Kentucky
KSR Staff Predictions: No. 9 Kentucky at Vanderbilt
After a brief break, Kentucky is back in action on the road in the SEC. The ninth-ranked Wildcats will travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. EST. One week ago, Kentucky fell at home to Alabama, while Vandy students stormed the court after upsetting No. 6 Tennessee. Will the Wildcats bounce back or will Mark Byington get his second Top 10 win of the season? The KSR crew weighs in.
Adam Luckett
Kentucky wants to play with tempo and shoot threes. Vanderbilt wants to play with tempo and shoot threes. Each team will spread the floor. You could say that this game is the Spiderman meme.
The Wildcats have a better roster. That should lead to a road victory.
New Vanderbilt head coach Mary Byington is going to want to push the pace and does not have much size in the frontcourt. That should give Mark Pope’s team some advantages. Expect a fun game at Memorial Gym with buckets coming in bunches.
Vanderbilt’s three-point defense (No. 268 nationally) has been bad all season and that will matter on Saturday. Kentucky wins the three-point volume battle and controls the game even if it gets a little tight down the stretch.
Score: Kentucky 90, Vanderbilt 85
Nick Roush
Part of me is worried that Memorial Magic has returned. Not only did the Commodores get the win over the Vols, they got a put-back with less than a second left to knock off South Carolina. Here’s the thing about that gym — Kentucky hasn’t lost there since 2011.
The teams that give Kentucky fits on the road in SEC play are the ones who like to slow it down and play a knock-down, drag-em-out style. Vandy wants to play just as fast as Kentucky. They want to shoot a lot of threes. If they hit a bunch, the Cats might be in trouble, but these are similar teams with very different levels of talent. Kentucky will just be too much for Vanderbilt to handle in a high-scoring affair.
Score: Kentucky 101, Vanderbilt 90
Zack Geoghegan
Vanderbilt’s only home loss this season came against No. 14 Mississippi State. The Commodores stunned No. 6 Tennessee 11 days later in Nashville. The magic in Memorial Gym might be back with first-year head coach Mark Byington exceeding expectations, but Mark Pope won’t let the arena’s aura impact his team. Vandy has dropped three of its last five SEC games.
Byington has his team playing smart basketball. The ‘Dores rarely turn the ball over and do an excellent job of forcing opponents into mistakes. They like to play fast the same way Kentucky does but don’t shoot as often or as efficiently from deep as the Wildcats. North Texas transfer guard Jason Edwards is going to get up plenty of shots. This is a transfer-heavy group that goes nine players deep. Both teams are coming off losses to Alabama. There are plenty of similarities to Pope’s first season.
The one major difference? Talent. Kentucky has more from top to bottom. AJ Hoggard is a solid veteran guard and Devin McGlockton is a rebounding fiend (8.2 RPG) at 6-foot-7, but UK can match them and then some. Keeping Vanderbilt to under 20 free throw attempts will be key. A full week off from games will have the ‘Cats healthy as they’ve been in weeks as they cruise to a feel-good road win.
Score: Kentucky 84, Vanderbilt 77
Tyler Thompson
After upsetting No. 6 Tennessee last week, Vandy will try to recreate more Memorial Magic vs. No. 9 Kentucky, but I feel good about the Cats’ chances coming off the midweek bye and with Big Blue Nation taking over Memorial. Blue always gets into Vandy, but with this game taking place on a Saturday and excitement high under Mark Pope, I’m expecting an especially loud and proud contingent of Kentucky fans in the funky old opera house.
The ‘Dores have been impressive this season and are in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament, but the Cats are fresh and will be eager to get the taste of the loss to Alabama out of their mouths. As my coworkers have said, both teams play a similar style, which should lead to a high-scoring game; in those scenarios, take the team with more talent, and that’s Kentucky.
Vanderbilt will make some runs and give its fans chances to get loud, but ultimately, the “Go Big Blue” chants will be louder. Kentucky wins, building some momentum heading into another Tennessee road trip next week.
Score: Kentucky 90, Vanderbilt 83
Jack Pilgrim
In my first trip to the Crow’s Nest, the goal is to kill any chance at Memorial Magic the Commodores hope to recreate after pulling off the upset win over Tennessee. Had they lost that in-state battle, I’d probably be a lot more nervous than I am — same vibes as the Alabama game. Just as the Crimson Tide played with heart and desperation looking to get back on track at Rupp Arena following a double-digit home loss, you’d rather Vanderbilt be coming off an emotional home upset that led to a court storming their last time in Nashville over a tough loss, hungry to make a statement.
Mark Byington is very good, constructing his debut roster from scratch following Jerry Stackhouse’s departure. It’s similar to Coach Pope’s takeover, tirelessly hitting the portal to find culture and system fits that work well together rather than the best individual talent. That’s led to the program’s best start in a decade and a half, undersized but plenty of positional versatility and skilled, and they’re probably going to the NCAA Tournament because of it.
Kentucky is a bigger, better, more talented version of that, though, and that’s going to be something Vanderbilt can’t overcome — even with a sold-out Memorial Gym working in its favor. It’s going to be a fun and entertaining game with a ton of points, maybe one that stays tight longer than one would hope, but the Wildcats will spread it out at the end and head home with a comfortable win.
