Vanderbilt will open the 2018-19 season on Tuesday as it takes on Winthrop at Memorial Gym.
Bryce Drew enters his third season in Nashville, and thanks to the addition of a top-15 recruiting class, it’s easily his most anticipated season since taking over in 2016.
Meanwhile, Winthrop returns eight of its top 10 scorers and should once again be fighting for one of the top spots in the Big South.
Let’s look at several things worth watching heading into the opener for both teams.
Game Details
- Game Date: Nov. 6
- Game Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Darius Garland (Vanderbilt)
Garland is the highest-rated recruit to ever choose the Commodores, so expectations will certainly be high for the Nashville native right from the opening tip.
The good news is that Garland has more than enough skill to handle it, as he’s a multi-dimensional point guard who can score and pass with the best of them.
Even as a freshman, he’ll be one of the leaders on the court for this team, and how quickly he adjusts to the college game will decide how fast things come together for Drew’s squad.
Saben Lee (Vanderbilt)
While a lot of the attention is on Garland and fellow 5-star Simi Shittu, there’s no doubt that Lee will be just as important to Vanderbilt’s success this season.
The 6-2 combo guard averaged 10.6 points and 3.1 assists in 26.8 minutes per game as a freshman, and he led the team in steals and assists.
Drew now has the luxury of having two great ball-handlers on the court at the same time, as both players should play extremely well off of each other in Vanderbilt’s offensive system.
Bjorn Broman (Winthrop)
Despite the exit of Big South player of the year Xavier Cooks, Kelsey and his staff have options in terms of how they’ll approach things on the offensive side of the floor.
Broman, who earned All-Big South honor mention honors last season, is one of those options as one of the top returning scorers (10.2 mpg) for the Eagles.
The senior shot 41.1 percent from 3-point land last year in connecting on 72 shots from beyond the arc while averaging more minutes (30.3 mpg) than any other returner on the roster.
Key Stats
Winthrop has consistently played fast in the Kelsey era, and last season was no different in featuring an average offensive possession length of 15.8 seconds (27th nationally).
The Eagles should continue to push the pace with a solid returning core, but that may suit what Drew wants to do with his revamped roster.
Vanderbilt hasn’t finished higher than 307th nationally in average offensive possession length since Drew took over, and that should change due to the addition of Garland.
It’s also worth noting that Winthrop was in the top 35 in the country in field-goal percentage last season, and with so many players returning, that type of efficiency could be on display once again.
Game Outlook
- KenPom Projection: Vanderbilt, 87 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Vanderbilt, 78.5 percent chance to win
This may not as easy of a game as some expect it to be for the Commodores.
There will likely be some early adjustments for a Vanderbilt squad that’ll lean on freshmen and sophomores in key roles, so that could allow Winthrop to make things interesting for the majority of the game.
However, even with all the scoring that’s back, we don’t exactly know what to expect from the Eagles after the departure of a dynamic playmaker in Cooks.
The Commodores are the better team overall, but Kelsey’s teams rarely back down from a challenge and may have enough experience to keep it close.
Game Pick: Vanderbilt
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