Vanderbilt Set to Face Kentucky Without Leading Scorer Liam Robbins, Frontcourt Depth
LEXINGTON, Ky. —The time has come for Kentucky basketball to make that annual three-hour trip down I-65 South to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.
It's been a trip that's historically gone well for the Wildcats, especially as of late. UK will enter Memorial Gymnasium on Tuesday evening having won 13 in a row over its SEC foe, six of which have come in the Music City.
Coach Jerry Stackhouse is amidst his fourth season at the helm, and is still searching for the path to that first NCAA Tournament berth, something that has eluded Vandy since 2017. As the SEC has continued to see progression outside of Lexington, the Commodores have been left in the dust.
It's been an uphill climb for Stackhouse, but the pieces to the puzzle have slowly attempted to emerge over time. Last season saw a winning record for the first time since that 2016-17 campaign, mostly thanks to former star guard Scotty Pippen Jr, who averaged 20.4 points a night.
This season, a much more balanced attack — for better or for worse — has led the 'Dores to a 10-9 record and a NET rating of 85. One horrific blemish is easily visible — a 64-62 loss to Grambling State — but otherwise, Vandy's tournament résumé isn't all that different from Kentucky's:
An ugly record against Quad 1 and 2 opponents, but cleaning up — for the most part — against the lesser opponents. Vandy's hat-holding win is a 97-84 triumph over the puzzling Arkansas Razorbacks on Jan. 14 — a game that saw 63 second-half points from the Commodores.
Vanderbilt hasn't made any sort of surge to breaking that March Madness drought, but the slow uphill climb is being made, highlighted by its current 3-3 record in the SEC. One of the pillars for improvement on the team has been fifth-year senior forward Liam Robbins.
Stackhouse's lineups run 10-deep, but it's been Robbins paving the way with a team-high 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds-per-game while averaging just 22.1 minutes on the floor. The 7-footer has been a staple in black and gold for quite some time...that is, when he's actually on the court.
After playing in just 23 games in the 2020-21 season, Robbins would sit out until February of the next season due to a foot injury. He would appear in Vandy's final 15 games.
The first half of his fifth year came and went without injury. He added 14 points, three rebounds and three blocks in that impressive win over Arkansas, but that Saturday turned out to be his last game of the year without having to battle another affliction.
Just two days after, Robbins would suffer a bone bruise in his ankle during practice. He was then ruled out of Vandy's next game — a home matchup against conference-leader Alabama. A program spokesperson told reporters that the injury would keep Robbins out for approximately four-to-six weeks, meaning he would be absent when Kentucky came to town for the second season in a row.
While the Vandy bench contains depth, it doesn't exactly showcase a bulk of talent in the frontcourt. The loss of Robbins did provide an opportunity for freshman forward Lee Dort — the 105th-ranked recruit in the 2022 class — to attempt to blossom into a serviceable option in the paint.
In 16 minutes against the touted Crimson Tide, Dort managed five points, five rebounds, an assist and a block. Solid starting ground, but unfortunately, the chance to build on it would have to wait, as he too suffered a lower-body injury, this time a foot stress fracture. That same four-to-six week timetable was given to the youngster, leaving Stackhouse's group rather thin in the post.
Vanderbilt would travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs over the weekend with just two bigs — Senior Quentin Millora-Brown and freshman Malik Dia. The former managed seven points and 11 boards, while the latter played just six minutes in a surprising 85-82 road win for the 'Dores. Stackhouse rolled with smaller lineups, leading to five guards managing 12 or more points in the victory.
While the formula yielded a fun, positive outcome, it clearly isn't a permanent outcome, as UGA won the rebound battle 40-30 despite losing the game. A much different and imposing challenge will enter Memorial Gymnasium next, however.
Oscar Tshiebwe feasted in Nashville last season, racking up 30 points and 13 rebounds. He followed that up with a measly 11-point, 17-rebound double-double when Vandy came to Rupp Arena later in the year.
Nothing's changed, the board-man is still getting paid. Tshiebwe just pulled down a career-high 24 boards in a win over the same Georgia team that held sturdy over Vandy this past weekend. He then followed that performance with 17 more rebounds against Texas A&M, so it's safe to say that he'll have the edge against Millora-Brown and Dia.
Stackhouse will have to get a little creative if he wants his team to try and limit the reigning National Player of the Year, or he can take the approach of UGA coach Mike White and just let the big man go while attempting to contain the other Wildcats around him.
Either way, Robbins' absence may sting a little extra on Tuesday, as the Commodores seek their first win over Kentucky since Feb. 27, 2016 — a night where 33 points from Jamal Murray wasn't enough to overcome four 'Dores in double-figures, led by 20 from Matthew Fisher-Davis.
Tip is set for 9 p.m. EST and will air on the SEC Network as UK goes for four-straight wins.
More on Kentucky's win over the Texas A&M Aggies here.
The Cats let it fly from deep in the win. More here.
WATCH: Calipari, Williams speak after Kentucky's victory
WATCH: Tshiebwe, Ware, Reeves speak after win
Game notes from the win can be found here.
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