The Kentucky Wildcats had to leave Fayetteville in a hurry in order to beat the two feet of snow that covered Lexington the following morning. Vanderbilt arrived earlier than normal to make sure they beat the snow.
Thrown Out of Whack
Vanderbilt doesn't usually show up so early, and the Commodores rhythm and routine seems to be messed up.
When something a team has been doing for a long time changes, it can change how they feel a game will go. It takes a certain mentality to win a basketball game, and when routines are messed up, that state of mind is hard to find.
Kentucky gets the benefit of playing at home in Lexington, a place that is use to snow. This amount of snow hasn't been seen in some time, but no matter the weather Big Blue Nation will pack the arena.
Records Mean Nothing
Vanderbilt comes into Saturday's game with a disappointing 11-7 record. These Commodores were once ranked and many expected them to challenge Kentucky atop the SEC standings.
Vandy is still right on Kentucky's heels. Kentucky goes into the matchup at 14-4 and 4-2 in the SEC. The Commodores are an even 3-3 in league play.
Despite Vanderbilt being only four games above .500, they are nothing short of a good basketball team. Kevin Stallings always manages to find the best in every team he puts together.
Luke Kornet and Damian Jones lead the Commodores in wow factor as the preseason expected. The only thing holding Vanderbilt back is the contribution from the rest of the team.
The most consistent thing about this Vandy team is their shooting. Every team has bad nights but Vanderbilt makes sure they continue to be a dangerous team from deep.
Old Faces, New Minutes
Against Arkansas, John Calipari made the decision to start Derek Willis in place of Marcus Lee after two great practices. Kentucky fans might not have been excited at first, but after his five block game, they fell right in love with the Mount Washington native.
Willis took a lot of minutes away from Lee after he got in foul trouble early. Willis ended up playing 35 minutes against Arkansas and his teammate Lee fouled out of the game.
Kentucky fans have to love that they finally have a big man that can open up the lane. Nobody on the planet predicted in the preseason that it would end up being Willis.
Players to Watch
Damien Jones- Jones struggled in Vanderbilt's win at Tennessee, only scoring eight points and fouling out. His totals will have to be much higher here as he will need to take it to the UK big men early and get the Commodores going on offense.
Isaiah Briscoe- Briscoe hit a rough patch in SEC play and hasn't been as aggressive the last few games. With Willis stretching Jones to the three-point line, expect Briscoe to drive to the bucket with force more often in this game.