Kentucky
Will Vanderbilt football remain in CFP contention vs Kentucky? Our prediction
Vanderbilt football may not control its destiny for the College Football Playoff, but the Commodores can help themselves with every win.
Vanderbilt (8-2, 6-2 SEC) will have its senior day celebration as it is set to take on Kentucky (5-5, 2-5) at FirstBank Stadium on Nov. 20 (2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN). The Commodores will need to win both remaining games against Kentucky and Tennessee to stay in playoff contention.
The Wildcats have won three straight, against Auburn, Florida and Tennessee Tech. Vanderbilt defeated Auburn on Nov. 8 and did not play last week.
Here’s our prediction for the matchup.
Vanderbilt vs Kentucky prediction
Kentucky has struggled overall this season, though it has played close games against a handful of SEC contenders. The Wildcats had a one-score loss to Ole Miss and took Texas to overtime. They also got blown out by Georgia and South Carolina. Defense is where Kentucky has hung its hat this season and Vanderbilt has at times struggled against good defensive teams.
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Vanderbilt vs Kentucky scouting report
Why Vanderbilt has an advantage: Vanderbilt is simply the better team. Kentucky is arguably the worst team in the SEC, and the only teams the Commodores have lost to are playoff contenders. Diego Pavia provides a distinct advantage for Vanderbilt.
Why Kentucky has an advantage: Kentucky defeated Auburn, and Vanderbilt went to overtime with Auburn. The Wildcats have a strong defense and teams with that profile have tripped up the Commodores at times. If Vanderbilt isn’t on its game defensively, meanwhile, even a poor offensive team like Auburn was able to put up points.
Vanderbilt vs Kentucky injury updates
For the Commodores, several reserve players are out long-term. Those out are Yilanan Ouattara, Drew Dickey, Vanzale Hinton, Chase Gillespie and Nikhil Jefferson.
Vanderbilt vs Kentucky score prediction
Vanderbilt 35, Kentucky 17
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
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Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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