Jarred Vanderbilt was seen as the next Lamar Odom or Penny Hardaway out of high school, a top-20 recruit known for his playmaking and facilitating at 6-9. Where he fell short as an outside shooter, he made up for it with flashy handles and crafty finishes around the basket — a true point forward.
And his goal was to do the same on college basketball’s biggest and brightest stage at the University of Kentucky. Like all five-star recruits, his plan was to do what he did best, take care of business and then move on to the NBA after a one-and-done season in Lexington as a potential lottery pick.