Kentucky basketball win over Vanderbilt proof Wildcats' offense is clicking at right time

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the clock ticked under the 14-minute mark Tuesday, CJ Fredrick hauled in a pass and hesitated.

Kentucky basketball's lethal sharpshooter had no defender in sight as he gathered himself behind the 3-point line. Instead of launching a triple, however, he drove and threw the ball up to teammate Jacob Toppin, who slammed it home on an alley-oop. Less than 30 seconds later, Fredrick sank a jumper on a fast break.

And a minute after that, Fredrick once again passed up a shot for himself, electing to dish to an open teammate. This time, fellow guard Antonio Reeves was the recipient, cutting to the basket and dunking the ball for another alley-oop assist for Fredrick.

Those were just three of the many fruitful possessions for UK in a 69-53 victory over Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium, a performance that was one of Kentucky's most efficient offensive outings in conference play this season.

The proof is in the numbers.

Kentucky (14-6, 5-3 SEC) averaged 1.21 points per possession Tuesday, its second-best effort against an SEC foe to date. (It averaged 1.25 points per possession in a win over LSU earlier this month.)

Tuesday was the latest in a recent positive trend for the Wildcats. Not only are they playing better offensively, but they're doing it against tougher competition. In its first four games against power-conference foes (Michigan State, Gonzaga, Michigan and UCLA) this season, UK didn't break the 1.10 barrier in points per possession; it now has reached that mark — or better — in seven of its past nine contests, all against opponents from major leagues.

At times during Tuesday's second half, the Wildcats' points per possession hovered well above 1.30; the only thing that prevented them from surpassing their performance against LSU is the fact they went scoreless for the final three-and-a-half minutes of Tuesday's romp. Still, that drought came with the result no longer in doubt.

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When the game was still in question, Vanderbilt (10-10, 3-4) had no answers defensively.

For any Wildcat.

Every UK player who took the floor for at least 10 minutes scored a point. (Junior forward Lance Ware, who played five minutes Tuesday, was the only Wildcat who failed to score.) And it wasn’t even a starter who took top scoring honors.

For the second time in as many games, Reeves came off the bench to lead the Wildcats in scoring, pouring in a game-high 16 points. Star forward Oscar Tshiebwe finished with 15 points (to go along with 12 rebounds for his 40th double-double at UK) while Toppin had 12 (and 10 boards of his own). Fredrick added 10 points, a total matched by freshman guard Cason Wallace.

Take Fredrick as an example of Kentucky's improved offensive play.

The former Iowa Hawkeye, who recently has battled a wrist injury, said Tuesday showcased his comfort level with the ball in his hands.

"(I'm) just taking whatever the defense is going to give me," said Fredrick, whose five assists are the most he's had in a single contest in his 16-game Wildcat career. "And they were easy (baskets), too, so you have to take them."

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Fredrick noted there were multiple times he could have opted to shoot. He never gave that a thought prior to finding Toppin, however, pointing out it was a higher-percentage opportunity with his 6-foot-9 teammate close to the basket.

As simple as that was, the assist to Reeves was even less complicated.

"I drove into the middle, and I saw 'Tone' going backdoor," Fredrick said, "and I knew his man was staring right at me."

Now that Fredrick is healthier, his influence is conspicuous.

"CJ being out was part of it," said UK coach John Calipari, alluding to the team's 1-3 start to Southeastern Conference play. "You see what he does for our team? Come on. He was hurt."

Before Fredrick capitalized on opportunities given to him, Tuesday seemingly had the makings of another dominant night for Tshiebwe. The Commodores’ front court, after all, was short-handed — the hosts were missing leading scorer (and 7-footer) Liam Robbins as well as the 6-foot-10 Lee Dort — because of injury. The Wildcats could have decided to let Tshiebwe have his way on the interior.

As Fredrick demonstrated, and the numbers bear out, Kentucky went another direction offensively: it did whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted.

Kentucky made 31 of its 55 field goals Tuesday, a 56.4% success rate. That's the second-best percentage the Wildcats have had in a road game in Calipari's 14 seasons guiding the program. The top mark came Feb. 8, 2022, when the Cats shot 56.7% in an 86-76 win over South Carolina.

"The biggest thing with us is making shots," Calipari said. "I'm not saying tough shots; I'm saying open shots. If you make open shots, we're going to be pretty good."

Perhaps even great.

The way the Wildcats have played the last four games is why they were picked to win the SEC and ranked No. 4 in both major polls during the preseason.

Next up: A marquee matchup Saturday, hosting fellow heavyweight Kansas at 8 p.m. at Rupp Arena. The No. 9 Jayhawks, the defending national champions, are reeling. They'll arrive in Lexington on a three-game losing streak, only the fourth time that's happened in Bill Self’s 20 seasons as coach.

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Calipari is under no illusions a win will come easy.

"They're good," he said. "Now hopefully, we're playing at our best, too."

As it is, the Jayhawks are one of the few teams to boast a winning record versus Calipari, winning seven of the 12 matchups.

Yet if Kentucky continues to execute with such ruthless efficiency on offense, KU may well head back to the Sunflower State saddled with its first four-game skid since the 1988-89 campaign.

"Now you're seeing (my players are) all worried about one thing: our team," Calipari said. "(They're saying), 'I know what my job is, and my role. I'm going to do it and be an all-star in my role.'"

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Vanderbilt basketball: Wildcats win fourth straight in SEC