Kentucky will have its shot at redemption Saturday when Vanderbilt visits Rupp Arena. But if anyone expects Mark Pope to brush aside what happened in Nashville last month, that’s not happening.
The Wildcats’ 80-55 loss to Vanderbilt on Jan. 27 still lingers — and Pope hasn’t sugarcoated it.
“Well, it’s not fun to watch the film,” he said this week with a slight grin. Later, he added more directly: “It was not a happy night for us.”
That may be an understatement.
The Night It All Went Wrong
Vanderbilt controlled the first meeting from the opening tip. The Commodores jumped out to a 7-0 lead, stretched the margin to 20 by halftime, and led by double digits for the final 30 minutes of the game.
Kentucky, fresh off a five-game winning streak at the time, looked overwhelmed. Vanderbilt imposed its physicality, beat the Wildcats to loose balls, knocked them off their spots, and dictated tempo.
Afterward, the Commodores didn’t shy away from saying they believed they could outmuscle Kentucky — and they proved it.
That loss dropped UK to 5-3 in SEC play and reignited questions about Pope’s second season.
Growth Since Then?
The Wildcats have shown flashes of progress.
They responded with a three-game winning streak that included victories at Arkansas and over Tennessee at home. More recently, they snapped a three-game skid with a 72-63 win at South Carolina, where they dominated the glass 48-28 and won second-chance points 14-4.
“I think our ability to channel our emotions is better,” Pope said. “Our understanding of what it takes to compete in this league every single night is better. I think our competitive spirit — we’re able to unleash it a little bit better.”
Still, inconsistency remains.
Vanderbilt Still Brings the Heat
The 25th-ranked Commodores enter Saturday with a 9-6 SEC record, same as Kentucky. Despite playing on the road, analytics models slightly favor Vanderbilt.
Pope praised Tyler Tanner, calling him “electric,” and noted the return of Duke Miles, who missed the first meeting but has since delivered strong performances. Add in sharpshooter Tyler Nickel and a gritty, undersized front line, and Vanderbilt presents the same matchup challenges as before.
“They play with a gritty physicality that’s really impressive,” Pope said. “Their front line is really special. They’re undersized, but they’re really physical.”
That physicality defined Round One.
Managing a Short-Handed Roster
The first loss came just after Kentucky lost starter Kam Williams to injury. He joined Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance on the sidelines — and all three remain out, likely for the season.
That’s forced Pope into a tight rotation, with Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen logging close to 40 minutes per game and Collin Chandler not far behind. Fatigue has been a factor in recent weeks.
Malachi Moreno has been steady inside. Andrija Jelavic and Mouhamed Dioubate have delivered key stretches. But maintaining energy for 40 minutes remains a challenge.
“Our best basketball is in transition,” Pope said. “We’re one of the elite transition offensive teams in the country. It’s where we shine.”
Balancing tempo with limited depth is the puzzle.
“We’re nothing like what we imagined we’d be,” Pope admitted. “But we’re finding a space where we can be really good. And I think we can be great here down the stretch.”
Redemption or Repeat?
The Wildcats insist they’ve grown since that “not a happy night” in Nashville.
But Vanderbilt already proved it can push Kentucky around.
Now comes the real test: Was that 25-point loss just a bad night?
Or did it reveal something deeper?
Saturday at Rupp Arena will tell the story.
