Mark Pope says Vandy is a high-turnover, fast-paced transition team

Kentucky is getting set to head down to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores after a tough 102-97 loss to #4 Alabama in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats are looking to bounce-back with a good road win, but no road game in the SEC is easy, especially this season.

Vanderbilt's last game was a 16-point road loss to Alabama after knocking off #6 Tennessee a few days earlier. The Commodores will return to their home court and host the Wildcats on Saturday. Kentucky is really going to have to protect the ball, as Vandy is ranked 19th nationally and 2nd in the SEC in turnovers, forcing 15.7 per game. They are lethal in transition, too, as well as being ranked 3rd in the SEC in steals, averaging 9.8 thefts per game. They play fast and feed off turnovers. Averaging 82.3 points per game, a lot of their points can come off turnovers and in transition. Jason Edwards leads the Commodores in points, with 17.3 per game.

Mark Pope knows the Wildcats need to be prepared for it. Not just the pace and ability to force turnovers, but their work on the glass is impressive, and Pope noted these strengths of Vandy in his press conference on Thursday.

"They start with five guys on the floor that can really shoot it. They're really, really mobile. They force you to guard a lot of space. So, all those challenges come with it, but they're also really physical on the glass. One of the top rebounders in the league is their undersized starting center (Devin McGlockton). He's a second hit guy, so a lot of times you've got that first impact hit on the glass offensively or defensively, and then it's a race to the ball, where his second hit he's creating more space. He's actually not racing to the ball, he's trying to create more space where the ball can come to him. They play with great pace. Almost 21% of their possessions are in transition. They're a high-turnover team. While their size could pose some problems, it certainly hasn't done it, with their ability to play with pace, earn space on the floor, and to turn it over. I think they're leading the country now in turnovers turned into points.
Pope on Vandy's strengths.

There is something that Kentucky could exploit when they face Vandy. The Commodores are actually last in the SEC in three-point defense, ranking 293rd nationally at a 35.4% average three-point percentage for opponents. Kentucky needs to take care of the ball and get the volume of threes up on Saturday.