I’ll make this brief: Vanderbilt is terrible at basketball this year by anyone’s standards. Kentucky was mediocre by Kentucky standards until a goblin in Florida’s goalpost roasted Nerlens Noel’s knee into oblivion. Now, if the Cats’ play against Tennessee last Saturday is any indication, Kentucky might be awful by just NORMAL standards. This makes for a real happy fun good time basketball game tonight against Vanderbilt. Keep in mind these were probably the two best teams in the SEC last year, both of whom now seriously risk missing the NCAA Tournament.

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say those dance cards will be empty come Selection Sunday.

Sans Noel, Kentucky is just a collection of talented pieces that do not work particularly well together. There is a leadership vacuum on the floor. The team that was destroyed by the goddamn Volunteers a few days ago would probably struggle to beat most Sun Belt teams. Not that they were setting the world on fire with Noel healthy. At least they were winning games.

Vanderbilt, having lost 95% of its scoring from a year ago, is doing about as well as you could expect a team that lost 95% of its scoring to do. They’re undersized, have no consistent scoring threat save maybe Kedren Johnson, Rod Odom still thinks he’s a shooter for some reason, and their defense is scrappy if not particularly effective. Better days are ahead, though, because there have been some flashes of good play from Kevin Bright, Kyle Fuller, and Sheldon (I think) Jeter.

Nonetheless, this is going to be a pretty bad game, and I’m going to go watch it. Yuck I mean ENTHUSIASM!