Kentucky stayed making 'aggressive' plays in convincing win against Vandy

Kentucky basketball was relieved once they picked up a much-needed win against Vandy on Saturday in Rupp Arena. But, it wasn't just a win where they squeaked by, it was one where they never let up and won in convincing fashion.

Collin Chandler's absolutely epic performance was a huge reason why Kentucky started out hot. The WIldcats began with a 6-0 run to go up 16-8 early, but things really began heating up near halfway through the first half. Behind Chandler's four threes that came within the first six minutes, Kentucky was able to grow the lead, as a 16-4 run over the span of seven minutes helped them get out to as much as a 20-point lead in the half. Kentucky shot a blistering 9-16 from three in the start, where they ended up 11-22 for the entire game.

Think things cooled off in the second half? Nope. After going nuclear in the first half, the Kentucky offense was able to keep the efficient scoring going with the help of the trio of Collin Chandler, Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen, who made timely shots very efficiently throughout the half. With Chandler being the star of the first half, it was Oweh who really took over in the second. He had 17 of his 23 points to cap off the game, as Kentucky maintained their double-digit lead for the entire half, never letting up.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) handles the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores. — Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) handles the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After the game, Mark Pope was asked about what the impressive result says about his team's ability to not let go, especially given the fact that they likely went into this one thinking all about the 25-point loss they suffered to Vandy in early February. He says it was all about his team continuing to make 'aggressive' plays throughout the game. After getting a nice cushion from the brilliant first half, Kentucky just made those timely, important plays.

"I was proud of the 46-45 (score in the) second half. I was really proud of that. That’s with us not playing far from perfect but making enough plays. I was really proud of the guys for staying really aggressive. As Vanderbilt tried to extend the press and our guys just attacked. It’s what we do when we are at our best. There was not second-guessing. Guys were super aggressive against the press and we ended up with four or five layups and a couple of and-ones just with our guys making great aggressive decisions. That’s how you want your guys to feel. You don’t want them to feel like they are on their heels. And they did a nice job with that."

"Our guys did an unbelievable job and I think our staff did a really good job of staying aggressive in those moments in the second half where you are kind of not nursing a lead, but you are trying to play the game," Pope continued. "I thought our guys was excellent at it. There’s a lot of moments where you catch yourself where you have to readjust and think, stay aggressive, keep making plays. I think that contributed to our guys success."

This was definitely one of the best offensive performances that we've seen from this Kentucky team all year given the quality of the opponent and having your stars step up in big ways and in different times can always lead to big success.