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Vanderbilt Commodores

Live Blog: No. 18 Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky

The Commodores return home looking to build momentum against a red-hot Kentucky team.
Dylan Tovitz|
Jan 24, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) reacts with center Jalen Washington (13) during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) reacts with center Jalen Washington (13) during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Nashville, Tenn. — Fresh off an emphatic 88-56 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, Vanderbilt is back at Memorial Gym on Tuesday night which a chance to turn one dominant performance into the beginning of a winning streak against Kentucky . 

SEC play has been a rollercoaster for the Commodores so far. Vanderbilt opened conference action by winning three straight before stumbling and losing three in a row to Texas, Florida, and Arkansas. Now, head coach Mark Byington’s squad returns home after a two-game road trip, looking to steady the ship in front of a passionate home crowd.  

That task won’t be easy, though. The Wildcats enter Tuesday as winners of five straight, playing their best basketball of the season under head coach Mark Pope. Like Vanderbilt, Kentucky’s driven by its guard play, with Otega Oweh leading the team at 16.1 points per game and anchoring a backcourt that thrives in transition.  

Vanderbilt's standout guard Duke Miles is out for Tuesday's contest. He's dealt with both an illness and a leg injury that's kept him out of game action at points this season, and Vanderbilt will be without him tonight. Frankie Collins, another Commodore guard, remains out with a meniscus injury.

Kentucky will be without guards Kam Williams and Jaland Lowe, who've combined to average 14.9 points and 3.4 assists this season. Their absence will put more pressure on Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen to perform against a strong Vanderbilt backcourt.

Tip-off for tonight's contest is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and can be viewed on ESPN.

Live Blog

Follow along below for live updates and analysis from Memorial Gym. Be sure to refresh your browser as the most recent events will be placed at the top of this page.  

2nd Half

FINAL: Vanderbilt 80, Kentucky 55: It's a dominant win over a red-hot Kentucky team for Vanderbilt, one that returns it to comparisons alongside any team in the SEC. Tyler Tanner and Tyler Nickel led the way with 19 points each, and Devin McGlockton posted a double double of his own. The Commodores will next take on Ole Miss on Saturday.

3:23 2H: Vanderbilt 72, Kentucky 48: Chandler Bing's having his best game of the season for Vanderbilt, knocking down his second three-pointer to pair with two blocks and a steal on the other end.

7:58 2H: Vanderbilt 66, Kentucky 40: Vanderbilt's maintained its lead and looks close to wrapping this one up. Still, the Commodores'' continue to run into foul issues, with AK Okereke and Jalen Washington each having four personals.

10:55 2H: Vanderbilt 59, Kentucky 33: A quick 5-0 run for Vanderbilt builds it some more cushion, leading by 26 with just over ten minutes to play. A big shot by Mike James had the bench — and the student section — fired up.

13:48 2H: Vanderbilt 54, Kentucky 33: The Commodores force Mark Pope into burning a timeout as the Wildcats got very close to a five-second violation on the inbounds pass. Vanderbilt's bench is fired up.

  • 14:35 2H: Vanderbilt 51, Kentucky 31: It's been a physical start to the second half, with Tyler Tanner continuing to shine on both ends for the Commodores. The Brentwood native picked up his fourth steal of the game before hitting a step back three just a few plays later.

1st Half

  • HALFTIME: Vanderbilt 43, Kentucky 23: Mark Byington's squad dominated the first half, surrendering just 23 points on defense and holding the Wildcats to 28% shooting. Tyler Tanner led the way with 12 points and Devin McGlockton's nailed three shots from beyond the arc.
  • Vanderbilt just went on an 8-0 run with a lineup of Tyler Tanner, Mike James, Chandler Bing, Devin McGlockton, and Jayden Leverett.
  • 3:48 1H: Vanderbilt 38, Kentucky 19: It's been all Commodores so far as Devin McGlockton and Chandler Bing hit back-to-back threes to give Vanderbilt a 38-19 lead. Vanderbilt is shooting 50% from three-point range, while Kentucky is shooting just 25.9% from the field.
  • 7:14 1H: Vanderbilt 29, Kentucky 12: Vanderbilt is shooting 50% from beyond the arc, with AK Okereke and Devin McGlockton hitting back-to-back threes followed by Tyler Nickel nailing his second. Tyler Tanner's compiled 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals before being subbed out for the first time.
  • 11:41 1H: Vanderbilt 18, Kentucky 7: We're at the under-12 timeout and the Commodore fans are making themselves heard despite a lot of Kentucky blue in the crowd. McGlockton nailed one from behind the arc to extend Vanderbilt's lead back to double digits.
  • 13:10 1H: Vanderblt 15, Kentucky 4: Vanderbilt's hot start continues, with Tanner leading the way. The standout guard turned a steal into a dunk, forcing Mark Pope into using a timeout.
  • 14:40 1H: Vanderbilt 9, Kentucky 4: The Commodores get the crowd involved early after a hot start on both ends. Denzel Aberdeen missed two free throws, giving Vanderbilt fans free Shake Shack.
  • Mike James is the first man off the Commodore bench tonight, subbing out Jalen Washington after just two minutes

Starting Lineups

Vanderbilt

  • Tyler Tanner
  • Tyler Nickel
  • Devin McGlockton
  • AK Okereke
  • Jalen Washington

Kentucky

  • Otega Oweh
  • Denzel Aberdeen
  • Collin Chandler
  • Andrija Jelavic
  • Malachi Moreno

Pregame

  • It's been a heavily blue crowd filing in so far at Memorial. Looks like a lot of Wildcats' fans made the trip despite the weather. Loud cheers for Kentucky when they emerged from the locker room.
  • Duke Miles is on the court pregame in street clothes. Vanderbilt's backcourt depth will be tested without Miles or Collins.

Weather Report

After the snow and ice storm that ravaged through Nashville over the weekend, Vanderbilt canceled classes Monday and Tuesday, leaving questions regarding Tuesday's game.

  • Vanderbilt Athletics sent out a message Tuesday afternoon confirming the game will be played as scheduled. The note also urged fans "to use their best judgment and attend the game only if they are able to do so safely."
  • Despite icy conditions and trees down around the gym, all signs point to Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky going on as planned Tuesday.
  • Vandy On SI's Tyler Jorden reported Kentucky's team bus has arrived outside of Memorial Gym Monday afternoon, a sign that the Wildcats have successfully arrived in Nashville.

Injury Report

Duke Miles' status has been updated to out two hours prior to tipoff. The Commodores will be without their second-leading scorer against Kentucky.

Vanderbilt Availability

  • Frankie Collins — Out
  • Duke Miles — Out

Kentucky Availability

  • Kam Williams — Out
  • Jaland Lowe — Out
  • Jayden Quaintance — Out
Published
Dylan Tovitz
DYLAN TOVITZ

Dylan Tovitz is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, originally from Livingston, New Jersey. In addition to writing for Vanderbilt on SI, he serves as a deputy sports editor for the Vanderbilt Hustler and co-produces and hosts ‘Dores Unlocked, a weekly video show about Commodore sports. Outside the newsroom, he is a campus tour guide and an avid New York sports fan with a particular passion for baseball. He also enjoys listening to country and classic rock music and staying active through tennis and baseball.

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