Vanderbilt men’s basketball pulled off a stunning road upset of Kentucky on Wednesday night, defeating its SEC rivals 68–66 to improve to 17–13 on the season. Head coach Jerry Stackhouse couldn’t hide his emotion after what was a statement win for the Commodores, and one of their biggest victories since he took over the program.
Vanderbilt was led in scoring by senior guard Jordan Wright, the first player Stackhouse recruited to the program, and the 48-year-old was tearing up as he discussed the importance of the win in the aftermath.
"This is what it’s about," said Stackhouse via Ryan Black of The Courier-Journal Sports. "This is a great moment for us, a great moment for our program."
Wright scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including going 4-for-4 from three-point range. It was his season-high in scoring for the senior, and it came during one of Vanderbilt's biggest games.
Stackhouse took over the Vanderbilt program in 2019-20. After going 20-37 in his first two seasons, the Commodores logged a winning record in 2021-22, and looked poised to do so again following Wednesday night's win over Kentucky.
Vanderbilt's leading scorer Liam Roberts left the game after just four minutes due to an injury. In his absence, Wright stepped up and filled his void, leading the team to the statement win.
While celebrating the big win, Stackhouse tipped his cap to Kentucky and head coach John Calipari.
"Beating the King at his house is pretty special," Stackhouse said to reporters, via Kentucky.com. "I mean, I’ve got so much respect for Calipari, and what he’s built and what he’s done."
The Wildcats sunk to 20–10 on the year following the loss in Lexington, and risk falling out of the AP Top 25, having entered the evening ranked No. 22 in the country.
