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2 Jarred Vanderbilt

Name
Jarred Vanderbilt
Position
Forward
Class
FR
Hometown (Last School)
Houston, TX (Victory Prep Academy)
Ht
6'9"
Wt
214
Seasons
2017-18
Birthday
April 3, 1999

Jarred Vanderbilt was born on April 3, 1999, in Houston, Texas. He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017–2018 season before declaring for the NBA draft.

He attended Victory Prep Academy, where he emerged as one of the top high school players in the country. Vanderbilt was a five-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American in the class of 2017, ranked among the top 20 players nationally.  In his senior year, he averaged 28.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.  Vanderbilt, a lefty, was an AAU teammate of former UK All-America guard De’Aaron Fox.

Vanderbilt committed to play for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky, joining a loaded 2017 recruiting class that included Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and PJ Washington.

Unfortunately, injuries significantly limited his time on the court. He missed the first 17 games of the season due to a left foot injury and re-aggravated the injury late in the season.

Season Highlights:

  • Played in 14 games, starting 0, but made a strong impact off the bench.

  • Averaged 5.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in just 17 minutes per game.

  • Recorded double-digit rebounds in 6 of the 14 games he played.

  • Notably had 11 rebounds in a win over Missouri and 11 rebounds, 5 assists vs. Alabama.

  • Helped Kentucky win the 2018 SEC Tournament, though he was unavailable for the NCAA Tournament due to injury.

Despite the limited action, Vanderbilt’s rebounding instincts and energy stood out. He was widely regarded as one of the best rebounders per minute in college basketball that season.

Despite limited college exposure, Vanderbilt declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and was selected 41st overall by the Orlando Magic, who traded his rights to the Denver Nuggets. He made his NBA debut on January 25, 2019, against the Phoenix Suns.

He has since played for several NBA teams, including:

  • Denver Nuggets

  • Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Utah Jazz

  • Los Angeles Lakers (acquired in 2023 as part of a midseason trade)

With the Lakers, Vanderbilt quickly became known for his defense, hustle, and versatility, guarding elite scorers and contributing to the team’s playoff run in 2023.

Related Topics

Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter’s Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.

On This Day in UK Basketball History

On March 31, 1975, Coach John Wooden closed out his coaching career by leading the Bruins over Kentucky for their 10th NCAA title in 12 years.

 

On March 31, 1984, Georgetown outscores UK 23-2 at the start of the second half to defeat the Wildcats, 53-40, in the NCAA semifinal game in Seattle.

 

On March 31, 1997, despite losing its star, Derek Anderson, to a knee injury on Jan. 18, UK returns to defend its NCAA title in the National Championship game, trying to become the second team in 24 years to repeat as national champion, falling in overtime to Arizona, 84-79. Ron Mercer and Anthony Epps nailed three-pointers inside the last minute to force overtime. But with four Wildcats fouling out, Arizona outscored UK by five in the extra period in Rick Pitino's final game as coach at Kentucky.

 

On March 31, 2008, long time Kentucky basketball manager Bill Keightley passed away at the age of 81 in Cincinnati. Affectionately known as “Mr. Wildcat”, he had been associated with the Wildcats’ basketball program since 1962. Keightley, who manned the “Bill Keightley Equipment Room” in Memorial Coliseum, was as much a fixture around UK basketball as the seven national championship trophies on display in the Joe Craft Center. A crowd of over 3,000 payed their respects at a tribute to Mr. Keightley held in Rupp Arena. Former players, coaches and managers traveled from across the country to eulogize him.

 

On March 31, 2012, Kentucky finally put away pesky Louisville, who outrebounded Kentucky 40-33, 69-61, in the Final Four to advance to the national championship game.  Kentucky shot a dazzling 57 percent with Anthony Davis leading the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds.  Darius Miller added 13 points, and Doron Lamb had 10. Kidd-Gilchrist had nine, all in the second half.  Former Kentucky coach turned Louisville coach, Rick Pitino, congratulated Calipari and told him he'd be rooting for the Wildcats.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

March 31, 1988

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