Kentucky's season has been a rollercoaster, with more lows than the Wildcats are used to. The nadir came with a 25-point drubbing by Vanderbilt in Nashville last month.
While Vanderbilt sits at 25th in the latest AP Poll, they’ve stumbled a bit since then, dropping three games and sitting fifth in the conference at 9-6. Not exactly a powerhouse, but they’ve shown they can exploit Kentucky's vulnerabilities.
Vanderbilt, under Mark Byington in his second year, started the season on fire with a 16-0 record. However, they've cooled off significantly, going 5-6 in their last 11 games.
Despite this, Kentucky might find it tough to avenge their earlier loss when they face Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena on Saturday. The Wildcats' Achilles' heel, exposed by Vandy, has only become more pronounced.
Turnovers: Kentucky's Ongoing Struggle
The Wildcats' defeat in Nashville was largely due to turnovers. Kentucky coughed up the ball 15 times, leading to Vanderbilt scoring 28 points off those mistakes-the most Kentucky has allowed in that category all season.
Before that game, Kentucky was doing a commendable job of protecting the ball. Even with starting point guard Jaland Lowe sidelined for much of the season, they managed a 12.7 percent turnover rate in their first 20 games, placing them in the 90th percentile nationally. At that point, they were solidly in the middle of the SEC pack.
Kentucky's opponents were averaging 11.9 points off turnovers per game, with the Wildcats maintaining a positive margin of 3.6 points in that area. But things have taken a turn for the worse. Injuries to key players like Kam Williams and the added pressure on freshmen Malachi Moreno and Andrija Jelavic have exacerbated the issue.
In the last eight games, dating back to their first meeting with Vanderbilt, Kentucky's turnover rate has climbed to 14.1 percent. They're now allowing 15.9 points off turnovers per game while only scoring 10.4 themselves, flipping their margin to a negative 4.5.
Vanderbilt's Defensive Edge
Vanderbilt remains a defensive force, ranking third in the SEC for opponent turnover rate and points off turnovers, averaging 17.3 points per game in that category. Only Georgia and Texas A&M outperform them. Just nine days ago, Georgia managed to secure an 86-78 victory at Rupp Arena, capitalizing on 22 points off turnovers.
For Kentucky, securing the ball is critical. Even in their recent win over South Carolina, Moreno and Jelavic were responsible for six of the team’s 15 turnovers. With the current injury list, it’s unclear if Coach Mark Pope can find a quick fix to this persistent problem.