30 years later, Jerry Stackhouse finally has John Calipari's number
It took 30 years, but Jerry Stackhouse might finally have John Calipari's number.
Vanderbilt defeated Kentucky on Friday, 80-73, to advance to the semifinals of the SEC tournament. It marks Commodores head coach Jerry Stackhouse's second win this month against Kentucky after losing his first eight against the Wildcats since being at the helm ahead of the 2019-20 season.
But Calipari was a thorn in Stackhouse's side long before their battles on the sidelines in the SEC.
The two head coaches first crossed paths on Nov. 24, 1993, when Stackhouse was a freshman at North Carolina and Calipari was in his sixth year as head coach at UMass.
The Tar Heels were the defending champions and ranked first by the Associated Press entering a Preseason NIT semifinal neutral site game against Calipari and the Minutemen.
No. 21 UMass pulled off an overtime upset, 91-86, putting the game away with a three-pointer after Stackhouse knocked down a pair of free throws to push the Tar Heels within one with under a minute remaining. (h/t UMass Hoops)
It was Stackhouse's Commodores hitting big shots down the stretch to pull away this time.
Guard Ezra Manjon starred for Vanderbilt on Friday, scoring a team-high 25 points including an incredible three-pointer after Kentucky closed the gap to three points.
He prevented a backcourt violation and dribbled the ball to the three-point line before throwing up an attempt as the shot clock expired.
More important than getting payback on a 30-year-old loss, Vanderbilt's huge late-season wins against Kentucky have kept Stackhouse's Commodores alive for an improbable NCAA tournament berth.
Per ESPN's updated Bracketology, Vanderbilt is on the bubble as a team in the "First Four Out" category.
The program last made the NCAA tournament in 2017 and an appearance this year would be an enormous stride in the right direction.
The Commodores took a big step toward that goal on Friday night. For Stackhouse, it's been a long time in the making.
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