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John Calipari loves positionless players and has mandated that his coaching staff recruit more players who can play multiple positions on both ends of the court. This season the Kentucky coach says the best of the best on his team at that will be 6-9 freshman Jarred Vanderbilt — a player he describes as a point forward.
“He’s a good shooter, not a great shooter, but he can make shots. You put him in the middle of your zone offense, I don’t know how you guard him because now you have a passer/scorer in there. On the break, he can either make that basket at the rim or he’s a terrific passer who is not afraid to make the tough pass,” Calipari said.
However, there’s one problem – he hurt his foot Friday and will likely need surgery that will sideline him for about three months. The good news is that Calipari indicated he should be back for SEC play.
“As I told Jarred, my concern for him is getting this thing right and getting him healthy for the rest of his career. We’ll miss him on the court, but I want what’s best for him and his family, and right now that’s taking care of this injury and making sure he doesn’t have to worry about it again,” Calipari said Saturday. “With the motor and worth ethic I’ve seen from him, I have no doubt he’s going to be better than ever when he returns and will provide us with a huge lift in conference play.”
Vanderbilt averaged 28.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in an injury-plagued senior season for Victory Prep High School in Houston. He has a 7-1 wingspan and 8-10 standing reach. And both teammates and opposing players agree that he can handle the ball like a point guard.
“I really feel like I can play any position on the court on offense or defense,” Vanderbilt said before his injury. “I can add versatility. I can be a playmaker. I can rebound and we’ll be fighting for rebounds with each other more than the other team because we have so many great rebounders. And when we get it, we’re going to be off in transition.”
Vanderbilt missed part of his senior season with a leg injury and then was hurt late in the Jordan Brand Classic. But he sounds optimistic about returning for the second half of the season.
“I’ve had some setbacks before and I’ve come back from all of them. After talking with my doctor and my family, I feel good about the plan they have in place for me,” Vanderbilt said in a statement released by UK. “I’m anxious to get this right and return to my team so I can put this behind me for good. I can’t wait to get back to my brothers and help us compete for a national championship this season.”
He played on the same AAU team as former Kentucky standout point guard De’Aaron Fox and has known UK freshman teammate P.J. Washington since they were in the fifth grade.
“De’Aaron wasn’t trying to force me to come here,” Vanderbilt said. “He kept it real about what goes on here, the development and transition. He was my recruiting guy. He was a big help. We had been on the same team three or four years. I was in communication with him a lot about how things were off the court, and he loved Kentucky.
“Why would you not come here? They prepare you to be a pro. The style of play translates to the league (NBA). It still came down to two or three schools, but in the back of my mind I knew this is where I was meant to go to school. I weighed the pros and cons of coming here and the pros far outweighed the cons.”
Vanderbilt gave UK fans a look at his potential when he 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds for the USA Junior National Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit. He followed the with 17 points 8-of-14 shooting and seven rebounds in the Jordan Brand Classic before injuring his ankle late in the game. That kept him off the USA under 19 team coached by John Calipari in the summer.
Many felt when Vanderbilt committed to Kentucky midway of last year that it meant Kevin Knox would not come to UK because they had games too much alike.
“I had no idea why some people thought that. I always thought he would come here and I am glad he did,” Vanderbilt said.
P.J. Washington was a player some also thought might scare Vanderbilt off because they have similar games. But UK assistant coach Kenny Payne says that was a plus, not a negative.
“They are going to be the keys to this program. They are two versatile forwards that can post, rebound, handle the ball. They are both unbelievable passers. They have NBA toughness and are very unselfish. They can both be great. They can play together, too, because they are so versatile and unique. Just put them on the floor and let them figure it out. They are going to help change the dynamics of a lot of games.”
Vanderbilt considers himself a “student-athlete” and says academics do come first.
“I want to be an engineer or get a doctorate. I always take education seriously, even before basketball,” he said. “My mother kind of instilled that in me at an early age and I just stuck with it. Before I would go outside to hoop when I was young, I had to make sure I got my homework done. If I had trips or games, she was on me to finish my work before I could go. I appreciate what she did for me.”
His father, Robert, is a former college basketball coach and helped with the program at Victory Prep. He says his wife’s 30-plus years in education rubbed off on their son early.
“He is a smart kid and not just book wise but common sense,” Robert Vanderbilt said. “He is a good citizen, good kid. I have been around a long time and never heard of any elite athlete like that who wanted to be an engineer like he does. That says a lot about him.”
He could also play a variety of musical instruments and was in the stage band, something he said he enjoyed doing.
But make no mistake about his first love.
“I just want to help a team win,” Vanderbilt said. “I love playing, but I really love winning.”
