UK is on bye this week, as they prepare for a very difficult trip to Gainesville against the National Champions. But the games continue. Vanderbilt -- which has not recovered from the loss of Duke Miles -- is in Auburn to play the Tigers, who have not recovered from the loss of Bruce Pearl. A Vandy loss will drop the Commodores to 6-5 in the SEC; an Auburn loss would drop the Tigers to 5-6. Auburn's at home, and it's really hard to see them losing a must-win game at home. But if you had told me in December, that after 11 games, Vandy would be two games behind UK, I would not have believed you.
For the record, Auburn v. Vandy is the top-rated game on Ken Pom for today. The top four games tonight all tipped off at 6 P.M. Central:
Auburn v. Vanderbilt
Nebraska v. Purdue
Baylor v. B.Y.U.
Miami (Fla.) v. N. Carolina
UPDATE: Here's how those games ended:
Auburn 76 - 84 Vanderbilt
Nebraska 77 - 80 Purdue (OT)
Baylor 94 - 99 B.Y.U.
Miami (Fla.) 75 - 66 N. Carolina
That's a huge win for the Dores, who bounce back from a disappointing loss at home to Oklahoma last Saturday. Vandy is now 7-4 in the SEC and 20-4 overall. Ken Pom says that Tyler Tanner is the best player in the SEC, and he looked like it tonight.
Oh, and here's the top of the medal count:
1. Norway: 12 (6-2-4)
2. Italy: 11 (2-2-7)
3. Japan: 8 (2-2-4)
4. United States: 7 (2-3-2)
T5. Germany: 6 (3-2-1)
T5. Sweden: 6 (3-2-1)
7. Switzerland: 5 (3-1-1)
8. Austria: 5 (2-3-0)
9. France: 3 (1-2-0)
10. Canada: 3 (0-1-2)
On Twitter, Vandy Sixty Two (the world's angriest Vandy fan) is complaining about home cooking at Auburn.
ReplyDelete"Almost half of their points came from free throws."
DeleteOn January 22, 2022, UK went to Auburn with a record of 15-3. They lost 80-71 in a game where UK shot 10 free throws and Auburn shot 29. Ty Ty Washington had to leave with an injury, and that UK team was never the same.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the whole UK program hasn't been the same since that game.
DeleteHere are the rankings at the top of the Eighth Region:
ReplyDelete14. Vanderbilt: 20-4
15. Louisville: 18-6
16. Tennessee: 16-7
30. Kentucky: 17-7
By my count, Vandy hasn't won the Eighth Region since 1974.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine a Friday night double-header at Memorial Gym for the Eighth Region semi-finals? Louisville v. Tennessee in the first game, and then Vandy v. UK in the nightcap? With the Regional final on Saturday night? What a madhouse that would be.
ReplyDeleteArkansas is pasting LSU in Baton Rouge -- up 57-36 with 13 minutes left. LSU will have a new coach next season.
ReplyDeleteArkansas crushes LSU 91-62. The Razorbacks move to 8-3.
ReplyDeleteTop of the SEC now looks like this:
ReplyDeleteFla: 8-2
Ark: 8-3
Ky: 8-3
TAMU: 7-3
Vandy: 7-4
If Florida loses at Georgia tomorrow, and TAMU wins at home against Mizzou, there will be a four-way tie for first with seven games left.
ReplyDelete