basketball: 5 Rushed reactions vs Missouri 2.0

3. Double-double Vando

Jarred Vanderbilt recorded the first double-double of his career. Vanderbilt accomplished this with 3 minutes left in the game, as a bench player! I don’t look at box scores when writing these “Rushed Reactions”, but Vanderbilt had multiple blocks as well. He is absolutely a perfect example of what Dick Vitale has famously called a “stat sheet stuffer.”

The first couple games of Vanderbilt’s season were very difficult to watch from an offensive perspective. He looked lost when Kentucky had the ball. He turned the ball over and his shots looked awful. The next couple of weeks didn’t improve much either, unfortunately. But on Tuesday, Vanderbilt looked like he was starting to feel comfortable and was simplifying his offensive game.

There is no reason that Vanderbilt cannot be double-double guy every night he steps on the floor. His energy, athleticism, versatility and size make him a consistent rebounder. The more he sprints the floor and attacks the offensive glass, the more he will score. Some of Kentucky’s recent consistent double-double type players were Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins. There’s no reason whatsoever why Jarred Vanderbilt can’t be in this same group of players.

It’s far too early to tell if Vanderbilt will return for a sophomore season, but if he does then I fully expect double-digit double-doubles from him in his second year. Here’s a fun question: If Vanderbilt was to play 4 years at UK, would be become the all-time leading rebounder in school history?