One month ago, Kentucky (12-9, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) stood at 6-7 coming into conference play and was the laughingstock of the SEC. While they may not be turning the heads of the selection committee just yet, the Wildcats ride a five-game winning streak into Nashville on Tuesday night (8 p.m., ESPN) when they take on the Commodores (20-4, 5-4). At 6-2 and in second place in the SEC East, coach Billy Gillispie's squad has gotten healthy and hungry in conference play and looks to continue their push to the postseason against Vandy.

On Jan. 12, Kentucky gave Vandy its first loss of the season, 79-73 in double overtime in Lexington. Freshman forward Patrick Patterson gave A.J. Ogilvy a rude lesson about big men in the SEC, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Patterson comes into this game averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and shoots 59.2% from the field.

Seniors Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley average 16.6 and 16.0 points per game respectively. The pair combined for 17 points in the Wildcats' double-overtime triumph.

Kentucky gave Tennessee its first conference loss of the season, a 72-66 victory on Jan. 22. Since then, the Wildcats are 4-0 against South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama, four teams sitting in the bottom five of the SEC standings.

If the Wildcats truly want to make a statement to the tournament committee, a win in Nashville and a sweep of No. 20 Vanderbilt would accomplish just this. The Commodores, however, look to carry the momentum from last Saturday's thrilling win in Columbia over into this four-game homestand. Containing the trio of Patterson, Crawford and Bradley will be a top priority for Vandy, who allows an average of 75 points per game.

The game is sold out, and Kentucky fans figure to be numerous in the packed Memorial Gym crowd. Students are encouraged to arrive at 7 p.m. or earlier for the nationally televised contest.