Kentucky at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Here’s what the Cats talked about Monday.
Five takeaways from Monday interviews previewing Kentucky’s men’s basketball game at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night:
▪ Assistant coach Joel Justus, who substituted for John Calipari, said UK would like to prevent Vandy from shooting — and making — three-pointers early in possessions and getting into a rhythm.
▪ In explaining Ashton Hagans’ rash of turnovers lately (22 in the last five games), Justus agreed with the premise that the point guard may be trying too hard to make a play. Hagans disagreed, but said he needed to slow down when on the court.
▪ When asked if his importance to the team created pressure to play well, Hagans said he would phrase it as feeling a need to play well for the team to succeed.
▪ With Johnny Juzang playing well at Tennessee on Saturday, how good would UK be if he joins Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey and Hagans in a four-headed monster on the perimeter? “It’s scary,” Hagans said.
▪ Monday was John Calipari’s 61st birthday. Outside of the regular routine of preparing for a game, Justus said Calipari would mark the occasion by having dinner with his elder daughter, Erin, who is a doctor at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
Tuesday
No. 12 Kentucky at Vanderbilt
When: 7 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Kentucky 18-5 (8-2 SEC), Vanderbilt 9-14 (1-9)
Series: Kentucky leads 148-47.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 71-62 on Jan. 29, 2020, in Rupp Arena.
