Tyrin Lawrence Looking to Stay Hot vs. Kentucky at a New SEC School

There was a long list of troubling numbers and trends at the end of the John Calipari era at Kentucky. An overlooked one was losing to Vanderbilt.

In 2023, the Cats lost to the Commodores on Senior Day at the buzzer, then fell in the first round of the SEC Tournament ten days later. Ezra Manjon and Jordan Wright were the primary culprits behind those gut-wrenching losses, but you cannot diminish the role Tyrin Lawrence played in those upsets.

The 6-foot-4 guard has been en fuego against Kentucky over the last two seasons. Tonight, he’ll get another crack at the Cats while wearing a different uniform.

Lawrence is averaging 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game for the Bulldogs while shooting 44.1% from the field. The fifth-year senior’s steady hand has Georgia off to its best start since 1931.

If history tells us anything, you can expect Lawrence to exceed those averages Tuesday night at Vanderbilt. Take a look at how he’s performed in his last five games against Kentucky, dating back to the 2023 season.

Points	FG-FGA	Rebs	Assists	UK W/L
23	9-14	9	2	W
10	2-6	2	2	W
18	7-12	4	2	L
21	9-14	7	3	L
12	4-10	4	0	W

Lawrence is averaging 16.8 points per game while shooting 53.4% from the field and he’s got a pair of wins over the Wildcats. That’s pretty, pretty good.

The Dawgs enter tonight’s game against Kentucky after suffering just their second loss of the season, a 63-51 defeat at Ole Miss. He only tallied eight points in the game, but is remaining optimistic despite the setback.

“There’s no need to keep thinking about what we could’ve done better in this game. We just gotta move past it,” Lawrence told reporters. “I’ve seen teams win five in a row. I’ve seen teams lose five in a row. We just gotta turn the page and see what we can do better on Tuesday.”

Winning on the road in the SEC won’t be easy in 2025. That’s going to be even more challenging if Lawrence continues to be at his best against Kentucky.

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