Two weeks ago, Kentucky lost to the worst team in the Southeastern Conference in South Carolina and sat firmly outside the NCAA Tournament field. The Wildcats were a dysfunctional mess, discombobulated on the floor and failing to see eye-to-eye away from it. “The only thing that brings about change is a crisis,” John Calipari said of the loss to the Gamecocks. “That was a crisis.”
Two short weeks later, Kentucky has now won four consecutive games, the latest being a road victory at Vanderbilt in the team’s most complete performance of the season.
Shorthanded due to injury — the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, Liam Robbins, was out, as was four-star freshman Lee Dort — the Commodores were outmatched inside from the opening tip.