The Vanderbilt Commodores (8-21, 3-13 SEC) are on the road as they take on the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (21-8, 11-5) on Wednesday night. This conference clash will tipoff at 9 p.m. ET on the SEC Network from Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.
Vanderbilt is ahead of only winless Missouri in the SEC standings and has yet to earn a win over a top-25 opponent this season. The Commodores enter this contest after losing to LSU 75-61 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have won three in a row entering this game, including a 117-95 win over No. 16 Alabama on Feb. 24.
Kentucky looks healthy heading into this matchup, with no players listed on the injury report. Vanderbilt has one player dealing with a season-ending injury and another serving a suspension. Here are the latest updates on those players.
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Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky injuries
Colin Smith, Vanderbilt
Sophomore forward Colin Smith is out for the season after suffering an Achilles injury in December. Smith had played in seven games this season for the Commodores, averaging 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. Smith will undergo surgery and focus on playing his third season at Vanderbilt if he chooses to return.
Lee Dort, Vanderbilt
Lee Dort remains suspended indefinitely and away from the team due to an arrest for aggravated assault in November. Coach Jerry Stackhouse hasn't made it clear when or if Dort will return to the court for the Commodores.
Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky prediction
Kentucky enters this home matchup as a 17.5-point favorite, according to ESPN BET. If the Commodores want any chance of an upset in this contest, they'll need to focus on scoring to keep up with the third-ranked offense of the Wildcats. The Commodores average just 66.6 points per game this season, compared to Kentucky's 89.6.
When these two teams last met in February, the Wildcats dismantled the Commodores on their home floor, winning 109-77. Kentucky got 24 points in that outing from their leading scorer, Antonio Reeves. The Wildcats also received 56 points off the bench, including 20 from freshman guard Rob Dillingham.
The Kentucky Wildcats should easily take care of the Commodores with no injuries or players missing from their lineup tonight. Looking ahead, the Wildcats have a date with No. 4 Tennessee to close out the regular season on Saturday.
Even with the spread as wide as it is, this should be close to accurate for this game, in which all signs point to Kentucky running away with this one. Kentucky gets the pick in this matchup in what should be business as usual for John Calipari's squad.
Pick: VAN 71, UK 93
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