Coming off an overtime loss to No. 10 USC, Vanderbilt will to try regroup against Virginia in a NIT Season Tip-Off matchup in Brooklyn.
The Commodores got 31 points and 11 rebounds from senior Matthew Fisher-Davis against the Trojans, but couldn’t find enough stops in overtime to pull out the win.
Meanwhile, Tony Bennett’s squad enters the tournament ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense, with the Cavaliers only giving up 54.3 points per game.
The two teams will meet either Rhode Island or Seton Hall on Friday.
Players to Watch
Matthew Fisher-Davis (Vanderbilt)
Fisher-Davis played perhaps his most complete game of his Vandy career in the loss to USC.
He can obviously score points, but adding that type of rebounding presence going forward would give the Commodores a huge boost.
While the senior guard certainly had his ups and downs last season, he’s off to a great start this year.
As long as his ankle doesn’t give him any further problems, he’s likely set for an All-SEC type of season in Nashville.
Djery Baptiste (Vanderbilt)
Perhaps the biggest concern for Vanderbilt entering the season was frontcourt play, which made sense after the graduation of Luke Kornet.
But as staff writer Robbie Weinstein wrote in a column this week, Baptiste could be the answer to those questions.
The 6-10 center has put together solid outings in back-to-back games, and if can continue to emerge as Bryce Drew’s best overall option in the post, it would go a long way toward giving the Commodores a shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year.
Kyle Guy (Virginia)
In year a where many wondered where Virginia’s offense would come from, Guy has provided quite a spark.
After averaging 7.5 points per game as a freshman, he’s already putting up 18.5 four games into the season. His 29-point performance against VCU showed how dangerous of a scorer he can be when he’s on, and that type of output would give Virginia a big boost here.
Guy really is a fun player to watch.
Devon Hall (Virginia)
Hall is the only other player scoring in double figures in averaging 11.5 points per game.
The senior has continue to evolve his game throughout the years, and he’s currently providing this team a nice scoring threat behind Guy.
How Vanderbilt Can Win
It may sound simple, but beating Virginia typically requires a team to shoot the ball well and push the tempo when possible.
The Commodores aren’t going to run up and down the floor on a regular basis, but getting open 3-pointers in transition will give Drew’s squad a shot at victory.
And considering how efficient the Cavaliers can be on offense, Vanderbilt will need to be prepared to stay disciplined on defense the entire game.
How Virginia Can Win
Playing the Virginia way will always give this team a chance to win, and zeroing in on Vandy’s senior core of Fisher-Davis, Riley LaChance, and Jeff Roberson, will be crucial to victory.
Those three are all capable of scoring 20-plus on any given night, so it’s important to keep them in check.
And as always, controlling the tempo will play a huge role in trying to score the win.
Game Details
Date: November 23
Time: 4 PM EST
TV: ESPNU