Score: Kentucky 98, Vanderbilt 89
Drew Franklin
Memorial Gym has been hot lately, with two thrilling wins for Vanderbilt the last two times the Commodores played at home. However, the magic will wear off Saturday when Kentucky comes to town in a bounce-back opportunity for the Wildcats. Mark Pope’s first UK team has been good at those. Kentucky is 3-0 after a loss this season, with two top-15 wins in those three instances. I expect Pope has again collected the proper data, made the necessary adjustments, and said all of the right things to inspire his team to rebound again.
Jaxson Robinson is my predicted high scorer for the game. Robinson scored 27 points the last time he went on the road in the SEC, and I think that night in Starkville gave him the confidence to do it again. He’ll have 20+ in a Kentucky win in Memorial Gym.
Score: Kentucky 86, Vanderbilt 79
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt: How to Watch, Listen
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes)
- Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
- Online Radio: iHeart
- Satellite Radio: Sirius 160 or 191
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tip-off, or join the conversation on KSBoard.
Milwaukee coach Bart Lundy on state of mid-major college basketball
NIL and the transfer portal challenge mid-major basketball teams, Panthers coach Bart Lundy says, but things are tough all over.
That was rough.
An ugly first half from the Milwaukee Panthers led way to one of the most disheartening showings at home in recent memory Jan. 9, an 85-67 loss to the Northern Kentucky Norse.
Forward Kael Robinson poured in nine 3-pointers and a game-high 29 points as he and the Norse buried the Panthers with an onslaught of offense, especially early.
“We’ve got to have two things,” Panthers head coach Bart Lundy said. “We’ve got to make less mistakes and have more toughness.”
BOX SCORE: Northern Kentucky 85, UW-Milwaukee 67
No amount of positive moments from true freshmen Josh Dixon and Stevie Elam – they combined for 18 points in the second half and 30 on the night – could wash away the overall feeling of the night.
The Norse led by as many as 20 in the first half, which they ended with a 55-37 lead to ultimately handle the Panthers their worst home loss since coming up 36 points short against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 9, 2022.
Treacherous first half spells doom
The first 20 minutes may have been the worst half of the Lundy era.
Only once in the past four seasons were the Panthers outscored more in a half than the 18-point deficit they faced against the Norse – and that came on the road against the second-place finisher in the Horizon League. Their previous worst home loss under Lundy was a 13-point defeat to Longwood on Dec. 13, 2023.
Northern Kentucky had only four empty possessions in the first 11 minutes of the game, making six threes and grabbing six offensive rebounds. A putback dunk by x Dozier made it a 40-25 game and forced Lundy to use his second timeout of the game.
The Norse lead the nation in fastbreak points, averaging 18 per game and Milwaukee simply could not get back in transition, even after a made basket. The Norse had a whopping 20 points on the fastbreak in the first 20 minutes alone – and that doesn’t even include free throws courtesy of run-outs. Two of those transition trips to the foul line came in succession by Donovan Oday after made baskets for the Panthers, a rather inexcusable effort.
“A complete breakdown in our systems,” Lundy called it.
Oday had 16 points in the half – which wasn’t even a team-high as big man Kael Robinson had 17 and went 4 for 5 from three.
The Panthers went into the break down 18, but the largest lead was 20 on a Robinson triple to cap an 8-0 spurt across 59 seconds, forcing Lundy to take his third timeout.
The Norse finished with 11 offensive rebounds and generated 19 second-chance points. They scored on 23 of 34 possessions, averaging 1.618 points per possession.
“Give them all the credit,” Lundy said. “They were physical and tough and came up with every ball and outran us down the floor.”
Panthers slipping in Horizon
Milwaukee’s defense the rest of the way was solid – perhaps even good; Northern Kentucky shot 38.5% from the field percent as it scored 30 points in the final 20 minutes. It still wasn’t nearly enough to erase the disaster of the first half.
The Panthers now sit tied for sixth in the Horizon League having dropped three in a row after a 3-0 start.
Danilo Jovanovich exits game
Milwaukee’s active leading scorer Danilo Jovanovich played nearly 16 minutes in the first half, scoring only two points while appearing visibly hampered, but came out of the locker room in his warm-ups.
He continues to be bothered by a balky right shoulder, an injury that limited him to no contact in practice this week.
Jovanovich is day-to-day going forward, which could leave the Panthers without four projected senior starters at the beginning of the season: Jovanovich, Faizon Fields, John Lovelace and Seth Hubbard.
“I look down on that bench and I see all them dudes on crutches that are older and wish they were pretty available,” Lundy said. “…If you have Johnny Lovelace or Seth, that’s a whole different story. You’ve got length, athleticism, Faizon corrects a lot of things. What we have now on the floor, they’re talented but most of those guys have never seen Division-I basketball.”
(This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.)
More than three decades after a newborn’s remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest.
Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as “Baby Jane Doe,” Kentucky State Police announced this week.
The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University.
Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold.
Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.
The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder.
“Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, we’ve been able to discover new leads in this case,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. “That’s why it’s so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us.”
Authorities have not released details about Cummins’ relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.
Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the public’s help to resolve some unanswered questions.
Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.
Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.
He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.
Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.
Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.
The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.
While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.
“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”
Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.
In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.
More Cardinals Stories
(Photo of Hardley Gilmore IV: Jordan Prather – Imagn Images)
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