Every year, there are a few teams that enter the college basketball season with much higher expectations than how they ended last season. They are generally younger teams with solid talent that struggled early on the season before but began to pick up steam late, winning a few games in a row, beating solid teams and establishing themselves as a threat before their season comes to an end.
This year, that team is the Vanderbilt Commodores, a team full of solid talent, a great coach and a history of winning that has taken a bit of a step back in recent years.
ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: NBA Power Rankings: Best 30 SF of All-Time
There’s a reason to be excited about Vanderbilt this year, though. First, it returns the majority of last season’s team that won seven of its final nine games of the season. Seven of Vandy’s top nine scorers from last year return, including 7-foot big man Damian Jones (14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks), who passed up another opportunity to go pro but comes back for his junior year.
More from NBA
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- Constructing the NBA’s perfect all-under-25 starting five
Jones’ return provides the Commodores with two 7-footers, pairing him with junior Luke Kornet. Unlike Jones, who’s more of a pure post man, Kornet (8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks) has the ability to stretch the floor, hitting 50 of his 125 three-point attempts last season. The duo alone is enough to make Vandy a viable contender, but it certainly doesn’t end there.
Three sophomore guards in major rotation last season return in Wade Baldwin IV (9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 43.9% 3FG), Matthew Fisher-Davis (7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 40.1% 3FG) and Riley LaChance (12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 38.9% 3FG).
Together, this trio combined for 40 percent of Vandy’s total offense last season. They’ll be expected to boost their play a little bit more after having a full year of college ball under their belts and all three have shown an ability to take over games when needed. They present a great dynamic that allows the Commodores to go inside and outside.
One of the key reserves for Vandy is Jeff Roberson, another sophomore who contributed 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds last year while being yet another outside shooting threat, connecting on 45.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
As a unit, these six players put up the majority of the Commodore’s offense and defensive numbers. Excitement is in the air for the Commodores, though they’ve been a bit of a hot take topic for some in the college basketball world.
For example, Ken Pomeroy, who owns and runs kempom.com, had this to say on Monday.
If you don't have Vandy in your preseason top 25 you are probably a weirdo
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) September 21, 2015
However, not everybody seems to agree with him. Sporting News released its annual college basketball yearbook and tabbed Vandy to finish fifth in the SEC. For those that think they both could be true, they cannot as there is no logical way to get five SEC teams in the top 25 if the sport is not football.
Anyway, not everybody is buying into the Commodores right now, and maybe that’s what’s best for Vandy. Setting the bar high for yourself but still being a bit of a mystery can work to a team’s advantage, and that seems to be where Vandy’s headed right now.
One of the main reasons why I’m buying into Vandy this year is because I’ve been able to see them at their worst and their best. Their worst came very early last season and their best came later on, which shows growth and maturity as a unit, which is exactly what a young team needs to show they can become something great.
Not many teams can go an entire half by missing a total of four shots, which is exactly what Vanderbilt did in the second round of the NIT against South Dakota State. Their offense is deadly and their defense is stout. Another summer working out as a unit and knowing where they can get when playing at a high level should do wonders for this young team.
There are a number of games in Vandy’s non-conference schedule that should tell us a lot about how good this team and it starts with the Maui Invitational.
The Commodores open up Maui play against St. John’s and will, likely, move on to play either Indiana or Wake Forest. A game against the Hoosiers, who some have in their preseason top 10, should be a solid contest and provide the young Vanderbilt guards with a test as they go up against Yogi Ferrell, James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson.
Should they win that game and the other side of the bracket unfolds as many expects it to, Vanderbilt could play Kansas, a Final Four-caliber team with national championship aspirations. Now, it’s a tall order to ask Stallings’ team to beat both Indiana and Kansas in back-to-back days, but getting to the title game and putting up a good fight against the Jayhawks should squander any doubt that this team is for real.
Other tough non-conference games for the Commodores includes road contest at Baylor (Dec. 6) and at Purdue (Dec. 22) and a home game against Dayton (Dec. 9). The competition varies but each of these three teams are expected to be part in the NCAA tournament in March, so each is important to Vandy’s resume.
South Bound & Down
As for SEC play, the big games comes against the top dog Kentucky Wildcats, whom the Commodores will play twice. They’ll play at Kentucky on Jan. 23 and at home against the Wildcats on Feb. 27, their second-to-last home game of the season. Both will be important, especially if the SEC isn’t decided before the final week of the season.
There are other top challengers in the SEC, but like Vanderbilt, there are glaring questions for each of them. LSU’s operating under the one-and-done model for the first time.
Ole Miss hopes that Stefan Moody can recreate Marshall Henderson‘s glory of carrying rather sub-par teams to glory. Georgia has some talent returning but it’s a bit of a toss-up whether or not they’ll be on their game all season again.
Vanderbilt’s a team that’s built up it’s reputation without making the NCAA tournament, one of the few teams this offseason to be able to say that. Hype surrounds them, but there are still those who are hesitant to get on the bandwagon.
The bandwagon won’t wait forever, though. There’s still space, but I wouldn’t expect it to be long before it starts to get a bit crowded.
Next: 25 Greatest Individual Seasons in NBA History
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout