In his third season, the jury is still out on Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse. In his first college job, the former NBA All-Star has compiled a 22-37 record.
Coming off a last-place finish in the 14-team conference and returning SEC preseason player of the year Scotty Pippen Jr., the Commodores are primed for improvement.
Off to a solid start with 19-point wins over Alabama State and Texas State, Vanderbilt (2-0) is ready for a tougher challenge. The Commodores could get that Wednesday night against visiting Virginia Commonwealth (1-1), a team that figures to slow the pace after Vandy averaged 85 points in its run-and-gun wins last week.
Perennial NCAA Tournament contender VCU will bring its signature pressure defense as it tries to recover from an upset loss Saturday at home to Wagner, 58-44, in which the Rams were outrebounded 42-24 and scored their fewest points in a game since 2005.
“They were a tougher team than us for 40 minutes,” VCU coach Mike Rhoades said. “They crushed us on the glass, and they deserved to win.”
VCU is in transition after losing top scorer Bones Hyland, now an emerging reserve for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and point guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, who suffered an Achilles tear in the offseason after helping the Rams qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in the last 11 years.
VCU has been led by KeShawn Curry (12 points per game) and Hason Ward (9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds), who is joined in the frontcourt by returning starters Vince Williams and Levi Stockard III. Jalen DeLoach, a 6-9 freshman, is vying for more minutes.
Vanderbilt will counter with the 6-3 Pippen Jr. (22.5 points) and swingmen Jordan Wright (16.0 points) and Myles Stute (12.5), who was blossoming last year before he contracted COVID-19. The Commodores were counting on Liam Robbins, a 7-foot transfer from Minnesota. But he’s been sidelined by a stress fracture, leaving 6-6 Jamaine Mann (8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds) to handle the board work.
“We’re preparing for the SEC,” Stackhouse said. “It’s great to win these games. It’s part of building our resume. But it’s more than just about winning these games right now. We’ve got these guys reps, get them comfortable and able to be contributors.”
–Field Level Media
