Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball kicked off its 2025-26 campaign with a 105-61 blowout victory over Lipscomb at home. Despite having just three returning players, the Commodores looked calm and collected against the Bisons. They will look to move to 2-0 this Saturday as they travel to Orlando to face the University of Central Florida in their first game against a Power-Five team this season.
Rising stocks
The Commodores were ferocious on defense in their season opener. Playing in man-to-man matchups, the smaller Lipscomb players were no match for the size and length of the Commodores, especially around the perimeter. The team put up 13 steals and six blocks on the night, much higher than their 2024-25 average of 12.8 “stocks,” or steals and blocks combined, per game.
Sophomore Tyler Tanner was particularly impactful on defense, as he did not give his matchups any space. One of the best stealers in college basketball, he poked the ball away from the Bisons four times. What was especially impressive, though, was the improved leaping ability Tanner showcased, as he had three blocks that came in a variety of situations. The 6’1 point guard knocked down a post-move jumping straight up early in the first half and pinned a chase-down block off the backboard moments later.
UCF turned the ball over 16 times in its season opener against Hofstra, many of which came from poor decision-making around the perimeter when the Pride set high traps on the wings. Thomas Fulks, the Knights’ primary ball-carrier, was responsible for six of those giveaways himself. Expect Tanner to pester him all game as Vanderbilt looks to continue its success in forcing turnovers.
Space glass
UCF’s bout against Hofstra was a closer-than-anticipated, back-and-forth affair. What ultimately gave the Knights the 82-78 edge was clutch rebounding down the stretch. Their starting lineup boasts immense height, including 7’2 center John Bol and two forwards, Jamichael Stillwell and Jordan Burks, who are both 6’9. Thus, the Knights are incredibly difficult to box out; they had a whopping 40 rebounds versus Hofstra, 16 of which were offensive.
Rebounding was one of Vanderbilt’s biggest weaknesses last year. Against Lipscomb, though, the team racked up 37 boards. Devin McGlockton led the team with 7.9 per game last year and again took the helm for the Commodores in their opener, grabbing 12 balls off the glass. While he is not the biggest body, the 6’7 forward had incredible placement and box-out form, overwhelming the Bisons with his strength all game. McGlockton will also take on much of the responsibility of guarding UCF’s bigs, especially with Mason Nicholson likely still out due to illness. The clash between the tall but skinny Bol and the muscular McGlockton over rebounds will be an incredibly entertaining and important matchup for the outcome of the game.
Center Jalen Washington will also need to step up in his minutes off the bench for Vanderbilt. The transfer from North Carolina will be the other bastion of defense against the Knights’ size. In his debut against Lipscomb, Washington only grabbed two boards. The senior must be more aggressive on the glass in his second outing in Black and Gold.
Marquee matchup to watch
Riley Kugel looked to be the Knights’ best offensive player in their first game. Before joining UCF through the transfer portal this offseason, Kugel was a spark plug off the bench for Mississippi State in 2024-25, where he averaged 9.3 points per game. Against Hofstra, he had 19 points that included making 5-of-9 3-point attempts. Kugel has a quick release and can shoot efficiently off the dribble but is most dangerous when he gets a swing pass.
He will most likely be matched up against combo-guard Duke Miles, whose length makes him excellent at trapping his man. While he racked up three steals in the game against Lipscomb, the most effective way for Miles to guard Kugel will be to prevent him from getting the ball altogether. The transfer from Oklahoma will need to ensure that Kugel stays stagnant by playing tough pass-deny defense rather than going into help positions. If Miles can contain Kugel, the Knights will struggle to keep up with Vanderbilt’s deep and versatile scoring attack.
Vanderbilt will face UCF on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. CST in Addition Financial Arena.
