By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Vanderbilt spoiled Kentucky’s Senior Night festivities last season and the Commodores knocked the Cats out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament a week later.
Big Blue Nation wants no repeat of that scenario.
For the second straight year, No. 15 Kentucky (21-8, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) will play host to Vandy in the home finale Wednesday night before closing out the regular season Saturday at Tennessee.
Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves (12) shoots while defended by Arkansas’ Khalif Battle during their SEC matchup March 2 in Lexington (Photo by James Crisp, AP, via Kentucky Today)
Prior to tipoff, the Wildcats will honor their four seniors — Antoinio Reeves, Tre Mitchell, Brennan Canada and Kareem Watkins.
Reeves, who returned for a fifth season, has been Kentucky’s leading scorer this year. He is a candidate for SEC Player of the Year and on many All-American watch lists. Reeves, a finalist for the Jerry West Award, said his two-year career and the opportunities he has received while in Lexington “means a lot.”
“The coaches who have helped me out so much and the brothers I’ve had here as well,” he said.
Canada said Reeves is “incredible” and has been a asset to the program during the past two years.
“On an everyday basis, he comes every day and just brings it every single day,” Canada said. “There’s no ups or downs. It’s always Antonio. You know what you’re gonna get out of him. Him being so consistent scoring 20 in almost every game.”
Mitchell has missed six games this year because of nagging injuries, but he said watching from the bench gave him an opportunity to view the game from a different perspective.
“It gave me an opportunity to really examine my team and how they think when they’re moving out there in different situations, what they’re comfortable in versus what they’re not, how they adjust on the fly,” Mitchell said. “It also gave me a better perspective of the coaches and how they see the game from the sideline and that helped me when I’m back out there and I’m able to almost make those corrections before the coaches have to. It was kind of a blessing in disguise.“
Going into the final two games of the regular season, Mitchell plans to spend more time in the gym preparing for the postseason.
“Nobody ever got worse in the gym,” he said. “I’m gonna stay in there and get my rhythm and get my feet back. Even if I am out there hurting a little bit with my shoulder and the ball is loose, I’m gonna dive on the floor regardless, I’ll deal with the consequences afterward.”
Gametracker: Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 9 p.m., Wednesday. TV/Radio: SEC Network, UK Radio Network.
