Vanderbilt came into the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament with something to prove, and they dominated John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats. In front of 20,000 Kentucky fans, Vanderbilt did everything they needed to do to win, and the Commodores are still playing in the postseason. Despite winning by seven, Vanderbilt left no doubt in their win over Kentucky. Vanderbilt made the plays Kentucky refused to do, and the Commodores would beat the Wildcats on the 50/50 balls. Kentucky didn’t want the win, and it showed.

Coach Jerry Stackhouse has his Vanderbilt Commodores playing at an NCAA Tournament caliber, and there should be no doubt as to the questioning behind Vanderbilt being an NCAA Tournament team. What Vanderbilt has done in the last month and a half should be accounted for when considering the NCAA Tournament field. There are not 68 better teams than Vanderbilt in the country right now, and they have another opportunity to prove it on Saturday as the Commodores take on the Aggies in the SEC Tournament. A win on Saturday and the selection committee will have no choice but to put Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament.

For Kentucky, Friday night was an embarrassing outing. Kentucky opened the game with a spark but let Vanderbilt back into it, and Kentucky is one-and-done in the SEC Tournament. This season for the Wildcats has been nothing short of a disaster. As the Wildcats prepare for the NCAA Tournament next week, Head Coach John Calipari faces a nuclear explosion from the Big Blue Nation if the Wildcats lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The relationship between the fan base and Coach Cal has reached an all-time low dating back to August when Cal threw the football program under the bus. Since 2017, Kentucky Basketball has done nothing in terms of success. Friday night might be the final straw for the Big Blue Nation to throw in the towel on his coaching.

For the Commodores, Saturday is another chance to prove to the selection committee that Coach Stackhouse deserves an NCAA Tournament bid.

Vanderbilt will play Texas A&M on Saturday for a chance to play in the SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday. Saturday’s game between the Aggies and Commodores will be the second meeting this season. Texas A&M won the first game 72-66 back on January 28th.

Vanderbilt and Texas A&M will tip, following the Alabama and Missouri game at noon.