Kentucky and Vanderbilt are colliding in Nashville tonight, and the vibes could not be more different, though the injury report looks similar.
The Cats are rolling. They are riding a 5-game win streak, fueled by Collin Chandler's clutch playmaking and shotmaking. Over the last two weeks, Chandler has been a bucket, averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds while torching nets at 47% from deep. He is the spark plug this offense was missing.
Vanderbilt? They are leaking oil. The Commodores are losers of three of their last four. Their only win in that stretch was a "get right" game against Mississippi State, where they briefly looked like the team that won 16 straight. Hopefully, they look more like the team that got handled by Texas and less like the team that beat Alabama.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt are the walking wounded
Both locker rooms are dealing with a mess of injuries.
Kentucky is down to a skeleton crew in some spots. Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Kam Williams are all out. No surprise there—Lowe and Williams are likely done for the year, and Quaintance is dealing with knee swelling that might keep him shelved for the season too.
But Vanderbilt’s injury report is the one that changes this game. They are for sure without Frankie Collins, which hurts. Collins gives you 7 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists, but more importantly, he gives them toughness.
The Duke Miles question
The real headline is Duke Miles. Vanderbilt has listed him as questionable, and that is a massive problem for them. Without Miles, Vandy is a completely different animal.
Miles is averaging 16 points, 4 assists, and nearly 3 steals. He is the engine. He pressures the ball, forces turnovers, and makes offenses panic.
If he can't go:
- Kentucky’s guards catch a huge break. Without Miles in their face, the turnover issues should be a lot more manageable.
- The defense can lock in on Tyler Tanner and Tyler Nickel. You take Miles out, and suddenly the scouting report gets a lot simpler.
We will see if he suits up, but if Miles sits, Kentucky is walking into a golden opportunity to hammer a depleted team and keep this streak alive.