Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC) is dealing with serious depth issues at point guard, but it needs a win Tuesday night to stay competitive in the SEC standings when it faces Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) in Lexington.
The Wildcats are reeling from a late-game collapse at Texas and trying to find stability with their fourth-string point guard, Travis Perry. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt blew a 13-point halftime lead at Tennessee in its last game and aims to sweep Kentucky for the season after a 74-69 win on Jan. 25.
With injuries piling up in the backcourt, Kentucky has been forced to shuffle its lineup.
Kentucky’s Injured Guards:
Lamont Butler (shoulder): Out since Feb. 11, no return timeline.
Jaxson Robinson (wrist): Not yet using his injured hand.
Kerr Kriisa (foot surgery): May take a medical redshirt.
That leaves freshman Travis Perry as the team’s primary ball-handler. He made his first start against Texas but finished with just six points and three assists in 28 minutes.
“Right now, [Kriisa] is anxiously trying to get back into this thing, and the recovery has probably been a little slower than any of us would like,” said coach Mark Pope.
Despite the injuries, Kentucky nearly pulled off an upset at Texas, leading by five points with under four minutes left. However, a 14-1 Texas run handed them a frustrating 82-78 loss.
Forward Amari Williams posted an impressive 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Otega Oweh led with 20 points, but the lack of depth in the backcourt hurt Kentucky late.
“We just weren’t our normal selves in the last three minutes and 45 seconds,” Pope said.
Vanderbilt’s Inconsistencies Continue
Vanderbilt is coming off another missed opportunity in an 81-76 loss at Tennessee. The Commodores led 44-31 at halftime but allowed Tennessee to shoot 65.4% in the second half.
Coach Mark Byington acknowledged that playing in the SEC means even great efforts don’t always guarantee wins.
“We’ve got some things to fix, but at the same time, I want to make sure that people know how good Tennessee is,” Byington said.
Jason Edwards (17.6 PPG) led the way with 24 points on 6-for-10 shooting from three, but Vanderbilt’s defense struggled down the stretch.
Can Kentucky End Its SEC Struggles?
Kentucky has lost five of its last eight games, but returning to Rupp Arena could provide a much-needed boost. The Wildcats will need Oweh and Williams to carry the load offensively while Perry handles the backcourt responsibilities.
Vanderbilt, on the other hand, is looking to sweep Kentucky for the first time in years and build momentum for the SEC Tournament.
With both teams battling inconsistency, the outcome may come down to which team executes better in the final minutes—something Kentucky has struggled with in recent games.
