Everything Jerry Stackhouse said after Vandy scored a second win over UK in as many weeks

Jerry Stackhouse has done it again.

For the second time in as many weeks, the Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball team has delivered a significant defeat to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Last week, Stackhouse and the Commodores came to Rupp Arena and defeated UK on Senior Night.

On Friday night, Vanderbilt ensured that UK’s stay in Nashville for the SEC Tournament would be a short one. The Commodores defeated the Wildcats 80-73 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Vanderbilt overcame a negative-17 rebounding margin by making 10 three-pointers and shooting 90% from the free-throw line.

The Commodores led by three points or more for the entirety of the second half, and Stackhouse’s team took a major step toward an NCAA Tournament bid with the win.

Afterward, Stackhouse spoke to the media at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to discuss his second straight win over John Calipari and the Wildcats:

Opening statement: That was an unbelievable game to be a part of. Both teams were battling, a lot of ups and downs in that game. They got off to a quick start. We continued to battle and weather the storm. Found a rhythm ourselves.

Again, just look at the rebounding numbers, it was tough. They was pounding us on the boards. Our guys, they got timely rebounds, timely key rebounds. Just their fight and their competitiveness is what got us that win.

Q. What was that scene like for you over there with the fans, the SEC Network?

I mean, it’s great. It’s a lot of excitement. We’re happy for our fans. We’re happy for everyone, everyone involved. Commodore nation. Everyone involved. It’s an exciting time. SEC Tournament is in our city. We’ve advanced. It’s just a lot of excitement.

Again, just another step to where we want to go, to try to accomplish our goal of winning it. It’s great. Little milestones that happen with this win, being able to have our first 20-win season since we’ve been here. Again, it feels great. At the same time we know that there’s ebbs and flows in this thing.

A few weeks ago, everybody thought that we were down in the dumps. They was dissing. A lot of people had a lot of things to say. We just stayed within our cocoon of what we needed to do, what needed to happen. Looked in the mirror and said we needed to change some things within ourselves. I thought our guys did that. Give the credit to them.

Our message, nothing has changed since we’ve been here. I think our guys are getting the reps that they have, just their understanding of what we’re doing, how we need to go about it. Plus having great people. That’s what it starts with, we have really good kids that go about it the right way, approach it the right way. Are they always going to do things right? No. They’re young people. They’re going to make mistakes. But we continue to hold them accountable and continue to love on them the way that we’re supposed to.

I think that’s what you’re seeing right now, you’re seeing a group of guys that’s playing for each other. I’m excited to get back to the next game.

Q. Few years in a row you have been playing your best here at the end of the year in this tournament. What is it about the way you do things that has lended itself to that?

I don’t think we skip steps. I think it’s important for us not to skip steps. I think it could get a little monotonous for guys that have been in the program, like a Jordan or Q. We have to go back and teach the young guys. As much as we add things and build on it, we still have to go back and teach the young guys as well.

I think that’s the beauty of those guys, having guys like that. Each one, teach one. Quentin is unbelievable with Lee, all of them, Malik. He spends a lot of time showing them where they need to be. Ez is the same way with Paul, even though he’s been here a year. He understands how to play the point guard position. He understands little nuances. I think he does a great job of that.

I think that’s why we are where we are. We got tremendous support from the top, throughout all of the noise and some folk wavering about where they thought our program was. The people that supported us have always been there. This is for them. It’s for them. I’m really, really happy for them, for these type of moments.

Again, we still got a plan on something more. I honestly feel that we can win it all. If we get an opportunity to get in, this team deserves, the country deserves to see. I played in the NCAA tournament. I know what it’s about.

You hear all the stories that come out when you advance and get to know these -- they need to know Quentin Millora-Brown. They need to know Ezra Majon. They need to know Jordan Wright. They need to know these kids because they’re special kids, not just good basketball players, they’re special kids. They’re part of a special environment here at Vanderbilt. I think the world and the country needs to see that.

