Luke Kornet’s historic night proves Vandy can still contend

In SEC Basketball by Blake Lovell

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The Vanderbilt Commodores had to win. There simply wasn’t another option.

Staring an 0-4 SEC start in the face, Vandy did just that. But don’t chalk this up as just any win. It was one of the most important in the program’s recent history.

The Commodores’ NCAA tournament hopes would have vanished with a loss to Auburn. And there’s still a lot of basketball to be played before that’s even close to a lock.

However, Vandy’s win over the Tigers proved what we’ve known all along:

This team is completely different when Luke Kornet is on the floor.

Kornet recorded the second triple-double in Vandy basketball history after waiting until the last possible moment to clinch it with this put-back off of his own missed free throw.

Of course he did. Because that’s what Kornet does. He completely changes the game.

And had he not missed five games due to injury, he could have completely changed Vandy’s entire season.

After his performance against Auburn, maybe he still can.

Kornet is easily one of the best shot-blockers in all of college basketball. It’s not just his height, it’s his timing. You have to have pretty good timing to record 10 blocks in a game.

Which by the way, also broke a Vandy record. The previous was just seven.

It was just a matter of time. Kornet’s return was bound to give this team the boost that it needed at some point.

The road losses to Arkansas and South Carolina were disappointing. But they were just that. Road losses. Regardless of the strength of the opponent, winning on the road in the SEC is not easy.

Of course, Kornet was not alone in giving Vandy its most significant win in recent memory.

Wade Baldwin was three rebounds away from a triple-double of his own after going for 17 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Riley LaChance returned to his sharpshooting ways with 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc. Jeff Roberson put in work with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Vandy’s star center Damian Jones? He only played 13 minutes after getting into foul trouble.

As Vandy fans have come to expect, several of the fouls were questionable. Highly questionable.

But perhaps that’s the most impressive part of the whole thing. With the pressure on them, the Commodores came through with perhaps their most talented player sitting on the bench for more than half the game.

And that’s where you have to throw it back to Kornet.

Kevin Stallings knew that his team was missing something. Some nights it may have been toughness, other nights it may have been execution.

But maybe more than anything, Vandy has been missing Kornet.

Kornet won’t make history every night that he steps on the floor. But just having him out there healthy gives Vandy a chance.

A much better chance than they had without him.