UK-Vandy TV, radio, odds, lineups, story lines

VANDERBILT (11-6, 1-3 SEC)

AT NO. 1 KENTUCKY (17-0, 4-0 SEC)

Game time: 9 p.m.

Site: Rupp Arena (24,000), Lexington, Ky.

Favorite: Kentucky by 22.5

Series: UK leads 139-46. Last meeting: UK won 71-62 on Jan. 11, 2014 in Nashville

Television: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Darrin Horn, Kaylee Hartung)

Radio: WHAS-AM 840 (Tom Leach, Mike Pratt)

VANDERBILT

Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.

G-Wade Baldwin 6-3 Fr. 4.4* 6.9

G-Riley LaChance 6-2 Fr. 2.5* 13.3

F-Jeff Roberson 6-6 Fr. 3.3 4.4

F-Luke Kornet 7-0 So. 4.2 8.6

C-Damian Jones 6-10 So. 7.2 16.0

* assists per game

Key reserves – James Siakam, F, 6-7, Sr., 9.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg; Shelton Mitchell, F, 6-3, Fr., 5.2 ppg, 4.2 apg; Matthew Fisher-Davis, G, 6-5, Fr., 6.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg.

KENTUCKY

Pos.Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.

G-Andrew Harrison 6-6 So. 4.1* 7.6

G-Aaron Harrison 6-6 So. 2.5* 11.4

F-Trey Lyles 6-10 Fr. 5.6 7.8

F-Karl-Anthony Towns 6-11 Fr. 6.7 8.5

C-Willie Cauley-Stein 7-0 Jr. 6.7 9.6

* assists per game

Key reserves –Dakari Johnson, C, 7-0, So., 8.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg; Tyler Ulis, G, 5-9, Fr., 5.7 ppg, 3.7 apg; Devin Booker, G, 6-5, Fr., 10.6 ppg, 1.3 apg; Marcus Lee, F, 6-9, So., 2.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg; Dominique Hawkins, G, 6-0, So., 1.8 ppg, 1.2 apg; Derek Willis, F, 6-9, So., 2.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg.

STORY LINES

1. Devin Booker isn’t just a shooter. Sure, he’s hit 20 of 28 3-pointers the last seven games — yawn — but that’s not the only reason John Calipari loves the rookie, who just won his second straight and third overall SEC Freshman of the Week award. “More importantly,” the coach said, “I never thought he’d guard this way. His energy defensively, his ability to stay in front, fight through screens, is setting him apart for us right now.”

But about that shooting. Despite two 1-for-11 slumps, Booker’s blistering stretch starting with the North Carolina game has boosted his season 3-point percentage to .507, which would rank second all-time in UK single-season history. “The thing I was on him for early was getting it off. It’s not high school You’re not going to jump over anybody,” Calipari said. “You gotta be able to catch and get it off. You gotta be able to have your shot prepared before you even catch the ball. And he’s doing that. The rim has gotten big for him because of that.”

What’s remarkable is that, despite the hot streak, Booker hasn’t jacked many (any?) real heat-check shots along the way. “He’s not forcing shots. He’s playing within himself,” assistant coach Robic said. “The players that are on the court with him know that when he gets it going to try to feed him (but) I can’t think of the last bad shot that he’s taken. That’s a credit to the other guys on the floor to create a shot for him. If he’s in that zone, he’s as good as anybody in the country.”

2. UK’s late lineup against Alabama. After the Crimson Tide slashed an 18-point halftime lead to 39-30 with 13:14 to go Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Calipari went to a grouping that was a mixture of both his platoons: guards Andrew Harrison, Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker with big men Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson. That group promptly went on a 13-2 run over the next 3:42 and the game was all but over. The Cats hit all four of their shots and 3 of 4 free throws in that stretch, while Alabama missed all three of its shots and turned it over twice.

“There was a really good play where Andrew came down and assisted Tyler for a three. Tyler assisted him for a three and (Andrew) didn’t take it, and I was telling him to shoot it. That’s how they’ve got to play,” Calipari said. “If the other has the ball, you’re the finisher; he’s the playmaker. So either one of you two. And then it gives you that one more ball handler. One more free-throw shooter, and we can really grind it out.”

Which begs the question: Will we be seeing more of that lineup going forward?

“It depends on the game,” Calipari said. “Every game we've played, somebody different has stepped up and done something great. That's the great thing about having a lot of guys. And what I say to them at times is, 'Look, I don't need all 10 of you to play well. I need five of you and then I'll ride those five.’ ”

3. Dominique Hawkins’ status. The sophomore guard, who made a surprise start against Missouri and helped provide a spark in the return of Calipari’s true two-platoon system, sat out Saturday’s game following an undisclosed minor medical procedure. By lunchtime Monday, Calipari said he hadn’t seen Hawkins but “I would imagine after two days he should be fine.” Later in the afternoon, just before UK was set to practice, Robic still had also not seen him other than briefly at breakfast. His availability remains unclear for the Vanderbilt game. Freshman Trey Lyles was back in the starting lineup with Hawkins out against the Tide.

— Kyle Tucker