Shea Ralph and the Vanderbilt Commodores improved to 15-1 on Sunday with a 63-57 win over Florida. The Commodores improved to 2-0 in SEC play, which is good for their best start in conference play since the 2012-13 season. On Jan. 8, the Commodores were ranked outside the AP Top 25. Vanderbilt’s mentality remains the same though and will look to gain its ninth consecutive win this Thursday against Kentucky.
“For our team, it’s really important that we eliminate distractions,” Ralph said in a press conference on Jan. 9. “It matters where we’re ranked at the end of the year.”
The Hustler answered all questions about the red-hot Commodores.
Q: What will Vanderbilt need to improve to beat the top-25 opponents it will face later this season?
Jayce Pollard, Lead Sports Analyst: Ralph & Co. need to dramatically rein in the amount of turnovers they’re committing. Through two games of SEC play, the Commodores have committed 20 and 25 turnovers, respectively. Part of that is adjusting to a tougher schedule where every opposing defender is a bit longer, a bit faster and a bit smarter. With backup guard Madison Greene out for the season with an ACL injury, Bella LaChance stepped up to round out the rotation in nonconference play, but the limitations imposed by her size and lack of scoring kept her from playing more than a singular minute against Florida. Vanderbilt still beat Mississippi State and Florida despite the turnover problem; but, with Greene out, there’s not an apparent solution to the backup point guard problem. That means this might just have to be something the Commodores live with for a while.
Anish Mago, Deputy Sports Editor: Though Vanderbilt has been tenacious on defense all year long, I do think Ralph is missing a bit of size defensively and on the boards. Through 16 games, the Commodores have been outrebounded by all but three SEC teams and have struggled with deterring slashing guards at the rim, with 22 points from Florida G Leilani Correa in their last game illustrating the point well. As Vanderbilt comes up against SEC teams with size on the block, namely South Carolina and LSU, Ralph will need to figure out how to inject more physicality in her rotation. One name to watch out for is freshman forward Khamil Pierre, who played 26 minutes against Florida and was mentioned by Ralph postgame as a player who has grown tremendously. Getting Pierre more involved and continuing to emphasize team rebounding will be paramount for Ralph as she tries to match the physicality of the SEC.
Q: What has been the biggest difference between last year’s Commodores to this year’s Commodores?
Andrew Wilf, Sports Editor: A sense of identity. Aside from Vanderbilt being much healthier than it was last season, Ralph’s veterans have stepped up their game and embraced a leadership role. The Commodores have three more wins (15) than they did all of last season (12), thanks to excellent play from stars Jordyn Cambridge, Iyana Moore and Sacha Washington. Cambridge has picked up right where she left off in 2022 and excelled, improving her 3-point percentage from 17.1% to 35.1%. The graduate is the main engine of Vanderbilt’s success. Cambridge’s teammate Washington averages 13.8 points per game, nearly three points better than she averaged in the 2022-23 season (11.1 points per game). Moore, a year removed from an ACL injury, remains a force on the court. In Vanderbilt’s win against Mississippi State, she scored 29 points. Aside from the stars, Vanderbilt’s depth has been key to its winning.
Henry Oelhafen, Sports Copy Editor: The lack of injuries has certainly helped the Commodores. With the return of Moore and Cambridge this season, Vanderbilt has a strong backcourt. While Ciaja Harbison was a loss for the Commodores after last season, Cambridge and Moore have filled this vacancy. Similarly, I believe Ralph’s recruiting, both out of high school and in the transfer portal, has made this team an NCAA Tournament contender. Justine Pissott, the transfer from Tennessee, has added depth for Vanderbilt and will play a larger role as the team gets deeper into SEC play. Similarly, many of the freshmen have made an immediate impact. Greene and Aga Makurat have been solid from beyond the arc, providing a threat on the perimeter. Pierre was recently named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week and is another player that could break out in SEC play. Ralph did an incredible job on the recruiting trail and it is paying off.
Q: Which player has made the biggest jump this season?
Mago: I’m cheating a bit with this answer, but Iyana Moore returning from a torn ACL and immediately slotting in as a double-digit scoring option has been extremely impressive. Moore showed a ton of promise as a freshman, averaging nearly 13 points per game, and has looked every bit as good through the start of conference play in her second season. As defenses continue to shade more coverage towards her backcourt partner Cambridge, Moore will need to take advantage of the increased space and continue to score at all three levels. Though the shooting (29.2% from 3) and playmaking (35 assists to 33 turnovers) aren’t where they need to be yet, those parts of the game will come as Moore continues to get her feet under her. For now, Moore representing a strong tertiary scoring option for Ralph has provided the Commodores with a much-needed boost.
Oelhafen: While Sacha Washington was an efficient forward last season, she has made a jump this season and become a leader for this Vanderbilt roster. Washington has a strong presence in the paint and is averaging 13.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season. She is one of the top forwards in the SEC and dropped a career-high 33 points against Louisiana Tech in December. While Washington has been a star on West End since freshman year, her touch around the rim and physicality on defense has only improved and propelled her game forward. She is now a veteran player at the five spot and a reliable scoring option if things aren’t going the right way for the Commodores. She hasn’t played her best basketball in SEC play yet, but I expect her to be a leader for this Vanderbilt team moving forward.
Q: What has been the formula to Vanderbilt’s 15-1 record?
Pollard: It’s the size of the team. Injuries plagued Vanderbilt last season, but even without them, the Commodores weren’t quite at SEC caliber in terms of the height and length of their athletes. That’s completely changed this season, and it’s the reason for the 15-1 start. Vanderbilt picked up Pissott in the transfer portal and nabbed Pierre, Makurat and Aiyana Mitchell for its recruiting class. All four of those players are 6’2 at a minimum, and two of them can space the floor. That means Ralph can play multiple long wings at the same time and run her signature trap defense without compromising the team’s ability to score. As the two shooters, Makurat and Pissott have generally had their minutes staggered, but it might be worthwhile to see what they can do together in a small ball lineup with Pierre at the five.
