Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball was on cloud nine when the final buzzer sounded in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 25, officially declaring a win over the Kentucky Wildcats. Fans rushed the court for the second time in as many games despite the half-a-million-dollar price tag that came with.
Vanderbilt didn’t just get a win; it did so without playing its best basketball. The Commodores dominating — for the most part — another ranked opponent meant a lot to a program and fanbase that saw just eight home wins last season. With that win the Commodores could almost taste an NCAA Tournament appearance, right? The magic seven SEC wins needed to make the dance were just three wins away — their team was ranked for the first time in over a decade and seemingly securely off the bubble.
The Commodores (16-6, 4-5 SEC) then had a week to prepare and look to its next two tests — both on the road — against Oklahoma and No. 5 Florida. While no win in the SEC, especially this year, is given, it has become clear that the Commodores can compete in any environment. Over the next two games, however, the Commodores lost by a combined 41 points. They fell out of the top 25 just as swiftly as they entered it and learned one important lesson: As quickly as you experience the highs of a season, you can also experience the lows.
No place like home
Perhaps the whiplash of the Kentucky win, followed by the Oklahoma and Florida losses, proved to Vanderbilt there’s no place like home.
Let’s flashback to the Tennessee and Kentucky wins; despite the jam-packed student section and a small number of fans otherwise in black and gold, the opposing fans took over Memorial Gymnasium. Creamsicle Orange and Royal Blue lined 25th Avenue before the gates opened.
Despite this, the crowd favored Vanderbilt. The students refused to accept a loss even when Kentucky went on a 9-0 run. They willed the team back to life and relished their victory alongside them. The importance of this — especially in college basketball — cannot be overstated.
Vanderbilt has limited opponents to far fewer points at home than on the road. The Commodores have allowed opponents to score an average of 70.75 points per game in Memorial Gymnasium while averaging 70 of their own. In contrast, they allow opponents an average of 86.6 points per game on the road compared to their 75. This stark margin isn’t because Vanderbilt shoots particularly badly on the road — in fact, it shoots better at away stadiums in both field goals (42.48%) and 3-pointers (35.2%).
Perhaps Memorial Gymnasium is hard to shoot in. Maybe Vanderbilt plays better defense at home, or maybe the aforementioned fans bring a little bit of magic. Whatever the reason, the overall message is clear — Vanderbilt doesn’t allow colossal offensive performances inside Memorial. It needs to capitalize on this.
Unlike Dorothy, though, the ‘Dores don’t have to click their heels and wish to be back on West End; they have back-to-back home contests on deck and a sold-out student section for both. The Commodores must take advantage of these opportunities and win because there is still a lot of season left. If they don’t, they could see their best chance at their first tournament berth since 2016 slip right out of their hands.
Balanced scoring attack
Is it exciting that Jason Edwards and Devin McGlockton can drop 20 points on any given night? Absolutely. Does that mean Vanderbilt is going to win, though? The statistics indicate the opposite. A more balanced scoring approach is much better for Vanderbilt’s offense.
The Commodores’ best wins come when they get a fourth player in the scoring mix. When Vanderbilt has four or more players in double digits, it holds a 3-2 conference record as opposed to 1-3 when it hasn’t. In those five wins, McGlockton or Edwards averaged just 22 points per game combined.
The difference maker here seems to be when head coach Mark Byington and Co. can get Jaylen Carey or AJ Hoggard to produce 10 or more points. With Carey passing that 10-point marker, the ‘Dores are 3-1 in conference play, and with Hoggard, they are 3-2. Regardless of who that fourth person in the mix is, they have been crucial to Vanderbilt’s success this season.
The SEC is a tough league, especially this year, and it is going to take multiple double-digit scorers to win. Vanderbilt plays its best basketball when it shares the scoring responsibility.
Second half woes
One of the biggest — and most concerning — issues the Commodores have experienced in SEC play is their lack of second-half offense. In the Oklahoma and Florida games, this issue was wildly apparent and made the game borderline unwatchable at times.
Across their conference games, the ‘Dores have been outscored 400 to 339 in the second half while outscoring opponents 316 to 314 in the first. Let that statistic sink in. Vanderbilt is giving up 56% of its points in the second half.
Second-half runs have crushed Vanderbilt. It allowed Kentucky to go on a 9-0 run at home, igniting a deafening wall of sound from Big Blue Nation. The Commodores held a slim 40-36 lead at Oklahoma, but it quickly got out of hand. They allowed the Sooners to go on a 23-0 run in the first seven minutes of the second frame. What’s most peculiar about these is that Vanderbilt doesn't ever start the first half slow — only the second. There is just something about the final 20 minutes of a game that has the Commodores dealing with a case of second-half woes. They’re going to have to fix it quickly if they want to start winning games.
The buzz swirling around campus and the nation about Byington and his Commodores is at an all-time high. This team is poised to make history, but only if it can bounce back from a disappointing road showing and make the needed adjustments. If it can do that, it might be unstoppable.
Vanderbilt will try to get back in the win column when it hosts Texas on Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. CST.
