Good morning, folks! It’s Gameday here in the Bluegrass State — and it’s an important one for the ‘Cats.
Kentucky (18-10; 9-6 SEC) will host the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores (22-6; 9-6 SEC) this afternoon inside Rupp Arena. UK and Vandy are two of four teams holding a 9-6 conference record. Whoever wins today will greatly improve their odds of receiving a single-bye in the first round of the SEC Tournament. But Kentucky will also have the revenge factor in mind going into this one. It was a little over a month ago that the Commodores embarrassed UK by 25 points down in Nashville.
Despite a 1-3 record over their last four games, the Wildcats come into today’s game as the betting favorite. BetMGM has Kentucky as a 1.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 155.5. KenPom is calling for Vandy to win 78-77, while ESPN gives the ‘Cats a 56.4 percent chance at the victory. BartTorvik is the lone outlier, predicting the ‘Dores cruise to a 72-63 win. Vanderbilt has gone just 4-3 since smacking Kentucky in late January.
Turnovers have been a major issue for Kentucky over the last two weeks. UK has 55 assists to 53 turnovers during its recent 1-3 stretch. That has to change against a Vandy team that can make you pay for mistakes. Otega Oweh also needs to bounce back after his eight-point showing against South Carolina earlier this week. Defensively, trying to slow down Vandy’s electric backcourt of Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles will be a huge priority.
If you’re planning on making it out to Rupp today, make sure you know which color to wear. Half the arena is being asked to wear white and the other half to wear blue. Plan accordingly, BBN. We’ll see you later today, but while we wait for tipoff, let’s dive in below to the rest of this morning’s news and notes.
- KSR Staff Predictions: Kentucky vs. #25 Vanderbilt
- Mark Pope’s ideal roster management role: ‘Get me all the best players for zero dollars.’
- Denzel Aberdeen is playing like a ‘top-level point guard’ in the SEC
- Mark Pope shares difference between 25-point loss at Vanderbilt and upcoming rematch
- Duke Miles’ return adds a new wrinkle to Kentucky’s rematch vs. Vanderbilt
- What can Kam Williams bring to the table if he pulls off in-season return? ‘It’s going to be a huge boon for us.’
- Shots aren’t falling for Trent Noah, but he’s impacting the game in other ways
- SEC Tournament Projection: Where this race sits heading into penultimate weekend
- Rick Pitino had to forbid Mark Pope from biking after he got into an accident as a player at UK
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt: How to Watch, Listen
- Tipoff: 2:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN (Tom Hart, Dane Bradshaw)
- Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
- AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
- FM: 98.1 WBUL
- Online: iHeart Radio
- Sirius XM: 84
You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.
Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.
Bat Cats open weekend series with a dub
Game one goes to the Bat Cats. No. 22 Kentucky baseball picked up a 3-1 win over St. John’s last night to start the weekend series off right. Jaxon Jelkin finished his night on the mound with eight strikeouts, allowing one unearned run and just two hits in a career-best 7.1 innings. Tyler Cerny’s solo homer in the second inning put UK ahead before his double in the fourth inning brought home Jayce Tharnish for another timely score.
Kentucky moves to 7-2 on the season in what was head coach Nick Mingione’s 300th career victory. Luke Lawrence also recorded his 200th career hit in this one. The ‘Cats will return for game two of the series later today back at Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on the SEC Network+.
WBB vs. South Carolina is SOLD OUT!
Sunday at Memorial Coliseum is going to be a fun one. No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball will host Dawn Staley and No. 3 South Carolina in front of a sold-out crowd (the first of the 2025-26 season) for Senior Day. Remember that this matchup is also a Blue-White Game — half the stadium will wear white, the other half blue. The graphic below will show you which color to choose for your gameday fit.
Fans can still purchase verified resale tickets over on Ticketmaster. Doors open 75 minutes before tipoff with Senior Day festivities beginning at 1:39 p.m. ET. Five seniors on this team will be honored: Tonie Morgan, Teonni Key, Amelia Hassett, Jordan Obi, and Josie Gilvin. This game will also include a poster giveaway and will feature the legendary Red Panda as halftime entertainment.
Today’s CBB schedule is loaded
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt won’t be the only game of the day to keep a close eye on. We have five games on deck that feature a pair of ranked teams, two of those matchups happening in the SEC. Make sure the couch is nice and cozy — you’ll have plenty of reason to sink into it all day long.
| TIME (ET)/TV | MATCHUP |
| 12:00 PM | ESPN | No. 11 Virginia @ No. 1 Duke |
| 12:00 PM | ESPN2 | Colorado @ No. 5 Houston |
| 12:00 PM | FS1 | Seton Hall @ No. 6 UConn |
| 2:00 PM | ESPN2 | No. 24 Louisville @ Clemson |
| 2:00 PM | ESPN | No. 25 Vanderbilt @ Kentucky |
| 4:00 PM | ESPN | No. 14 Kansas @ No. 2 Arizona |
| 4:00 PM | CBS | No. 16 Texas Tech @ No. 4 Iowa State |
| 4:00 PM | BTN | No. 12 Nebraska @ Southern California |
| 5:30 PM | FOX | No. 19 BYU @ West Virginia |
| 6:00 PM | ESPN | No. 17 Alabama @ No. 22 Tennessee |
| 8:00 PM | FOX | Villanova @ No. 15 St. John’s |
| 8:00 PM | ESPN+ | Duquesne @ No. 23 St. Louis |
| 8:30 PM | ESPN | No. 20 Arkansas @ No. 7 Florida |
| 8:30 PM | ESPN2 | Virginia Tech @ No. 18 North Carolina |
| 10:30 PM | ESPN | No. 9 Gonzaga @ Saint Mary’s |
Softball Cats off to 2-0 start this weekend
Kentucky softball’s season has been underway for a few weeks, but this weekend is the first time they’ve played at the home base. John Cropp Stadium is working its magic so far as UK went 2-0 in a Friday doubleheader, taking down Michigan State 10-2 in six innings before beating Dayton 5-1 later in the day. Rachel Lawson’s crew is now 14-4 on the season with another doubleheader set for today against the same two opponents. Kentucky is receiving votes in the latest national poll — finishing off the weekend strong could have them ranked by next week.
- Sat: 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Michigan State (SECN+)
- Sat: 5:30 p.m. ET vs. Dayton (SECN+)
- Sun: 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Murray State (SECN+)
To have Kentucky Wildcats news sent straight to your inbox, sign up for the KSR Newsletter.