Q. I asked you about Ezra. Can you speak to how crucial he a has been to your success?

Again, I mean, he’s been unbelievable, how he runs the team. Probably had his worst game as far as turnovers tonight. He’s been really taking care of the ball. He’s still a calming presence with the guys. You can feel it. When the seconds was ticking off there, it’s not a show. It was true emotion of those guys, understanding the work they put in.

Again, the point guard, he can never have a bad day, and he doesn’t. He doesn’t have a bad day at practice. He comes in with the same energy. The other guys can fluctuate a little bit. But your point guard and your best player, they can’t have days off. I think he represents that every day he comes in with his hardhat on, come to work with that smile, that infectious smile. He’s a joy to coach.

Q. What do you think has clicked for this team finally?

Again, I think defensively is where it’s really been for us. We hadn’t always shot it well on the offensive end. Again, I think we give ourselves a chance because we really play really good initial defense.

We got to get better at not allowing those second-chance points. I think if we can rebound the ball a little bit better, we ever get a double figure rebounding, man, it might be over, especially for one of our bigs. Jordan was able to get 15 rebounds last night. He was unbelievable, man. I recall that one play where Hannibal ran into him, he took one in the chest, got up and still had a deflection.

Man, that’s what it’s all about. Those are winning championship plays. If our guys throughout our roster continue to do those type of things, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win every night.

It’s important now to get our rest. The games are coming faster and faster. We’re playing a tough team tomorrow, Texas A&M. We know them well. Guys that get after it on both sides of the ball. We have to be ready and prepared to play at a high level again.

Q. Down 14-4, a lot of teams will tend to wilt. What have you seen that allowed them to put it together?

I don’t think those guys get rattled. We understand they’re making shots. Plays are part of the game. You’re not really going to lose the game in the first half in this modern era with the three-point shot. You have an opportunity to get back in the game. We feel like we have a -- our shooters haven’t shot the ball well yet.

Frankly, that’s it. Those guys keep going along with the way they’re capable of, Miles and Trey, Paul was unbelievable tonight for a young guy. He was a big, big spurt for us. Again, those valuable minutes that those guys got early in the season when everybody was thought that we should just try to play a certain group, you don’t build a team that way, you don’t build a program that way. You have to have continuity.

I think by playing those guys, them getting that confidence and those reps, we encourage them. We want you to be aggressive. We want you to play with poise, but at the same time be aggressive.

They bring that to the table. It’s other guys. We kind of shorten the rotation, but if somebody was to go down, I’m not afraid to throw a Noah Shelby out there, not afraid to throw Emmanuel Ansong out there. Those guys have gotten reps and can contribute if we need them.

That’s our message to them. Stay ready. You never know when something can happen. I believe if something happened, those guys could step in and have an impact.

Q. Jordan was one of your first recruits at Vanderbilt. What was it like walking up with him to the SEC Network set?

It was a lot of fun. More fun was just to see our fans and our excitement. Wasn’t so excited to sit up there and talk to those guys; ain’t none of them picked us. You know what I’m saying? That’s part of the deal, it is what it is.

Again, it was a great feeling for him because we hadn’t had this experience of playing on a Saturday, possibly a Sunday. We made it to this game last year. A lot of things happened in that game, and we weren’t able to get over the hump.

We finally were able to get over the hump, excited about the possibility of tomorrow and even more excited about the possibility of getting through tomorrow and getting to Sunday.

We believe in us. You know what I’m saying? We’re going to be us, and we believe in us. That’s all that matters. All the other noise doesn’t matter. We’re not worried about bracketology or anything else but the next game. That’s what we’re looking forward to.

Kentucky’s trip to the SEC Tournament is a short one. Vanderbilt upsets UK in Nashville.

Box score from Kentucky basketball’s 80-73 loss to Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament

5 things you need to know from UK’s 80-73 loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tourney