Vandy’s preparing for UK means getting ready to try and stop Meeks

Jodie Meeks, here playing against Vanderbilt on Jan. 10, is Vandy head coach Kevin Stallings key focus for his team’s defense. Photo by Kristin Sherrard | Staff

One of the worst-kept secrets in college basketball is Jodie Meeks’ ability to break loose and score points en masse while exerting seemingly no energy.

However, Meeks’ performances in games immediately following big nights out are flying under the radar.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings stated plainly that planning a defensive strategy around Meeks is difficult, calling the junior’s season to this point, “absolutely phenomenal.”

“I think that you have to focus the attention of your defense on him, because he’s proven that his scoring ability warrants that,” Stallings said. “He just is such a great player and a great weapon for them that you’re foolish not to give the utmost attention, and sometimes that means at the expense of other things that you might want to do defensively.”

Meeks has scored 35 points or more in five games this season — and four of those games were away from Rupp Arena. (The one at Rupp Arena was the Cats’ season-opening loss to Virginia Military Institute, when Meeks scored 39.) In games immediately following 35-point-or-more performances, Meeks is averaging 23 points per game — a few points under his season average (25.8).

UK head coach Billy Gillispie said Meeks has carried his team on his shoulders all season, even when opposing defenses have fresh tape of a Meeks outburst right before meeting the Cats.

“For him to have such tremendous pressure to be basically the lone guy that has been there day in and day out and to do the things he has been able to do, is just unbelievable,” Gillispie said.

Until Saturday, opposing defenses have had to plan to cover both Meeks and sophomore Patrick Patterson. However, Patterson sprained his right ankle on Feb. 3 against Florida and sat out against the Razorbacks. During a Monday news conference, Gillispie was still unsure of Patterson’s status for the trip to Vanderbilt.

“He hasn’t been able to do much at all,” Gillispie said. “His status is the same, day-to-day. When he’s healthy, he’ll be able to play and practice.”

In a Monday Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference, Stallings didn’t mention if his gameplan would be any different if Patterson was out. Either way, Stallings said his first priority was stopping Meeks.

“He’s playing as well as anybody in the country,” Stallings said. “You hear a lot about Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry and players like that, but I can’t imagine that anybody’s having a better season than Jodie Meeks is having.”

Meeks named SEC Player of the Week
The SEC offices announced Monday that Meeks had been selected as the SEC Player of the Week for his performances against Florida and Arkansas.

Meeks hit a double-pumping 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left to lift the Cats over Florida on Feb. 3, 68-65. He played all 40 minutes in the game and finished with 23 points. Meeks followed his heroics against Florida with 45 points and seven rebounds on the road against Arkansas on Saturday.

The league office named Auburn’s Frankie Sullivan as its Freshman of the Week. When UK beat the Tigers on Jan. 21, Sullivan scored five points in 16 minutes on the floor.